By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Badger Co-op is within the sights of the Elkhorn Area High School boys swimming team.
The Elks have finished behind Badger in the last two invites attended by both teams. The Elks and Badgers will compete again Saturday in the Southern Lakes Conference Meet at Whitewater High School.
The Elks finished fourth Jan. 30 in the Racine Invitational at Park High School, six points behind third-place Badger. The Elks scored 285 points to Badger’s 291. Racine Case finished second (393) and Janesville Parker won the invite (401).
Badger finished third in the Red Devil Swim and Dive Invite Jan. 23 at Kenosha Bradford High School. Elkhorn finished fourth (332).
“We had a talk on the bus about that,” Richardson said. “We were six points out. Let’s try to flip that next weekend and have it be six points in our favor.”
Kalib Gorecki finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:10.67 for the Elks’ best finish at the Racine Invite. Dakota Biefeld finished seventh in the same event (1:13.61).
“He really had good turns off the wall, and that’s huge in the 100, getting the distance off the walls,” Richardson said. “You’re faster under the water than on top of it.”
Logan Radlein finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:21.39). Brevin Kruse finished fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:01.83). Competitors earned medals for finishing better than sixth place.
“Brevin’s just a competitor,” Richardson said. “He works extremely hard in practice. He’s like a sponge. You give him tips and he attentively listens to what you have to say and really works to make any changes you suggest.”
Kruse swam with Gorecki, Brett Schmieden and William Pyle on the Elks’ fifth-place 200 medley relay (1:53.90). Pyle finished fifth in the 50 freestyle (24.98) and Jacob Truesdale finished fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:42.12).
Radlein finished sixth in the 100 butterfly (1:01.66) and swam with Pyle, Truesdale and Connor LaFavor on the Elks’ sixth-place 400 freestyle relay (3:45.53). Kruse finished sixth in the 200 individual medley (2:25.12).
In the 100 freestyle the Elks’ Ben Davis posted a time below the magic 1-minute mark for the first time. Davis finished 19th in 59.60.
The Elks won nine of 11 events and beat Jefferson/Cambridge 116-54 Jan. 26 in a SLC meet at home.
Kruse, Schmieden, Gorecki and Pyle won the 200-meter medley relay (2:04.34). Radlein won the 200 individual medley (2:34.77) and 100 butterfly (1:08.54). Schmieden won the 50 freestyle (28.07).
Truesdale won the 400 freestyle (4:52.51) and 200 freestyle (2:17.63). Gorecki won the 100 breaststroke (1:16.11) and Kruse won the 100 backstroke (1:09.02).
Pyle, LaFavor, Truesdale and Radlein won the 400 freestyle relay (4:12.21).
