Christopher Canning of the Ramblers poses after receiving his second-place finish in diving at the state meet. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Christopher Kearney of the Ramblers contends in the 100 free at the state meet. He took fifth in the 100 free and third in the 200 free. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Christopher Kearney was a little guy on a big stage three years ago, if you consider 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds little figures. Kearney does. Kearney, now 6-5 and 215 pounds, was a Loyola Academy freshman in 2013 and a member of the Ramblers’ 400-yard freestyle relay at the state swimming and diving meet. The unit — three seniors and a baby, starring nobody from Hollywood — placed sixth in 3:08.24.
It was the highlight of Kearney’s freshman season.
Last weekend, after his final state meet at Evanston Township High School, Kearney insisted it was the highlight of his prep swim career.
“Me, a little freshman,” the Deerfield resident, giggling, recalled on Feb. 27, Day Two of the state meet. “What a fantastic memory. Great environment, close race. I’ll never forget that.”
He had a memorable final act, too. The act consisted of two watery scenes last weekend, one in the 200 free, the other in the 100 free. Kearney touched third in the 200 free (1:41.3) for the second year in a row and raced to fifth place in the 100 free (46.25).
“You have to tip your cap to [Lake Forest High School junior Dylan] Boyd,” Ramblers swim coach Mike Hengelmann said of the champion in the event. “That winning time of his [1:37.67] … impressive. And that up-and-coming kid [Peoria Notre Dame sophomore Colton Paulson], who finished second (1:39.78), had a breakout season.
“[Kearney] put 12 points on the board for us,” the coach added. “Good. We’ll take them. He’s a better sprinter this year, with a better stroke rate. Look at what he did for us last weekend [at the Niles North Sectional].”
What the Miami (Ohio) University-bound Kearney did: zipped to a 20.3 split in the 200 free relay. Need a little perspective? The winning time in the 50 free at state last weekend was 20.89, clocked by Champaign Central senior Payton Wood.
The week before the state meet is a glorious one for elite swimmers each season. It is taper week, the week to pare the intensity of workouts, to reduce the number of laps, to rest. Resting is Kearney’s second favorite activity, right behind sleeping. Hengelmann noted Kearney likes to get at least 12 hours of sleep per night. Hengelmann considers four hours of a sleep a good night for him.
“Four hours … Kearney would consider that a nap,” Hengelmann cracked during a break at the state meet. “That kid is in bed, at 8 [p.m.], every night. We joke around, the two of us do, about how we’re at the opposite extremes when it comes to sleeping.”
Loyola Academy’s other superb Christopher, junior Christopher Canning, rousted countless spectators out of their seats during his third appearance in the state diving finals. Displays of talent tend to do that. Canning finished runner-up with a point total of 468.15, behind Rockton Hononegah senior Payton Staman (475.05). Canning finished third at state last year, a year after finishing fourth.
Fourth, third, second. A trend is your friend. Trending up is your best friend.
“Friday [in preliminaries, on Feb. 26] I held back,” Canning said. “I was more hesitant than I should have been. I watched video [of his first eight dives], and I looked nervous. I didn’t hold back [in the finals session, on Feb. 27]. I felt loose. My mindset was, ‘Go after it.’ ”
His second dive in the finals, his 10th overall, was a beaut. Canning nailed his forward 1-and-a-half somersault, with two twists (degree of difficulty: 2.6, numbers-speak for “super difficult”). The millisecond after his straight frame pierced water, a cluster of Ramblers swimmers and a few coaches, sitting in a bank of temporary bleachers on deck, erupted, fists pumping, cheers popping a few eardrums. They knew Canning had aced it. Canning had a pretty good feeling he had aced it. He had heard the roar of the crowd as he resurfaced, a diver’s favorite post-plunge sound.
Judges gave him two 7.5s and four 7s. The marks essentially clinched another top-three medal for the popular Windy City diving club member.
“Chill. Take a few days off,” Canning said of his post-state meet plans.
Loyola Academy finished in 13th place (35 points) in the team standings, Kearney’s pair of top-five efforts producing 22 of the points. Kearney also swam on a pair of relays at state last weekend: 400 free, 200 free. The former crew placed 16th (3:12.11), the latter 28th (1:28.65). Junior Daniel McGowan, senior Walter Haracz and junior Nathaniel Guenther preceded Kearney in the 400 free relay.
Notable: The men’s swimming and diving team at the University of Miami in Oxford, Ohio, will lose a former Rambler and welcome a former Rambler in a span of a few months. Diver Michael Nash is a senior at Miami; LA senior Christopher Kearney is a Miami recruit. Miami diver Ryan Nash, Michael’s brother, is a freshman at the Mid-American Conference school. “Love the team, great academics,” Kearney said at the state meet last weekend. “I’m looking forward to having a new home.”
Loyola Academy’s Christopher Canning performs a dive in the state finals. He claimed runner-up honors. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER