Senior P.J. Lenz and junior Sean Dwyer became part of Prior Lake swimming lore March 3.

Lenz and Dwyer became the fourth and fifth state champions for the boys program at the Class AA state meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. Lenz claimed the diving crown, while Dwyer was tops in the 500 freestyle.

The two led the No. 10-ranked Lakers to a seventh-place finish in the state team standings. It was the fourth time in five seasons the Lakers were in the 10, earning 134 points.

Top-ranked Minnetonka won the title (217.5), followed by No. 6 Shakopee (181), Chanhassen (175), Stillwater (169), No. 4 Eden Prairie (157) and No. 5 Edina (144).

How good is Section 2AA? Minnetonka, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Eden Prairie and the Lakers are part of that field.

Prior Lake's best state team finish is fourth in 2016. The team was ninth last year, sixth in 2014 and 11th in 2015.

Meanwhile, Dwyer and Lenz join Chris Baker and Marshall Heskin as the program's only individual state champions. Baker is a two-time winner, claiming the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke in 1984. Heskin won the 100 butterfly in 2014.

Lenz has only dived with Prior Lake the last two years, finishing fifth at state last year in his first season as a high school diver. He grew up as a gymnast.

Back in February of 2016, Lenz was competing on the high bar for TAGS Gymnastics, where he'd been a top-level performer since 2012. Lenz started gymnastics at the age of 6.

On that high bar, the leather grip on Lenz' right hand became stuck. His hand did not move, but his body continued in motion, which wrapped his arm around the high bar. He suffered a severe broken arm.

Doctors were unable to set the breaks, so he needed surgery. Two plates and 13 screws were put into his arm. Months later, he was cleared back to activity, but no gymnastics. So he picked up diving. And next year, he'll dive at the Division I level at West Virginia University.

Did Lenz ever think a state title was in the cards?

"I couldn't even imagine it, honestly," he said. "It's unreal. It's been a lot of hard work."

Lenz had to sweat out the last dive of Andy Pfau of Bloomington Jefferson. Lenz was finished with 467.05 points. Pfau had one more dive and needed to hit a score of over 56 to beat Lenz, but he scored in the high 54s, giving Lenz the 1.15-point victory.

Lenz was leading Pfau after the prelims 335.45 to 315.70.

"I was very nervous [on that last dive by Andy],” Lenz said. "He had a great second day.”

Junior Erik Thompson was also on the diving medal stand for the Lakers, taking seventh in his first state appearance with a score of 365.80.

Lenz, Pfau and Thompson went one-two-three in the Section 2AA diving meet. Thompson had a score of 403.95 there, while Lenz scored 496.30.

Only five divers in Prior Lake history have ever scored over 400 points in an 11-dive competition. Kirk Schauman has the school record of 545.40 set in 1976. Steve Klugherz scored 448.75 points in 1997, while Steve Tufte record a 417.95 in 1982.

Meanwhile, in the pool, Dwyer broke his own school records in both the 500 and 200 freestyles. He won the 500 with a time of 4:29.75, which was nearly four seconds faster than his prelim time (4:34.61) where he was also first.

In the finals, Stillwater's Robert Niemann was side by side with Dwyer throughout the race. Niemann looked to make a move with four laps to go, but Dwyer didn't let him get too far ahead, staying within a half-body length.

"I was very tired the last 75 [yards]," Dwyer said. "But I knew I had to go if I wanted to win. It worked out for the best. I saw him go a little bit and I tried to keep up to stay with him. I couldn't let him get out too far out in the last four laps."

Dwyer said he never imagined swimming under 4:30 in the 500 freestyle at the beginning of the season. He didn't think it was possible.

"I'm very excited about my time," he sad. "It's been a lot of hard work this year. I didn't think that was a time I could get at the beginning of the year. I thought 4:35 would be good or around there."

Dwyer was also runner-up in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:38.42. He was sixth in both those of events last year.

Dwyer was also part of the Lakers' 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams with seniors Henry Skinner, Spencer Will and Jeremy Kalinwowski that each took seventh. The 200 freestyle team had a time of 1:27.63, while the 400 squad finished in 3:12.12.

Skinner also competed in two individual events, while senior Lucas Pearson was in one.

Skinner was 10th in the 50 freestyle (21.50) and 12th in the 100 freestyle (47.80). Pearson was 12th in the 100 butterfly (52.25).

Skinner tied for seventh in the 50 freestyle at state last year and was 12th in the 100 freestyle.

For more photos of the Lakers at state, click here.