Boys swimming: Hersey's Nocita top diver at sectional
Both Hersey and Prospect will be sending multiple qualifiers to next weekend's IHSA state boys swimming meet at New Trier after competing at the Glenbrook South sectional on Saturday.
The host School took home the team title as it added to last week's Central Suburban South crown with a total of 297 points, besting rival Glenbrook North (234) and Maine South (224). Hersey (150) and Fenton (100) rounded out the top five.
For Hersey, a trio of competitors took the spotlight as Nick Nocita won the diving competition while junior Gavin Hill captured the 100-yard freestyle crown (47.02) and freshman Noah Thomas qualified for four events in the Athletes With Disabilities Division.
Nocita, a senior, bested his nearest competitor, Glenbrook North Senior Ryan Cohn, by 23 points - 568.25 to 545.10- to win the meet's first event Saturday morning, breaking a Hersey school record held previously by him.
"Seems like every time he shows up he breaks another record " Hersey coach Dick Mortensen said. "Just phenomenal."
Hill qualified in two events, the 100 freestyle (47.02), which he won, followed by a runner-up finish (21.24) in the 50 freestyle. He credited both efforts to mental focus and hard work.
"I really wanted to hammer my turns so I really just tried to work on getting my feet over as quickly as I can and it turned out well," Hill said.
But perhaps the star of the afternoon was Thomas, who only in his first year of organized swimming. qualified for next week in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles as well as the 100-yard breaststroke.
The soft-spoken Thomas, who is diagnosed with short stature, got into the sport due to friends.
"(They) were doing it and then I wanted to do it," Thomas said with a smile.
Freshman Tim Hays qualified in a pair of events for Prospect, finishing third in each. First, he posted a time of 1:54.89 in the 200 IM followed by a 52.39 mark in the 100 backstroke.
He'll be joined by sophomore teammate Kevin Soltys, whose sixth-place finish (52.85) nabbed a spot for next weekend.
Sophomore diver Jack Epperson's (440.40) third-place finish may allow him to make it to Winnetka with Hays and Soltys as an at-large diver.
In addition, Maine West junior Ray Ure, whose fourth-place result (437.50) could make him an at-large diving qualifier as well when final results are verified Monday to determine the top 32 finishers after sectional competition.
St. Viator senior Michael Ruben made it through a crowded field to post a seventh-place finish in the 200 IM that got him to Winnetka next week.
"I just got into the water and then I put the thought in my head to go out there and sprint," Ruben said. "It's like all mental. You just have to think about it."