Sports

Boys Swimming: Oswego co-op's Austin Millard makes big strides, medals twice at state

Millard fourth in 200 free, sixth in 500 free; Marshall Hodge has three top four finishes

Austin Millard of Oswego co-op swims the 500-yard freestyle during the IHSA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships at Evanston High School on Feb. 29. (Sandy Bressner)

By MATT LE

EVANSTON – Austin Millard didn’t have to look far to find a role model at the state swimming finals this weekend.

The Oswego SD 308 co-op junior found himself swimming in the lane next to Loyola senior Luke Maurer during the preliminary round of the 200-yard freestyle on Friday.

Millard held his own against the Stanford recruit, swimming the fourth-fastest time of 1:39.29 to earn a spot in Saturday’s six-person championship heat, while Maurer broke the state record with a 1:34.49.

The two were only two lanes apart during the final race Saturday. Maurer won the title in 1:36.35, with Millard taking fourth in 1:39.42.

“I think it was eye-opening, especially in prelims,” Millard said. “Swimming next to him, I was like, ‘Wow, this is insane.’

“I was talking to him (afterward) and (he’s a) great kid, but it gives me almost a big person to look up to. I want to be like him, I want to train like him, I want to swim like him, so I definitely think for next year, some big things will happen.”

Reaching Maurer’s level is a lofty goal, but it is not inconceivable that Millard can make the climb. After all, he moved up four spots from his eighth-place showing in 2019 and made an even bigger jump in the 500 free, where he improved from 20th as a sophomore, when he failed to make the finals, to sixth.

“Last year I didn’t have a good prelims,” Millard said. “I didn’t final in the 500. This year I think I really attacked and got after in the prelims, gave myself an opportunity.”

Millard trimmed eight seconds off his 500 time from last season, timing 4:34.91 in the prelims before coming back with a 4:37.05 in the finals. That was considerably slower than Loyola senior Everet Andrew, who won in 4:24.50, and Maurer’s freshman brother, Rex, who was second in 4:26.35, but it bodes well for the future.

“I haven’t dropped in the 500 in quite some time, so I saw that (time) and I was pretty happy,” Millard said. “It didn’t feel terrible (after the race). It felt really good.”

He had similar feelings about the 200, which could be his best shot at a state championship.

“I’m really happy with training this year and everything,” Millard said. “I would have liked to have been a little faster, but at the end of the day, I got my best time (Friday) and almost again (Saturday).

“So it’s given me a lot to look forward to for next year. Definitely a lot of work has to be done to get to where I want to be, but for now, I’m super ecstatic and happy about where I am.”

The Oswego team finished third for the combined state.

In the athletes with disabilities divisions Oswego's Marshall Hodge took fourth in the 50 freestyle (32.11), fourth in the 100 freestyle (1:10.12) and second in the 100 breaststroke (1:59.13).