Loyola’s Christopher Kearney took first in the 200 free at the Niles North Sectional. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER
Loyola Academy’s times at the Niles North Sectional dropped left and right and up and down.
Something else dropped regularly on a pool deck on Feb. 20: a jaw.
It belongs to Loyola Academy swim coach Mike Hengelmann, proud and impressed and awed.
“We always taper pretty well, but this was really exceptional,” Hengelmann said after his crew placed third (212 points) and qualified eight entrants to this weekend’s state swimming and diving meet at Evanston.
Ramblers senior Christopher Kearney wasn’t fully tapered for the meet but still, somehow, motored to an electric split of 20.3 in the 200 free relay. Zachary Holecek, Walter Haracz and Nathaniel Guenther swam the first three legs of the relay, helping the unit record a runner-up and state-qualifying time of 1:27.03. LA’s 400 free relay (Daniel McGowan, Haracz, Guenther and Kearney, 3:10.38) also advanced to state.
Kearney touched first in the 200 free (1:43.3), and McGowan swam a meet-best 4:41.94 in the 500 free.
“Pretty special,” Hengelmann said of McGowan’s time.
Ramblers junior Christopher Canning sparkled again during the diving segment, amassing 578.2 points. The championship total ranks second among all state diving qualifiers.
LA’s other state-qualifying performances: Guenther (200 IM, 1:57.24); Alex O’Toole (diving, 464.65); and Kearney (100 free, 46.63).
Ramblers senior captain Max Ashurst dropped seconds off his seed time in the 200 IM.
Ramblers coach Tony D’Amico was named Niles North Sectional Diving Coach of the Year.