Miami County swim team cruises to league crown; prepares for state

Louisburg sophomore Andrew Jamison swims the butterfly last week during the 200 individual medley at the Independent League Championships in Osawatomie.

OSAWATOMIE — The Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg-Spring Hill boys swim team had the perfect ending to its regular season schedule.

The Miami County team rolled to a league championship at the Independent League Meet on Wednesday at the Ozone in Osawatomie. It was a meet that featured state qualification times or improvements on previous state marks.

The squad won the 9-team meet with 375 points and Fort Scott was second with 281. It captured five individual events and also won two relays, while recording 45 new best times.

With all that success, coach Mary Argeropoulos was named the ILC boys coach of the year.

“Each and every swimmer really had a great meet at league and the energy was contagious,” Argeropoulos said. “This OzPaLouSpri team is a force to be reckoned with and they combine natural talent with all the hard work that it takes to excel at their level. Our non-state attenders tapered really well and the time cuts show their dedication throughout the season. The state swimmers made some strategic moves to get ready for state seeding and are in full swing for state at this moment.”

Louisburg sophomores Colin Brown and Andrew Jamison each came home with a pair of league titles. 

Brown was the league champion in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute and 53.38 seconds. He also captured the 100 backstroke crown going away in 57.10 seconds.

As for Jamison, he won the 200 individual medley in 2:06.85. He also finished first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.31.

Junior Colton Prettyman won a league title in the 50 freestyle in 23.65 seconds. He was also a league runner-up in the 100 breaststroke.

The Miami County team also won a pair of relays as Brown, Jamison, Prettyman and Osawatomie’s Luke Hebert took first in the 200 medley relay in 1:42.

Paola’s Landen Terflinger joined Louisburg’s Noah Sharp, Prettyman and Jamison to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.05.

Sharp and fellow Louisburg swimmer Brock Delmez took fifth and seventh in the 100 freestyle, respectively. Delmez was also fifth in the 200 freestyle.

Hebert was the fourth individual to win a league tile as he finished first in the 100 butterfly in 57.16 seconds. Hebert (50 freestyle), along with Terflinger (200 freestyle) and Spring Hill’s Dylan Mabe (200 IM) also earned state qualification times as well.

Louisburg swim will be well represented at the Class 5-1A state meet that will be held Friday and Saturday in Topeka.

Brown, a returning state medalist, will compete in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstrokes. Jamison will compete in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. 

Prettyman will join Jamison in the 100 breaststroke and will also compete in the 50 freestyle.

The Wildcat team of Brown, Prettyman, Jamison and Sharp will try for a medal in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

Hebert (50 free, 100 butterfly), Terflinger (200 freestyle, 50 free) and Mabe (200 IM, 100 backstroke) will also take part at the state meet for their respective schools.

Events begin at 9 a.m. on Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka-Hummer Sports Park.

“We are so pumped to be taking such a large core group for competition at state,” Argeropoulos said. “These athletes set high goals for themselves at the beginning of the season and they have kept focus from day one.  Our goal is always to be our best when it counts the most and we are so proud of the preparation each and every swimmer has put into practice each day.”