Boys swim team ends season with fifth straight league title

Senior Bridger Baus swims the 100 breaststroke during the Feb. 10 Independent League Championship in Osawatomie. Baus took second in event and later won the 100 backstroke.

OSAWATOMIE — For the last four years, the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg boys swim team has been able to celebrate at the end of the season and 2021 was no different.

The Miami County team finished first in the Independent League Championship for the fifth year in a row on Feb. 10 as it recorded 318 points and edged Piper by 22 points.

“I am very proud of every swimmer,” coach Ardy Dehdasht said. “They swam and trained their hearts out this season. We overcame some obstacles and challenges this season, but overall every swimmer had  a personal record in multiple events, which makes me proud. We have big goals of state qualifying times for the next season.”

Individually, the Miami County team won five individual events and the lone senior, Bridger Baus, was a part of three of them.

Baus won the league title in the 100-yard backstroke by 14 seconds in a time of 1 minute, 3.81 seconds. He also finished third in the 100 butterfly in 1:04.

Braden Branine, Brayton Brueggen and Sam Johnson joined Baus in the 200-yard medley relay and won going away in 1:56.

Brueggen, Cole Brown, Cooper Hipp and Baus also captured the 400-yard freestyle relay title in 3:54, just two seconds ahead of runner-up Piper.

Brueggen, a Louisburg sophomore, also had a big day. Along with the two relays, he won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:58 and took runner-up in the 200 freestyle in 2:09.

The Miami County team also captured the 200 freestyle relay title as Branine, Hipp, Brown and Drake Baus edged Piper by less than a second in 1:42.

“The swimmers deserve all the credit,” Dehdasht said. “They come to practice everyday, swim and train hard and they saw the results. I have always said swimming is a thankless sport as you can train for weeks and sacrifice so much and you are lucky and having a good day you will drop a fraction of a second. They certainly made me very proud.”

Several other swimmers also did well as Brown placed second in the 200 individual medley and Branine took third.

Johnson finished second and third in the 100 and 50 freestyle, respectively. Hipp also placed third in the 100.

Branine placed second in the 100 breaststroke, while Drake Baus was second in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle. Drake Burdine placed third in the 100 backstroke, while Luke Hebert was third in the 500 freestyle.

Although Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg did not qualify anyone for the state meet this season, the boys are already gearing up for next season.

“The boys made it as an alternate in a relay but unfortunately did not get to swim,” Dehdasht said. “Our goal is to have all relays and multiple individuals qualify for state next year.”

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