Glenbrook South standout Sam Iida drives to a record-breaking finish in the 200 IM at the Evanston Invite. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Going to the … Wells.
Jack Wells, that is.
It was a sound strategy for Glenbrook South’s boys swimming and diving team in its meet against visiting New Trier on Jan. 6. Wells, a senior, swam on two of the Titans’ three victorious relays in the dual loss, touching out a Trevian at the end of the 200-yard medley relay.
A Glenbrook South boys team had never gone 3-for-3 in relays against a New Trier squad.
“Jack had a terrific weekend,” Titans coach Keith MacDonald said.
Wells helped the Titans place third (2,757 power points) in the highly competitive Evanston Invitational on the next day. He swam for the runner-up 200 medley relay (1:36.56, with senior Sam Iida, sophomore Cameron Schulte and freshman Adam Zuiker); took care of the second-leg duty for the third-place 200 free relay (1:29.64, with Zuiker, Iida and senior Bryan Lee); and touched fifth in the 50 free (22.69).
Iida — runner-up at state in both the 200 IM and 500 free at state last winter — was sensational in the Evanston water on Jan. 7, clocking a meet-record 1:50.65 in the 200 IM, or more than five seconds faster than the runner-up’s time. Iida also finished runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (57.84).
“Overall, the weekend was a success for us,” MacDonald added.
Arrowhead High School (Hartland, Wisconsin) won the invite with a 2,888-point total, ahead of Stevenson (2,872).
Glenbrook South heads north of the Illinois-Wisconsin border to face AHS again, as well as the reigning Wisconsin state champion, in a meet later this month.
Glenbrook North: Spartans diver Ryan Cohn finished eighth (402.5 points) at the New Trier Winter Dive Classic on Jan. 7.
Loyola Academy: Leave it to a Luke to excel in pools at a time when a Star Wars movie is a major hit.
Loyola Academy’s Luke Mauer had a breakout meet at the Evanston Invite on Jan. 7, achieving season-best times in the 200 free (1:47.74, seventh place) and 100 free (49.94, seventh) events.
“He has been training really well and putting in the work, so it was wonderful to see him hit season bests,” said Ramblers coach Mike Hengelmann, whose boys finished seventh (2,553 power points).
“I was really impressed with how we swam. There was a lot of good competition with the 18 teams.”
Danny McGowan motored to fifth place in the 500 free (4:47.11) for the Ramblers after taking sixth in the 200 free (1:47.67). Nathaniel Guenther added a sixth-place effort in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.1).
Hengelmann praised the under-the-radar swims from Donovan Crowe (2:11.05 200 IM, 56.67 in the 100 butterfly) and captain Zach Holecek (relays).
“Great leader, and he’s been steadily putting up good times,” Hengelmann said of Holecek.
At New Trier on Jan. 7, LA divers Chris Canning and Alex O’Toole combined to score a meet-best 31 points at the Winter Dive Classic. Canning finished runner-up (529.15), while O’Toole took fifth (456.7).
New Trier: It’s one of swimming’s most challenging doubles: swim in the 100-yard breaststroke and then serve as the anchor leg of the 400 free relay.
The 100 breast is the penultimate race at meets.
The 400 free relay is the last.
New Trier junior Charlie Scheinfeld was a hit in both races at the Evanston Invite on Jan. 7, topping the field in the 100 breast (57.07) and helping the Trevians’ 400 free quartet earn runner-up honors (3:10.8).
“He did a great job and showed a lot of toughness,” said NT boys swimming coach Josh Runkle, whose crew finished fifth (2,615 power points) at the talent-soaked 18-team meet.
Scheinfeld also was busy — and successful — at the beginning of the meet. He swam the second leg of the victorious 200 medley relay (1:36.52) and touched third in the 200 free (1:44.5). Other Trevians on the relay were juniors Patrick Gridley and Ryan Gridley and senior Ryan Escasa.
Patrick Gridley collected the team’s other gold when he sped to a 52.82 in the 100 back. Ryan Gridley silvered in the 200 IM (1:55.92) and in the 100 free (47.91), with Patrick Gridley coming in fourth (48.42) in the latter race.
The Gridley brothers preceded Ean Vandergraaf and Scheinfeld in that 400 free relay.
“Overall, the meet was OK for us,” Runkle said. “Coming out of winter break training, we’re a little beat up and sick, like everyone else. We had to deal with a little disappointment with the 200 free relay (disqualified), but the kids bounced back well from it.”
NT diver Jack Connolly, meanwhile, competed off the home boards and placed 14th (351.55) at the Winter Dive Classic.
Lake Forest HS: The Scouts placed 13th (2,217 power points) at the 18-team Evanston Invite last weekend. Wyatt Foss earned the squad’s top finish, taking ninth in the 100 free (50.57). Teammate Kevin Donahue raced to season-best times in the 200 IM (2:033.88, 16th place) and 100 butterfly (55.11, 13th).
Scouts Luke Lanigan and Ryan McKiernan each dropped another five seconds in the 500 free. Lanigan came in 26th with a 5:14.93, three spots ahead of McKiernan (5:19.01).
“The boys swam well, and they continue to improve from their incredible hard work over the Christmas break,” Lake Forest coach Cindy Dell said.
The team’s unsung hero was Zach Boveri, Dell noted. Boveri continued to improve as a breaststroker, finishing with a time of 1:07.64 in the 100 breast.
LF’s top relay was its 200 free unit of Foss, anchor Donahue, Carlos Minetti and Jack McGlynn. The foursome placed 12th in 1:34.82.
Jay Grieve, meanwhile, placed 16th (290.1) at the New Trier Dive Classic on Jan. 7.
Loyola’s Danny McGowan. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
New Trier’s Ryan Gridley. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER
Lake Forest’s Kevin Donahue. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL LERNER