2/16/2012

By LARRY MORITZ

Salina Journal

Bryce Kampfe has seen a little bit of everything in four years competing at the Kansas State Boys Swimming and Diving Championships.

As a freshman, Kampfe and his Salina South teammates finished a respectable 14th at the 2009 state meet -- the last with all of the state's six classes combined. A year later, with the state's smaller schools separated from Class 6A, the Cougars won the boys 5-1A team title, then followed it up with a third-place finish in 2011.

Although the Cougars will be represented in 10 of 12 events during this weekend's meet at Hummer Natatorium in Topeka, South will be hard pressed to bring home a third consecutive team trophy.

"Our team is not going to be as deep as it has been the past few years," Kampfe said. "But we've had a really great season, and all the guys going to state have worked really hard to get there.

"We're going to have great performances, and we'll have a good meet."

Kampfe is likely to lead South's effort at state, which begins with diving preliminaries and semifinals today. The swimming portion of the 5-1A meet starts with preliminary heats at 10 a.m. Friday. Championship and consolation finals will be get under way at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

After winning the 100-yard backstroke as a sophomore with a time of 55.03, Kampfe finished second in that event a year ago (with the exact same time) and is the No. 2 seed again this weekend.

Kampfe is also a two-time medalist in the 200 individual medley, placing third as a sophomore and second as a junior. This year, he will compete in the 100 freestyle at state for the first time, where he will try to give South a gold medal in that event for the third consecutive year. Former teammate Philip Steele was a state champion in the 100 freestyle in both 2010 and 2011.

South also qualified for state in all three relay events, and Kampfe will represent the Cougars in two of the three.

"I know I'm going to have some good competition in the individual events," Kampfe said. "Our seeds will give us good incentive to swim well in the prelims Friday."

Central junior Matt Martin also has extensive state meet experience, but is looking for his first state medal this weekend. He has qualified for the consolation finals (9th through 16th) in both the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle the past two years, with his best finish a 10th-place showing in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore.

Martin is the sixth seed in the 500 freestyle this weekend and eighth in the 200 freestyle. If he can hold or improve on those seeds, he would compete in the championship finals on Saturday.

"I would really like to medal at state," Martin said. "That's been my goal the last couple of years, and I'm really confident.

"I didn't drop any time my freshman or sophomore years at league and then at state I dropped a lot of time. It's been kind of a pattern for me."

Like South, Central has qualified for state in each of the three relays and Martin will fill out his schedule by competing in two of the three events.

South senior Mason Darnell will compete in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly for the Cougars. Darnell reached the consolation finals in the butterfly both his sophomore and junior seasons, finishing as high as 10th a year ago. He is seeded seventh in both events this weekend.

Cougar teammate Wade Burlew, another South senior, will join Darnell in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. South junior Clay Peppiatt is a state qualifier in both the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

In addition to Martin, Central will be represented in the 500 freestyle by senior Dalton Hoffman, and the 100 breaststroke by junior Chandler Bryan.

The state diving competition will begin today with two Salina individuals among the 10 qualifiers. South senior Ben Forrester was a state medalist in 2011 when he placed fifth, while Central sophomore Kyler Bell will make his first state appearance after winning the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League diving competition last week.

"It's my first year going to state so I'm really excited," Bell said. "It's a chance to gain experience for the next couple of years, and the more experience I can get, the better."

Forrester recently missed two meets because of an ankle injury, but was able to compete at last week's league championships and finished a close second behind Bell.

"It's been frustrating," Forrester said. "Being injured your senior year, you definitely want to be competing at your best for league and state.

"Now I'll take the attitude that I'll do what I can do, and I'll go out trying my best."

Diving preliminaries are scheduled for 2 p.m., with semifinals starting one hour after preliminaries are completed. The final round of competition for diving will take place at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

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