Soph slump at state meet? Not this year

A glance at the heat sheet for today’s state swimming and diving prelims at New Trier reveals some familiar truths.

Such as, the senior class tends to dominate the proceedings. Surely that has a lot to do with physical maturity, but I’ve always thought the mental part of it is at least equally important.

So it’s great to see seniors like Matt Elliott (Peoria Richwoods), Kevin Cordes (Neuqua Valley), Kyle Workman (Stagg) and Jeff Depew (Naperville Central) well positioned in their races. Each is a pretty incredible swimmer in his own way.

A closer inspection of the state’s top sectional performances unearths another truth: There are loads of good sophomores this year.

I’m not talking about sophs who will define their seasons by simply making the state meet, but rather individuals with legitimate chances to finish in the top six, and even win.

Start with Andrew Jovanovic of Loyola. It’s not often you see a sophomore ready to final in the sprints, but he’s already a state meet veteran and his sectional time of 21.3 in the 50 was excellent. He’s also a threat to final in the 100 fly.

Bartlett’s Nick Hasemann could move up to a top-six finish with good swims in the 200 free and 100 back. Same for Cary-Grove’s Michael Hamann in the 200 IM and 100 fly.

Conant’s Jonathon Burke and St. Charles North’s Kyle Gannon turned heads with excellent qualifying efforts in the 200 and 500 freestyles.

Matt Conway of Warren is a threat for top-12 finishes in both the 100 back and 100 fly.

The best of all the sophs might be Mundelein’s Connor Black. His sectional times in the 200 IM and 100 fly have him on the verge of joining the elite nationally in those races.

Daniel Le of Lakes looks like a lock to finish in the top six in the 100 breaststroke.

Barrington’s Jack Strauss has a chance to score in the 100 free, and he’s certainly a big reason behind all three of Barrington’s relays having a chance to score.

It might be too much to expect Hoffman Estates soph Nick Jessee to exceed his sectional-winning effort in the 200 free at Barrington, but he’ll almost certainly figure in the scoring at some point. Same goes for Barrington’s Kyle Ujiye (fly). If not this year, then surely some medals down the road.

So, what does this all mean? How much will these sophomores affect things at New Trier?

Let’s take another look after this weekend, when things will be much clearer.

Junior achievement?

Last year, as a sophomore, Buffalo Grove’s Ian Rodriguez qualified for the state meet in great position in both the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke.

He first-time experience wasn’t what he’d hoped it would be, though, and his state times were slower than at sectional.

Coach Jamie Klotz and Rodriguez have worked to avoid a repeat this time around, and it sure looks like they’re positioned for a better result this weekend.

For one thing, Rodriguez is simply a much better swimmer. He reached 52 seconds in the 100 backstroke early this season and has been close to that clocking most of the way, even through high-intensity workout periods. His unrested, unshaved winning time of 52.17 at the Barrington sectional qualified him third for state, and not far from top qualifier Sebastian Ostrowski of Hinsdale South.

But it’s not Rodriguez’s times that have me convinced he’s ready. It’s how he handled disappointment at the sectional.

In the 100 free, Rodriguez’s second-best individual event this year, he missed qualifying for state. Rather than dwell on that, he quickly re-focused, got himself ready for the backstroke and took charge of that race like he owned it.

If there’s a better first 25 in the state right now, I’d like to see it. Rodriguez is somehow able to get great turnover from that lanky frame; coupled with his fine form it adds up to devastating speed.

Klotz talks about how last year was a learning experience for Rodriguez, who misplaced his goggles at some point on the day of the state prelims.

It wasn’t the first time that’s happened in the melee on deck at New Trier or Evanston, and it surely won’t be the last time. But if it happens to Rodriguez again, it says here it won’t even bother him.

Senior pride

There are always swimmers like Conant’s Palmer Lynch in the state meet, too, and any fan of swimming would do well to root for him.

A senior, he really blossomed this year and qualified for state in the 50 and 100 freestyles, as well as on Conant’s freestyle relays.

Lynch wasn’t the only one at Conant making quantum leaps. Jonathan Burke’s development along with Alex Shozda, Alan Wojciechowski and Chad Woytus all figure into the team’s surge into the state meet.

But it sure helps having a senior co-captain like Lynch.

Last season, despite the presence of standout sprinter Ryan Chiero, the Cougars were only able to send the 200 free relay to state. This year, Lynch’s lead role was a key, and his example of what hard work can mean to a program could have lasting effects.

Conant is positioned for success well beyond this year, and now it will also have the full state meet experience from which to draw.

Hold that taper: Just making it into the state meet is quite an accomplishment, so Fremd seniors Dustin Anderson and Jeff Freund and sophomore Dennis Kostidis should be commended.

The hard part for them begins today.

They needed to be at their peak — shaved and fully tapered — at the sectional meet to qualify. The ability to stay fast for yet another meet is known as “holding your taper,” and it’s harder than it sounds.

But all three have a chance to improve on their sectional times. Anderson will swim the 50 and 100 freestyles for a second straight year. Freund won the consolation heat of the 500 last year and hopes an illness late in the season is over with, and Kostidis will race in the 200 and 500 freestyles in his first state meet.

All three are established, experienced swimmers. If anybody can do it, they can.