By Chris Bennett
Sports correspondent
The Elks won nine of 11 events and beat Badger Co-op 109-61 Dec. 19 in a Southern Lakes Conference boys high school swimming dual meet at Badger High School in Lake Geneva.
The Elks competed Dec. 20 in a non-conference dual meet at Boylan High School in Rockford, Ill.
Badger Co-op is the defending SLC champion. The Badgers are comprised of swimmers from Badger, Big Foot, Westosha Central, Wilmot and Williams Bay High Schools.
Coach Jamie Richardson said Elkhorn set the tempo early with a win in the first event. Brevin Kruse, Alex Johnson, Logan Radlein and Derek Gauger won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:48.37.
“I thought the medley relay did a nice job,” Richardson said. “They finished strong, and it sets a good tone when you win the first race.”
Radlein won the 200 individual medley (2:13.61) and 100 butterfly (58.98). Lucas Koepke won the 50 freestyle (23.05).
Hunter Johnson won the 100 freestyle (52.50) and Willy Pinnow on the 500 freestyle (5:03.77). Richardson said Pinnow is already faster, at this point in the season, that he was at the end of last year in the 500 freestyle.
Kruse won the 100 backstroke (58.15), and received praise from his coach for the time he posted. Richardson said Kruse is close to breaking the 58-second mark in the 100 backstroke.
“He’s quite a kid, one who works his tail off,” Richardson said. “He’s very intense, whether it’s in the weight room of the pool.”
Alex Johnson won the 100 breaskstroke (1:13.01).
Pinnow, Radlein, Koepke and Hunter Johnson won the 400 freestyle relay (3:31.52).
Richardson said the Elks posted 45 personal best times in the dual meet against Badger Co-op. The Elks are undefeated overall (4-0) and in SLC dual meet competition this season (2-0).
