Boys swimming and diving: Stevenson's supremacy continues with NSC title
Pick a lane, Aaron Anastos.
Are you a sprinter or a distance guy in swimming?
"The running joke this season has been that I have an identity crisis," the gregarious Mundelein senior said at Saturday's North Suburban Conference swimming meet at Lake Forest. "I was a 500-yard freestyle swimmer early in my high school years before my coach (Rahul Sethna) had me swim a couple of 50s in meets this winter.
"Coach then told me, 'Hey, what the heck. We'll keep you in the 50.' "
Anastos was part rabbit, part ironman Saturday - and excelled twice. The Mustang touched first in the 50 free (21.52) and first in the 500 free (4:44.65).
"Weird double, I know," a grinning Anastos said after collecting his second gold.
What wasn't strange Saturday: Stevenson's supremacy. The Patriots - who had entered the meet with an undefeated record in dual meets and a perfect mark in invites - captured the NSC title behind 8 event championships. Coach Doug Lillydahl's 20,000-leagues-under-the-sea-deep crew went 1-2 in 5 races, including all 3 relays, and racked up 426 points to runner-up Mundelein's 379.
Even a Stevenson entrant in the JV meet, held concurrently at LF's natatorium, zipped to a time in the 100 free (48.08) that was faster than the victorious varsity time (48.15). Take a bow, Max LaPointe St-Georges.
"Max and other guys, who were tapered for this meet, are so talented and just as important as the guys who will taper for bigger meets," Lillydahl said. "Today's meet is their state meet, their Super Bowl."
Senior and Northwestern-bound Jack White had kicked off the Patriots' stellar effort magnificently the night before, amassing an NSC meet- and school-record 548.65 points in the diving segment held at Warren.
Stevenson's Colin Zhang went 4-for-4 at the 7-team gathering, winning the 100 butterfly (50.66) and 100 breaststroke (56.99) and emerging triumphant as a member of the 200 medley (1:35.9) and 200 free (1:27.27) relays. Liam Plautz (100 free, 48.15) and Josh Song (100 backstroke, 53.43) also climbed the winner's podium.
The Pats' other relay champs were Song, Michael Wywrocki, Lance Bi, David Kohan, Diego Rosario, Brandon Xiong and Jack Curtin.
Mundelein senior and University of Indianapolis recruit Omar Fathallah - ranked among the state's Top 50 and 100 freestylers - got deployed in an off event, the 200 free, but still won it with a 1:43.86. Teammate Michael Romero clocked a meet-best 1:56.2 in the 200 IM, after entering the pool with a seed time of 1:59.31.
Lake Forest (353 points), Warren (270), Libertyville (253), Zion-Benton (157) and Waukegan (14) finished 3-4-5-6-7 in the standings, respectively.
Warren's Blake Vander-Jeugdt silvered in diving (527.8). Libertyville's Ethan Paul (diving, 417.45) and Ed Steward (100 fly, 52.82) each earned fourth-place points a week before sectional action.
Moments before Saturday's first event, coaches and meet officials acknowledged retiring Warren swimming coach Chris Bertana, 48, for his combined 23 seasons of coaching the Blue Devils' boys and girls teams. He guided Warren's boys to third place at the 2012 state meet.
"So many fond memories, most of them stemming from this meet," Bertana said. "This conference is filled with amazing coaches - amazing people. They'll always be my good friends."