Fox Valley Conference

Cary-Grove co-op

(with Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge)

Coach: Scott Lattyak (10th season)

Last season: Second at FVC Invite

Top returners: Charles Edwards (CLS), sr.; Ignas Venslauskas (CLC), jr.; Oliver Swietek (CLS), jr.; Henry Pracht (PR), jr.; Nathan Scerbac (CLS), so.

Key newcomers: Logan Droste, (CLS), fr.; Ronan Taffe (C-G), fr.; Maxwell Gaylord (PR), fr.; Henry Serowski (CLC), fr.; Mykhail Ohorodnyk (CLS), fr.

Worth noting: The Trojans finished runners-up to Jacobs co-op at the FVC Invite after winning 16 of the previous 17 conference titles. Still, the Trojans had plenty of success on the podium. Many of their top swimmers have graduated. At conference, Ignas Venslauskas, Kasparas Venslauskas, Matthew Herron and Victor Praczkowski took first in the 200-yard medley relay. Edwards, a state hopeful this year, placed first in the 200 free and 500 free, and Scerbac was runner-up in the 200 free. Ignas Venslauskas was runner-up in the 100 breaststroke. ... Kasparas Venslauskas, the 2025 Northwest Herald Boys Swimmer of the Year, won three state medals in his final year, placing 10th in the 100 breaststroke, 13th in the 200 IM and 14th in the 200 free relay. The 200 medley relay of Ignas Venslauskas, Kasparas Venslauskas, Herron and Praczkowski was 23rd. ... “Embrace the physical challenges, increase team cohesion and support for each other, and focus on each individual’s progression,” Lattyak said of his team’s goals for 2025-26. “The team has increased in depth, which will make the competition more exciting.” ... C-G co-op took fourth at sectionals last year and 25th at state.

Huntley

Coach: Adam Wolfenberg (second season)

Last season: Third at FVC Invite

Top returners: Anthony Koterwski, jr.; David Gatto, so.

Key newcomers: Brayden Dudycha, fr.; Cole Lamberti, fr.

Worth noting: The Red Raiders finished third at the FVC Invite for the second consecutive year. ... Huntley graduated one of its top swimmers, Nathan Ludtke, who placed first in the 50 free and runner-up in the 100 free at the FVC Invite. Overall, the team graduated six seniors. ... The Raiders will lean on junior captain Koterwski and sophomore Gatto as they look to climb the FVC standings. ... “We have a young team with a few swimmers new to the sport, which I love seeing people get out of their comfort zone and try something new,” Wolfenberg said. “What the coaches are looking forward to is to see how much each swimmer improves throughout the season. We hope to get closer to the winning team at conference, but really want 100% best times from our swimmers.”

Jacobs co-op

(with Dundee-Crown and Hampshire)

Coach: Molly Gomberg (eighth season)

Last season: First at FVC Invite

Top returners: Joey Alvarez (Jac), sr.; John Beasley (D-C), jr.; Danny Melendy (D-C), jr.; Brandon Schroeter (D-C), jr.

Key newcomers: Johnny Marzalik (Jac), fr.; Ian Wright (Jac), fr.

Worth noting: The Golden Eagles won the FVC Invite with 314 points, 30 points more than Cary-Grove co-op. Jacobs co-op claimed the title despite finishing first in only one event. Luke Johnson, Diego Velasco, Beasley and Justin Bernstein took first in the 400 free relay in 3:23.58. Johnson, who graduated, was runner-up in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Johnson went on to qualify for state and placed 27th in the 200 IM and 35th in the 100 backstroke. ... “Our team is comprised of several very strong returning swimmers and a large contingency of newcomers who are ready to improve and have fun doing it,” Gomberg said. “The practices we’ve had so far have been marked by improvement in technique and confidence in all athletes, and the team’s work ethic and positive attitude provide a solid foundation for future success as we look to defend our conference title in 2026.”

McHenry

Coach: Sharon Lesniak (ninth season)

Last season: Fourth at FVC Invite

Top returners: Robbie Rosenbaum, so.; Blake DeNovo, sr.; Lincoln Soderholm, so.; Cole Benton, so.; Wyatt Kochan, sr.

Key newcomers: Myles Wagner, sr.; Andrew Harris, fr.; Christoph Knoener, jr.

Worth noting: The Warriors took fourth at the FVC Invite for the fourth year in a row. ... Rosenbaum won the 100 free and 100 backstroke at the FVC Invite. He advanced to state in two events, placing 17th in the 100 backstroke and 18th in the 100 free, just missing qualifying for the consolation finals. He was the program’s first state qualifier since 2016, when Kevin Braun and Trey Schopen both made it. Rosenbaum also was named co-Most Valuable Swimmer and Newcomer of the Year at the FVC Invite. ... “The team this year is really a great group of boys,” Lesniak said. “They have been working hard and really want to push themselves to the next level. The team is growing and becoming stronger as a team. If they continue to work as hard as they are, they will do very well at conference. They are very supportive and encourage all of their teammates.”

Woodstock North co-op

(with Woodstock)

Coach: Maggie Gomberg (fifth season)

Last season: Fifth at FVC Invite

Top returners: Niko Myshkowec (WN), sr.; Nate Shirley (WN), sr.; Elijah Hedges (W), jr.; Landon Beltran (W), so.; Landon Nikolich (Wdk), so.

Key newcomers: Nathan Patterson (WN), fr.; Noah Welch (W), fr.; Jake Sturtevant (W), fr.

Worth noting: The Thunder placed fifth at the FVC Invite for the fourth season in a row. ... Woodstock North co-op has almost doubled its size, so depth shouldn’t be a problem. ... Myshkowec, Shirley and Hedges will serve as team captains. ... “We have had a great first week of practices with a large incoming group of new swimmers,” Gomberg said. “Our team has a great work ethic and is excited to tackle this season. Returning swimmers are setting the tone for what it means to be a Woodstock swimmer, and we are building on the energy that the new swimmers have brought to our pool deck. ... There is so much potential for fast swimming in this group.”