This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
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STEVENS POINT – Marshfield finished second in two relays and had a number of other top-five finishes to take second at the 2016 Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Swim Meet on Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The Tigers’ 200 medley relay team of Brian Engel, Scott Thompson, Michael Kruse and Calden Wojt (1:50.52) and the 400 freestyle relay team of Engel, Kruse, Colin Thomasgard and Wojt (3:44.61) each finished second for Marshfield’s top finishes.
Stevens Point won its fifth-straight WVC Meet title and fourth overall title in a row (combining regular-season dual meets and the conference meet) with 296 points. Marshfield was a close second with 282 points, 10 ahead of Wisconsin Rapids. The second-place finish is Marshfield’s best finish at the conference meet since the Tigers were second in 2000.
Wojt was third in the 50 freestyle (23.81 seconds) and Engel was third in the 100 freestyle (52.30), Engel took fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.00), and Kruse was fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:02.78) as wel for Marshfield.
Stevens Point’s Ben Harris and Zach Dahlseng each won two individual titles and were part of two winning relay teams to lead all individuals.
Harris won the 50 freestyle (22.89) and the 100 butterfly (55.93), and teamed with Dahlseng, Hunter Shulfer and Ben Harris to win the 200 freestyle relay (1:31.98) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:33.60). Dahlseng won the 200 freestyle (1:51.72) and the 500 freestyle (5:04.39) for the Panthers.
Marshfield will compete in the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Hudson on Feb. 13.
2016 Wisconsin Valley Conference Boys Swim Meet
Team scores: 1. Stevens Point 296; 2. Marshfield 282; 3. Wisconsin Rapids 272; 4. Wausau East 224; 5. D.C. Everest 202.
Winners and Marshfield finishers
200 medley relay: 1. Wisconsin Rapids (Drake Blossfield, Brett Burris, Jonah Mancl, Dylan Engelbright) 1:43.81; 2. Marshfield (Brian Engel, Scott Thompson, Michael Kruse, Calden Wojt) 1:50.52; 6. Marshfield (Colin Thomasgard, Jacob Dick, Alec Brenner, Ben Donahue) 2:01.68.
200 freestyle: 1. Zach Dahlseng (SP) 1:51.72; 8. Anthony Hartwig (MAR) 2:10.62; 9. Donahue (MAR) 2:11.23; 12. Andrew Gilkerson (MAR) 2:31.06.
200 IM: 1. Burris (WR) 2:06.57; 5. Dick (MAR) 2:27.87; 7. Thompson (MAR) 2:28.60; 9. Eric Tollefson (MAR) 2:38.94.
50 freestyle: 1. Ben Harris (SP) 22.89; 3. Wojt (MAR) 23.81; 5. Kruse (MAR) 24.05; 11. Gabriel Ronan (MAR) 26.75.
100 butterfly: 1. Harris (SP) 55.93; 4. Kruse (MAR) 1:02.78; 6. Brenner (MAR) 1:10.45; 7. Tollefson (MAR) 1:14.15.
100 freestyle: 1. Chad Franz (SP) 50.79; 3. Engel (MAR) 52.30; 4. Wojt (MAR) 54.62; 8. Thomasgard (MAR) 59.86.
500 freestyle: 1. Dahlseng (SP) 5:04.39; 6. Hartwig (MAR) 6:00.80; 8. Zach Hanson (MAR) 6:03.31; 12. Alex Wuethrick (MAR) 7:29.61.
200 freestyle relay: 1. Stevens Point (Hunter Shulfer, Franz, Dahlseng, Harris) 1:31.98; 5. Marshfield (Thompson, Donahue, Ronan, Hanson) 1:43.95; 9. Marshfield (Kyle Schultz, Wuethrick, Andrew Rall, Gilkerson) 2:05.80.
100 backstroke: 1. Blossfield (WR) 57.83; 4. Engel (MAR) 1:03.00; 7. Thomasgard (MAR) 1:09.97; 10. Brenner (MAR) 1:13.48.
100 breaststroke: 1. Burris (WR) 1:01.75; 5. Thompson (MAR) 1:13.59; 7. Dick (MAR) 1:17.92; 10. North (MAR) 1:24.60.
400 freestyle relay: 1. Stevens Point (Dahlseng, Shulfer, Franz, Harris) 3:33.60; 2. Marshfield (Engel, Kruse, Thomasgard, Wojt) 3:44.61; 6. Marshfield (Donahue, Ronan, Hartwig, Hanson) 4:03.05; 10. Marshfield (Schultz, Wuethrick, Rall, Trent Anderson) 5:16.63.
Final team standings (combining dual meet and WVC meet points): 1. Stevens Point 26; 2. Wisconsin Rapids 18; 3. Marshfield 15; 4. Wausau East 9; 5. D.C. Everest 2.