Conway clan, Warren clinch NSC title
Sixteen Conway brothers do not race for Warren's swim team.
Try telling that to Mundelein coach Rahul Sethna, whose visiting Mustangs faced quite a potent gene pool in the Blue Devils' home pool Thursday night.
“It sure seems like more than three Conways swim for them,” said a smiling Sethna, referring to junior twins Danny and Sean Conway and sophomore Matt Conway. “Way more than three. Everywhere I look, there's a Conway, and a Conway is winning.”
The household trio, along with junior Chad Church, won the 200-yard medley relay in a school-record 1:38.88 and combined for five other victories, lifting the Blue Devils to a 119-67 victory and the first North Suburban Conference regular-season title in program history.
Danny Conway set another school mark all by himself, clocking a first-place 1:56.21 in the 200 IM, and later skippered his frame to easily win the 500 free (4:48.07).
Coach Chris Bertana's Blue Devils (7-0 overall) went 6-for-6 in NSC duals.
“The Conways – they're great kids, all of them,” added Sethna, whose squad also entered Thursday's dual with an undefeated NSC record. “And they represent their school so well, as well as our conference and the sport of swimming.”
Gurnee: the other City of Brotherly Love.
The Conways' dad, Kevin, played soccer. His three sons played soccer – until the swim bug booted that ball for good years ago.
“Broke my dad's heart when we quit soccer,” said Sean, who swam a personal-best and runner-up 54.71 in the 100 butterfly – an off event for him – after topping the 200 free in 1:50.65. “I think he got over it, though.”
Matt Conway cruised to first place in the 100 back (54.84) and joined his big bros and senior Karter Gagliardi to win the 400 free relay (3:17.51). Warren's other winning efforts, on its Senior Night: Church (100 breast, 1:02.37) and senior Sage Stephens (diving, school-record 255.45).
“Two things have helped us do well this year,” said Bertana. “Consistency; we've had all ups, no downs, all winter. And the boys' focus of trying to win every event at every dual. Now, we've only done that once in a meet (vs. Zion-Benton), but it's been a mantra that truly drives our team.”
Mundelein senior Will Davidson motored to first place in the 50 free (22.03) and 100 free (48.98) events. Sophomore teammate Connor Black touched first in the 100 fly (52.39), and the Mustangs' quartet of Davidson, Black, Sean Falconer and Bryan Wiener triumphed in the 200 free relay (1:30.16).
Mundelein junior Max Goin sped to a personal-best 1:01.59 (fifth place) in the 100 fly.
“My plan was to conserve a little bit in the first 50 (yards) and then leave it all in the pool in the second 50,” said Goin, who would like nothing more than to break a minute in the event at next month's NSC Meet – his “state meet.”
Goin chimed in later on the Blue Devils' formidable 2010-11 squad. Warren, in addition to winning eight of 12 events Thursday, finished second nine times.
“You look at all the times they finished 1-2 tonight – awe-inspiring,” Goin said.
Warren's Stephens was awfully good, again, off the boards, supplanting his school mark for six dives. (He had also set the Blue Devils' 11-dive standard of 424.7 points at the Lake County Invite Dec. 18.) During the session honoring Warren's seniors Thursday, right after the diving segment, Bertana, with a microphone in hand, joked Stephens would likely major in diving at Eastern Michigan University.
“I did not know that school offered diving as a major,” added Bertana, still in full Zanies Club mode.
Stephens is thinking about studying criminal justice or biology, between descents.
The gifted plunger, one of 15 Warren seniors, had a few thoughts on his last prep team.
One of them: “On some teams, divers and swimmers are segregated. Not on our team. We're all close, so close. Like brothers.”
Ah, brothers.
The word of the night.