Waukee boys swimming dominates at state meet to win second consecutive title
WAUKEE, Iowa (BVM) – Since 2016 the Waukee Warriors have been one of the premier programs in Iowa for boys high school swimming.
“We’ve had the target on our back since 2016 so we’re ready for it,” Waukee head coach Dan Brigs said.
2016 was the first of the four state titles in the last seven years. This season the Warriors defended their 2021 state title by winning again in dominant fashion. Waukee set a state meet record by having a team score of 293.5 beating second place Iowa City West by 61.5 points.
It was a team effort that showcased the impressive depth of the Warriors swimming team as well as their versatility. Each swimmer is happy to contribute to the team and knows their role.
“They know that we don’t have such a thing as ‘a backstroker,’ or ‘a butterfly,’ or ‘a IMer,’” Briggs said. “We know we have to have three of those if we want to be the most dominant we can be.”
They have been able to do that because when Briggs came to Waukee he implemented a mantra that he, the coaches and the boys all bought into.
“I kind of had a mantra and a motto since we started the program that if you surround yourself with great people, great things happen,” Briggs said.
There were so many great people within the Warriors swimming team but they did have a three-headed monster leading the way in juniors AJ Abram and Asher Havenhill and senior Drew Reiter.
The three are all committed to Division I programs Reiter will be swimming at Indiana while Abram is committed to Kentucky and Havenhill is planning to go to Arizona State. The trio combined for four individual state titles along with some relays.
“To have the three main guys take the lead and share their experience with others is invaluable, it’s one of those things as a coach it’s just an extension of to other guys,” Briggs said.
Their leadership and their understanding that it takes a team to win a state title is what allowed Waukee to not only win their second straight title but also have one of the best team showings at state in the history of Iowa swimming.
“They know it takes more than three of them to win a state title,” Briggs said.
That is why the Warriors trained all season with the goal of having their whole team make it to state. The team focused on themselves, focused on their personal goals and in a dual meet against Iowa City West, they set themselves up to defend their state title.
At that time in the season Iowa City was ranked first with Waukee ranked fifth. The Warriors came into the meet and took over.
“We just destroyed it, we won almost every race…That was our inflating moment,” Briggs said.
From there they went on to win their fourth state title and now it’s time to look towards a possible three-peat.
“It’s been fun the last two years, let’s make it fun the third year,” Briggs said.
It’ll be tough as it is every year to win a state title but Waukee is up to the challenge. Abram and Havenhill will be back, not to mention a lot of young swimmers ready for their opportunity to contribute to the Waukee swimming program.
“We’re hoping to add that three-peat to it,” Briggs said.
