Noah's Arc: Potratz wins state title

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Russ Pulvermacher/Photographer

Noah Potratz swims the 500-yard freestyle at the 2010 state meet. One year later, the Waukesha South distance swimmer is a state champion.

Russ Pulvermacher/Photographer

Noah Potratz swims the 500-yard freestyle at the 2010 state meet. One year later, the Waukesha South distance swimmer is a state champion.

Close

As hard as they tried, they just couldn't catch No. 1 ranked Madison Memorial last Saturday at the WIAA Division 1 state high school boys swim meet at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.

Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial, the defending state champion, rallied back from a big early deficit and made the meet interesting in the final four events but Memorial won its fifth title in the last seven years by scoring 234.50 points. No. 2 ranked South/CMH settled for second with 192 points.

Madison Memorial gave South/Memorial a chance to get back into title contention after getting disqualified in the 200-yard freestyle relay, taking away an event victory.

Prior to that relay, South/Memorial put itself into a contending position by turning in a brilliant performance in the 500 freestyle. The Blackshirts went first, third and fourth in that race to pile up 51 points.

Junior Noah Potratz won that race, his first state title, with a time of 4:37.59. Senior Ryan Finke was third (4:41.38) and senior Max Evans-Nolan was fourth (4:41.93).

Memorial then clinched the win by winning the final event of the day, the 400 freestyle relay, with a time of 3:10.42. South/CMH finished sixth with a time of 3:13.76.

Points are awarded at the state meet for finishes in the top 16 places. Last year South/CMH won with 197 points.

Others score points

Several swimmers from the Waukesha West/Mukwonago and Waukesha North/Kettle Moraine combined boys swim team scored points as well.

In the diving competition, North senior Billy Fank placed ninth with a score of 165.85 points.

David Wright of West placed ninth in the 200 free and 13th in the 100 free.

JJ Melville of West finished 12th in the individual medley, and Brandon Stedman of North placed 10th in the breaststroke.

Take your place

Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial had a boatload of strong finishes at the state meet:

200 medley relay - 9th Alec Carlson, Derrick Rendon, Daniel Streater, Max Evans-Nolan (1:39.51)

200 freestyle - 5th Evans-Nolan (1:44.08), 6th Noah Potratz (1:44.20), 8th Ryan Finke (1:44.58)

50 freestyle - 6th Alex Swain (21.80)

100 butterfly - 14th Streater (52.74)

100 freestyle - 9th Swain (48.45)

500 freestyle - 1st Potratz (4:37.59), 3rd Finke (4:41.38), 4th Evans-Nolan (4:41.93)

200 freestyle relay - 7th Swain, Streater,Carlson, Finke (1:28.70)

100 backstroke - 11th Streater (54.71), 15th Carlson (55.59)

100 breaststroke - 15th Rendon (1:00.96)

400 freestyle relay - 6th Swain, Evans-Nolan, Finke, Potratz (3:13.76)