Hersey's team emphasis is really paying off
Swimming is by nature an individual sport, but the team-first approach taken by Hersey is paying big dividends this season.
In Mid-Suburban League dual meets, points are awarded through fifth place, in a 6-4-3-2-1 sequence for individual races. Frequently the top swimmers across the lineup from both teams tend to cancel each other out, making the race between fifth and sixth place key to the outcome.
As Hersey coach Dick Mortensen points out, having his swimmer edge out the opponent for that lone point in fifth place is crucial. And he's pleased that his team completely gets the concept.
"Our guys' rallying cry has been, 'No Sixth-Place Finishes,' and that's really been a key for us," he said. "That can be a 22-, 24-point swing in a meet."
And it helps explain how Mortensen's team, which he expected to be perhaps a sixth-place finisher in the MSL, now has a chance at a divisional title. The last key test for the Huskies, unbeaten so far against East Division competition, will be today at Buffalo Grove High School, where a quality Bison team will provide a formidable challenge.
Hersey has shown an interesting blend of capable seniors combined with a head-turning batch of freshmen. The new arrivals have dovetailed with the events the Huskies already had covered with upperclassmen, and by chance their combined efforts have proven difficult for foes.
One key frosh is Jeff Ruffin. He had a slow start to the season after battling a respiratory illness but has lately been a force in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. Paired with established senior Chris Workman, they're making dual opponents pay with frequent 1-2 finishes in the distance races.
Seniors such as John Poelking have provided steady performances, and freshmen Jamie Hill and Sam Kim round out the top end of Hersey's lineup. But the real strength is depth and a commitment to winning.
It's all a bit surprising to Mortensen, who is the fourth boys coach at Hersey in as many years and who has the disadvantage of having the team's pool being located off school grounds (the Huskies train and compete at Olympic Pool in Arlington Heights).
"Our guys really have developed a great awareness for what it takes to win duals," Mortensen said."They're coming to me before meet and asking me, 'Where can we pick up some points here?'
"What's really nice is I've got a group of kids that are really solid, independent workers. I think that might be the result of having different coaches here lately, but they've learned some good work habits."
The results are plain to see. Hersey defeated Fremd 95-91 in a dual earlier this month. The Huskies hadn't beaten the Vikings in at least 20 years.
Against all odds and in the blink of any eye, it seems Hersey is establishing a new tradition. Mortensen says he thinks it helps that the Hersey girls team he coached in the fall turned out to be a big surprise - the Huskies won the East title, finished third overall in the league and qualifying multiple entrants to the state meet.
"I think our guys really looked at what the girls did," Mortensen said. "I think that got them to realize what was possible."
A close meet? Buffalo Grove Jamie Klotz took a look ahead at today's dual against Hersey and predicted a 2-point margin of victory, either way.
The Bison have been getting great performances lately from senior Brad Lotzer and sophomore Ian Rodriguez, but nobody in the MSL East has been able to solve Hersey yet.
Both coaches know the opponent's lineup well by this point, and you'd be hard-pressed to find two coaches more familiar with one another. Klotz and Hersey coach Dick Mortensen once lived together, when both were club coaches.
West test: The MSL West's top matchup tonight is Fremd at Palatine. The Pirates can't match Fremd's top-end competitors such as sprinter Dustin Anderson and distance freestyler/butterflyer Jeff Freund, but their lineup is deep enough that it can pose some problems for the Vikings. The last time Palatine defeated Fremd in a dual was 1999.