MIDDLEBURY – The Wawasee boys swim team traveled to Northridge High School on Monday night for the Northern Lakes Conference finals and left with both improved times and confidence as sectionals quickly approach.

After recording solid times in Thursday’s prelims, the Warriors had an even stronger showing in the finals. Wawasee finished with 237 points, edging out Elkhart Memorial (224) for fourth place. Overwhelming favorite Northridge did not disappoint finishing in first place ahead with a score of 516, well ahead of second place Warsaw (407).

It was not a night full of first place finishers but it was a night full of personal bests for the Warriors.

“The kids all did great tonight,” said Wawasee head coach Julie Robinson. “We had so many kids with lifetime bests. That is just really great to see at this point.”

While several Wawasee swimmers had personal bests on Monday night, it was Warrior Logan Brugh that provided that most result on the night for his team.

Brugh finished third in the 500 free, behind Northridge’s Seth Cripe (4:48.00) and Spencer Lehman (4:40.67) with a time of 4:48.40. While Lehman’s time set a new meet record, Brugh’s time was more significant for Wawasee as it broke the school record for the event, last set by Andy Kryder in 1993.

Brugh’s third place finish was the sophomore’s second of the night. Brugh also took third in the 200 free with a time of 1:49.24. The Warriors did not have another third place finisher in any event.

The next highest finishers for Wawasee were Zach Hershberger with his fourth place finish in the 50 free (23.23) and the Warriors 400 free relay team, Logan Haessig, Brugh, Caige Wahlgren and Hershberger, which claimed fourth for Wawasee in the event with a time of 3:34.67.

In the evening’s first event, the 200 medley relay, Wawasee’s Danny Allen, Mason Germonprez, Haessig and Jaxon Bame recorded a time of 1:52.71, good enough for fifth.

In the diving portion of the meet Wawasee’s Mylon Betts and Tristen Atwood finished back-to-back for the Warriors with scores of 231.75 and 219.80, respectively. Northridge’s Taylor Berkey won the event with a score of 452.25.

As expected, the meet was a landslide for the host Raiders but Robinson knew that coming in and was focused on her swimmers improving her times. After seeing so many times improved, Robinson knew the event was a successful one for her team.

“We just had so many kids improve tonight,” Robinson said smiling. “I was just going through the results and saw so many lifetime bests. Mason (Germonprez) had lifetime bests in both of his swims, Logan (Haessig) had a lifetime best, Owen (Donahoe) had improved his 500 time on Thursday then took another nine seconds off today.

“Then Logan Brugh was able to beat a school record that is 20 years old, that was really cool to watch him in that 500. I don’t know how you could possibly be disappointed coming out of a meet where the kids just swam so well.”

Robinson added her team is look forward to tapering down and getting ready for the sectional. Wawasee will return to Northridge for the boys sectional prelims on Thursday 2/20 and for finals on Saturday 2/22.