It was a total team effort.

With four first place individual efforts and two relay first place finishes, West Chicago co-op (Geneva, Batavia) was able to win Saturday’s St. Charles East sectional with 276 points.

St. Charles North was second with 274.50 points.

It was West Chicago’s second ever sectional title.

“It was a total team effort,” West Chicago coach Troy Murray said. “Everybody contributed. We had many lifetime bests. We lost a lot of swimmers from last season so we are very young. Our young kids really stepped up tonight. We always like the challenge of swimming against great program like St. Charles.”

Sectional champions include Brady Jordan (200 freestyle, 1:40.50), who is making his second trek to the state meet in Westmont next weekend.

“I got off to a solid start,” Jordan said. “I was able to read the field and I knew where I was in the race. My coach wants me to swim fast like a jet engine. It helps I was at the state meet last year. I will have less nerves than I had last year.”

Jordan was joined in the winners circle by Nathan Walkington (200 individual medley), Will Becker (50 freestyle, 21.10) and Michael Marsh (500 freestyle, 4:47.93).

The 200 medley relay team (Jordan, Becker, Jace Christensen, Shane Johnson) crossed the finish line first with a clocking of 1:34.38 and 200 freestyle relay team (Becker, Walkington, Johnson, Christensen) in a time of 1:26.16.

Other state qualifiers for the Wildcats were Walkington (second, 100 butterfly, 50.69), Isaiah Day (third, 200 freestyle, 1:44.44), Marsh (third, 200 individual medley, 1:56.37), Jordan (third, 100 backstroke, 50.84) and Becker (fourth, 100 breaststroke, 59.00).

The 400 freestyle relay team of Jordan, Johnson, Walkington and Marsh were second and qualified with a time of 3:07.89.

North was led by junior Thomas McMillan, who won the 100 butterfly (48.91) and 100 backstroke (49.54).

“I really relied on my training,” McMillan said. “I had smooth races, I am ready for next week.”

The Stars also won the 400 freestyle relay (McMillan, Connor Pluskwa, Collin Beu, Tyler Bauman) in a time of 3:07.64.

Other state qualifiers for SCN were Beu (second, 200 individual medley, 1:54.29), Hayden Rybaski (second, 100 breaststroke, 58.49 fourth, 200 individual medley, 1:57.02); Josh lack (third, 100 bresastroke, 58.54).

The 200 medley relay team McMillan, Rybaski, Beu and Pluskwa was second with a qualifying time of 1:34.54.

Tanner Wolfe was third in the 1-meter diving with 386.20 points and Axel Anderson was fifth with 344.90 points.

Conant was third with 146 points. Dominik Kurek led the way for the Cougars with a first place effort in the 100 breastroke (56.69).

“I was burnt out after last year and took a small break after nationals in Orlando,“ said Kurek, who will swim at the Milwaukee School of Engineering next season. ”I am hoping for a top 10 finish next week.“

Kurek was second in the 100 freestyle in a qualifying time of 46.03.

Logan Catanzaro was second in the 1-meter diving with 394.10 points.

Mical Ryba was second in the 200 freestyle with with a qualifying time of 1:43.41 and was third in the 100 butterfly with a qualifying time of 50.76.

Conant’s 400 freestyle relay team of Ryba, Kurek, Devin Burke, and Marcin Mysza qualified for the state with a third place time 3:11.73.

Lake Park placed fourth with a score of 1:39.50.

Matt Karasek won the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.16 and was second in the 100 backstroke in a state qualifying time of 49.71.

The Lake Park senior is making his fourth straight trip to the state finals.

“I wanted to enjoy my last sectional,” said Karasek. “I am looking forward to my last state finals. It should be fun.”

Other state qualifiers are Evan Powell, South Elgin, first, 1 meter diving, 408.60 points), Anthony Pistilli (St. Charles East, fourth, 1 meter diving, 367.55 points), Gustav Jop (Hoffman Estates, sixth, 1 meter diving, 338.25 points

https://www.dailyherald.com/20260221/boys-swimming/boys-swimming-west-chicago-takes-title-at-st-charles-east/