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Boys swimming: The Balcerak rules leading to winning outcome

St. Viator senior Michael Balcerak operates by a couple of basic rules, both of which served him well in the championship session of the boys swimming and diving state finals on Saturday at Evanston Township High School.

The first guideline is pretty straightforward.

"You've got to have fun," he said. "I mean, really, to me that's what this is all about."

The second principle addresses a specific end of the performance spectrum - the one everyone is trying to avoid. Balcerak's coach, Sam Wilcher, put it this way: "He really hates losing."

In honoring both self-proscribed edicts, Balcerak's final high school performances were wildly successful.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Balcerak dropped more than a second from his preliminary effort, finishing second in 1:37.09 - a lifetime best. Peoria Notre Dame senior Colton Paulson won in 1:36.65 and was pushed by Balcerak the whole way.

True, second place is not quite winning. But the race still succeded, as something fun.

"Sure, I would have liked to win, but you can't be too upset with a best time," said Balcerak. "And anyway, I'm just not the kind to get all mopey after races."

"It was a much better swim for him today," Wilcher said. "To me, it just seemed like he was really in the moment."

On to the 100 butterfly, where Balcerak had the top qualifying time. He trailed Lyons senior Henry Claesson by a fraction of a second at the third and final turn but managed to will himself into a first-place finish - alongside Claesson. Both touched at 48.60.

To Balcerak, sharing in victory seemed even better than winning outright, because in this way he was able to help another swimmer honor the not-losing concept.

The co-champions climbed atop the Lane 1 block to accept their medals, and Balcerak and Claesson also shared broad grins.

"Pretty cool, right?" said Balcerak.

Sure, and this weekend's worth of work completes a very chill four-year set of state meets. Balcerak scored points as a freshman, was sideswiped by illness a sophomore but still competed, produced a huge comeback as a junior with a 100 free victory and ended with a memorable race in which he did not lose.

On his points alone, St. Viator claimed 15th place in the final team standings.

The finest competitor in this era of St. Viator swimming is bound for a future at Cincinnati and will be remembered for more than just where he finished.

Lions junior Michael Ruben, who raced Friday in the 200 IM and on St. Viator's 200 free relay, is among those who stand to benefit.

"He's been a really important, positive role model for me," Ruben said. "Not only in terms of being so good at swimming, but in how he enjoys everything and handles himself. Also, you might not expect it, but he's just really humble."

Meanwhile, "hungry" might best despite Hersey senior Michael Petro's outlook as the last day of the season began.

A disappointing Friday prelim session had him competing in the consolation heats of the 200 IM and 100 fly.

Huskies coach Dick Mortensen noticed the change in attitude Saturday and suspected good things were forthcoming.

"He was just a very different person today," said Mortensen, who said at some point Petro began to embrace what had been the team's motto all year: The Big Dog's Gotta Eat.

And then, when it was time, he devoured his competition.

Petro first roared to a winning effort in his heat of the 200 IM (1:51.38), then came up with the kind of swim anybody would be happy with as a high school career-ender.

He again won his heat, this time in the 100 fly, in a season-best time of 49.19. That put him nearly a second ahead of his competition, and his time was the third-best of the day, behind only Balcerak and Claesson.

In spite of the Friday setbacks, Petro chowed down on the opportunities at hand Saturday and joined a very select group who can say they won the final two races of their high school careers.

Without question, Michael Petro is the top male swimmer in Hersey history. Still up for debate is whether he's Hersey best overall high school swimmer - the only other with a spot in that conversation would be his big sister, Amanda, and Mortensen coached both.

Both Petros have had big impacts on the program, and Mortensen was encouraged that Michael's relay teammates at state this year - freshman Ethan Marunde, sophomore Gavin Hill and junior Jack Blumenfeld - had already started putting numbers together, trying to figure out just what it would take to get back next year.

Without, of course, their LSU-bound Big Dog.

"He was almost like another coach for us," Blumenfeld said. "All the time in practice, he was helping people out - mostly just little things. But he really made a difference."

Rolling Meadows senior Josh Dellorto ended up improving by one spot from his junior-year finish in the 100 freestyle, taking 11th place.

His consolation finals clocking and placement weren't what he'd hoped for, but coach Monika Chiappetta said a senior season that included a conference record in the 100 freestyle and huge improvements in all his races made for a memorable run.

A four-year state qualifier, Dellorto leaves with a remarkable improvement arc that extends beyond the scoreboard.

"He's been such an incredible athlete to coach, and somebody who became a true student of the sport," said Chiappetta. "You like to finish with lifetime bests, but he had that yesterday in prelims.

"But I don't believe he's done with his greatness. This is only the beginning of that next phase for him."

No state records were broken on Saturday, but the meet featured three individuals winning two events apiece.

New Trier senior Charlie Scheinfeld took top honors in both the 200 IM (1:49.42) and 100 breaststroke (53.72). Peoria Notre Dame senior Colton Paulson was tops in the 200 free (1:36.65) and the 500 free (4:22.53), and Stevenson junior Topher Stensby won the 50 free (20.18) and 100 free (44.57). Lyons senior Spencer Walker won the 100 back (48.11).

New Trier used a victory in the meet-ending 400 free relay (3:01.29) to get some separation in the team race against defending champ Lyons in the team race. The Trevians finished with 161 points, with Lyons at 150.5 and Hinsdale Central third at 116.5.

St. Ignatius placed fourth (107), followed by Stevenson (78) and Neuqua Valley, St. Charles North and Marmion tied for sixth (64).

Images: Saturday at the State Final Meet in boys swimming

  St. Viator coach Sam Wilcher, left, and Lyons coach Scott Walker conduct an impromtu game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who will hand out the medals after their swimmers - Michael Balcerak and Henry Claesson - tied for first place in the 100-yard butterfly during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Michael Petro of Hersey swims the 100-yard butterfly during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Petro won the consolation heat in a season-best 49.19. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Rolling Meadows senior Josh Dellorto competes in his final high school race, the 100-yard freestyle, during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator senior Michael Balcerak, left, shakes hands with Colton Paulson of Peoria Notre Dame after finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  St. Viator's Michael Balcerak grabs a breath in the championship heat of the 200-yard freestyle during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Balcerak placed second in a lifetime-best 1:37.09. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Hersey senior Michael Petro competes in the 200-yard individual medley during boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Michael Petro races the 200-yard individual medley during the boys swimming state finals at Evanston Township High School on Saturday. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com
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