Stevenson manages win over Mundelein
They're cranky, tired, sore and not so fast.
They're swimmers, and they're generally all of the above now because it's January — or the halftime of their season.
Most won't be able to think about tapering until well after that groundhog does his thing in Pennsylvania.
Discomfort is a swimmer's annoying, constant companion.
“You have to dig deep at this point of the season,” Stevenson senior Chris Hodges said after he helped the super-deep Patriots beat visiting Mundelein 128-58 Thursday night in a North Suburban Conference dual.
“You know, when you're swimming, it's going to hurt,” he added. “But you have to find a way to get through the pain.”
Pats entrants winced to eight victories in 12 events Thursday. Hodges was on in an “off” event for him, touching first in the 100-yard butterfly (56.18). He later anchored the triumphant 400 free relay (3:16.03) after hearing his name, over and over, after climbing a starting block.
With Hodges waiting atop a start block as classmate Daniel Shtivelberg completed the unit's third relay leg, teammates at the other one end of the pool chanted, “Hod-ges! Hod-ges! Hod-ges!”
“That,” Hodges would say later, “got me in a zone.”
It was a good place to be, because Mundelein junior anchor Connor Black was about to get into a zoom zone. Black, runner-up in the 100 butterfly at state last winter, trailed Hodges by nearly half a lap when he hit chlorination.
The Mustang swam valiantly, before finishing 1.3 seconds behind Hodges.
“That was fun, going against a swimmer like Connor,” said Hodges.
Seniors Langston Fitts and Ryota Kuwahara swam Stevenson's first two legs; seniors Bryan Wiener and Matt Marcotte and sophomore Art Kasemets preceded Black.
Each of Mundelein's legs clocked a season-best split.
“I can't complain about that, especially at this point of the season,” Mustangs coach Rahul Sethna said. “Everybody was tired today, swam tired today. You want to see, when you're in that kind of condition, how well you can race.
“Overall, I'd give our team a ‘B' today. We have to do a better job of racing tired.”
Relay races don't get much better than the one staged early on Thursday. Mundelein's 200 medley quartet of Wiener, Kasemets, Black and Marcotte combined for a rapid 1:37.28.
The runner-up time?
Also swift, at 1:38.61. Stevenson freshman Allen Feng, who would win the 50 free (23.31), served as the lead-off leg, ahead of Hodges, Kuwahara and Fitts.
Fitts needed only 21.2 seconds, a season-best free split, to complete 50 yards.
“I'm happy for Langston, very pleased with how he competed today,” Pats coach Greg Hartman said after his crew improved to 4-0 in the NSC. “We made him do some things in the weight room earlier this week … broke him down a bit.”
Fitts also topped the 200 free field in 1:50.28, in front of Shtivelberg (second, 1:51.67) and freshman Dimitriy Pelutis (third, 1:57.03).
It's not easy, going 1-2-3 in an event. But Stevenson makes it look easy, primarily because of its depth.
Perhaps only the faculty of an Ivy League school's Philosophy Department is deeper than Stevenson's swim squad.
“Our depth carries us in meets,” Hodges said. “Our third and fourth guys, in some events, are sometimes as fast as first and second guys.”
First on Thursday, in diving, was Stevenson junior James Lichtenstein (250.45). The school-record holder for six dives placed a sturdy fourth at last weekend's talent-soaked Hinsdale Central Invite.
“James,” said Pats diving coach Amy Inselberger, “is so aware kinesiology-wise. He's become, this year, more of a diver; last year he was a great athlete who competed. James has embraced the importance of board work, of the technical aspects.
“And he's so competitive … never gets intimidated,” she added. “When he gets on that board, at any meet, it's ‘Game on.' ”
Stevenson's other winners in the home water Thursday: Kuwahara (500 free, 4:55.63); senior Steven McKee (100 backstroke, 56.61); and its 200 free relay (1:34.26; Pelutis, sophomore Wielly Tong, senior Daniel Budolak and junior Remy Dalloul).
Mundelein (2-2 in the NSC) received a pair of first-place efforts from Black (200 IM, 1:57.22; 100 breaststroke, 59.72) and Wiener's first-place 48.74 in the 100 free.