Apple Valley used depth in the middle and distance events and strong performances in the final stretch to earn a 97–85 varsity victory over Lakeville South in a South Suburban Conference dual that remained close through the second half of the meet.
Lakeville South opened the night with a win in the 200 Medley Relay as Grady Evenson, Brendan Mattson, Nathan Hotchkiss, and Bennett Nesbitt touched first in 1:45.63, edging Apple Valley’s A relay (1:49.68) and grabbing the early lead.
Apple Valley responded immediately in the 200 Freestyle, sweeping the top three scoring spots behind Tyden Tompkins (2:03.68), Ethan Wetrosky (2:11.49), and Aedyn Troche (2:18.61). That sweep flipped the team score and gave the Eagles early momentum.
The Eagles added more ground in the 200 IM, where Gabe Lenzen delivered a strong win in 1:59.94, followed by teammate Javier Laffitte in third and Andrew Kaiser in fifth, while Lakeville South’s Aiden Nguyen placed second (2:12.16) to keep the Panthers within range.
Sprint speed favored Lakeville South in the 50 Freestyle, as Evenson won in 23.20 and Mattson followed in 23.31, but Apple Valley countered with points from Ernesto Van Beverhoudt, Braden Rick, and Jack Groeller, limiting the swing.
Apple Valley gained critical separation on the diving boards. Charlie Peterson dominated the 1-meter event with a winning score of 234.90, while teammate Reid Ahnemann placed third and Jeffrey Simon Burton added fifth, creating one of the night’s largest point swings.
Lakeville South answered in the butterfly, sweeping the top two spots behind Nguyen (56.48) and Hotchkiss (59.94). Apple Valley stayed close with scoring swims from Aidan Kahle, Van Beverhoudt, and Hunter Barnhart, keeping the Eagles narrowly in front.
The Panthers picked up another key win in the 100 Freestyle as Nesbitt touched first in 54.71, but Apple Valley again stacked points behind Rick, Gordon Sutton, and Brock Johnson, preserving its advantage.
Distance racing proved pivotal. Apple Valley swept the top three spots in the 500 Freestyle with Laffitte winning in 5:46.80, followed by Wetrosky (5:49.66) and John Klopp (6:15.24), extending the Eagles’ lead heading into the relays.
Lakeville South responded in the 200 Free Relay, as the A relay of Nesbitt, Jack Wheeler, Nguyen, and Hotchkiss captured the win in 1:38.75, but Apple Valley stayed close with strong finishes from its A and B relays to keep the meet within reach.
The backstroke again went to Lakeville South with Mattson winning in 1:00.31, but Apple Valley countered with Kahle (1:03.38) and Troche (1:11.44) adding valuable points.
Apple Valley delivered another decisive swing in the 100 Breaststroke, sweeping the top three places behind Lenzen (1:03.29), Klopp (1:15.42), and Mac Wells (1:17.75), giving the Eagles a solid cushion heading into the final relay.
Lakeville South closed the night with a win in the 400 Free Relay in 3:31.57, but Apple Valley had already built enough of a lead to secure the team victory.
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