Lincoln East boys, Omaha Marian edge defending champions Creighton Prep and Omaha Westside girls for state titles
By Steve Beideck – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
One state record and a pair of hard-fought team races gave swimming fans plenty to cheer about at the 2025 NSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships.
Omaha Marian junior Meredith Peyton bested the state record in the 100-yard butterfly fly in both the prelims and finals of the 52nd girls state meet at the Devaney Center natatorium.
In the Friday prelims Peyton topped the previous 100 fly record of 54.48 set in 2018 by Kaitlyn Witt of Lincoln Southwest with her career-best time of 54.46.
Peyton, who was named the meet’s most outstanding female swimmer, then took another 0.19 seconds off that time in Saturday’s championship race to set the new standard at 54.27.
In the finals Peyton went out in 25.24 on her first 50 – nearly one second faster than any of the other fly finalists. She covered the final 50 in 29.03; that split also was faster than any of the other seven contestants.
In winning the 200 freestyle in 1:50.27 and swimming a leg on two of Marian’s three relay quartets, Peyton left Lincoln with four gold medals, as did senior teammate Easton Glandt. The Florida Gulf Coast recruit won the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke and also was a member of two victorious Crusaders relay teams.
Marian finished with five individual event wins while sweeping the three relay titles to finish with a 330-315 win over runner-up Omaha Westside for the girls team title. Alaira Hadford, who was second to Peyton in the 200 free, won the 500 freestyle by becoming just the fifth girl in state history to post a time under five minutes (4:58.08).
“In the fall, we were talking about our goals,” Omaha Marian coach B.J. Christiansen said. “We were talking about what we wanted to accomplish and they just put their heads down and did it all season long. All that work paid off. When you come to championship Saturday, you’ve got to get your hand on the wall first.
“From start to finish, they did it.”
Freshmen Leah Inman of Millard North and Alice Ogura of Elkhorn also won individual gold medals. Inman joined Peyton and Glandt as double gold medals when she swept the 50 and 100 freestyle races. Ogura was first to the wall in the 100 backstroke.
In Thursday’s 1-meter diving competition, Lily Sherman of Papillion-La Vista/Papillion-La Vista South won the girls title with an 11-dive score of 439.20. Lincoln High sophomore Colin Farr won the boys 1-meter event by posting a 432.20. Farr is the first Lincoln High aquatics competitor to win an event since 1995.
Lincoln East won the team title of the 89th boys state meet by outscoring Omaha Creighton Prep 334-316.5. The Junior Jays runner-up finish came despite not having a team in the 200 freestyle relay after they were disqualified in the prelims. It was the second boys state swimming title for the Spartans. East’s first came in 1988 when the Spartans edged Lincoln Southeast 212-199.
The Spartans had the winning quartet in the 200 freestyle relay and three individual event winners. Nebraska-Omaha recruit Jadeon Carter successfully defended his title in the 500 freestyle by winning in 4:39.09 after Westside’s Jack Boerner denied him a repeat gold medal in the 200 freestyle.
A fast opening 100 yards got Boerner the lead before he held off Carter’s rally in the final 50 to win in 1:41.16. Carter was second in 1:41.45.
East sophomore Eje Kim earned the first individual gold medal of his career by winning the 100 backstroke by a whopping 1.82 seconds. Kim blazed through his final 50 yards in 25.41 to win in 49.73. East had four swimmers in that championship race. The 1-6-7-8 finish produced 56 team points, or 16.8 percent of their total.
Spartans senior Carson Agnew defeated sophomore teammate Bennett Bacon for the 100 breaststroke title, roaring to a 1.13-second victory in 55.53. East also won the 200 freestyle relay.
Millard South’s Mason Zadina and Prep’s Ryan Mendlick both won a pair of individual gold medals. Zadina, a UNO recruit, won the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Zadina was named the most outstanding swimmer of the boys meet.
“I really wanted to win that, so I just pushed through all the pain,” Zadina said. “Especially when I hit that last 25, I knew this had to be all or nothing.”
Mendlick, who will begin swimming at Boston College in the fall, was first to the wall in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.
Girls Final Diving Results | Boys Final Diving Results | Boys and Girls Swimming Results