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Schaumburg outswims Rolling Meadows

On Thursday at Elk Grove High School, two boys swimming teams trying to establish their identities did their best to sort things out for themselves.

It was a little harder for Rolling Meadows than it was for Schaumburg. The Mustangs were without junior sprinter Artie Checchin, who was attending a football scouting combine in Texas, and they were missing two more key varsity competitors and one top JV swimmer for other reasons.

That was more than enough to put the outcome decisively in the Saxons' favor as Schaumburg won 130-56.

Schaumburg won all three relays and had double individual winners in Randy Carr (200 IM, 100 breaststroke), Danny Hratzman (200 free, 100 back) and Mike Gergen (50 free, 100 fly).

Even a decisive victory didn't change veteran Saxons coach Tom Gallagher's outlook on the season.

“We have a long way to go and a lot of work we still need to do — and not a lot of time to get it done,” he said. “We're getting good leadership out of guys like Mike Gergen, but it's important that everybody makes the best use of the time we have.”

Rolling Meadows was not without good performances.

Senior Sam Schmid delivered a personal-best in placing second in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.20), and Kevin Fitzsimons produced a big finish to edge Schaumburg's Dylan Giesel in the 500 free.

They're typical of coach Monika Chiappetta's team — steadily making individual strides.

And even though the program is at an all-time high in terms of participation, there's no one else quite at Checchin's level. He narrowly missed out on qualifying for the state meet last year in the 50 free, but Chiappetta likes the way Checchin is thinking this season.

“We were talking before he left for Texas,” said Chiappetta, “and I said, ‘37 days left in the season.' And he said, ‘There's more than that if you count the state meet.' So it's good that he's thinking that way. He's definitely ahead of where he was at this time last year.”

Hersey d. Palatine: Samuel Kim (50 free, 100 free) and Jeff Ruffin (200 free, 500 free) both won a pair of races and Hersey won all the relays in a 108-77 victory over Palatine at Olympic Pool in Arlington Heights.

Oher winners for Hersey included Alex Roznai in the 100 fly (56.87), Jamey Hill in the 100 back (59.89) and Stephen Petro in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.71).

Palatine's winners were Dylan Weissmann in the 200 IM (2:11.22), Jonathan Becker in diving (173.25).

Fremd d. Wheeling: The visiting Vikings turned back a challenge from a much-improved Wheeling team, winning 99-87 at Wheeling.

Fremd senior Dustin Anderson won the 200 IM (2:03.30) and the Vikings' Matt Zhou edged Wheeling's Bryce Maczko in a tight finish in the 100 free (52.53 to 52.63).

Maczko won the 100 back, and Wheeling also had a winners in Clark Jensen (diving).

Victors for Fremd included Nicolas Pappas (200 free, 500 free), Ray Scheid (100 fly) and Takuzo Kimura (100 breaststroke).