Cary-Grove claims 8th straight FVC title

Death, taxes and Cary-Grove winning Fox Valley Conference boys swimming championships.

All these seem to be certainties.

For the eighth consecutive season, Cary-Grove, which also has swimmers from District 155 schools Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake Central, claimed the FVC title Saturday at Woodstock North.

Scoring 356 points, the Trojans easily defeated second place McHenry, which scored 285 points.

"We swam well but the focus is on the sectionals next week," said Cary-Grove coach Rick Schaefer. "We certainly have things we can clean up this week in practice. We have kids if they swim well can qualify for the state meet."

The Trojans garnered two individual championships and one relay crown.

Cooper Langanis, from Cary-Grove, won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 4:51.09. McHenry's Jackson Smith was distant second with a clocking of 5:04.34

"I am still a little nervous going into next week, said Langanis. "My mindset today was this was a sectional meet. I am going to have to race well next well and with a lot of heart."

Langanis was joined in the winners circle by freshman Nick Jasinski (Crystal Lake Central), who won the 100-yard backstroke in 53.80. Jaskinski nipped District 300's Francis Ogaban (54.57), who finished second.

The Trojans won the 200-yard medley relay with the foursome of Jasinski, Mitch Robak (Prairie Ridge), Ethan Hare (Cary-Grove) and Jacob Naatz (Cary-Grove) in a time of 1:41.48.

District 300, which is comprised of Dundee-Crown, Jacobs and Hampshire, was third behind Cary-Grove and McHenry with a score of 253.

Without a first place finish, District 300 had two second place individual finishers and one second place relay team.

Ogaban, who was second in the 100 backstroke, was also on the runner-up 200 medley relay team with Kevin Derby, Elijah Stuart and Caleb Knottnerus. Knottnerus was also second in the 100 freestyle.

Huntley, behind two-first place efforts from Bryan Haage was fourth with a score of 149.

Haage easily won the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.33. Robak was a distant second with a clocking of 2:03.46.

Haage's second first-place effort of the day came in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:01.39. Robak was again second behind Haage with a 1:02.27.

"I really tried to swim fast from the beginning in both events," said Haage. "There are a lot of good swimmers in this conference. I am very excited about my times and my two first-place finishes. I will be ready for sectionals next week."