Scouting Fox and DuPage County boys swimming
Here's a look at what to expect this winter for Fox and DuPage County boys swimming teams.
ADDISON TRAIL, WILLOWBROOK CO-OP
Dan Fernandez's troops finished fifth in the West Suburban Conference a year ago and 11th in the sectionals.
Top returners are seniors Michael Sampey (Addison Trail) and Kyle Kolp (Willowbrook) along with juniors Keegan Sampey (Addison Trail) and Maxwell Seelbach (Willowbrook).
"We want to go faster, develop swimmers and we want better placement than fifth in the conference," said Fernandez. "We have a young team with mostly freshmen and sophomores. We want a top three finish in the conference."
BENET
The Redwings, fifth in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, first in the sectionals and 32nd in the state, are paced by state qualifier senior Jake Yuknis.
Looking to contribute are juniors Aiden Hulett and Harlan Apple along with sophomore Ben Dewart and freshman Connor Dewart.
"We want to be top five in the conference, top five in the sectionals and qualify three individuals for state and two relays," said coach Nelly Musso.
CARY-GROVE CO-OP
With five state qualifiers and 11 total returners, Cary-Grove - who co-ops with Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake Central and Crystal Lake South - looks to improve on last season's 18th-place finish at the state meet with 23.5 points.
The Trojans, who were Fox Valley Conference and sectional champs, will have to replace Daniel Sanahurskyj and Dexter Zielinski.
The top swimmer back is senior Drew Watson, who was ninth in the 100 backstroke and 12th in the 200 IM. Watson is seeking a third trip to the state meet this season.
Other state finishers back in the fold for coach Scott Lattyak's troops are senior Connor Chan (200 medley), juniors Kasparas Venslauskas (19th 200 IM, 21st 100 breast), Noah Brereton (23rd 500 freestyle) and sophomore Mason Gaylord (32nd 100 breaststroke).
Watson and Brereton attend Crystal Lake South, Venslauskas and Chan attend Crystal Lake Central while Gaylord is a student at Prairie Ridge.
Providing experience for Cary-Grove are senior Brendan Baser and juniors Victor Praczkowski, Mike Neitzel. Logan Kane, Jace Kranig, Miles Richmond and Luke Snider.
Baser Kranig and Nietzel attend Prairie Ridge while Praczowski attends South and Kane Richmond and Snider are students at Central.
Newcomers include freshman Ignes Venslauskas (South) and Dan Garcia (South).
"We want to win both JV and varsity conference and get eight boys to qualify for state," said Lattyak. "The five state qualifiers from last year - Drew Watson, Kasparas Venslauskas, Noah Brereton Connor Chan and Mason Gaylord - we are hoping to get all of them in the finals in their events."
DOWNERS GROVE NORTH
The Trojans, under the guidance of Kellie Logterman, hope to improve on a 24th-place state meet finish, fourth-place effort in the sectionals and sixth-place finish in the West Suburban Conference.
State qualifiers back are Ethan Weingast, Ethan Rogers and Austin Phillips. Seeking to contribute as returnees are juniors Ben Cameron, Justin Roddy, Steven Wilhelm and River Anslow along with sophomore Kevin O Donogue.
Logterman must replace Aiden Musso, Andy Cameron and Harrison Platt (Iona).
"We want to get as many swimmers to the state meet as possible." said Logterman. "We have some big shoes to fill. We strive for improvement from our underclassmen and we want our newcomers to grow our team over the next few years. We have a lot of new faces on our team and we are on the right track."
DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH
The Mustangs are hoping for a six-peat in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division.
Diver Declan Trant is now at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Coach Brian Szweda returns juniors Kian Scheck, Aidan Meyer and Ignas Bertasius and sophomore Nick Belony.
"We should be very competitive and are shooting for a sixth straight conference championship," said Szweda. "We want to continue to develop young talent. The top team in the state is Hinsdale Central (defending state champ)."
ELGIN
Coach Mike Slowik welcomes back seniors Jacob Lesch and Alex Xayachana.
The Maroons hope to improve on last season's fifth-place mark in the Upstate Eight.
"We are getting bigger as a program," said Slowik. "We have more depth and we hope to be more competitive in dual meets. We want Alex to finish in the top two (100 backstroke, 200 IM) in the conference and set school records in each event."
GLENBARD EAST-GLENBARD NORTH CO-OP
The Ramthers (Glenbard East, Glenbard North) must replace graduated seniors John Jack Parkin, Bilal Itan and Joe Luedtke.
Coach Tyler Buss will look to seniors Sam Ebihara and Brandon Garcia, juniors James Meacham and Victor Hanson, sophomore Cameron Decker and freshman Gabriel Pietras to lead the team.
"We want to improve on our previous swims each meet," said Buss. "We want the kids to fall in love with the sport and have fun. We want to make lifelong friendships. We want to win but that is not my No. 1 concern."
HINSDALE CENTRAL
Coach Bob Barber's troops cruised to the 2023 state championship with 253 points. New Trier was a distant second with 134 points.
With a bevy of talent returning, a second straight state title is certainly a possibility.
Senior Jeffrey Hou is back as the 200 intermediate state champ. Hou was runner-up in the 100 butterfly.
Junior Josh Bey claimed top honors in the 100 breaststroke was second behind Hou in the 200 IM.
Junior Henry Guo was third in the 100 freestyle and fourth in the 100 backstroke while senior Nojus Bertullis was fourth in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 100 backstroke. Senior Nate Harris was sixth in the 200 freestyle and 12th in the 500 freestyle. Noah Pelinkovic was 13th in the 500 freestyle.
As a team, the Red Devils hope to repeat as state champs in the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays.
Brody Marcet is a returning state qualifier.
Also back with experience are junior Dave Gao and sophomore Matt Vatev.
"Our goal is to repeat as state champs," said Barber, in his 25th season. "We want to go undefeated in dual meets and win conference."
HINSDALE SOUTH
The Hornets, under the guidance of Elizabeth Walker, finished second in the loaded West Suburban Conference, fifth in sectionals and 42nd at state.
South is led by junior Parker Chan, who was 10th in the 500 freestyle and 13th in the 100 backstroke.
Others back are seniors Lucas Simkus and Kareem Alhamwi and junior Andrew Peterson.
"We have some heavy hitters back," said Walker. "We have a lot of returning swimmers who worked hard in the summer. We want to have a couple of state qualifiers and qualify a relay team. We want to have a great performance at the conference meet."
HUNTLEY
First-year coach Bryan Sewell has the task of replacing of graduated seniors Michael Boelens (Case Western), Ben Rocks (Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis), Dominic Siwiec and Yehan Subasinghhe.
Sewell is looking for contributions from seniors Luke Hackemack and Josh Tungol along with juniors Owen Dassie, Dylan Elliott, Matt Glosson, Nathan Ludtke, Szymon Osadnik and Jack Peterson, sophomores Willy Mangold and Oscar Siwiec and freshmen Anthony Koterwski, Jacob Rutkowski and Chris Larson.
"We want to compete for the FVC title," said Sewell. "We finished second to a strong Cary-Grove team last season. We plan to compete at every meet. We have a good season plan and the kids are working hard. Resilience is what we are looking for. We have had a lot of ups and downs with changing facilities and the coaching changes."
JACOBS DUNDEE-CROWN HAMPSHIRE CO-OP
Sixth-year coach Molly Gomberg, who must replace graduated seniors Josh Brezinski and Evan Phan, returns state qualifier senior Pavlo Komarov, who was 39th in the state in the 50 freestyle.
Gomberg also welcomes back senior Charlie Mason, juniors Colin Phans, Gabe Niemi and Luke Johnson along with sophomore Max Chiapetta from a team which was third in the Fox Valley Conference.
"We have a lot of newcomers this year and are building some strong depth," said Gomberg. "Our swimmers had great club seasons and I am excited to see how fast they will swim in February. Potentially, we hope to have a few individuals and relays to qualify for state."
LAKE PARK
First-year coach Bennett Witteveen, replacing his dad Dan, must replace standout Jacob Drozd who has taken his talents to Barry University.
The Lancers will be led by sophomore Matthew Karasek (17th 200 IM) and senior Dominick Perkowski (24th 200 freestyle). Perkowski is hoping to make a third trip to the state meet. Senior Alex Grodecki provides experience for the Lancers.
Lake Park hopes to repeat as sectional champs and improve on a third-place effort in the DuKane Conference.
"Teams in the conference should be close," said Witteveen. "We want to have state qualifiers along with state finalists."
MARMION
After leading Rosary to a girls state title, coach Glenn Brown is hoping the Cadets enjoy that type of success in 2023-24.
Brown must replace graduated seniors Tyler Conner (Southern Illinois) and Sean Wehner (Illinois). The Cadets, fourth in the Metro Catholic Aquatics Conference, third in the sectionals and 15th in the state with 27 points, return junior Evan Conti, who was seventh in the state in the 200 freestyle.
Other state qualifiers include senior Cameron Aristuk and sophomores Braden Nagel and Dan Ginaitis.
Others back are senior Sanjay Vlk, junior Joe Wileman and sophomore Tanner Spillane.
Newcomers include freshmen Brayden Capen and Patrick O Connor.
"The conference is so strong with Fenwick, St. Ignatius, Loyola and Benet." said Brown.
Among the top teams in the state, according to Brown, are Hinsdale Central, New Trier, Stevenson and West Chicago.
METEA VALLEY
Coach Mark Jager must replace Jaeddan Gamilla (Michigan), who was third in the 100 breaststroke and seventh in the 200 IM at the 2023 state meet.
"We have a young team who are new to the sport," said Jager. "Our entire varsity is the JV team from last season."
NAPERVILLE NORTH
The Huskies, under coach Aaron Maschman, were second in the DuPage Valley, sixth in the sectionals and 13th in the state (29 points). They bring back senior Jonathan Wang (fourth 100 breaststroke, ninth 50 freestyle).
Senior Ethan Herscher was 20th in the 100 butterfly and senior Alvin Ng was a state qualifier.
Other returners are seniors Ryan Chen, Brett Grady, Rubenas Stackevicius and Trenton Polk along with juniors Jack Reif and Mason Hoffman.
"We want to be resilient, win the conference and finish top 10 or better at state," said Maschman. "We believe in team culture first."
Maschman said defending champ Hinsdale Central, New Trier and Stevenson will be among the top teams in the state.
NEUQUA VALLEY
Coach Chad Allen welcomes back state champ Alex Parkinson who won the 500 freestyle.
The Wildcats, 21st in the state, fifth in the sectionals and fourth in the DVC, also return seniors Ryan Emmens and Andrew Schmidt, and sophomore Arun Kaura. Freshmen Braden Meurer and Jack Langan will contribute.
"Waubonsie Valley and Naperville Central are the top two teams in the conference," said Allen. "We are fighting for third. We have a lot of good younger guys and want to keep improving."
Allen looks at returning state champ Hinsdale Central along with Waubonsie Valley, New Trier and Stevenson as top teams in the state.
ST. CHARLES EAST
Saints seventh-year coach Adam Musial, with 14 seniors, has every reason for high expectations.
Senior Kyle Algrim, a Virginia Tech recruit, is the top Saint returning. Algrim finished eighth in the 500 freestyle and 11th in the 200 freestyle at the state meet a year ago.
Musial's troops, 33rd in the state, third at the St. Charles North sectional and third in the DuKane Conference, also return state qualifiers seniors Jake Scalise (13th in diving, Youngstown State recruit), Ben Stevens, Chris Souk and Leo Czerwinski (athletes with disabilities).
Others with varsity pool experience include seniors Connor Lougheed, Brennan Lemp, Christian Lo Faso, Jake Bohacek and Seth Kacmar along with juniors Clancy Windle and Joaquin Negro.
Musial believes freshman Josh Lack will have an immediate impact on the varsity program.
"We have strong competitions to start the season," said Musial. "We want to be competitive and compete for a conference championship. We have a heavy senior team. Ultimately our goal is for state qualifications and to score points in the state meet."
ST. CHARLES NORTH
Rob Rooney, who begins his 23rd season as the North Stars coach, brings back state qualifiers William Duetmeyer and Brady Nightlinger.
Also back from the defending DuKane Conference champs is Matt Stratton.
"We want to continue the standards we have established as the top team in the conference," said Rooney. "We want to develop commitment and carry on the traditions of the program. We want to be a top 10 to 15 program in the state. I want to guide a young team to build upon the talent we have on the pool deck."
Rooney looks at defending champion Hinsdale Central, runner-up New Trier and third place Stevenson as top teams in the state this season.
ST. EDWARD
Coach Mike Aydt has one swimmer on the team: senior Thomas Rynne.
SOUTH ELGIN
With Josh Vargas, Julius Markowski, Albert Coric and Andrew Strama back, fourth-year coach Jeffrey Davis hopes the Storm can improve on last season's third place in the Upstate Eight.
"We want to continue to grow as a team," said Davis. "We have a young team and we want to develop our strokes."
WAUBONSIE VALLEY
The Warriors, 10th in the state a year ago with 39.50 points, won their first sectional championship since 1997 and claimed their second straight DuPage Valley Conference title.
Waubonsie Valley's best swimmers back are senior Keian Lam (8th 100 breaststroke, 9th 100 butterfly) and junior Tyler Bardak (11th 100 butterfly).
The Warriors, who must replace graduated senior Ethan Huynh, return Sam Lohman, Shaun Bahl, Luke Martens, Alex Schwartz, Nathan Huynh and Cooper Fleming.
"We want to win the DVC again, have a great impact on the sectionals and get a team trophy," said Warriors coach Chris Hagenbaumer.
WEST AURORA
First-year coach Kevin Burke is hoping his Blackhawks will improve on seventh place in the Suburban Prairie Conference. It is the last year in the SPC for the Blackhawks who rejoin the Upstate Eight Conference next season.
Returners include Connor Phelps, Owen Haymond, Lincoln Majersky, Jackson Watkins, Josh Hoecker, Genaro Huerta, Matei Chinde, Riley Wadle, Max Lopez, Isaac Del Toro and Jason Galdamez Mason.
"We want to compete in the conference the best we can," said Burke. "We are starting the season very good. The kids are working hard. We want to get as many boys close to the state cut if not qualify for the state."
WEST CHICAGO-GENEVA BATAVIA CO-OP
Coach Troy Murray must replace Mason Smith, who is swimming at Missouri-St Louis. But, Murray has plenty of talent returning from last season's team which finished seventh in the state, second in the Downers Grove South sectional behind powerhouse Benet and are five-time defending Upstate Eight Conference champs.
Brady Johnson, an Arizona State recruit, is the returning state champ in the 100 backstroke and runner-up in the 50 freestyle.
"Brady is gunning for two individual titles and we want to finish in the top 10 in the state and win a sixth straight conference title," said Murray. "South Elgin and Bartlett are very competitive. We want to continue that trend. We are hoping for two state scoring relays. The state championship goes through Hinsdale Central."
State qualifiers back are senior Ryan Fors and juniors Sam Ortiz and Nathan Lindstrom.
Others in the fold are seniors Dylan Clark, Wyatt Gross and Alek Simeunovic and junior Tommy Eng. Freshman Brady Jordan and Shane Johnson hope to contribute.
WHEATON NORTH-WHEATON WARRENVILLE SOUTH CO-OP
Coach Angela Shaw, in her sixth season, returns senior Reese Boecker and juniors Luca Zdrakov, Austin Kirkman, Declan Sullivan and Miles Lewis.
"The DuKane Conference is a tough conference with powerhouses like St. Charles East and St. Charles North," said Shaw. "It is a fun conference."
The Wheaton co-op has an experienced team.
"We have our entire sectional lineup back to varsity," said Shaw. "We are a lot stronger in and out of the water. We are trying to create a positive fun training experience. We are training hard and tapering well. We want to get some boys down to the state meet."