Color Stevenson the victor in battle with Libertyville
Uh oh, Bears fans.
A green-and-gold-clad team won by more than 8 touchdowns Thursday evening.
Half of the victim’s (Libertyville’s) school colors: Monsters-of-the-Midway orange.
The winners gained lots and lots of yards in a 121-62 victory at Libertyville. And the conditions were quite wet.
But not sloppy wet.
“I’m a Bears fan, all the way,” insisted Greg Hartman, coach of Stevenson’s green-and-gold clad swimming and diving squad. “I am not a Packers fan. Are you kidding?
“You don’t see me wearing green today, do you?”
Libertyville’s standout diver, senior Teddy Kelley, happened to have football on his mind immediately after his final plunge on the Wildcats’ senior night. A defensive back in the fall, he had to bolt for a football recruiting trip to Wheaton College.
Kelley scored a meet-best 233.5 points Thursday, five days after finishing seventh at the prestigious Hinsdale Central Diving Invite. Fifty divers hit the boards at that four-hour meet.
“It gave me a good idea of what the competition is like out there,” said Kelley.
On the surface, Thursday’s NSC dual wasn’t competitive. Stevenson won nine of the 12 events, and a pair of Patriots — juniors Ryota Kuwahara and Langston Fitts — each touched first twice in individual races. But all three relays were tingle-inducing close — and fast.
“Sure, the final score looks lopsided,” said Wildcats coach Kevin Zakrzewski, a Stevenson grad. “But I was mainly interested in seeing what our relays could do tonight against a team like Stevenson, and I was happy. Really happy. Our guys got up and performed.”
His 200-yard medley relay (Mitch Boynton, Ben Snader, Alex Snarski and Daniel Guerrero) zipped to a first-place 1:42.57, about three seconds slower than the state-qualifying standard in the event. Stevenson’s quartet of Daniel Shtivelberg, Kuwahara, Glen Greathead and Adam Salzman edged Libertyville’s unit 1:32.33-1:32.36 in the 200 free relay.
The final relay also was tight. Shtivelberg, Fitts, Daniel Alberts and Kuwahara topped Wildcats Snader, Snarski, Atticus Rush and Guerrero 3:22.57-3:23.59 in the 400 free.
“Libertyville will be very good again at the end (of the season),” Hartman said. “Every year (Zakrzewski) gets strong swims from his kids in February. As for our team, I saw a lot of good things, good times, good dives (from James Lichtenstein and Trevor Freberg). We also got good swims from kids who did not swim their primary events.”
Steven McKee produced a primo effort in the 500 free. The Stevenson junior swam the event in under five minutes (4:58.2) for the first time in his life. His previous best time in the race was a 5:00 (plus change) at a club meet.
Teammate Alberts finished second (5:08.49).
“Just trying to beat Dan,” said McKee, smiling. “Looking up at that time, right after the race — that made me pretty happy.”
Salzman also got into the personal-best act, clocking a victorious 1:04.72 in the 100 breaststroke. Fitts (2:04.46) and Shtivelberg (2:06.12) went 1-3 in the 200 IM, sandwiching Snarski (2nd place, 2:05.63). Kuwahara won the 200 free (1:53.92) and 100 free (52.04). Fitts’ other triumph came in the 100 backstroke (1:00.05).
Stevenson’s Daniel Budolak sped to a first-place 58.25 in the 100 butterfly, and Libertyville’s Snader won the 50 free (22.5).
“To go for it — that’s what our theme was today,” said Guerrero, an LHS senior and Bears fan, who served as a reliable (Robbie Gould) leg in three relays. “We had something to prove today. Our relays did a good job.”