Swimmers compete at Naperville's annual city championship
With not a swimmer in sight, Jack LeVant's closest competition was the clock.
A race against his own expectations.
The 10-year-old from the White Eagle swim club touched the wall in record time in the 200-yard freestyle relay, capping a superb performance during Saturday's 43rd Annual Naperville Park District Swim Conference City Championship Meet at Metea Valley High School.
"I wasn't worried about anybody else," LeVant said. "I knew what I wanted to do, so I went out there and did it."
LeVant and teammates Jared Simpson, Brett Merriman and Ethan Morse earlier won the 200 medley relay in 2:13.07. LeVant, who set the age 8 and under 25 butterfly city record in 2008, also on Saturday won the 50 butterfly and took the 50 freestyle in 26.76. LeVant and his White Eagle teammates finished the 200 freestyle relay in 1:59.44, breaking the seven-year-old record of 2 minutes flat.
"I push myself to be the best I can be," LeVant said. "I was really focused on my goals."
Morse confidently stated that he thought "they could definitely break 2 minutes." Morse also broke the meet record in the 100 individual medley, finishing in 1:08.52.
"I was thinking about myself," Morse said, "and at the same time I was just trying to help the team, getting them more points."
The Naperville City Meet always brings out the best in the swimming hotbed's young stars.
This year over 3,300 swimmers participated in the park district's 23 member schools.
The weekend meet is a culmination of the summer season for kids like 10-year-old Wyli Erlechman of the Ashbury Alligators. Erlechman won the 50-yard backstroke in 34.44 seconds and 100 individual medley in 1:16.08. Erlechman already holds her club's record in the 50 butterfly, but was slotted in other races to help Ashbury accumulate points.
"I prefer meets like this one," she said, "when all the teams are here. It's more competitive."
Eight-year-old Austin Martinson of the Brookdale Buccaneers set a new pool record of 16.16 in the 25-yard butterfly. He later came from behind to win the 25 breaststroke in 22.09 seconds.
"I didn't finish as fast as I would have liked," Martinson said, "because I didn't go out as fast as I usually do. But I usually catch up in the middle and I did today."
Other outstanding performances were turned in Saturday by 10-year-old Phillip Sajaev of Farmington, who set a meet record of 1:08.52 in the 100 IM and later won the 50 breaststroke in 33.52 seconds; 8-year-old Madison Rosen of Huntington Estates, winner of the 50 freestyle and 25 butterfly; and 10-year-old Sophia DiMonte of Cress Creek, who anchored the 200 medley relay victory and also won the 50 freestyle in 29.75 seconds.
The night before, in the high school age portion of the meet, Grant Betulius of the Tall Grass Lightning set a meet record in the 100 back (48.85) and the 50 butterfly (22.69). Danny Tucker of Maplebrook II won the 50 free in 20.67 seconds and set a meet record of 45.85 seconds in the 100 freestyle. And Gia Dalesandro of River Run won the 100 freestyle (53.04), the 100 IM (1:00.46) and the 100 back (58.33).