In a show of tenacity and teamwork, the swim team clinched another District 9-5A boys swimming championship, marking the 41st consecutive win in the category for the program. With Jack Primeaux as the lone senior in the pool, the team displayed resilience and skill throughout the competition, held at the SUNO University Center.

“Our swimmers, especially the younger ones, have truly risen to the occasion,” said head coach Bret Hanemann ’85. “We graduated several seniors last year, so it was important for our sophomores and juniors to step up, and they have. It’s rewarding to see it all come together.”

Primeaux, who won the 100-yard backstroke, has been a formidable asset for the team. Last November, he clinched the same event, contributing to the team’s LHSAA Division I state championship. Primeaux’s attention to detail, Hanemann told Nola.com, makes him an exceptional swimmer. “He will look at that stroke and know immediately if something is just a little bit off,” Hanemann elaborated.

The team’s lineup featured a strong cohort of Jays who contributed to the victory. Among the individual event winners were junior Enzo Solitario, who clinched the 200-yard IM with a finals time of 1:56.23, sophomore Ben Breithaupt, who excelled in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:04.42, and sophomore Grant Castillon, who secured first place in the 500-yard freestyle.

With a time of 1:32.06, the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay was won by a quartet of Jays: Solitario, junior Luke Balhoff, sophomore Grant Castillon, and finisher Primeaux. In the Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay, Castillon, Breithaupt, sophomore Aidan Villars, and junior Bryan Santos finished with a first-place time of 1:44.17, earning 40 points for the team.

The 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team of Primeaux, Balhoff, Villars, and Solitario capped off the event with a strong performance and a first-place finish for the Jays.

Additional highlights include:

• Breithaupt, Castillon, and sophomore James Denning placed in the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle, securing second, third, and fourth place, respectively.
• Villars, Nathan Flynn, and freshman Louis Roux showed their versatility by placing in the Boys 200 Yard IM.
• In the 50 Yard Freestyle, Balhof and Egan Palmisano earned second and third place, with Dillon Nguyen and Luke Barnett also contributing to the team’s score.
• Following behind a second-place finish by Primeaux, Villars, junior Evan Kee, and junior Christian Offner gave strong performances in the Boys 100 Yard Butterfly.
• Contributors in the 100 Yard Freestyle included Solitario, Balhoff, junior Brenden Lipps, and Santos.
• In the 500 Yard Freestyle, Roux, Denning, and Lipps secured fourth, fifth, and sixth place respectively, adding to the team’s robust score.
• Kee, Palmisano, and Flynn added to the team’s tally in the 100 Yard Backstroke.
• In the 100 Yard Breaststroke, Santos, junior Christian Lang, and Barnett earned points following Breithaupt’s lead.

In the end, the Blue Jays tallied an impressive 592.5 points, followed by Holy Cross Tigers with 400 points and Brother Martin High School with 386.5 points.

As the Blue Jays prepare for the upcoming state championships, the recent district win adds another layer of confidence and momentum. Summarizing the team’s united focus, Primeaux echoed, “This is where I want to be.”