Boys swimming: Stevenson stands tall at sectional

Some divers at swimming and diving sectionals plunge in the morning and head home.

Others stick around and cheer for their swim mates in the afternoon.

“I get to swim,” said Barrington junior Matt Bucaro, sporting a wide smile, at Saturday’s Stevenson boys swimming and diving sectional.

The Bronco — who’s the brother of Division I swimmers Lucas Bucaro (Notre Dame) and Emily Bucaro (Pitt) — pulled off a sensational double in Lincolnshire, taking second in diving (personal-best 463.8 points, plenty to earn an at-large state berth) and swimming the backstroke leg of Barrington’s third-place, state-qualifying 200-yard medley relay (1:36.12).

“Matt messed around as a diver his freshman year, and then started diving seriously for us in the third week of the season last year,” Barrington diving coach Lisa Christianson said of her 2025 state qualifier. “He’s an incredible athlete with an outstanding work ethic and attitude. He picks things up easily.

“Matt,” she added, “is the ideal coachable athlete.”

The sectional’s excitement level never abated after Bucaro’s rarer-than-a-Halley’s-Comet-appearance pair of feats.

Three pool records fell.

Nine racers qualified for state in the 50-yard freestyle, including Cary-Grove co-op junior Henry Pracht, who placed sixth (21.45) despite swimming in lane 7 of the event’s penultimate heat with a seed time of 22.64.

Fremd junior Alex Ivanov tied McHenry sophomore Robbie Rosenbaum for first place (1:41.23) in the 200 freestyle.

Ten minutes before the start of the 200 free relay and 30 minutes before the 400 free relay beep, Stevenson coach Joe Gibson — hoping to the lift the spirits of two freshmen — deployed Ron Sverdilk in the shorter relay and Max Miecznikowski in the longer one as subs. Both quartets won.

Team champion Stevenson led Barrington 147-145 after eight events and won the meet’s last four races.

The host Patriots wound up with 267 points. Runner-up Barrington scored 207 points, followed by Fremd (195.5), Buffalo Grove (181), C-G co-op (109), Hersey (98), Palatine (77), Jacobs (66), McHenry (33.5), Rolling Meadows (20) and Saint Viator (18).

The state meet starts Friday at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

“The beginning of the season is for working on the physical aspects of swimming, preparing the body,” said Gibson. “Now, it’s all about what’s up here (the coach used his index fingers to tap his temples). Those two freshmen stepped up for us and got their mindsets where we want them to be ahead of the state meet.

“Their performances,” he continued, “also showed our depth.”

Stevenson’s 200 medley relay of Kasper Lee, Allan Zhu, Kyler Chou and Joshua Wang kicked off the swim segment with a pool-record 131.17. Zippy Zhu touched first in the 200 IM (pool-record 1:51.85) and in the 100 breaststroke (56.01), and Lee won the 100 back in a pool-record 48.32.

“I’d seen it on our board in practices,” Lee said of the previous pool mark (48.67, set in 2021). “It was fun to get the chance to break it today.”

Pats water polo ace Armeet Gill anchored the winning 200 free relay (1:25.11). Senior teammate Brendan Jones silvered in the 200 IM (1:55.33) and in the 500 free (4:45.54).

Barrington’s event champion Saturday was senior Luke Keller (500 free, 4:42.76). He and classmates Eric Ding and Payton Cotner swam the legs after Bucaro’s backstroke leg in the 200 medley relay. Senior Will Pinchot bronzed in the 50 free in a state-qualifying 21.07, six spots ahead of junior teammate Jaxson Cuttright (state-qualifying 21.64).

Broncos sophomore Derek Garcia emerged as a state qualifier in a pair of relays (200 free, 400 free).

“Some very good showings by our boys,” said Barrington coach Alex Mikolajewski. “It’s a good feeling seeing them get swims they deserve.”

Fremd senior Marcus Witkowski joined Ivanov as a Vikings champ, clocking a 50.47 in the 100 butterfly. Coach Tim Daniel’s crew was inspired by the rallying cry “Let the fish swim,” coined by swimmer Shyam Purohit. Witkowski, Andrew Wessberg, Sean Zhao and Sean McKian combined for a school-record 1:35.15 (runner-up) in the 200 medley relay.

Buffalo Grove was paced by sophomore diving champ Luka Tarabrin (507.25 points). Bison 200 and 400 free relay members (Maxim Pralat, Ben Inglis, Cris Bota and David Olaru) extended their seasons with second- and fourth-place showings, respectively.

Pralat swam a fifth-place, state-qualifying time of 1:56.74 in the 200 IM. His seed time was 2:00.53.

Hersey’s lone state qualifier was senior Kuba Pamula (fourth, 200 IM (1:56.29).

Palatine senior Sam Piazza took fourth in the 100 breaststroke in a state-qualifying 58.5.

Jacobs junior John Beasley was slotted in the penultimate heat of the 100 free but advanced to state with a fifth-place time of 47.44. Sophomore teammate Christian Sakolari finished a solid third place in diving (426.6).

Marian Central Catholic senior Antonio Aguirre won twice, topping the 50 free (20.72) and 100 free (45.67) fields.