Neuqua Valley keeps on winning
During Saturday's DuPage Valley Conference boys swimming meet at Metea Valley, conference titles were available in 11 events.
And in that aspect the day belonged to Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley. The two teams won nine of those titles, six to Neuqua.
And the Wildcats took home the grand prize, prevailing for its third DVC team title in the last four years with 305 points. Waubonsie was second at 277 and was followed by Naperville Central (249.5), Naperville North (160.5) and Metea (157).
Neuqua coach Chad Allen said the Wildcats were performing extremely well going into Saturday.
"We've had a great season. Winning conference is a nice way to end the regular season. We won every invitational this season except one," he said.
Allen said the Wildcats have been helped this winter by 21 seniors. But while depth wins conference meets, a team's top swimmers are crucial for a team's best possible performance at sectionals and at state.
"We're going to need the top three, four guys to step up more," the Neuqua coach said.
Sophomore Connor Boyle was the meet's lone double winner. He defended his title in the 100-yard freestyle and his 46.94 broke his own meet record set last season.
He also won the 200 freestyle in 1:44.21.
Boyle said Neuqua knew that winning another conference team championship wasn't going to be easy.
"We knew coming into this year that Waubonsie and the other teams would be tougher," he said.
As for his performance individually, Boyle said that the help he has received from the team's seniors in each of his high school seasons has been vital, and so has the leadership they have provided to the team overall.
"Last season's juniors took up the mantle this season," Boyle said.
Four other Neuqua entries earned DVC titles with Amir Aliyev winning the 100 butterfly in 52.26 and Jack Hiss touching the wall first in the 500 freestyle in 4:50.40.
The Wildcats won two relays. The 200 freestyle quartet of Tanner Schrey, Matt Townsend, Sathya Subramanian and Boyle finished in 1:26.50. Finishing up the meet, the 400 freestyle relay of Hiss, Patrick Jensen, Subramanian and Boyle won their race in 3:11.15.
Waubonsie won the first event of the competition, the 200 medley relay, with Brian Daugherty, Brian Knothe, Christopher Thomas and Aayush Deshpande clocking in at 1:36.71.
Deshpande won the 200 individual medley in 1:57.32 and Daugherty broke a an nine-year-old meet record by winning the 50 freestyle in 21.54.
Waubonsie coach Chris Hagenbaumer said his team's performance was a positive way to jump into the most important part of the season.
"The best is yet to come. The team has worked incredibly hard all season. It's all about sectionals and state now," he said
All three of Waubonsie's conference-winning entries finished below state-qualifying time. Neuqua had three victories also place below the state-qualifying standards.
Three other DVC titles went to three schools. Naperville North's Grant Bochenski won the 100 backstroke in 53.68 and Metea's Jeddrick Gamilla was tops in the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.45.
Naperville Central's Cameron Kalish won the diving competition Friday night with a score of 429.75 points.
All of Saturday's teams will battle again Feb. 16 at the 12-team Neuqua Valley sectional.