Scouting sectional swimming / Northwest
Scouting sectional swimming
When: Diving 9 a.m. today, swimming 1 p.m. today
At stake: The opportunity to compete in the state championships, Feb. 24-25 at Evanston. In swimming, sectional event winners plus any competitors who equal or better qualifying standards advance. In diving, sectional champs plus 32 at-large qualifiers — that is, the 32 highest scores among those who did not win a sectional — make the state field.
Think fast: Only the elite swimmers are able to save their full tapers for the state meet — the majority of sectional competitors are fully “rested” for sectional, smooth-skinned and trying to shave tenths and hundredths of seconds off their previous bests in hopes of advancing to the state meet. The qualifying times are the fastest on record — 21.98 in the 50-yard freestyle, for instance, and 4:48.24 in the 500 free. Swimmers will have to be at their best today.
Stevenson sectional
It’s a grouping of terrific teams here. North Suburban champion Stevenson probably has too much depth for MSL runner-up Barrington in overall team scoring, but both teams feature quality competitors up and down the lineup; Cary-Grove and Jacobs each have individual state shoe-ins and state relay hopefuls, as does Buffalo Grove. Fremd, Rolling Meadows and Hoffman Estates bring individuals with great chances to make their first state meets.
Barrington: Coach John Valentine has prioritized performance at next week’s state meet for his top swimmers. The Broncos have one of the state’s top butterflyers in junior Kyle Ujiye, who dazzled with a 51.42 at the MSL meet, and state meet veterans in junior Jack Strauss and sophomore Connor Kobida. MSL diving champ Nolan Presmyk hopes for a state berth as well. The goal for Barrington is to break through at state and score points, a real possibility with any of the aforementioned as well as three quality relays.
Buffalo Grove: It’s been a special season for Buffalo Grove, and coach Jamie Klotz is hoping for a matching finish. The Bison won the MSL East and have terrific seniors in Ian Rodriguez, focused on scoring points in two individual events at state, and Jon Mass, who enjoyed a breakthrough performance at the conference meet in the sprints. Rodriguez has the state’s top time in the 100 breaststroke so far and has opted out of the 100 back, where he finished seventh in the state last season, to take a shot at a breaststroke state championship. His 200 IM is also among the best in the state this season. Junior Matt Schulstad also has a great opportunity to advance, and the Bison medley and 200 free relays are poised to make state, along with senior diver Julian Vasquez.
Fremd: Vikes juniors Dennis Kostidis and Andrew King lead the way, but Fremd’s reliably sound tapers suggest other may have a chance to make a state cut today.
Hoffman Estates: Juniors Sang Han and Nick Jessee have excellent opportunities, Han in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke and Jessee in the 100 and 200 free. It would be a second straight trip for Jessee. The Hawks also have top-flight divers in Nick Cannella and Jimmy Kazakos.
Rolling Meadows: Junior Artie Checchin had his best meet of the season at the conference meet in the sprints and has a chance to advance in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
Glenbrook North sectional
MSL champion Conant and Glenbrook South lead the way in the team race here, and both have complete championship lineups. Give an edge to Conant for its remarkable depth, but everyone here will be focused on the ultimate goal of qualifying as many entrants as possible to the state meet.
Conant: Junior distance standout Jonathan Burke and sophomore sprinter Alex Shozda have joined the state’s elite, and the Cougars have three relays which figure to make the state field. Measuring the team’s overall success will depend upon swimmers such sophomore Martin Pozniak (IM, fly), senior Brandon Grzegorek (100 breaststroke), senior Matt Nagorzanski (500 free, breaststroke), senior Alan Wociechowski (fly, sprints) and senior David Wollschlager (backstroke) — all are poised to advance but will need their best efforts to do so. Senior diver John Maevski is looking to conclude a standout career on the boards with a state berth.
Hersey: Senior Alex Roznai is positioned for a chance at qualifying for his first state meet, and junior Samuel Kim (sprints) impressed at the MSL meet and has a great chance to do the same.
Maine West: Junior Brian Wasicak will be looking for a repeat state-qualifying effort in the 100 breaststroke.
Prospect: Sophomore Nate Ginnodo has been dropping time all season in the 100 breaststroke and could advance; Andrew Younger has a chance in the 200 freestyle.
— Aaron Gabriel