Wheaton seniors see DVC meet as stepping stone to state series

Wheaton co-op seniors Sean Brown and Carl Sveen have high expectations going into Saturday's DuPage Valley Conference swimming meet.

"We will go 1-2 in the 500 freestyle," Brown said. "We want to be under the state cut and feel confident going into sectionals and state. We'll both be disappointed if we don't finish in the top three. I'm hoping to win the 200 freestyle as well."

Sveen has qualified for state all three years of high school, and Brown qualified last year. While they finished out of the money in the 500, 17th and 18th, both believe they can crash the top 12 this time around.

"The way we've been training all season," Brown said. "We have a good shot to place."

"We think we can score," Sveen said. "We're hoping one or two of our teammates can also score in their individual events and maybe we can get a relay into the top 12."

Wheaton coach Jacob Ayers believes both swimmers are accurate in their self-evaluation.

"They're the 11th- and 12th-fastest returners in the state in the 500," Ayers said. "And while that doesn't guarantee anything, they've both dropped significant time from last year. They have a good shot because they've done all the work and they have the ability."

The Golden Domer: Neuqua Valley's Kevin Overholt will go to Notre Dame on a swimming scholarship in the fall.

Overholt, who finished second at state in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle, is thrilled to be heading to South Bend.

"This is really a dream come true for me," Overholt said. "I've always been a big Notre Dame fan. It's a great school, and I love the campus. And, hopefully, I can be a major part of their swimming program."

Wildcats seek depth: The Neuqua Valley Wildcats have a solid group of returnees from last year's state champion swimming and diving team, but their prospects of winning a second straight title could hinge on a trio of late bloomers who have had breakthrough seasons.

Junior Grant Betulius and sophomores Conner Jager and Andrew Bratsos have worked their way into the sectional lineup.

"All three were standouts at last week's Fox Valley Invite," said Neuqua Valley coach Chad Allen. "They've all earned their spots on the sectional team."

Allen has been particularly impressed by Betulius, who could score at state by finishing in the top 12 in the 100 backstroke.

"I'm looking for top 12 and we'd be thrilled with a top six," Allen said. "Grant has worked hard and has an outstanding underwater kick. Most of what he does is underwater. He's just missing a little bit of push-off that would make him one of the top two or three backstrokers in the state."

Bratsos went to state last year as an alternate on the relay teams but didn't get to swim.

"He's one of the strongest guys on the team," Allen said. "He just missed making the relay team for state last year, but we felt good about him going into this season. He's great at the IM and any type of sprints. In fact he's good at all four strokes. His development was due to just another year of maturing."

The coach is counting on Jager for the 500 freestyle this year and hoping to expand his sectional participation to the butterfly and the free relays next year.

"Andrew is similar to Grant, he's very tall," Allen said. "He just needs to get stronger. He's one of the hardest workers on our team and he has a great determination to succeed. He understands the sport and always asks question and works on the things he has to when he gets feedback."

Born to be a Cardinal: Burke Sims of Downers Grove North will attend Stanford, following in the footsteps of his dad, David Sims, an Olympic qualifier who starred for the Cardinal in the early 1980s.

The Trojan senior, who finished second in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle at state last year, will major in management science and engineering.

"I've been 'brainwashed' since birth to think that Stanford is the best place," Burke Sims said. "But the university speaks for itself. It's got a great location, terrific academics and an awesome swim team. I had a great visit and realized it's the best fit for me. I'm very excited to be going there."

Current coach Skip Kenney was David Sims' coach when he attended Stanford.

The elder Sims was an NCAA All-America all four years and captain of the Stanford team his senior year. He was the Pac-10 record-holder in both the 500 and the 1650 freestyle.

The future is now: Before this season one of the coaches at the Maverick Swim Club in Naperville told Benet coach Mike Rigali that he should keep tabs on incoming freshman Peter Krzywosz for the future.

The future came sooner than expected because Krzywosz has been one of the pleasant surprises on Benet's varsity as a freshman.

"He can swim any event," Rigali said. "Toward the middle of the year, I gave Peter a shot at the free relays and he responded really well, producing the fastest splits on the team. I had no idea he would make noise this fast."

Rigali said Krzywosz has a great natural feel for the water and he's already a technically sound swimmer.

Krzywosz was also surprised at his immediate success.

"I had the opportunity early and did pretty well in the 50 and the 100," Krzywosz said. "And I spent the year building on that. I think my mental toughness has grown over the whole swimming season and I have a shot at going to state next year."

Krzywosz expects to swim the 100 freestyle and the 200 IM, as well as the 400 free relay on the Benet sectional team.

"If I keep progressing, I'm hoping to get a swimming scholarship to college," Krzywosz said.