Glenbard West just getting started

The fledgling Glenbard West varsity swim team is making up in enthusiasm and hard work what it's lacking in high school experience and numbers.

The first-year program, which trains at LA Fitness in Naperville, has only 11 members, but the swimmers are showing that they can be competitive at the high school level.

“Five of our guys have club experience at the Wheaton Swim Club,” coach Jason Maddux said, “and three other were good park district swimmers, so they know what it takes to train and compete in the sport.”

The Hilltoppers finished fourth at the Leyden Invitational before Christmas, and they were only 12 points out of third place.

Pat Chrauth, a junior, finished second in the 200 freestyle, and the 400 freestyle relay team came in third.

The other experienced swimmers are juniors Zach Shaver and Sam Phillips, sophomore Bryce Dibadj and freshman Ben Shaver, who did well in age-group club swimming.

“We're really focused on training for sectionals,” Maddux said. “It's the first time these guys are working toward a big meet like this, but we're a young team and the whole experience will serve them well for next year.”

Chrauth has a good chance to do well in the sectional in either the 500 or 200 freestyle, and Zach Shaver has potential in the 100 breaststroke.

“All the guys are very pleased with the way the season is going,” Maddux said. “We told them, ‘It's your team, your traditions and you set the bar.' They're serious in practice. They train hard and they're organizing social events like the pasta parties. There's a good feeling here.”

The Hilltoppers will officially join the West Suburban Silver next year.

“LA Fitness has been great to us,” Maddux said. “They let us use the facilities when we need them and we were able to do two-a-day practices over the holiday break. The only problem is there are no flags or starting blocks, so when we go to a meet, we have to set aside time to practice on the blocks.”

Finishing strong:

Lake Park seniors Nathan Schingoethe and Kyle Casper are determined to go out with a splash.

The two returning state qualifiers are squarely focused on qualifying and scoring at state in their individual events and leading the relays to a top 12 finish as well.

“They're both big-meet racers,” said Lake Park coach Dan Witteveen. “And they're coming up with good times in practice and at meets. We expect big things from them at state.”

Schingoethe, who finished ninth at state in the 200 backstroke, is hoping to make it to the top six this year. And Witteveen believes Schingoethe can score in either the 200 IM or the 100 free, whichever one he chooses, and that Casper has a “legit shot” at scoring in the 50 free.

While the relays assignments are still to be determined, the coach believes that Schingoethe, Casper and distance freestylers Bobby Paschke, a senior, and Sean Gregor, a freshman, give the Lancers a great shot at finishing in the money in the 400 free relay.

The medley relay can also make some noise with senior flyer Brian Layer and junior breaststroker Dan Domagala joining Schingoethe and Casper.

“We should qualify all three relays,” Witteveen said. “We have to make some decisions with Nathan because the backstroke is so close to the 200 free relay. If he doesn't swim on that relay, junior sprinter Tyler Hill will be on that team.”

A big jump:

With J.T. Simoneau it was just a matter of putting his self-confidence into action, and he's doing that this year.

The Wheaton co-op sophomore always had the talent and the ability to swim a variety of strokes, he just had to take that next step that comes with hard work and the natural maturation process.

Wheaton coach Jacob Ayers expects big things from Simoneau this year and sees him as the key member of next year's team because 12 seniors will graduate.

“There are days where he'll lead all of our sets,” Ayers said. “We can do sprints, distance, strokes and IM sets and he's there doing everything he's supposed to in the pool. He picks us up if someone else is having a bad day.”

Ayers is impressed by Simoneau's versatility which came into focus last spring at the state club championship, when he did well in six events.

“He's a great freestyler, but that meet showed that he's a well-rounded swimmer,” Ayers said.

Last year Simoneau swam on the 200 medley relay at state but missed the individual cuts by less than a half-second in two events.

This year Ayers expects Simoneau to, at least, get close to top 12, which would put him in a good position to score in his junior year.

Now the question is: which strokes will Simoneau swim at sectionals?

“He has a number of choices,” Ayers said. “Last year he missed by 0.2 in the 100 free and by 0.3 in the 200 free. At last week's college events meet at Hinsdale South, he did well in the 500 and the 1000, so our options are open. We still have time to decide.”