Both St. Charles schools poised to finish Top 10
On a day of some of the fastest swimming ever seen in an Illinois boys state meet, both St. Charles schools more than held their own. In fact, St. Charles East and St. Charles North are poised to finish in the Top 10 in state for only the second time and something that hasn't happened since 2007.
Of the schools, St. Charles East is set slightly higher in the standings, in large part due to its relay success. The Saints qualified all three relays for finals and added a pair of individual swims by Kyle Dunlap and another pair of swims by Nick Boryk to the mix.
"It's going to be a battle," St. Charles East coach Joe Cabel said. "We got off to a slow start on the medley relay. Once we got that out of the way, we seemed to find ourselves. Halfway through the meet, we really got going."
Dunlap is seeded seventh in the 200-yard IM and fifth in the 100 freestyle.
"We came out and swam as fast as we could and I'm really proud of the team," Dunlap said. "We really just wanted to swim fast today and that's what we did. I was a little bummed out (in the 200 IM), but I didn't let it get to me. My team was there to support me."
Not far behind the Saints and still very much in contention to finish in the Top 10 sits St. Charles North, which has its 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay in competition as well as Will Myhre in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.
"We were talking just now about how we've improved at the end of the season from where we were," Myhre said. "Whether it's speed-wise or technique or anything, we've improved. What I'm proud of my team is how we've connected."
Myhre was key in St. Charles North's success. He swam legs on both North Stars relays, is seeded second heading into finals in the 200 IM and swam faster than everyone in the 100 breaststroke.
"I surprised myself in the IM," Myhre said. "I didn't expect to outsplit the field by two or three seconds in the breaststroke. I thought it'd be closer. But I'm happy with 1:50 and want to go under 1:50 (Saturday). The 100 breast, I thought it was a good swim, but I'll have to be ready to go (Saturday). It'll be fun."
Other North Stars qualifiers gained experience for future state meets, and with the bulk of the team returning next season, that experience will be key.
Marmion's highlight came when Will Kamps emerged from a massively competitive heat in the 500 freestyle and qualified sixth. Three other swimmers in that heat also qualified for the finals. The Cadets also have Nolan Fergus in the 100 butterfly and their 200 freestyle relay in the finals.
"It's not very often that you get four guys from a heat into the finals," Marmion coach Bill Schalz said. "(Kamps) went after it. I knew he would and he had to against that competition. He had to put himself in position to at least hold them off."
The Cadets sent a youthful group to the state meet, and despite not making the finals, they gained experience in swimming at the state meet.
"They need to get beat up a little bit and grind it out and figure it out," Schalz said. "Hopefully, these guys will qualify in more races next year and they'll be more involved in the meet and not just waiting around all day for one event."
West Aurora's Tyler McLaren and Owen Zant failed to advance. For junior McLaren, this marked his second trip to the state meet while sophomore Zant's trip was his first.
"(McLaren) dropped a little more time, and we'll take that," West Aurora coach Chris Ranallo said. "Last year he added time. We're going in the right direction. (Zant), the experience is huge. He said this was the coolest thing he's ever experienced."