The Glenwood Springs boys swim team nabbed a respectable fifth-place team finish to conclude the 2021 4A state championship meet in Thornton on Friday.

The Demons ended with 288 total team points. Silver Creek High School would take first place overall with 314 total team points.

“I believe our best finish ever until this year was 15th in the state by the boys high school swim team,” coach Steve Vanderhoof said in an email. “The boys broke all three Glenwood team relay records at the championship meet. In addition, the Glenwood boys broke the team records in five of the eight individual events.”

Glenwood was only 19 points out of second place resulting in one of the closest state 4A Championships in years, Vanderhoof said.

Across the pool the Demons swam best times in almost every race, Vanderhoof said.

Top highlights for the Demons came in the 100-yard backstroke and the relays.

Demons senior Shea Card nabbed a final time of 49.95 to take first place in the 100-yard backstroke. The second-place finisher in the race was Discovery Canyon senior Andrew McGill, who recorded a final time of 51.16.

“Going into the meet Card was ranked second, but had been swimming so well, we were expecting a great swim,” Vanderhoof said. “Card did not disappoint and led the race from starting block to final touch with an All American consideration time of 49.55.”

Card, a graduating senior from Basalt swimming for the Demons, will swim at Division III powerhouse Dennison University.

The Demons fell just a hair short of first place in the 200-yard medley relay. They would capture second place via a final time of 1:35.44. D’Evelyn came in first place with a final time of 1:35.31.

The team record was by more than three seconds, Vanderhoof said.

“The lead went back and forth with D’Evelyn, and in the end, Glenwood freestyler Charlie Kiddoo was out touched,” he said.

Finally, the Demons also achieved a third-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, ending with a final time of 3:14.98. Discovery Canyon took first in the event with a final time of 3:09.87.

ADDITIONAL RESULTS

Demons senior Charlie Kiddoo took eighth place in the 200-yard freestyle event with a final time of 1:48.12, while junior teammate Quinn MacPherson took 13th place with a final time of 1:49.63.

Card nabbed fifth place in the 200-yard IM event with a final time of 1:54.77.

In the 50-yard freestyle event, sophomore Ross Bradbury took 13th with a final time of 22.73, senior Tucker Esty took 19th place with a final time of 23.08, while junior Max Bradbury took 26th place with a final time of 23.63.

In the 100-yard butterfly event, Kiddoo took sixth place with a final time of 52.49, while senior Aeson Akins took 12th place with a final time of 55.09.

In the 100-yard freestyle event, junior Tanner Esty took 10th place with a final time of 50.14, senior Stewart Howard took 21st place with a final time of 52.14, while senior Tucker Esty took 22nd place with a final time of 52.26.

In the 500-yard freestyle event, MacPherson nabbed 12th place with a final time of 5:02.05.

Also in the 100-yard backstroke event, Akins nabbed sixth place with a final time of 53.37, Ross Bradbury took 12th place with a final time of 55.55, while Tanner Esty took 17th place with a final time of 56.72.

“Bradbury broke the team’s oldest record, which was set by Damien Gucwa in 2005,” Vanderhoof said.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Max Bradbury took seventh place with a final time of 1:00.20, sophomore Henry Doherty took 18th place with a time of 1:03.48 while Howard took 25th place with a final time of 1:06.86.

The Demons also took sixth place in the 200-yard freestyle relay event with a final time of 1:30.94.

Reporter Ray K. Erku can be reached at 612-423-5273 or rerku@postindependent.com.