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The American Fork boys swim team celebrates winning the state championship after the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Westlake swimmer Cameron Barney celebrates after winning his race during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork swimmer Caleb Wynn celebrates after winning his race during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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The American Fork boys swim team celebrates winning the state championship after the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork swimmer Jes Day swims in the 200-yard individual medley during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork swimmer Caleb Wynn celebrates after winning his race during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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A Skyridge swimmer launches into the pool for the backstroke during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork swimmer Caleb Wynn celebrates after winning his race during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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American Fork head coach Kathy King urges on her swimmers during the 6A state swimming finals at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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If the emotions of a high school swimmer get so strong that tears start to fall as they head to the finish of a race, would anyone really be able to tell since they are in the water?

American Fork senior Caleb Wynn may not know the answer to that particular question, but he knows exactly what that feels like after the 200-yard individual medley finals of the 6A state swimming championships at the Richards Building in Provo on Saturday.

The Caveman star said he felt some pressure as he prepared for his race.

“Last year I was the state champ in the 200 IM,” Wynn said. “I have built this year up all the way to here. I knew I would be defending my title. But prelims was definitely discouraging. I didn’t get the time I wanted and I was placed third.”

He credited his family for helping him overcome the disappointment and be ready for the finals. He also said he tried to follow the recommendation of his coaches in ways he could improve.

Still, when it was race time, he didn’t feel at his best.

“I felt tired,” Wynn said. “I think it was just the nerves.”

As he pushed himself through the water, he knew he was in a battle with American Fork teammate and best friend Jes Day and Kearns senior Joseph Biesinger. As he neared the end of the final lap, he felt confident with where he was at.

“By the time I got to the flags on the way to the finish, I thought I was probably going to win,” Wynn said. “I started crying right there. I hit the wall and I didn’t even bother to look at the board. I knew that I had put in the work and had finally done it.”

The emotion was clear on his face as he hugged Day and punched the water emphatically in celebration. “This is my race!” Wynn shouted exuberantly.

While his individual success was something Wynn was proud of, he said he was even more thrilled to see the Caveman boys team defend its 6A crown, winning for the second straight year.

“Winning state for boys has been our goal since last year,” Wynn said. “We wanted to win state again. Last year everyone thought that the AF boys team was a joke but we pulled it out. Now we are here to show people that we aren’t to be messed with. We are going to keep on going. I’m very grateful to have my team with me.”

American Fork head coach Kathy King said the key for the Cavemen was making sure they took care of business in the preliminary rounds.

“We always focus on our swims on Friday determining our possibilities on Saturday,” King said. “They lived up to that. We had contributions from everywhere, from veteran swimmers to those who are new to our team. We appreciate everyone. We swim as a team and I love that.”

She explained that one of the best things about high school swimming is seeing athletes work together.

“This team is very young and few in numbers,” King said. “We are very blessed to have so many good kids as part of our team, kids who understand what being a team is all about. That’s what makes it different than club swimming. We collectively put all that we have together and reap the benefits.”

She said that Wynn deserved a lot of credit for his role in molding the 2021-22 American Fork squad.

“Caleb is a great leader,” King said. “He has a voice of calm but when he is on fire, he’s on fire. He balances everything very well. He is very well respected with his work ethic and just being a good guy. He’s got a great perspective on things.”

Wynn is optimistic that the Cavemen will continue to have success in years to come.

“We have some good swimmers coming in next year, so I do believe that another win is a possibility,” Wynn said. “We’ll see what happens but I’m excited to watch all of them swim their hearts out next year.”

But he couldn’t have scripted a much better way to wrap up the end of his high school career.

“This entire year has been so stressful,” Wynn said. “Once I finished the IM, I was able to let all of that go. I’m just so happy I was able to make an impact my senior year.”

Wynn was just one of many athletes who got to savor the satisfaction of winning their final races.

Another was Westlake senior Cameron Barney, who edged out Mountain Ridge senior Trey Jackson by 0.02 seconds to win the 50-yard freestyle.

He said looking up the board after the finish and seeing he won was a great feeling.

“It’s pretty nice,” Barney said. “I like that a lot. I was really worried about it, though, because going in fourth to the finals is kind of scary. The guy who finished first only dropped like a tenth in prelims, which is really fast. I can’t believe that happened. It was pretty close.”

He explained that in a sprint like the 50-yard freestyle, a key to being successful is to not overthink things.

“There really isn’t a mentality,” Barney said. “You’ve got to kind of turn your brain off, which honestly I’m really bad at. But I finally got it today.”

He said he was particularly pleased to finish as a champ after going through the challenges of the last couple of years.

“This season was really hard to get back from last year,” Barney said. “I’ve been doing this for awhile. I was starting to move on from high school, so it has been on the back burner at this point. I’m just really got first this time.”

American Fork also ended up as the 200-yard freestyle relay champions as Wynn and Day joined sophomores Davis Miller and Cole Ehat to edge the team from West by 0.2 seconds.

Skyridge finished fourth in the 6A team competition, while Pleasant Grove came in ninth.

In the 5A ranks, Lehi junior Bryce Broadhead won the 100-yard backstroke and Cedar Valley junior Braedon Scott won the 100-yard freestyle.

Spanish Fork and Timpview tied for the fourth in the 5A team competition, behind Olympus, Skyline and Brighton.

For complete details from the state swimming finals, go to UHSAA.org.