Boys swimming / Scouting Northwest sectionals

By Aaron Gabriel

Boys swimming / Northwest sectional scouting

Diving at 9 a.m., swimming at 1 p.m. Saturday at all sites

Barrington sectional

Outlook: With Barrington, Stevenson and Cary-Grove in the field together, expect an extemely competitive meet with multiple state qualifiers in every race. Quality teams such as Conant, Fremd and Buffalo Grove have high hopes for individual and relay state advancement.

The Broncos won last weekend’s Mid-Suburban League meet and will throw an impressive lineup in the pool. Leo Hayden (100 fly, 200 free) and Jack Strauss (200 IM, 100 free) are among the top guns, but Matt Lee, Dan Comyn, Connor Kobida, Tommy Clement, Alex Anderson, Kyle Ujiye and Sebastian Piekarski all figure to score points and help Barrington send all three relays to the state meet. Junior diver Nolan Presymk won the MSL title and hopes to advance to state as well.

Conant isn’t planning any major departures from its conference lineup and has all three relays as state candidates plus individual hopefuls in Palmer Lynch (50 free, 100 free), Jonathan Burke (200, 500 free), Martin Pozniak (100 fly, IM) Alan Wojciechowski (fly), Alex Shozda (100 back) and Chad Woytus (50 free, 100 free), and diver John Maevski has an opportunity to move on as well.

Senior standouts Dustin Anderson and Jeff Freund lead the way for Fremd. They’ll have great opportunities to return to state in their individual races as well as on relays. Dennis Kostidis isn’t far from the state qualifying standard in several events, and breaststrokers Ilya Skvortsov and Ray Sheid are within reach in the breaststroke.

Buffalo Grove’s Ian Rodriguez had a disappointing 100 free at conference and hopes to rebound Saturday. His backstroke has been solid all year, and the Bison also have a chance to advance their 200 medley and 400 free relays. Diver Julian Vasquez placed third in the MSL meet and could earn a spot at state, too.

Stevenson brings a deep lineup. Adam Salzman (sprints), Langston Fitts (200, 500 free), Ryota Kuwahara (fly) and Daniel Shtivelberg helped the Patriots edge Warren in the North Suburban Conference meet last week. They’re all state meet veterans who will be ready to go and the team’s overall depth figures to have them in the running for the team title.

Cary-Grove set several Fox Valley Conference records last week in winning the Fox Valley Invitational. They’ll be led by backstroke standout Michael Hamann and will have an excellent medley relay featuring Conor Cornelius, Jon Curtis and Ryan Hamiltion.

Hoffman Estates got great efforts from Nick Jessee at the MSL meet, and he’s not far from a state cut in the 200 free; a bit farther away in the 100. The Hawks have had strong freestyle relays all season with Jessee, Mike Christen, Sang W. Han and Adam Pasnicki and are one big time drop away from moving on to state.

The Jacobs co-op team will bring state meet veteran Alex Elston in the 100 fly. Rolling Meadows’ top chance at state is junior Artie Checchin (50 free, 100 free); Schaumburg’s top finish will likely come from Randy Carr in the breaststroke.

Glenbrook North sectional

Outlook: MSL East champion Hersey enters the fray along with Wheeling, St. Viator and Prospect in a field that also includes both Glenbrooks, both Niles’ and all three Maines.

Hersey has a pair of individuals (sophomore Jeff Ruffin and junior Alex Roznai) within reach of individual state cuts, but the larger questions for the Huskies is can the freestyle relays advance? Samuel Kim, Mike Kintzle and Jamey Hill have had fine seasons and will help the cause.

Elk Grove’s Carl Sugihara is positioned well for advancement in the 100 and 50 freestyles, and a rejuvenated program is chasing down several team records, including in the 200 freestyle relay.

Wheeling’s top individuals are Shane McDade and Bryce Maczko, and the Wildcats have fielded strong relays all season with contributions from Scott Lunardini, Andrew Eiter, Ethan Rosengarden and Mike Boom.

Prospect’s Brian Kugler took a giant time drop in the 100 breaststroke at the MSL meet — another one would get him into the state meet. Likewise, Maine West’s Brian Wasicak is close and could get through with a lifetime best.

— Aaron Gabriel