A sign of things to come for Neuqua?
Neuqua Valley’s boys swimming team may already be better than it was expected to be coming into the season.
On Saturday the Wildcats, sparked by strong veteran nucleus and a sophomore class that bears watching, rallied from behind to edge archrival Waubonsie Valley and win the Wildcat Relays at West Chicago for the first time in three years.
With a strong second half of the meet, Neuqua Valley won four events, three of the last four, while Waubonsie was the winner in five relays.
The results from a pair of frosh-soph races, which the two Valleys split, figured into the final varsity team scores.
Neuqua Valley finished the meet with 166 pints to 161 for the Warriors. Lockport was third with 112 followed by Stagg with 102 and IMSA, which finished with 88 points.
“It was good to finally win the meet for the first time since my freshman year,” said Neuqua senior Drew Dvorchak, who swam on a pair of winning relays. “The team came together at the end. A lot of people don’t know about us now, but I think that we can surprise people at the end of the year. We’re looking to finish in the top 10 at state.”
Team leaders Dvorchak and junior Joe Widuch, important members of that veteran core, worked together to help win the 500 freestyle relay and 200 backstroke relay.
The 500 free was a crescendo format with the first lap swimmers going 50 yards, and the last three legs set at 100, 150 and 200. Dvorchak swam the third leg, while Widuch brought it home. The team finished in 4:29.03, six seconds ahead of Waubonsie Valley.
A great deal of Neuqua excitement was generated by the showings of a strong, five-man sophomore class that is coming of age and is expected to blossom as the season goes on.
“Dvorchak and Widuch certainly lead the way,” said Neuqua Valley coach Chad Allen. “But our five sophomores stepped up and showed why we think they have a lot of potential and why we’re optimistic about the next two years.”
Four of them, Joey Dalesandro, Matt Ciezczak, Jackson Schroedter and Michael Peters combined to win the frosh-soph.
“That win clinched the meet for us,” Dvorchak said.
A fifth sophomore A.J Quinn, along with Peters and Dalesandro, also filled spots on one of the victorious varsity relays.
Waubonsie Valley coach Nick Arens was one person who was not surprised by the Wildcats’ showing.
“Neuqua Valley is a team that it’s always unwise to underestimate,” Arens said. “They’re strong and deep and they always know how to rise to the occasion. We were competitive today and finished a strong second. I’m happy with our showing.”
Warriors senior Bailey York, who arrived late at the meet after taking his ACT, was a member of three winning relay teams, as were his teammates, Eric Weng, Nathan Morris and Michael Schwers.
IMSA won both the 200 and the 400 medley relay. Steven Tan, Andrewe Liang and Johnny Wu were members of both winning relays, while Jonah Goughnour swam anchor on the 200 and Nick Damen took the first leg on the 400.