Boys swimming: The championship plot thickens for St. Viator's Balcerak
St. Viator senior Michael Balcerak was hoping to wrap up the high school chapter of his compelling swimming story with a couple more championships this weekend.
After his efforts in Friday's state meet preliminaries at Evanston Township High School, that opportunity remains alive and well.
But it won't be easy.
In the 100-yard butterfly, Balcerak is the top seed in the championship heat after producing a lifetime-best 48.48. So far, so good.
It's the 200 freestyle where it could get tricky. Peoria Notre Dame senior Colton Paulson had by far the best qualifying effort at 1:35.90 - just a few tenths of a second off the state record.
Balcerak, who won the 100 free at state last year, will be the No. 2 seed at 1:38.12.
"I think the 200 is still a little bit outside his comfort zone," said St. Viator coach Sam Wilcher. "First 50 and last 50 were good - but that middle 100 has to be better."
At any rate, Balcerak doesn't sound worried about resolving the plots to his satisfaction.
"Everything felt pretty good today," he said. "And Saturday, it's just about racing. I know I can improve."
Others with opportunities to improve in Saturday's session are Hersey senior Michael Petro and Rolling Meadows senior Josh Dellorto - though not in the exact spots they'd envisioned.
Petro will race in the consolation heats of both the 200 IM and 100 fly. He finished a heartbreaking seventh in the IM (1:51.24), and eighth in the 100 fly (49.94).
Dellorto was right on his lifetime best in the 100 free (46.32), good for ninth place.
"I think he attacked both races, and I cannot wait to see what he can do in finals," said Rolling Meadows coach Monika Chiappetta of Dellorto's efforts. "Tomorrow, I think, you just go after it."
Among the seniors from the Mid-Suburban League wrapping up their seasons:
• Fremd's Alex Schillinger concluded a standout career with his best time of the season in the 100 breaststroke (58.15, 18th). He also placed 27th in the 200 IM.
• Palatine's Sean O'Brien placed 35th in the 100 back (54.07).
• Schaumburg's Matt Soltau finished tied for 30th in the 50 free (21.98) and 32nd in the 100 free (48.44).
• Prospect's Jake Kosinski, making his third straight state appearance, placed 30th in the 100 breast in 59.29.
The prelims session featured three state records.
New Trier's medley relay got things started by finishing in 1:29.53.
Lyons senior Spencer Walker lowered the 100 back standard to 47.22, and New Trier senior Charlie Scheinfeld set the mark in the 100 breaststroke at 53.60.
In the team race, New Trier had a strong day all the way around and is poised to earn the championship. All three of its relays qualified into the top six, and the medley and 400 free relays are the top seeds.
Hinsdale Central has multiple scoring opportunities, with the medley and 200 free relays in finals and the 400 free in the consolation heat. Individually, the Red Devils have championship finalists in Cole Grosshans (50 free), Donovan Lahmann (100 free) and Billy Leader and Trystan Lundgren (100 breast).
Stevenson junior Topher Stensby is the top finals seed in both the 50 and 100 freestyles.
He finished in 20.00 in the 50.
"I was a little late on my breakout off the start and need to clean that up a bit," he said. "But coming home felt good."
Then, after being seeded sixth in the 100 free, Stensby glided into Saturday's finals with another pole-position effort, in a personal-best 44.10.
The meet resumes with the championship session at 11 a.m. Saturday.
For Wheeling senior Nick Konstantos, a 58.19 clocking in the 100 breaststroke was the final race of his high school career - one that included a sectional championship last week at Deerfield.
He was only mildly disappointed with the time, which still was the second-fastest performance in his life. But he was majorly disappointed to have reached a stepping-off point he wished hadn't arrived quite yet.
"To be honest, I'm really sad this is coming to an end," he said. "I've been swimming since I was a little kid, and I've had some ups and downs - but I know I'm going to miss it a ton. Especially the people, but really, all of it."