Butterfly stars set to soar at Lake County meet

Advice to anybody planning to attend today's Lake County swimming and diving invite at Stevenson:

Don't take flight during the final heat of the fly.

Fetch the popcorn after the 100-yard butterfly (event No. 6) and ignore your cell phone for about a minute (state cut in the fly: 53:45).

“It's going to be a fast one, probably the fastest fly (heat) in the state,” Libertyville coach Kevin Zakrzewski said.

With so many butterfly competitors fluttering quickly and powerfully in one natatorium, it's also going to be an entomologist's dream.

Seven of last year's top eight butterfly performers at the county invite could hit the Patriots' home water as flyboys again today.

Stevenson junior Ryota Kuwahara, Warren sophomore Matt Conway, Lake Forest junior Bryan Bunning, Barrington junior Leo Hayden, Mundelein sophomore Connor Black, Barrington sophomore Kyle Ujiiye and Vernon Hills senior Adnan Meskic finished second through eighth, respectively, in the event a year ago.

Libertyville freshman Alex Snarski's victorious fly time of 54.35, at a home dual Dec. 9, would have netted third-place points at the 2009 Lake County Invite.

“I'm really looking forward to that event,” said Lake Forest coach Cindy Dell, whose crew finished runner-up (213 points) to Stevenson (262) at last winter's 10-team gathering. “It's going to be fun and fast.”

“The butterfly,” she added, “is not just a physically demanding stroke; you also have to be incredibly strong mentally. Think about all that's involved in the stroke. The swimmer also has to be aware of the importance of timing all those movements in the water.”

In other words, stay in sync.

Or sink.

Kuwahara took 14th (51.89) in the event at state last winter; Conway (52.99) topped a sectional field in it last year and sped to a first-place 52.06 in the Blue Devils' 94-92 defeat of Stevenson earlier this month; Hayden (52.06) beat Kuwahara in the fly at the 2009-10 Stevenson sectional; and Black undulated and dolphin-kicked his way to a meet-record 51.64 at the Glenbrook North Invite last Saturday.

Last year's county champ in the fly was 2010 Libertyville graduate Stevie Wimmer, now swimming for another bunch of Wildcats: the University of Kentucky's.

Libertyville Wildcat Teddy Kelley, now a senior, would like nothing more than to successfully defend his county invite diving title this morning. He scored 357.15 points a year ago and then placed 16th at state. Last year's county runner-up, Warren senior Sage Stephens, amassed a school- and Stevenson-pool record for six dives (250.35) at the Blue Devils-Pats dual Dec. 9.

“Sage is on fire,” Warren swim coach Chris Bertana said. “He's stronger, and he trained like crazy in the off-season.”

Warren also featuring two other chlorine-lovin' Conways (junior twins Sean and Danny, 12th in the 500 freestyle at state last winter, are Matt's big brothers) and Mundelein tied for third place (178 points) at last year's county invite. Mundelein's Mustangs have a shot at touching first in five events today. Black, junior Bryan Wiener and seniors Sean Falconer and Will Davidson, a standout in the 50 free, have excelled as MHS relay mates in the early going.

“It's going to be a competitive meet, a great meet; there's no doubt,” Mustangs coach Rahul Sethna said. “We're top-end heavy, and several teams, like Stevenson and Warren and Lake Forest, are deep. Barrington is always good, too. To get ready for the meet, we'll back off (on training) because it's the last meet before winter break. They'll pound out the yardage and get beat up during the break.”

Stevenson is also heavy with talent-laden juniors. Among Kuwahara's swift classmates are Langston Fitts (200, 500 free), Chris Hodges (200 IM) and Daniel Shtivelberg (sprint free). Senior Adam Salzman (200 IM, 500 free) is serving as a team captain for a second straight year. Salzman, Kuwahara, Fitts and Josh Hodges (SHS, '10) combined legs for 12th place (400 free relay) at state last winter.

“I guess I no longer can say we're young,” Pats coach Greg Hartman said.

Libertyville boasts a sturdy combo of promising youth and valuable vets. Senior captain Ben Snader silvered in the 100 breaststroke and swam leg No. 2 for the Wildcats' victorious 200 free relay at the '09 county invite; classmates Mitch Boynton (backstroke) and Daniel Guerrero bookend the Wildcats' 200 medley relay. Snarski, remember, flies, and fellow frosh Atticus Rush anchored Libertyville's first-place 200 free relay at a home dual Dec. 9.

First-year Vernon Hills coach Adam Lueken inherited Cougars senior Kevin Lenz, a 2009-10 state qualifier in the 50 free and 100 breast. Lueken made Lenz attempt a grueling training plan at a recent practice. Had Lenz failed to complete it, Lueken would have understood.

Lenz didn't fail.

“I thought he'd be toast after I had him start with a tough kick set,” Lueken said. “But he was fine. What I made him do was extremely hard. He's a go-getter.”

Barrington senior Greg Alexander collected two first-place medals (200 IM, 100 breast) at last year's county invite. Other swimmers hoping to make big splashes today, along with divers hoping to make little ones, are: Warren's Chad Church (100 breast), Karter Gagliardo (400 free relay), Tommy Howard (diving) and Michael Gould (sprint free); Stevenson's James Lichtenstein (diving); VH's Mark Genchanok (free), Marc Madore (100 back, distance free), David Kocoj (free, 100 fly), Peter Schultz (100 back), Alex Zuniga (diving) and Nathan Lightman (diving); Libertyville's Patrick Hughes (relays); and Mundelein's Jeff Anderson (100 free).

Divers begin plunging today at 9 a.m.; the swimming segment of the Lake County Invite starts at 1 p.m.

Ex-Pats: A couple of Stevenson alumni (Libertyville's Zakrzewski, Class of 2000, and VH's Lueken, '02) get to coach swimmers against their alma mater today. As a senior, Zakrzewski swam on the fifth-place 200 medley relay at state.

“I remember Kevin as being super fast, untouchable,” said Lueken, a member of Stevenson's third-place team at the state water polo tournament in '02.

Lueken scored a goal and provided 2 assists in the Pats' 14-8 defeat of St. Viator in the third-place game.