Waukee Boys Swim Team Wins Second Consecutive State Championship


The Waukee boys swim team followed up the school’s first-ever state championship in boys swimming in 2016 with a dominating performance at the 2017 State Swim meet in Marshalltown. The Warriors scored 259 points to easily outdistance runner-up Johnston (191) and third place Bettendorf (185).

Waukee scored points in all 11 events, placed in the top 8 in all but one event and set school records in five events. The Warriors were led by three individual state championship performances and three-second place relay teams.

Zach Linder capped off a very successful high school career winning both the 100 yard and 200-yard Freestyle events, while senior teammate Jackson Kuhlers won the 100 Butterfly and placed second in the 200 yard Individual Medley. Waukee also had top 6 individual performance from senior Gus Muenzenmay (4th in the 100 Butterfly) and freshman Cameron Linder (5th in the 500 Freestyle).

“Being with the guys for as long as we have (since 2010), it has been a great road coming. Winning state was kind of the final finish line for us as seniors, and to finish 1st was awesome,” said Z. Linder. “ I hope the team continues to get support from the school and maintain a great sense of teamwork and family that it has provided me with throughout my years on the Waukee swim team.”

Not only did the swimmers win back-to-back, but head coach Dan Briggs was named the All-Iowa Coach of the Year in boy’s swimming for the second year in a row. On June 24 at Wells Fargo Arena the Des Moines Register Sports Awards will honor Briggs, along with celebrity speaker Shaquille O’Neal.

“The whole process is very humbling,” said Briggs. “Knowing that there are so many deserving coaches out there with more experience than me, I have been blessed to have had many of them as mentors or people that I get to call friends.”

At the 2016 Des Moines Register Sports Awards, Briggs was able to meet football athletes Peyton Manning and Iowa’s very own Dallas Clark.

“These last two seasons have really been a dream come true and own many of the accolades I have personally received to the boys that have committed to this dream a long time ago,” said Briggs. “I have been honored to coach them and will miss these seniors very much.”

Waukee State Placewinners:StateSwimming

  • 200 Medley Relay Cameron Briggs, Grady Rogers, Gus Muenzenmay, Jackson Kuhlers (2nd)
  • 200 yard Freestyle Zach Linder (1st)
  • 200 yard Ind. Medley Kuhlers (2nd), Cameron Linder (7th), Cameron Briggs (10th)
  • 50 yard Freestyle Mitchell Pollitt (12th)
  • 100 yard Butterfly Kuhlers (2nd), Muenzenmay (4th), AJ Gainer (15th)
  • 100 yard Freestyle Z. Linder (1st)
  • 500 yard Freestyle C. Linder (5th)
  • 200 Freestyle Relay Z. Linder, Pollitt, Rogers, Briggs (2nd)
  • 100 yard Backstroke Briggs (8th), Davis Kuhlers (20th)
  • 100 yard Breaststroke Rogers (7th), Muenzenmay (15th)
  • 400 Freestyle Relay Z. Linder, Rogers, Muenzenmay, Kuhlers (2nd)