Story posted Wednesday, March 4, 2009
GBS Swimmers Shine At State
By BOBBY CHILVER Journal Sports
Glenbrook South was the only Journal-area team to make a splash at the IHSA state swimming and diving championships last weekend but several other local athletes finished their seasons on a strong note.
The Titans were the big local winners as they took home a third place state trophy and won two event championships. The team totaled 115 points to edge third place from Marmion Academy (112). New Trier won the state title with 165.5 points and Neuqua Valley was second with 127.
Titan standout Dominik Cubelic made the most out of his weekend, anchoring the Glenbrook team with an individual championship in the 50-yard freestyle (20.18), a second place in the 100-yard free (44.61) and also took part in the state-record breaking 200-yard freestyle relay.
Seniors Ben Hengels and Chris DeLetto and sophomore Ryan Bach joined Cubelic as the four finished the relay in 1:22.15, beating the state record set the day before in Friday's preliminaries.
The same relay also took a close second in the 400-yard free relay (3:03.51). Hengels added a fifth place finish in the 500-yard free (4:32.90) and seventh place in the 200-yard IM (1:54.69) while DeLetto finished fourth in the 50-yard free (20.97).
Fremd was the only other local school to have swimmers advance to Saturday's finals as senior Sam Childs finished 8th in the 100-yard free (46.94) and Varun Shivakumar took 12th in the 100-back (51.96).
A few other athletes just missed the top 12 in Friday's preliminaries.
Fremd senior Evan Ruggiero took 15th in the diving competition, Glenbrook South's Woody Lord was 17th in diving, Niles West sophomore Konner Scott was 16th in the 200-yard medley (1:55.96) and 17th in the 100-free (47.32) and Prospect senior Charlie Mau finished 17th in the 100-fly (51.69).
Fremd fell just short in all three relays Friday. The 200-medley relay of Shivakumar, Childs, Mike Freeman and Brent Caras finished 15th, the 200 free relay of Childs, Sean Gonzalez, Caras and Dustin Anderson was also 15th and the 400 free relay of Gonzalez, Anderson, Shivakumar and Childs placed 19th overall.
These close calls and the rest of the area finished their season Friday and should be proud of their status as state qualifiers in what became the fastest state championships ever.
Here's how the rest from the Northwest suburbs finished in each race:
200-yard freestyle: Andrew Saloman, Maine South (39th, 1:46.91), Sean Gonzalez, Fremd (43d, 1:48.35).
200-yard medley: Varun Shivakumar, Fremd (27th, 1:57.94).
50-yard freestyle: Brent Caras, Fremd (26th, 22.01), A.J. Chen-Young, Niles West (28th, 22.07), Ryan Chiero, Conant (41st, 22.31), A.J. Adams, Rolling Meadows (45th, 22.51).
Diving: Nick Rizza, Conant (29th, 150.20), Jon Bugara, Niles West (30th, 149.85), Dylan Lovering, Niles West (41st, 133.15), Ian McNair, Palatine (42d, 133), Brandon Trostrud, Fremd (45th, 117.05).
100-yard butterfly: A.J. Chen-Young, Niles West (24th, 52.14), Pat Cullen, Maine West (42d, 54.12).
100-yard freestyle: Andrew Salomon, Maine South (20th, 47.69). Ryan Bach, Glenbrook South (25th, 48.00), Brad Lotzer, Buffalo Grove (29th, 48.27), A.J. Adams, Rolling Meadows (36th, 48.96), Ryan Chiero, Conant (44th, 50.39).
500-yard freestyle: Jeff Freund, Fremd (31st, 4:52.38).
100-yard breaststroke: Andrew Bowman, Prospect (42d, 1:01.63), Tyler Bengtsen, Prospect (43d, 1:01.69), Jake Jeske, Conant (49th, 1:02.51)
200 medley relay: Niles West---Konner Scott, A.J. Chen-Young, Jason Gerdnoi, Tim Binkley (23d, 1:39.12), Prospect---Joe Lakner, Charlie Mau, Andrew Bowman, Tyler Bengtsen (31st, 1:40.32), Glenbrook South---Ryan Back, Nick Kerndt, Robby Regalbuto, Thomas Pollick (38th, 1:42.25).
200-yard freestyle relay: Maine South---Jared DeGrazia, Rob Juckett, Michael Szpak, Andrew Salomon (28th, 1:29.09).
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