East Ridge takes seventh at State

• Koken earns All-State honors

East Ridge’s Matt Koken swam his way to two All-State honors at the Class A State Boys Swimming and Diving Meet. Bulletin Photo by Patrick Johnson.

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In its first year, it's evident the East Ridge swimming program has made a splash.

With only four swimmers in the meet, the first-year East Ridge boys swimming and diving team finished in seventh place out of 36 teams after two days of competition at the Class A State Swimming and Diving Meet on Saturday, March 6 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, pulling in six All-State performances in five events.

“I’m very happy and very satisfied,” East Ridge head coach Luke Weyandt said. “It gives me a complete feeling on a good season.”

East Ridge’s 200-yard medley relay team of sophomores Austin Davidson, Justin Kong and Matt Koken and junior Jacob Matenaer earned All-State by finishing in eighth place.

Additionally, Koken and Davidson each earned All-State in two individual events and Matenaer was All-State in one solo event.

As a team, East Ridge — which finished sixth in its section meet — earned 118 total points, finishing above Section 1A foes Red Wing, which took eighth place with 111 points and Mankato West, which was 11th place with 106 points.

“Everybody dropped time at State and we performed even better than we did at sections,” Weyandt said. “We performed very well as a team at sections, but improved upon that at the State meet.”

Koken had the Raptors’ highest finish, taking fourth place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 53.71 in the final.

Koken also finished in fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:46.12 in the final.

“He is very confident about his 100 butterfly and really enjoys that race,” Weyandt said. “He was satisfied with that finish. Fourth place is very good.”

In the 200-yard individual medley, Matenaer and Davidson each earned All-State coming in fifth and sixth with times of 1:59.60 and 2:02.08, respectively. Fergus Falls junior Mike Hurley won the event with a time of 1:50.86.

Davidson also was All-State in the 100-yard freestyle, taking sixth place with a time of 55.34. Hurley also won that event with a time of 50.90.

Additionally, Matenaer finished in ninth place in the 100 freestyle, missing out on a trip to the final and All-State honors by one-hundredth of a second. Also, the Raptors’ 400-yard free relay team finished in ninth place.

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