Boys swimming: St. Charles North coasts to eighth consecutive conference championship

Death, taxes and St. Charles North winning the DuKane Conference boys swimming and diving title.

All those seem certainties these days.

Capturing first place in all 11 swimming events, the North Stars splashed their way to an eighth straight conference title with 302 points. Wheaton co-op (Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North) was a distant second with 200 points.

“We have only one senior and we have a very young group,” said North Stars coach Rob Rooney. “We have a good group of freshmen. We are excited about the future. We have a steep learning curve and the growth has been incredible. We have kids with high swimmer IQ.”

Juniors Thomas McMillan and Collin Beu claimed two individual championships apiece and were both on two first-place relay teams.

McMillan, the defending state champion in the 100 butterfly and runner-up in the 100 backstroke, grabbed first-place accolades in the 100 freestyle (46.47) and 100 backstroke (50.04). The talented junior was also on the winning 200 medley relay team (1:36.70) with Beu, Josh Lack and Tyler Baumann and the 400 freestyle relay (3:17.63) with Baumann and freshmen Hayden Rybarski and Connor Pluskwa.

“I am more of a leader this year,” McMillan said. “We have a really good team. I will taper this week and get ready for the sectionals. I want to repeat as 100 butterfly state champ and move up one place and win the state championship in the 100 backstroke.”

Rooney has high expectations for McMillan.

“Thomas has a lot of work to do,” the veteran coach said. “He is at a different level and the bar is high. He is much more mature this year and more of a leader.”

Beu crossed the finish line first in the 200 individual medley (2:02.1) and 100 breaststroke (59.95). The junior was on the 200 freestyle relay (1:31.39) with Rybarski, Pluskwa and senior Kai Lincoln.

“I am swimming confident and ideally would like to lead races from beginning to end,” Beu said. “I want to start races fast.”

Other first-place efforts for the North Stars came from Pluskwa (200 freestyle, 1:46.67), Lincoln (50 freestyle, 22.49), Lack (500 freestyle, 4:57.03) and Rybaski (100 butterfly, 53.92).

Runner-up finishers include Jayden Quines (200 IM), Baumann (50 freestyle, 100 backstroke), Lincoln (100 butterfly), Pluskwa (500 freestyle), and Lack (100 breaststroke).

In the 1-meter diving competition, Axel Anderson was second.

For runner-up Wheaton co-op, junior Sean Phillips led the way with runner-up finishes in 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle.

“I just try to take my coaches’ advice and just run my race,” Phillips said.

The runner-up 200 medley relay team included Caleb Slattery, Shane McNellis, Owen Treanor and Chase Tiongco. With Phillips on the 200 freestyle team were Tiongco, Luca Fantozzi and Caden Huynh. With Phillips on the 400 freestyle relay team were Slattery, Fantozzi and Huynh.

St. Charles East was third with 162 points.

Freshman Anthony Pistelli was first in the 1-meter dive with 335.35 points. Junior Carter Anarella was third.

The 200 medley relay team of Garrett Mruk, Grayson Belli, Trenton Forni and Leo Coss along with the 400 freestyle relay team of Forni, Belli, Mruk and Charlie Cabel were third.

Fourth-place efforts for the Saints were provided by Justin Collins (200 freestyle), Belli (50 freestyle) and Forni (500 freestyle).

“We were a senior-heavy team the last few years,” Saints coach Adam Musial said. “This is a rebuilding year. We used three freshmen, one sophomore and three juniors today. We are growing and getting better every meet. The kids are getting faster every meet with lifetime best times. This opens doors for these kids beyond high school onto USA teams, club teams and college. We will gear up the next couple weeks and be ready for the sectionals.”

Lake Park placed fourth with 148 points.

Third-place individual finishes came from Nicholas Georgiev (50 freestyle) and freshman Adrian Sliz (100 backstroke). The 200 freestyle relay team of Georgiev, Sliz, Joey Groover and Alan Dizdarevic were third.

“We had a good day,” said Lancers coach Bennett Witteveen. “We like competing against a great program like St. Charles North. We are at the St. Charles East sectional with North and many great teams. We are looking forward to that challenge. It will be fun.”

Glenbard East-North co-op was fifth with 85 points.

The Panthers’ top performer was Mason McKenna, fourth in the 100 butterfly.