The Minot High boys swimming & diving team took first place in two events and finished runners-up in three others to edge out Bismarck Century to win the Mandan Pentathlon Meet at the Mandan Aquatics Center on Saturday, Dec. 27.

The Magicians finished with 287 points, topping the Patriots by 18 points for their first meet victory of the season. Mandan took third with 195 points, while Minot North (76) and Bismarck High (43) rounded out the field of five competitors.

The seven-event meet featured the 50-yard butterfly, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 1-meter diving in that order. There were no relays or individual medleys.

Junior Luke Neumann delivered Minot High its first event victory in the 100 butterfly, finishing in a time of 56.99 seconds. The Magicians finished 1-2 in the event, with Andrew Francis coming in right behind Neumann in 57.36. Minot North’s Barrett Hannegrefs took fourth in 58.19.

Minot High’s other victory came in the 1-meter diving. Tayson Solper delivered the top dive of the meet, earning a score of 370.95, more than 18 points clear of Century’s Bridger Huelsman. Minot High’s Holden Williams claimed third with a score of 342.20.

Neumann and Francis also contributed second-place finishes to the Magicians’ overall team score. Neumann’s 100 freestyle time of 52.16 put him behind only Mandan’s Vincent Keller (50.14) and Francis took second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.16. Century’s Jacob Dorrheim won the event in 1:06.10. Caden Brey gave Minot High its third second-place finish of the meet in the 50 freestyle. Brey completed the race 23.87, just behind Mandan’s Vincent Keller (22.79).

Francis finished in the top four in all five events he competed in. Along with second-place finishes in the butterfly and breaststroke, Francis took fourth in the backstroke, 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.

Mandan won a meet-best three events, while Century claimed victory in the remaining two.