Rolling Meadows stays hungry, wins at Leyden

Rolling Meadows’ boys swimming team added to its remarkable season by winning the eight-team invitational hosted by Leyden on Saturday.

Mustangs sophomore Kuba Debkowski won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.30 and the 100 free in 52.31.

Junior Jake Barson won the 200 IM (2:11.31) and the 100 breaststroke (1:04.10). But Barson’s effort in the breaststroke was conservative, as he was preparing for a leg on the subsequent 400 free relay — in which Meadows needed a strong finish to clinch the team outcome.

Filip Pancerz, Dave Myers, Joey Ure and Barson won in 3:41.42 for the final of the 287 points for Rolling Meadows. West Chicago was close behind at 267, and the host Eagles were third with 189.

“It was a real battle between West Chicago and us,” said Rolling Meadows coach Monika Chiappetta. “Jake sacrificed his time in the breaststroke a little bit for the relay, but we really needed him there.”

Other top scoring efforts for Rolling Meadows came from Pancerz in the 100 free (52.62, 3rd) and 100 back (1:00.01, 2nd) and Tony Sarussi in the 100 fly (1:02.56, 2nd).

When Rolling Meadows and West Chicago tied in the meet’s Doughnut Relay, Chiappetta’s Mustangs offered to simply let West Chicago have the entire haul of sweets.

“The West Chicago coach made a point to say what a classy thing that was,” said Chiappetta. “Who’s ever heard of teenage boys giving up food? But that’s the kind of kids I have. And we had great swims all the way around.”

Ÿ Schaumburg finished fifth in the Randy Block Memorial Relays held at Marmion, getting its best finish from Jack Pyde, Edin Latic, Sam Thomas and Sam Stucker in the 100 freestyle relay (2nd, 49.29).