ST. PETERS • It is rare that a defending state champion chooses not to defend his title the following year, but Parkway South's Andrew Kilkenny is no ordinary swimmer.
Kilkenny was the area's only champion, winning the 500 freestyle, at last year's state boys swimming meet. And the senior is still the area's only champion after this season's state meet Saturday at the Rec-Plex.
But this title came in the 200 individual medley.
"I wasn't expecting to get a state championship in that," Kilkenny said. "That was kind of surprising."
Kilkenny had the top time in Friday's preliminary with a 1:54.73. He bettered that by more than two seconds in the final, posting a 1:52.39.
Kilkenny, who hopes to swim for the Naval Academy next year, said he switched his events to have more fun.
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"I don't want to say that I was burned out with the 500 free, but I was kind of bored with it," Kilkenny said. "So, we decided to switch up the events."
Kilkenny and Sean Feher led South to its second consecutive top-five team finish. The Patriots finished in fifth with 131 points, behind Rockhurst (276), Glendale (163), Parkway Central (153) and Lafayette (138).
Feher took fourth in the 200 free (1:42.25) and third in the 100 back (52.62), and he and Kilkenny were part of South's second-place 200 medley relay (1:37.67) and third-place 400 free relay (3:12.25).
Central took fifth in the 200 medley relay (1:39.01), seventh in the 200 free relay (1:29.67) and fifth in the 400 free relay (3:14.82).
Drew Larkins took fourth in the 100 breaststroke (59.72), dropping three seconds off of his time, and Nick Orf set a school record with a fourth-place finish in the 100 butterfly (51.57). Logan Emery finished fifth in the 200 IM (1:55.58).
"I'm real happy," Central coach Kevin Mabie said. "This was an incredibly fast state meet, faster than anyone anticipated."
Lafayette jumped up to fourth after finishing 37th last year.
"They've been working really hard this year and they came together as a team," Lafayette coach Todd Gabel said. "They really wanted to prove something at the state meet."
Patrick Vega took third in the 200 free (1:42.20), second in the 500 free (4:36.73) and was a part of Lafayette's seventh-place 200 medley relay (1:39.73) and fourth-place 400 free relay (3:13.49).
Jon Glaser took eighth in the 50 free (4:44.71), Lucas Bruder finished seventh in the 100 breast (1:00.90) and Coleman Swisher was fourth in diving (391.60 points) for the Lancers.
Other area medalists included: Chaminade's 200 medley relay; Mason Meine, MICDS, 200 free and 500 free; Joe Baumgartner, Lindbergh, 200 free and 100 free; Luke Schlueter, Parkway West, 200 IM and 100 fly; Andrew Sansoucie, Timberland, 50 free and 100 fly; Tim Benage, Chaminade, 100 fly; Nick Davis, Marquette, 500 free; MICDS' 200 free relay; Lindbergh's 200 free relay and 400 free relay; Nate Weiss, Francis Howell North, 100 back; Patrick Fountain, Francis Howell North, 100 breast; Andrew Dalton, Chaminade, 100 breast; Andrew Shelton, Oakville, diving; Michael Barry, SLUH, diving.
