North Stars, Cadets enjoy good 1st day

What a way to begin the state swimming meet.

The first event in the preliminary round on Friday was won by St. Charles North to put the North Stars in a good position to finish in the top group of teams at today's finals.

The medley relay team of John Higgins, Dan Stanek, Jimmy Brooks and Nick Smith finished its race in 1:35.20, just ahead of Lincoln-Way East.

"That was a great swim by those guys," said North Stars coach Rob Rooney. "But, I think they have more in them for tomorrow."

"We were expecting to win that race," said Brooks. "But I don't think anyone else was expecting us."

Brooks added to the North Stars' fine Friday by winning the 100 butterfly in 49.39

"Brooks swam a little possessed," said Rooney. "Last year he came in and he was sick, so he wanted to redeem himself."

"My goal was to be in the finals, because it's my senior year," said Brooks, a four-time state qualifier. "But it feels better than I every imagined.

"I got out in front and paced myself correctly. I came home faster than I ever did before. I may have been more pumped than anyone else."

The North Stars' 400 freestyle relay team consisting of Matt Baumann, Brooks, Derek Hampton and Higgins also went top sixth, finishing fifth in 3:08.88.

Seniors Baumann and Higgins were fourth and fifth in the 100 backstroke.

There are no official team points given for Friday's competition, but the informal tally puts Neuqua Valley ahead and a group of six teams -- Glenbrook South, New Trier, St. Charles North, Naperville North, Naperville Central and Marmion -- bunched behind them.

"There are a lot of good teams," said Rooney. "And we're right there with them. Top to bottom there's a lot more balance this year than there has been for awhile. Neuqua Valley is up there, but Glenbrook South is in a nice spot and so is New Trier with two divers."

Marmion, which is also in a good position for a top-10 finish, saw its medley relay team of Tyler Capen, Matt Pircon, Peter Flight and Thomas Delves qualify with a third place finish in 1:36.02.

Also, the Cadets' Luke Martinez finished fourth in the 500 freestyle in 4:34.06.

"Luke had a great race, dropping more than nine seconds from his fastest time," said Marmion coach Bill Schalz. "He has finished 13th the past two years, so this year he put the hammer down and made sure he made in the finals in the 500."

Schalz was pleased with his team's effort on Friday.

"We swam well across the board," Schalz said. "I was disappointed that our free relays only made it to the consolation but both had great time drops. In this meet you have to swim well against the breaks and we didn't get a lot of breaks. But, we're in good position for tomorrow and we have a lot of sophomores and juniors so we'll be even better next year."

For St. Charles East, B.J. Roth had the 10th best time in the 200 free and Ken Tiltges sixth in the 100 breast.