Silver Creek boys swim and dive places sixth at state

With swimmers and divers from five different schools joining forces, the Silver Creek boys swim and dive team put together a solid performance at the Class 4A State Championships, finishing sixth overall at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton.

Held May 7-10, the state meet saw the district team, which includes athletes from Silver Creek, Niwot, Erie, Dawson, and Frederick, scored 211 points, just two behind Cheyenne Mountain High School. Monarch High School took home the state title with 409.5 points.

Silver Creek’s performance was highlighted by several standout swims and dives. Junior Rider Neeb earned a podium finish in the 1-meter diving event, placing third. In his first year in the sport, senior Braden Saunders walked away with a 16th-place finish.

In the pool, senior James Story closed out his high school career with a pair of top-five finishes. He took second in the 100-yard freestyle (45.68) and placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:41.49).

Story also helped power the 400-yard freestyle relay to a fourth-place finish, teaming up with sophomore Geoffrey Waller, junior Lincoln Miller, and senior Chayakorn Ngampatipatpong. The anchor touched the wall in 3:13.91.

The Raptors’ medley relay team, composed of Miller, Ngampatipatpong, Story, and Neeb, took sixth in the 200-yard medley with a time of 1:37.06. Ngampatipatpong also placed fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (58.37) and 15th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:01.05).

Miller finished 11th in the 500-yard freestyle (4:47.94), while Waller and Neeb both scored in the 50-yard freestyle, placing 19th and 20th, respectively. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Neeb, Saunders, Waller, and senior Neill Marble came together for a 10th-place finish in 1:31.74.

From diving boards to relays, the Raptors rounded out their season with a respectable finish in a deep and competitive 4A field.