Warren's Conway sets school mark

Warren boys swimming coach Andrew Kittrell received an interesting e-mail this week, wishing freshman Danny Conway good luck at the IHSA state meet.

The author of the e-mail was none other than Kyle Maxwell, who in 2001 set a Warren school record in the 500-yard freestyle (4:47.06).

"That meant a lot," Conway said. "It (showed) he was behind me."

On Friday in the swimming preliminaries at New Trier, Conway set a school mark in the 500-freestyle (4:45.84) with a near-flawless swim. His performance was good for 22nd place.

"I've been looking at that record since I was 8 years old," Conway said.

Mundelein junior Pat Falconer and Stevenson senior diver Matt Stiefel were the lone competitors in the Daily Herald Lake County circulation area to advance to Saturday's finals.

Falconer will swim in the consolation finals in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle. Stiefel, a diver, is in 10th place with three dives to go.

At the sectional meet, Conway lost his goggles halfway through the 500-freestyle. "It almost gave me a heart attack, but it took the pressure off me (at state)," he said. "I didn't have to prove anything."

Conway's technique was as good as it has been all season.

"He held his pace so well," Kittrell said. "He took a big step today into a much larger world."

Next year, Kittrell hopes Conway will have teammates also competing at the state meet.

"The future of Warren swimming looks great," he said.

Falconer just missed making the championship finals. Instead, he will swim in the consolation finals after seventh-place showings in the 100-freestyle (46.67) and 200-freestyle (1:40.47), respectively.

"His time would usually be good for top three or top six, but the times were so fast this year," Mundelein coach Rahul Sethna said.

The pace forced Falconer to tweak his game plan.

"I took it out a little hard in the 200 and that's what killed me," he said. "I wanted to get in the top six, but I'm happy with my swims."

Stiefel's last dive, an inward 11/2, secured his spot in the top 12.

"I knew I had to nail it," said Stiefel, who accumulated 272.30 points.

New Trier's Michael Ross (343.45) and Glenbrook North's Jonathan Roby (327.40) were the only divers to total more than 300 points.

Stiefel succeeded in not letting the atmosphere of the state meet throw him off his game.

"I didn't worry about anyone else; I stayed relaxed and confident," he said.

Libertyville senior Ben Glick finished 16th in the 100-butterfly (51.65) and 17th in the 200-freestyle (1:42.80). Both times were personal bests.

This was the first season Glick focused on the 100-butterfly.

"We would have laughed if someone would have told us at the start of the season he would swim 51.6 in the 100-fly," Libertyville coach Kevin Zakrzewski said. "I couldn't be happier for him."

Stevenson freshman Ryota Kuwahara acquitted himself well in the 100-butterfly (53.65) and the 200-freestyle (1:46.03)

"I was more excited than nervous," he said. "It was a great meet."

Stevenson senior Ty Kuper was the Patriots' other double qualifier.

He swam a 22.38 in the 50-freestyle and a 48.93 in the 100-freestyle.

"At the beginning of the year I didn't think I would qualify in any individual event," he said.