Shivakumar enjoys pursuit of state superiority

Fremd senior Varun Shivakumar says he's having a blast with his senior season. That's partly because the Vikings have the makings of an elite level team, but also because Shivakumar's performances are right on track to take him where he wants to end up as an individual.

"I want to be a factor at the state meet," he said.

Though he's scored points at the state meet the past two seasons, the experience hasn't been completely satisfying for him. Shivakumar has not yet made finals in an individual race. But based on early results this season, he seems to have a shot at doing so in both the 200-yard IM and the 100 backstroke.

So, exactly what kind of "factor" is Shivakumar hoping to be in late February at New Trier?

"Top three," he said. "Just based on who's coming back, I think that's realistic. We all play close attention to the times that people are doing around the state, and I think that's where I can be."

Others are also seeing the potential in Shivakumar, including Northwestern coach Bob Groseth, who is recruiting him.

Meet matters: It's a partial schedule of Mid-Suburban League meets schedule today, with Barrington at Hoffman Estates, Fremd at Schaumburg, Hersey at Wheeling and Prospect at Elk Grove (Palatine at Conant and BG at Rolling Meadows were scheduled to compete Thursday night).

And after today's league meets, it's a long break until the duals resume.

That means hard-core conditioning for about two weeks with little to break up the routine.

The meet schedule has only a few invitationals before duals resume in the Mid-Suburban League on Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9.

Listen up, parents: Some last-minute holiday gift ideas for that swimmer in your family, who will be training at a drastically increased level over the holidays:

• A professional massage.

• A bottle of top-quality skin moisturizer to combat the effects of repeated chlorine exposure.

• Food. And more food. And a little compassion.

All the marbles: While Barrington lost last Friday's showdown at Fremd, it could prove less costly than in seasons past.

In a format change this year, dual meets no longer figure into the league's final standings. This year, for the first time, the conference championship will be determined solely on the performance of the teams in the conference meet.

That bodes well for the Broncos, who lost several close races in the Fremd dual but seem to have enough firepower from developing swimmers like Greg Alexander (breaststroke) and Leo Hayden (freestyles) to keep alive hope for a league title.