MITCHELL, SD — Rushmore Swim Team (RST) Tsunami pulled in a dominant 3rd Place showing amongst all South Dakota teams at the 2026 SD State A Short Course (Fall/Winter) Swimming Championships for the 13-19 age group, placing based on total points earned across 48 events. RST was represented by 21 swimmers from the greater Rapid City area. Deadwood-Lead 76ers, Fall River Swim Team and Black Hills Gold (Spearfish), also delivered strong performances placing 10th, 11th and 13th respectively.
Rushmore Swim Team State Champions and Highpoint Award Recipients
13-14 Girls
Izzy Renaud (100yd Breastroke – state & state meet records; 100 & 200yd Individual Medley)
Logan Hunter (4th Place Highpoint. 200yd Freestyle)
13-14 Boys
Brady Burgess (5th Place Highpoint)
15-16 Girls
Solee Swank (50yd Butterfly – state meet record)
15-16 Boys
Aaron Ainslie (3rd Place Highpoint. 400yd Individual Medley)
Charlie Ashton (50yd Breastroke – state meet record; 100yd – state & state meet records; 200yd
Breastroke)
17-19 Boys
Hunter Johnson (3rd Place Highpoint. 50yd Backstroke – state meet record; 400yd Individual
Medley; 500yd, 1000yd & 1,650yd Freestyle)
Owen Johnson (1st Place Highpoint. 50yd Breastroke – state meet record; 100 & 200yd
Breastroke; 200yd Individual Medley; 100 & 200yd Butterfly)
RST’s 13-14 girls earned the state championship title in the 400yd Medley Relay breaking Sioux Falls Swim Team’s 8-year winning streak! The championship team included: Callie Pyle, Izzy Renaud, Solee Swank, and Logan Hunter.
10 Tsunamis, the largest showing ever, have qualified for USA Swimming’s Speedo Sectionals Championship which will take place in West Fargo, ND, 12-15 March.
The week prior at the SD State A Swimming Championships for swimmers 12 years of age and under held February 20–22 in Aberdeen, RST also performed well placing 5th amongst all state teams.
At this meet, Tsunami qualified 28 swimmers and of those, 20 placed and scored. Two of RST’s swimmers, Frankie Vesely and Railynn James, won individual event championships, and several swimmers placed in the top five within their age groups earning High Point awards! Rushmore Tsunami is excited for what its future holds and for the upcoming summer swim season.
The Rushmore Swim Team is a member of USA Swimming and South Dakota Swimming, Inc. The team offers year-round quality, technical, and competitive instruction by professionally trained coaches for swimmers of all ages and abilities. For more information, please contact the Rushmore Swim Team at RushmoreSwimTeam@gmail.com.
