Niles North edges Highland Park swimmers
The Niles North boys swimming team defeated Highland Park 94-92 Friday in a Central Suburban League North meet that was as enjoyable as it was close.
"It was the most fun meet we’ve had in years," Highland Park coach Tim Sirois said. "Every race counted, and the swimmers stepped up and swam very well.
"The Niles North team looks extremely strong and has a talented and deep freshman class. It will be fun to swim them again at conference and see how far we’ve progressed."
For Niles North, winners were the 200-yard medley relay team of freshmen Karol Mlynarski and Javed Avdic and juniors John King and Evan Hagedorn (1 minuutes, 47.75 seconds), Avdic in the 50 freestyle (23.44) and 100 butterfly (57.40), Arsen Sarkisian in diving (236.85) and Mlynarski in 100 free (50.65) and 100 backstroke (56.49).
For Highland Park, winners were junior Reeven Nathan in 200 free (1:50.32) and 500 free (4:59.76), senior Otis Heymann in 200 IM (2:08.63) and 100 breast (1:05.80) and Heymann, Nathan and seniors Francisco Medina and Brian Thurow in the 200 (1:34.58) and 400 free relays (3:28.91). Nathan is the first Highland Park swimmer in 20 years to break the five-minute mark in the 500 free.
The Vikings’ second-place finishers included junior Evan Hagedorn in 200 individual medley (2:16.78), Richard Gomez in 500 free (5:06.28), the 200 free relay team of King, Gomez, sophomore Ammar Shah and junior Chris Moon (1:35.97) senior Eric Tanaka in the 100 back (1:02.55) and the 400 free relay team of Gomez, Avdic, Mlynarksi and junior Alex Kite (3:34.18).
Second-place finishers for the Giants included the 200 medley relay team of sophomores Scott Hendrickson, Zach Weiner, Jacob Humerick and Jake Zuckerman (1:50.82), Thurow in 200 free (1:54.45) and 100 free (51.87), Medina in 50 free (24.50), senior Brian Waskevich in diving (163.85), Humerick in 100 fly (59.67) and Weiner in 100 breast (1:07.76).
"I was real impressed with Brian Thurow in his 200 free, 100 free and both free relays," Sirois said. "He is looking better and better as a sprinter. Brian has worked hard in the weight room and it is showing in his overall strength as a swimmer.
"Zach Weiner swam a great 100 breast and had a best time by two seconds. Zach loves to train breast stroke and is making real good improvements for this point of the season. Zach was our most consistent swimmer in terms of training from last February through this November and it is more and more evident that the hard work he has put (in) is paying off in his competitions. Jacob Humerick had an outstanding fly leg in the medley."
Third-place finishers for Niles North were the 200 medley relay team of Tanaka, Moon, and freshmen Earl Kim and Aaron Brown (1:54.33), Gomez in the 200 free (1:54.61), Kite in the 200 IM (2:17.78), King in 50 free (24.58) and 100 fly (1:02.18), Shah in 100 free (54.41), freshman Ian Crane in 500 free (5:28.22), Hagedorn in 100 breast (1:08.20) and the 400 free relay team of Brown, Moon, Shah and sophomore Ian Frendreis (3:36.46).
Highland Park’s third-place finishers were junior Brett Frommer in diving (129.75), the 200 free relay team of Humerick, Zuckerman, junior Nathan Ruff and senior Nate Kelley (1:39.76) and Hendrickson in 100 back (1:03.47).
Photo:
Niles North's John King races through the water during a meet this season. (Photo by Jon Durr/www.photoshelter.com/c/jondurr)