In True Team competition, the Prior Lake boys swim team put together a series of strong performances to earn a top-eight finish at the University of Minnesota on Jan. 18.
Facing the best competition in Minnesota, the Lakers started strong, with Ethan Kosin, Owen Beaudette, Griffin Leining and Jamey Solt combining to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:33.18. Kosin was also the winning competitor in the 500-yard freestyle at 4:31.86.
Maddox Mork took center stage in the diving well. The senior continued to prove to be one of the best divers in the state, claiming first in the meet with 515.75 points in the 1-meter diving event.
In True Team scoring, each competitor earns points for their team, so it wasn’t just the event winners that factor into a team’s success. Beaudette added two individual top-five finishes in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke, while fellow junior Braxton Helmers finished second in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 200 individual medley.

In the final event of the meet, the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Solt, Helmers, Leining, and Kosin battled to secure a second place finish at 3:07.89, just behind the top relay from Minnetonka.
The Skippers won the AA meet with 2,411 points, followed by Wayzata, Edina, Chanhassen-Chaska, Woodbury and East Ridge. Prior Lake took seventh with 1,267.5 points.
The strong showing in the state meet was expected given Prior Lake’s showing in the stacked section 2AA meet a week earlier, placing third behind Minnetonka and Chanhassen-Chaska.

The Lakers swept the relay events in the pool. The meet began with a bang as the 200 medley relay team of Helmers, Beaudette, Leining and Matt Ondracek stormed to victory in 1:34.56, setting the tone for the rest of the competition. Later, Beaudette, Solt, Leining and Kosin took first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:25.23), while Solt, Helmers, Ondracek and Kosin capped an unforgettable day in the pool with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay (3:08.75).
Other swimming event winners for the Lakers included Solt in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle and Leining in the 100 butterfly. Kosin won the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstroke — joined by Helmers and Ondracek to sweep the top three finishers. Mork also won the diving competition with 446.45 points.
Conference streak continues
Between True Team meets, Prior Lake traveled to Farmington for a South Suburban Conference dual and dispatched the Tigers with a resounding 116-67 victory.
This win propels the Lakers to an impressive 5-0 record in conference play.
The quartet of Ondracek, Leining, Solt and Kosin broke the Farmington pool record in the 400 freestyle relay, touching the wall with a time of 3:13.58. Kosin added his name to the pool record book twice in the meet, setting a new best time in the 100 backstroke at 50.76, also taking first in the 200 individual medley.
Mork (diving), Solt (100 butterfly), Helmers (100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke), Beaudette (50 freestyle), Ondracek (500 freestyle) added solo event wins in the meet.
Up next
The Lakers finish regular season play in the coming weeks against Lakeville North, Rosemount and Eagan.