Black, Rodriguez sharp at Niles West Invite
Mundelein junior Connor Black and Buffalo Grove senior Ian Rodriguez set the tempo with two victories each in Saturday’s Niles West Invitational, helping their teams to the top two spots.
Mundelein won with 313 points, ahead of Buffalo Grove (301.5) and Niles West (278).
Black, who finished second in the state last season in the 100-yard butterfly, won that race Saturday in 51.11. He also won the 200 free in 1:46.24.
Rodriguez, seventh in the state last year in the 100 back, won in 52.83. His other solo win came in the 100 free (48.98), and he also had legs on the Bison’s second-place medley relay (1:43.73) and winning 400 free relay (3:27.87).
Buffalo Grove’s Julian Vasquez won diving by more than 25 points with a 362.75.
Other top finishes for BG came from Matt Schulstad in the 200 IM (2:05.06, second), Jon Mass in the 50 free (23.12, second). Schulstad, Mass and K.C. Lotzer combined with Rodriguez on the 400 relay.
Mundelein’s other winners were Bryan Wiener (50 free, 21.64) and Art Kasemets (100 breaststroke, 1:03.82).
Schaumburg, which placed fourth, was paced by Dan Harzman’s third-place finish in the 100 free (51.55)
Conant d. Lake Park: Martin Pozniak had a couple of terrific swims to help the host Cougars to a 116-67 victory over the Lancers in a dual meet.
Pozniak won the 50-meter free in 25.58 and the 100 fly in 1:00.77 and also had legs on Conant’s winning 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Other winners for Conant included Alex Shozda (200 free, 2:03.71), Jonathon Burke (200 IM, 2:17.71) and Brandon Grzegorek (100 breast, 1:15.86).
Lake Park’s Sean Gregor won the 100 free (54.86) and the 100 backstroke (1:03.49).