Lake County boys swimming preview

Swimmers and divers to watch

Ben Abejuela, sr., Warren; Connor Black, fr., Mundelein; Michael Chaffer, jr., Stevenson; Danny Conway, soph., Warren; Sean Conway, soph., Warren; Matt Conway, fr., Warren; Nolan Cox, sr., Warren; Will Davidson, soph., Mundelein; David Dickinson, sr., Mundelein; Pat Falconer, sr., Mundelein; Langston Fitts, soph., Stevenson; Josh Hodges, sr., Stevenson; Brandon Horsch, sr., Mundelein; Karter Gagliardo, jr., Warren; Teddy Kelley, jr., Libertyville; Ryota Kuwahara, soph., Stevenson; Daniel Guerrero, jr., Libertyville; Kevin Lenz, jr., Vernon Hills; Chris Marr, jr., Libertyville; Adnan Meskic, jr., Vernon Hills; Brad Ostmeyer, sr., Libertyville; David Rieck, sr., Mundelein; Adam Salzman, jr., Stevenson; Ben Snader, jr., Libertyville; Sage Stephens, jr., Warren; Michael Tanner, sr., Libertyville; Stevie Wimmer, sr., Libertyville; Owen Yang, sr., Stevenson.

Team outlook

After taking a year off from high school swimming, Libertyville senior Stevie Wimmer is back. Wimmer, one of the state's top sprinters, will anchor the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. He will swim next year for the University of Kentucky. "My goals for those two relays are top six finishes at state," coach Kevin Zakrzewski said. Wimmer will be paired with senior Brad Ostmeyer and juniors Ben Snader and Chris Marr in the 200-freestyle. Wimmer, Marr and Ostmeyer will swim the 400-freestyle; several swimmers are vying for the fourth spot. Snader is one of the Wildcats' most improved swimmers. "He's looking to do some pretty big things this year," Zakrzewski said. Junior Teddy Kelley and senior Michael Tanner are the team's top divers. Kelley qualified for state as a sophomore. The freshmen on varsity already have displayed their potential. "I'm excited about that class," Zakrzewski said. "They'll get a lot of experience and it will be great to have them for four years." - What Mundelein lacks in depth, the Mustangs make up for in star power. This will hurt them in dual meets, but they have a chance for impressive results in the sectional and state meets. "We'll set our goals to peak in February and finish in the top 12 or 16 at state," coach Rahul Sethna said. Michigan State-bound Pat Falconer is one of the state's best, and junior Will Davidson is a major force in the sprints. In addition, the Mustangs welcome Connor Black, one of the state's most impressive freshmen. Black's best event is the 100-butterfly. "He's already swimming state cut times," Sethna said. Senior David Rieck will be a consistent point scorer in diving. He is one of the area's most experienced divers and he should make another appearance at the state meet. - Stevenson's Ryota Kuwahara made a huge impact as a freshman. Look for more of the same this season. Kuwahara qualified for the 100 butterfly last year, and he has a chance to make it to the state in two individual events this season. Senior Josh Hodges is a captain and returning state qualifier. He already is posting notable times in practice. Senior Oweyn Yang and junior Adam Salzman also will captain the Patriots. Salzman had a great club season and is poised for a breakthrough high school season. Langston Fitts and Daniel Shtivelberg have impressed in the early going. The Patriots are serious contenders for the conference and sectional championships. - Vernon Hills' Kevin Lenz advanced to the state meet as a sophomore in the 100-breaststroke. "This year, his goal is not just to show up, but to finish in the top 12," coach Kedric Greenawalt said. Only a poor turn at the sectional meet prevented Lenz from qualifying in the 50-freestyle. The top newcomer to varsity, junior Adnan Meskic, is relatively new to swimming. Even so, he set or shared via relay five of the school's junior varsity records. "He's very raw, but (his times) are extremely encouraging," Greenawalt said. As a team, the Cougars will be rebuilding with a young group of swimmers. "We have a lot of motivated kids excited to take on the challenge of being varsity athletes," Greenawalt said. - Warren sophomore Danny Conway already holds the school's 500 freestyle record. He gained valuable experience at the state meet and it will be exciting to see what he does for an encore. His twin brother, Sean, is looking to qualify in the sprint freestyles. Their younger brother, Matt, a freshman, will make an immediate contribution, primarily in the 100 butterfly. Nolan Cox and Ben Abjuela are team captains and in excellent shape for their senior seasons. Junior Karter Gagliardo and sophomore Chad Church will score points in individual races and in the relays. Junior diver Sage Stephens made the state cut last year and is hoping to advance to the state finals this time around. The Blue Devils have an abundance of young talent and they have depth in all the events.