The smallest team at last weekend’s 3A State Swimming and Diving Championships in Laramie made a pretty big splash, as the Kemmerer High School boys’ swimming and diving team finished seventh in a talented 13-team field.

Lander won its 28th 3A team title in a row with 308 points, followed by Buffalo in second with 242 and Evanston in third, with 175. Riverton was fourth with 143, Cody fifth with 116, Green River sixth, with 104 and Kemmerer seventh, with 102.

“I am very happy with our seventh-place finish,” said KHS head coach Amanda Aimone. “Taking only seven gentlemen and placing in the top half of the group is an awesome accomplishment, and one place better than we did last year. Overall, we had a great meet — there were a few things that didn’t go our way, but ultimately it was such a wonderful meet.”

Ranger sophomore Malachi Villarreal led the charge for Kemmerer’s Magnificent 7, winning the 500 freestyle — the Rangers’ first state championship in six years — and breaking his own school record with a time of 4:55.00. Villarreal also finished second in the 200 freestyle, posting a time of 1:46.23; he was named Co-Athlete of the Meet, along with Buffalo’s Tommy Wanka and Lander’s Finn Richards.

“Malachi had a great two days,” Aimone said. “We had been working for this meet the entire season, and the strategy and his hard work really paid off. He had really corrected his nerves from the conference meet, and I think that had a profound effect on how well he did at state. I couldn’t be prouder of him. I think that he really surprised some people, especially in the 200 the second day. All his races were just so much fun to watch. He is also our first state champion since 2018. That’s pretty cool.”

Fellow sophomore Colter Krell also made it to the finals in both of his events, earning a spot on the podium with a sixth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.97), and placing eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:13.47).

“We saw a true competitor in Colter,” Aimone said. “In both of his individual events, he was seeded to either not make it, or finish 12th and here he is, making it to the finals. Just awesome.”

Sophomore diver Bowman Sandall struggled on Day 1, but was able to rebound on Day 2 to also earn a spot on the podium with a sixth-place finish, posting a score of 339.95.

“Bowman had a tough first day of diving, but Coach Willoughby helped rally him back to a sixth-place finish, which was huge for us,” Aimone said. “He captured a lot of points that we needed. He was also a big help in our three relays we had him in. That also shows you how much of a team player he is, and that’s what we are all about.”

Senior Camden Killian closed out his high school career by qualifying for the finals in both of his individual events. Killian cut four seconds off his best time in the 100 butterfly to finish eighth (59.28), then cut 5.4 seconds off his best time in the 100 breastroke to place just off the 

podium in seventh (1:05.24).

“Camden, what can I say about our only senior,” Aimone said. “He had the best state meet he has ever had. He might not have made it to the top six in his individual events, but he had never had four swims the second day. He either had just relays or maybe one individual event. It was a big meet for him. I also have to point out what a team player he was. Colter [Krell] beat Camden out for the sixth-place spot in the 100 breast, which meant he would only swim in the consolation finals. However, the first thing that Camden did was cheer on Colter. That takes a big heart and a team player. I couldn’t be prouder of my team leader.”

Ranger juniors Gabe Platt and Thomas Symons also competed with distinction, with Symons placing 21st (1:06.62) in the 100 butterfly and Platt placing 29th (1:10.49) in the same event.

In the relay events, the team of Malachi Villarreal, Colter Krell, Camden Killian and Bowman Sandall swam to a pair of sixth-place finishes in the 200 medley relay (1:46.02) and the 400 freestyle (3:32.89). The 200 freestyle relay team of Jacob Platt, Bowman Sandall, Gabe Platt and Thomas Symons placed 12th (1:46.15).

With another season in the books, Aimone took a moment to reflect on what this team — despite being small in number — was able to accomplish.

“Probably the biggest takeaway would be that even though we don’t bring 20 kids to state like some of the bigger schools, we can still make a lot of noise,” she said. “If we stick to our plan and work as a team, we can do anything. Bigger schools should never look at smaller schools like ours, and rule us out.”

And with six of the Magnificent 7 set to return in 2024-25, the future of the program looks promising.

“Oh, the future looks bright with all but one kid coming back,” Aimone said. “The guys coming back are very talented, and really care about working for the team. That’s what makes them so successful. You never really know what the future holds, but I think it’s going to be good.”   

3A State Swimming & Diving Championships

Team Scores

1. Lander 308, 2. Buffalo 242, 3. Evanston 175, 4. Riverton 143, 5. Cody 116, 6. Green River 104, 7. Kemmerer 102, 8. Lyman 72, 9. Powell 52, 10. Rawlins 27, 11. Sublette County 21, 12. Newcastle 15, 12. Douglas 15

200 Medley

Relay

6. Malachi Villarreal, Colter Krell, Camden Killian, Bowman Sandall 1:46.02

200 Freestyle

2. Malachi Villarreal 1:46.23

200 IM

8. Colter Krell 2:13.47

Boys 1 Mtr

Diving

6. Bowman Sandall 339.95

100 Butterfly

8. Camden Killian 59.28, 21. Thomas Symons 1:06.62, 29. Gabe Platt 1:10.49

500 Freestyle

1. Malachi Villarreal 4:55.00

200 Freestyle Relay

12. Jacob Platt, Bowman Sandall, Gabe Platt, Thomas Symons 1:46.15

100 Breaststroke

6. Colter Krell 1:04.97, 7. Camden Killian 1:05.24

400 Freestyle Relay

6. Malachi Villarreal, Colter Krell, Camden Killian, Bowman Sandall 3:32.89