Two Kevins, three wins for Neuqua Valley
It was the fastest boys state swimming meet in Illinois history with five state records and even one national record falling in Saturday's finals at New Trier High School.
New Trier, whose 400-yard freestyle relay team established a new state record, was crowned the champion with 165.5 points, followed by Neuqua Valley with 127 and Glenbrook South, which scored 115 to take the third-place trophy. Marmion with 113 and Naperville Central with 87 rounded out the top five.
Neuqua Valley's Kevin Overholt broke state records in both the 200 and 100 freestyle relays, while Burke Sims of Downers Grove North is the new state-record holder in the 500 freestyle.
Glenbrook South set both the national and state records by swimming a 1:22.15 in the 200 freestyle relay, just ahead of Neuqua Valley's 1:22.88.
"This was a great meet and it was fun to watch," said coach Dan Witteveen of Lake Park, which finished ninth.
Lake Park's Bryant Honsa, who won the 500 free last year, finished second in both the 200 and 500 freestyle races, and it took record-breaking efforts in both to beat him.
In Friday's preliminary Overholt's racing was a little off in the 200, which he considers his best race. But he made some adjustments, paced himself and grabbed the state record set in 1989 in 1:37.24, edging Honsa, who finished in 1:37.61.
"All six guys were under 1:40," Honsa said. "That's unbelievable."
Sims finished third.
Later in the meet Sims reversed last year's positions in the 500 by going out fast and increasing his lead throughout to win in a record-breaking 4:24.74, almost six seconds ahead of Honsa.
"I was a little disappointed," Honsa said. "Burke took it harder in the second, third and fourth hundred and I was a little tired."
"I tried to build up the lead," Sims said. "I knew I had to get out of there because Bryant can close like crazy."
The 500 victory was especially satisfying for Sims, first because it was another record that has stood since 1989, and also because his father, Dave Sims, was the 500 freestyle champion in Illinois in 1980.
"I didn't want him to be the only state champion in the house," Sims said.
Overholt's 44.06 record-breaker in the 100 freestyle was the shortest-standing record in the book because he set that record less than 24 hours before with a 44:11 in the preliminary.
"This is the fulfillment of my ultimate goal right here," Overholt said of his two record-breaking performances. "This is the fastest group of guys I've ever seen in my life. In both races they pushed me to go fast."
Sophomore Kevin Cordes of Neuqua Valley won the 100 breaststroke in 56.29.
"There was a lot of excitement today," said Neuqua Valley Coach Chad Allen.
"Yesterday our relays pulled us through, but today the two Kevins were unbelievable. Kevin Cordes locked up second place for us with that breaststroke and we needed both of Kevin Overholt's wins because Glenbrook South was right on our tails."
The Wildcats' 200 medley relay team finished tied for fourth, the 200 freestyle relay came in second and the 400 freestyle relay was third.