Introducing the 2026 Wichita Eagle high school boys swim and dive All-Metro team
The Wichita area featured some of the best high school boys swimmers and divers in Kansas this season, and that star power is highlighted on 2026 All-Metro team selected by The Eagle.
The All-Metro squad features the top swimmers, divers and coaches from teams in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. Selections are based on a heavy emphasis on state performances.
After winning two more individual gold medals at the Class 6A state meet, Maize senior Zach Rife was named the Boys Swimmer of the Year on the All-Metro team for the second year in a row.
Here is the rest of the team:
Wichita Eagle All-Metro boys swimming team
Henry Christensen, Andover freshman
In his state-meet debut, Christensen turned in a standout performance in 5-1A by placing second in the 50 free (21.65) and third in the 100 free (47.89). He also anchored Andover’s state title-winning 400 free relay and helped the Trojans’ 200 medley relay to a runner-up finish.
Sam Christy, El Dorado freshman
Christy made an immediate impact in his debut season, winning the 5-1A state title in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.73 and adding a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly at 51.96.
Gage Cooper, Andale junior
Cooper repeated as a state diving champion in Class 5-1A, capturing his second straight title at the state meet with a winning finals score of 474.55.
Luke Cremin, Collegiate senior
Cremin delivered a strong finish at the 5-1A state meet, taking second in the 100 butterfly (51.74) and fifth in the 50 free (22.00). A member of Collegiate’s state title-winning relay team last season, he wrapped up his career with 10 state medals and earns his first All-Metro selection.
Dylan Patterson, Eisenhower junior
Patterson proved his versatility at the 5-1A state meet, moving up to longer distances as a junior and still sweeping his events for the second straight year by winning gold in the 200 free (1:40.77) and 500 free (4:37.83). He won the 50 free and 100 free state titles at the 5-1A meet last season.
Zach Rife, Maize senior
Rife, signed to Division I Omaha, capped a standout career with four more state medals, including gold in both individual events at the Class 6A state meet by winning the 200 free (1:38.61) and 100 free (45.70) for the second straight year. A repeat 6A champion in both races, Rife finished as a 16-time state medalist with top-three finishes in his two individual events in all four seasons.
Blake Royse, Andover sophomore
Royse turned in another strong state-meet performance in 5-1A, placing second in the 200 free (1:44.12) and fourth in the 500 free (4:44.90), while also swimming a leg on Andover’s state title-winning 400 free relay. After finishing second in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 free last season, Royse earns his first All-Metro selection.
Henry Studnicka, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Studnicka closed out an outstanding career at the 5-1A state meet with a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley (1:57.60) and a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (53.67), while also earning relay medals on Kapaun’s 200 free relay (fourth) and 400 free relay (third). A two-time All-Metro selection, he finished as a 16-time state medalist with top-three individual finishes in each of the last three seasons, as he changed up his event lineup this year by swapping the 200 free for the 200 IM.
Tyler Voros, Andover Central senior
Voros earned a pair of bronze medals in his individual events at the 5-1A state meet, taking third in the 50 free (21.78) and tying for third in the 100 free (47.89). He finished his career with seven individual state medals, including a medal in the 100 free in all four seasons, and earns his first All-Metro selection.
Eric Witt, Andover senior
In his return to high school swimming, Witt went out on top at the 5-1A state meet by winning the 100 breaststroke title in 58.06 and adding a runner-up finish in the 200 individual medley at 1:54.26. He also swam a leg on the Trojans’ state title-winning 400 free relay and helped Andover’s 200 medley relay place second, earning his first All-Metro selection.
Clark Young, Andover junior
Young defended his 5-1A state title in the 200 individual medley in impressive fashion, winning this year’s race in 1:53.74 after going even faster than his championship swim from last season. He also placed second in the 500 free (4:43.31), swam a leg on Andover’s state title-winning 400 free relay and helped the Trojans’ 200 medley relay to a runner-up finish. A three-time All-Metro pick, Young now has six individual state medals, all top-five finishes.
Andover’s 200 medley relay
A quartet of senior Evan Gauldin, junior Clark Young, senior Eric Witt and freshman Henry Christensen teamed up for a runner-up finish at the 5-1A state meet, placing second in 1:35.99 — less than a second shy of the previous state-meet record.
Collegiate’s 200 free relay
A foursome of senior Luke Cremin, sophomore Jayden Mai, junior Karim Sandid and junior Charlie Ling teamed up to earn a third-place finish at the 5-1A state meet, clocking a time of 1:28.99.
Andover’s 400 free relay
The quartet of sophomore Blake Royse, junior Clark Royse, senior Eric Witt and freshman Henry Christensen captured the 5-1A state title with a winning time of 3:13.79, finishing nearly five full seconds ahead of the field.
Jason Heppler, Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Heppler, alongside diving coach Melody Turley, helped lead Kapaun to a runner-up finish at the Class 5A state meet and a fifth straight City League title. The Crusaders have now brought home a state trophy in six of the last seven seasons, with state medalists including Henry Studnicka, Allen Turner, Will McCarthy, Gabe Kappelmann, Rob Richardson, Kolbe Mace and Hank Kochenderfer.
All-Metro boys swimming second team
Connor Borchers, Andover sophomore
Tanner Copeland, Hesston sophomore
Kellen Doty, Maize senior
Kenton Holmes, Campus senior
Kellan Kidwell, Maize freshman
Baul Lee, Andover senior
Jayden Mai, Collegiate sophomore
Cash Pegg-Westerhaus, Campus junior
Karim Sandid, Collegiate junior
Brody Todd, El Dorado senior
Collegiate 200 medley relay (Karim Sandid, Jayden Mai, Luke Cremin, Charlie Ling)
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 200 free relay (Rob Richardson, A.J. McLain, Allen Turner, Henry Studnicka)
Maize 400 free relay (Kellen Doty, Parker Kidwell, Kellan Kidwell, Zachary Rife)
All-Metro boys swimming third team
Drake Broadrick, East junior
Gus DeFore, East junior
Jose Delgado, Goddard freshman
Tatum Johnson, Derby junior
Gabe Kappelmann, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Parker Kidwell, Maize freshman
Apostolos Kiosses, Heights sophomore
Elijah Kitchen, Independent freshman
Hank Kochenderfer, Kapaun Mt. Carmel freshman
Henry Lasater, Andover senior
Jace Lessard, Andover junior
Kolbe Mace, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
William McCarthy, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Mitchell McCracken, Andover sophomore
Blaine McVay, Maize South senior
Jayden Nguyen, East freshman
Jakob Pease, Andover senior
Rob Richardson, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Lincoln Schroeder, Trinity senior
Owen Scott, Independent senior
Tanner Scott, Newton junior
Sean Thompson, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Allen Turner, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Corbin Williams, Andover sophomore
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 200 medley relay (Kolbe Mace, William McCarthy, Gabe Kappelmann, A.J. McLain)
Maize 200 medley relay (Parker Kidwell, Kellen Doty, Kellan Kidwell, Zachary Rife)
Maize South 200 medley relay (Blaine McVay, Donovan Sheern, Jaydon Hartman, Elliott Mansfield)
Andover 200 free relay (Evan Gauldin, Connor Borchers, Blake Royse, Mitchell McCracken)
East 200 free relay (Jayden Nguyen, Gus DeFore, Zane Baird, Eli Jones)
Andover 400 free relay (Evan Gauldin, Connor Borchers, Blake Royse, Mitchell McCracken)
Campus 400 free relay (Dax Blount, Tristan Snyder, Will Groh, Cash Pegg-Westerhaus)
East 400 free relay (Eli Jones, Zane Baird, Drake Broadrick, Ashwatth Jagadeesh)
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