Win over Barrington shows Conant's time is now

The last time Conant had beaten Barrington in a boys swimming dual meet was 2000.

Much has changed since then, of course, for both progams. If fact, much has changed for both teams just since the end of last season.

Better overall numbers, continued improvement from its leading swimmers and an influx of accomplished young talent has made Conant a force to be reckoned with in the Mid-Suburban West, as the Cougars demonstrated with a 107-79 victory over the visiting Broncos on Friday.

Senior Ryan Chiero won the 200 IM and the 50 free, and senior Will Landgren won the 200 free and 500 free. The Cougars delivered a 1-2-3 sweep in diving and won both freestyle relays in an impressive show of depth and quality.

"I guess the real surprise tonight is just how fast and deep that Conant team is," said Barrington coach John Valentine, in his first season of leading the Broncos.

Barrington picked up a victory in the 200 medley relay and got a 1-2 finish from Dan Comyn and Greg Alexander in the 50 free, but Conant's consistently strong lineup was too much for the Broncos to overcome.

The key, says Conant coach Brian Drenth, is simple: Hard work.

"The intensity in practice is different this year," he said. "So far, this is the hardest-working group I've had in quite a while. I challenge them to go faster, and they go faster. I challenge them again, and they go faster. Every time, they meet the challenge. There are no limits with these guys. They're really a special group to be around."

Part of that work ethic comes from Conant's co-captains, Chiero and Matt Ebert, who won the 100 fly in 59.61. According to Drenth, is a vocal leader while Chiero tends to lead by example.

Case in point: Right after the meet, Chiero was working with Zon Wang, another in a long line of promising Conant freshmen, on refining his racing starts.

While the upperclassmen are still outnumbered by freshmen and sophomores, Conant seems to behave more like an experienced team. Drenth credits his experienced swimmers - Chiero, Landgren and Ebert along with Dan Bernacki, Ryan Mortenson, Steve Siska, Victor Lim, Anton Andonov, Jake Gfesser and Blake Thompson - with setting the conditions for serious work and steady improvement.

Conant sophomore David Wollschlager won the 100 back, and another sophomore, Alan Wojciechowski, placed second behind Ebert in the 100 fly, barely missing going under one minute (1:00.04).

"We're definitely more well-rounded as a team this year," said Chiero. "Everybody sees what we're capable of, that we can beat teams like Barrington and Fremd."

Barrington wasn't at its best Friday due to widespread illness on the team in the days leading up to the meet, and the Broncos have their own group of promising young swimmers, too.

In fact, relays don't come any younger than one of Barrington's varsity 400 relays. The all-freshman quartet of Jack Strauss, James Rodney, Chris Vega and Kyle Ujiye finished third, just behind Barrington's top foursome in very respectable 3:36.62.

"We call them," said Valentine, "our Fab Four."

• Buffalo Grove's Ian Rodriguez won the 100 fly and the 200 free and had legs on the winning freestyle relays along with Brad Lotzer, Matt O'Rourke and Glen Bernard as the Bison earned a 106.5-79.5 victory. Individual winners for Wheeling included Tim McDaniel in the 200 IM and Tom Echeverri in the 100 back.

• Elk Grove had double winners in Carl Sugihara (50 free, 100 back) and Marek Burtan (100 fly, 100 breaststroke), but Rolling Meadows won both freestyle relays to earn a 109-71 victory. Matt Slivovsky and Sam Schmid combined for a 1-2 finish in the 100 free and teamed with Damian Fitzsimons and Artie Checchin to win the 200 free relay; Slivovsky and Checchin combined with Dan Briggs and Benson Busse to win the 400 free relay.

• Schaumburg had double winners in Brandon Kase (50 free, 100 free) and Ben Epperly (200 free, 500 free), but Palatine's depth was too much for the Saxons as the Pirates won 111-74. Brad Ferris won the 200 IM and 100 back, John Giuliano won the 100 fly and Palatine's 200 free relay (Trevor Leonard, Greg Bell, Dan Sommerfeld and Dylan Weissmann) and 400 free relay (Ferris, Kamil Mulawa, Leonard and Weissman) both came out on top.

• Maine West had winners in Brian Wasicak (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Danny Hanns (diving) as Maine South earned a 119-67 dual meet victory.