Cary-Grove’s Hamman has lofty goals
Motivation is one of Cary-Grove sophomore boys swimmer Michael Hamann’s strong suits.
“I’ve never had a problem with motivation,” he says. “I’ve always been a hard worker and have put in the time to get better.”
After qualifying for state in the 200 IM and backstroke as a freshman, Hamann puts his mantra to the test.
“After last year, I went into the off-season and worked really hard and stayed focused all the way through,” he states. “If you keep working hard, good results will show. That’s the key.”
And good results have shown this season. Hamann is fresh off an outstanding effort at the Fox Valley Conference invitational meet (where he was named co-most valuable swimmer). Hamann will look to keep that momentum going and qualify for a second-straight state finals trip at Saturday’s Barrington sectional.
Hamann will swim his familiar IM and backstroke events and will also be part of the Cary-Grove 200 medley relay and 400 relay teams. Hamann went under state-qualifying time on the backstroke at the FVC meet. His 54.63 time set a new conference record.
“I’m pretty strong in both events,” Hamann says of his two individual events. “My goal is to make state in both. I’m not sure which one I’m stronger at.”
Hamann’s strategy in the IM is one that relies on getting off to a good start.
“I just have to take it out fast and then hold on at the end,” he says. “It’s not that long of a race. It’s two minutes of pain.”
Hamann has been hard at work improving his backstroke.
“I’ve been working on my start this year and I’ve also focused on my underwater dolphin kicks off the wall,” he says. “If I nail my turns and my underwater stuff, I should get some pretty good times.”
Hamann would like to be in that 1:56 to 1:57 range in the IM and in the high 52s or low 53s in the backstroke.
“I’d like to do well in those races and set myself up for a good seed at state and then try to make a run for the Top 12 or the Top 6,” Hamann says.
But Hamann would like some company this year.
“Last year at state was a good experience,” he notes. “Unfortunately, I was by myself. I’d like to bring some teammates with me this year. I want to get back there with my buddies.”
Hamann anchored both Cary-Grove conference-championship relay teams (medley and 400). Hamann, Conor Cornelius, Jon Curtis and Ryan Hamilton set the conference record in the medley as Cary-Grove went on to win its fourth-straight league crown.
The Dundee-Crown/Jacobs co-op team will also be in the Barrington field. Jacobs junior Alex Elston is the No. 1 sectional seed in the butterfly and has already gone almost 1.5 seconds under the state-qualifying standard and set a conference record in the race last week. Elston, a state qualifier in the fly as a sophomore, is also close in time in the 50 freestyle.
Coach Rick Andresen switched his medley relay team for the sectional. Jacobs freshman Alex Reinbrecht has been inserted into the backstroke position. He’ll be joined by Jacobs juniors Elston and Ryan Quinlan and home-schooled junior John Jost.
“We’re a couple of seconds off in the medley, but we changed things around a little bit,” Andresen says. “Hopefully everybody will be a little quicker and we can knock off a couple of seconds and get that one in.”
Jost impressed Andresen with his 200 IM swim at the FVC meet.
“He’s made some big drops in that race this year,” Andresen says.
Jost needs to drop around three seconds in the breaststroke.
D-C senior Ryan Krug is about 1.5 seconds off the state standard in the 100 freestyle. Reinbrecht will swim also swim the 500.
“Alex keeps surprising every time he swims,” Andresen says.
Huntley will round out the local contingent at Barrington.
Red Raiders junior Jakub Petyniak took fourth in the 200 IM and 500 free at the FVC meet. Coach Rachael Schwingen says Petyniak has a shot in the 100 breaststroke (1:04 this season).
Sophomore Chris Cazel also swims the 100 breaststroke.
Cazel, Petyniak, Alvin Wong and Matt Haage comprise Huntley’s 200 medley and 400 relay teams.
“The team has done well for a first year as a team,” Schwingen says. “We are hoping to have our best times in all of our swims.”
The Bartlett-Streamwood co-op will compete in the St. Charles North sectional. That meet also features a host of individual area swimmers.
Top swimmers for the Hawks this year are senior Mitch Reiner in the 500 free, junior Matt Ehrhardt and freshman Jacob Pawelkiewicz in the 100 free.
“We are ready for Saturday and have been working hard to ensure our boys have the fastest swims of the season on Saturday,” said Bartlett-Streamwood coach Carl Metzke. “We will gauge our success at the end of the meet looking back at how much quicker we were able to get based on our seed times.”
South Elgin has six swimmers entered in the competition. That list includes returning state-qualifier Nick Hasemann. The sophomore qualified for state in the 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle (he’ll compete in both events Saturday).
Other Storm swimmers include Jaguar Ramangkoun (200, breaststroke), Alex Duffy (fly, 500), T.J. Headley (100, butterfly), Usepe Lozano (200, breaststroke) and Bryan Oswald (50).
Nolan St. John (Burlington Central, freshman), Josh DeDina (Hampshire, sophomore) and Mark Sink (St. Edward, junior) will also compete at St. Charles North.
The winner in each race and any individuals and relay teams satisfying the minimum state-qualifying time advance to next weekend’s state finals at New Trier.