Scouting DuPage County boys swimming
Top teams: Downers Grove South, Hinsdale Central, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, Wheaton co-op.
Top swimmers and divers: Benet: Peter Krzywosz, sprint, jr.; Chris Stiegal, free, IM, jr.; Downers Grove North: Mike Reed, sprint, sr; Umash Rajan, fly, sr.; Downers Grove South: Vince Errichiello, IM/fly/back, sr.; Peter Errichiello, back, jr.; Brad Jones, breast, sr.; Ryan Kujawa, diving, so.; Mike Holz, diving, sr.; Hinsdale Central: Danny Thomson, free/IM, jr.; Max Morimoto, free, sr.; C.J. VanWormer, fly, sr.; Hinsdale South: Sebastian Ostrowski, IM, back, sr.; Lake Park: Nathan Schingoethe, back/IM/free, sr.; Kyle Casper, sprint, sr.: Metea Valley: Michael Stack, breast, jr.; Zack McClernon, fly, jr.; Naperville Central: Jeff Depew, IM/back, sr.; Nate Weeks, fly/IM, jr.; Sean Lehane, distance free, jr.; Pat May, free, sr.; Steven Van Deventer, breast, sr.; Noah Wood, free, so. Naperville North: Kevin Butz, distance free, jr.; Nick Bessler, IM/back, jr.; Ian Henderson, diving, sr. Neuqua Valley: Kevin Cordes, breast, sr.; Ted Wagner, diving, sr.; Conner Jager, free, sr., John Mordach, IM, sr.; Robbie Cicchini, IM, free, sr.; Robert Vechiola, jr., sprint; Waubonsie Valley: Alex Ding, breast, sr.; Tyler Hunt, sprint freestyle, sr.; Adam Stacklin, so.; butterfly; Wheaton co-op: George Doran, diving, sr.; Collin Hogan, free, sr.; Dan Long, IM/fly, sr.
Outlook: Naperville Central is the defending state champion, but the Redhawks will be without those four graduating seniors who combined for dramatic victories in both free relays that secured the state title. Matt O’Brien, Keith Piper, Mark Menis and Danny Tucker have moved on, but they leave a big chunk of swimming history to inspire this year’s team. Coach Mike Adams’ hopes to challenge for a trophy at state starts with returning scorers DePew, who was second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 backstroke, and Weeks, sixth in the 100 fly and eighth in the 200 IM. As one opposing coach pointed out, “Naperville Central loses a lot of great people every year, yet they always seem to be there at the end.”
There’s a slew of state qualifiers and near state qualifiers ready to compete with the best in Illinois. Neuqua Valley, which suffered heavy losses from last year’s runner-up at state, will rely on breaststroker supreme Cordes and diver Wagner. For the Wildcats to make it into their customary spot among the elite, a number of returning veterans will have to take another step forward.
Naperville North, fourth at state, returns two of its three great juniors Bessler and Butz, but the sectional spots are wide open after that. The other member of the Huskies trio, Andy Eiken, who scored in both the 200 and 100 free, will miss the season after his recent shoulder surgery. Among the Napervilles’ DVC foes, Wheaton co-op, led by diver Doran, who is a candidate to go all the way, and veterans Hogan and Long should offer a formidable challenge.
Among Neuqua’s top challengers for the Upstate Eight Conference will be an improving Waubonsie Valley with returning qualifiers Ding, Hunt and Stacklin as potential scorers, Lake Park, featuring Schingoethe, who was ninth in the backstroke, and upstart Metea Valley, with Stack looking to score in the breaststroke.
Hinsdale Central, which hopes to break into the top 10, is led by Thomson, the 500 freestyle champion and fifth in the 200 IM, while Downers Grove South looks to the Errichiello brothers, Jones and a pair of outstanding divers in Holz and Kujawa.
Sprinter Reed of Downers Grove North really blossomed last year and finished sixth in the 50 free. Since four of the five who finished ahead of him at state have graduated, he has to be considered a contender for the state title.
Key dates: Dec. 11-12: West Chicago Relays; Dec. 17-18: Neuqua Valley Invite, Downers Grove South Invite; Dec. 28 Naperville North College Events Meet; Dec. 30: Waubonsie Valley Aqua Pentathlon; Jan. 7 Naperville Central at Naperville North; Jan. 15 Hinsdale Central Diving Invitational; Jan.22 Downers Grove North Invite Jan. 28 Fox Valley Invitational at Metea Valley; Feb. 4-5 Conference Swimming and Diving Meets; Feb. 18-19 Sectional Meets; Feb. 25-26 state swimming and diving meet at New Trier.
Neil Shalin