Boys diving: Buffalo Grove’s Surovaniec takes fifth against elite field at Fremd
Two years ago Fremd experimented with a divers-only invite at its pool as an attempt to gain some added experience for those competing in conditions akin to those in postseason meets.
Enter first-year Vikings diving coach Naqi Rizvi who decided to bring the meet back this year after a one-year absence in which he created an 11-dive meet format.
"I ran this competition as (such) because during the season we usually compete in six-dive competitions and at the end of the season our championship meets are all 11-dive competitions,“ Rizvi said. ”So I created this meet so that at the end of the season they're not doing 11-dive for the first time."
Rizvi also put together a field that featured 30 divers from 13 schools including four of the top 13 finishers from last winter's state meet: Freeport junior Tristan Petersen (seventh), Glenbrook South sophomore Taylor Isaac (10th), Buffalo Grove senior Michael Surovaniec (11th), and New Trier junior Knox Noble (13th).
And along with Glenbrook North senior Matthew Yuan they battled for top honors at the event with those top five spots in a constantly fluid state.
Yuan, an Ohio State recruit, finally emerged from that group to claim top honors with a score of 542.80 followed by Petersen (509.15) with the silver and Noble with the bronze (493.45).
Isaac (fourth, 474.50) and Surowaniec (fifth, 465.00) rounded out the top five.
Surowaniec, who remains uncommitted for his college and diving career plans, praised the meet's successful simulation of what could be a preview of next month's state diving finals at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.
"There was a lot of really competitive divers and I think it's really important to try your best on every dive,“ Surowaniec said. ”Everyone has to be an individual (attempt). One at a time. You can't think about the meet as a whole. I was really thankful to be (competing) against these divers early so I can be more prepared for state."
He also knows there is still plenty of work left to do as the postseason begins with the Mid-Suburban League championships just four weeks away.
"I'm not at the highest level that I can get to," Surowaniec said. "I think I got a lot more in the tank and I think I've got to keep working hard at practice."
Palatine senior Quinn Stojkovich joined Surowaniec as the only other MSL swimmer to earn a top 10 finish by landing at the No. 10 position with a score of 348.85.
Meanwhile Rizvi looks forward to bringing this event back next January in the hopes of making it an annual competition.
"Hopefully next year if we're able to we can get try to get more schools and if you have some divers that are state-worthy and if you're looking to get an 11-dive meet, (we're) looking to have a steady build-up to get (more) schools invited," Rizvi said.