Buffalo Grove, Wheeling Carry Swim Success From Sectional to State
Vernon Hills Rolling Again Under Pardun; Stevenson Sending Lillydahl Out on High Note; Lakes Makes State Spotlight; 30th Anniversary of Fremd's Repeat Champions
With the boys state swimming meet this weekend at FMC Natatorium in Westmont, here are some leftovers from last week’s Libertyville sectional:
BG, Smith Eye More Success
Two-year Buffalo Grove captain Nolan Smith has had an eye on the kind of success he had at the sectional. His 20.8 to win the 50 free broke the school record of 21.2 by Alex Santiago and the pool record of 20.85 by Vernon Hills’ Dan Berke.
Smith also finished second in the 100 free (46.04) to Vernon Hills sophomore standout Yury Plaksin.
“A big part of what I’m doing is visualizing, looking up and seeing the time and feeling how it’s going to be,” Smith said. “I knew coming in today after warmups I was looking good and feeling good.”
Smith is seeded sixth in both of his individual freestyle events. He has aspirations of being a Division I swimmer in college and mentioned Missouri as a possibility.
“I needed to post a fast time if I wanted to swim at a fast school,” Smith said.
“I wasn’t expecting that time,” BG coach Tom Cooney said after Smith’s 50. “His goal was to beat the school-record time and he killed it.
“He’s a two-year captain and was pretty much the captain his sophomore year. He’s humble and soft-spoken but a leader in the pool. It was another incredible swim by him.”
Smith qualified for state last year and wants to take it one step further this year.
“It’s exciting. I’ve never been to (Saturday’s) state finals at all and that's what I’m shooting for,” Smith said. “Going into it I’m excited to be there and happy to have such a nice time under my belt.”
Smith will also be there with the 200 free relay of David Olaru, Luka Gavrilos and Ben Inglis that tied the school record of 1:26.59. Senior diver Michael Surowaniec took 11th last year and had the state’s second-best sectional performance. Freshman diver Luka Tarabrin also made the state diving field.
It’s all part of a big year that included an MSL East title for BG.
“It’s been awesome,” Smith said. “We have a really good group of guys on the team.
“We’re all here to have fun and also here to be competitive. The coaches do a lot of things to make the team fun.”
Wheeling Increases Its Fun
Wheeling senior Van Paul is returning to state after qualifying in the 100 butterfly (50.54) and 100 breaststroke (58.09). Joining him this year are juniors Adam Akhter, Paul Glinkin and Kristian Pavlov after breaking the school record in the 200 medley relay (1:35.31) they set in winning the MSL meet.
Akhter also qualified in the 100 backstroke.
“Too long,” veteran coach Tod Schwager said with a smile of 2016 being the last time Wheeling took this many swimmers to state.
“It’s been really fun. We’ve broken a lot of records and that’s been really fun and everybody has been improving,” Akhter said. “As a captain I’ve seen a lot of growth with everybody on the team.
“Last year we had only two people and this year we’re sending an entire team. I’m looking forward to this Friday and we’re going to have fun.”
Wheeling’s medley relay has a medal shot as a 16th seed.
“Last week we had a nice time drop,” Schwager said of the school-record 1:36.62 at the MSL meet. “With the first event out of the gate, you’re not sure but then you see that, where the kids come out and are on top of it right away.
“It’s never fun to go all alone. The guys have worked hard all year and offseason and it’s great to see them get down to the times they all got. Before last week, I thought if everyone has their best day we could get to state and last week we hit the state time already.”
Schwager hopes a bigger contingent will benefit Paul in his return to state.
“I still think he can drop a little bit of time,” Schwager said. “Having him in three events is better and other people in the pool with him should help out, too.”
Wheeling’s sixth-place MSL finish was its best as a team in eight years. Paul won the 100 free to become the school’s first individual MSL champion since Nick Reiff in 2016 and the 200 medley was its first MSL relay title since 2014.
Another Big Year for MSL Product Pardun at Vernon Hills
Vernon Hills is building sustained success in its sixth year under Jim Pardun, who swam at Fremd and Harper College. Pardun’s dad Phil led the boys program when the school opened in 2000 and was a prominent figure in MSL swimming as a boys and girls coach at Elk Grove and Rolling Meadows.
Jim Pardun’s Cougars won their first conference title in program history last year and repeated as Central Suburban North champs. And they followed it up by taking second place in the sectional for the second year in a row - this time to Stevenson.
“It was a very good meet overall. A great day,” Pardun said. “The guys we expected to hit state cuts did it and it’s their show (this weekend).
“We’re looking forward to it. We have some experience under our belt. We had a young team last year and we’re still kind of young.”
One of their most talented swimmers is sophomore Yury Plaksin, who finished 12th last year in the 100-yard freestyle and returns from the sixth-place 400 free relay with senior Dan Berke. Plaksin and Berke could become the program’s first swimmers to medal in successive seasons.
Plaksin is seeded second in the 50 free (45.33) after breaking his Libertyville pool record by 1.2 seconds and is seeded third in the 100 free (1:39.31).
“This year I have a little more expectation for myself. I feel I’ve gotten faster,” Plaksin said. “We have a good group and every day there’s competition with your own teammates. That helps you get better. It’s not like we’re opponents but we try to push each other to help each other get faster.”
Vernon Hills’ three relays are also in medal contention. Seeded eighth are the 200 free of senior Will Rendall, Plaksin, Berke and junior Edgar Chan (1:24.96) and the 400 free of Will Blackmer, Plaksin, Berke and Chan (3:09.10). The 200 medley group of Blackmer, Berke, Rendall and Chan is seeded 14th (1:34.85).
The 200 free’s sectional win was unique because it came out of the slower of the two heats. Pardun said the Cougars had stacked their 400 relay all season but for the sectional had Berke in three relays and one individual event.
“It’s pretty cool to be first out of heat one and come away with a win,” Pardun beamed of edging Stevenson’s 1:25.34 in the fast heat.
Stevenson Sending Lillydahl Out on High Note
Two first-time senior qualifiers in Matthew Oakes and Tim Rhee are a big part of a successful finish for retiring Stevenson coach Doug Lillydahl. The Patriots won their 10th consecutive North Suburban Conference and sectional titles the last two weekends.
Lillydahl’s 2022 team won a state title. He also coached two second-place teams in 2003-04 and a third-place finisher in 2023.
“He’s really dedicated to this team and really cares for all of us,” said Rhee, who won the 500 free at the sectional in 4:45.13.
Oakes took second in the 50 free and is on the third-seeded 200 medley relay with Kasper Lee and Sirui and Joshua Wang. Oakes, Joshua Wang, Kyler Chou and Phillip Oiu are seeded 12th in the 200 free relay.
Lillydahl said Oakes accomplished something that never happened in his coaching career at Stevenson. Oakes progressed through the program’s three JV levels with different coaches his first three years to become a state qualifier as a senior.
“I had to work a lot, especially this fall,” Oakes said. “It’s nice but (this) week is the main thing.”
Rhee said “what he’s been able to do is really impressive.” Lillydahl was equally thrilled for Oakes.
“He did it. Four coaches on four teams,” Lillydahl said with a smile. “We have 125 kids so I didn’t know him as a freshman. He made the most of his situation and was able to rise up. It’s my first year I’ve coached him and he’s on such an upward arc and made great improvement.
“We talk about teams and a pyramid - the entire team, the base of the team supports the upper levels of conference, sectional and state. You have to rely on everybody else to develop the culture and maintain the culture.
“There was some talent there but (Oakes) developed a feel for the water and he’s worked like crazy on his starts this year. Every time I turn around he wants to do 10 more starts.”
Lillydahl also said “you love to see it” about Rhee getting to state as a senior. Rhee also felt better physically after battling illness at the NSC meet.
And he believes this year’s group exemplifies what Lillydahl said about culture.
“It’s felt like more of a team,” Rhee said. “We’ve grown closer like a family.”
Gedville Puts Lakes in Spotlight
Lakes junior Mitch Gedville doesn’t have a home pool or a full team to swim with during the high school season. He trains at Libertyville where he swims with his club team.
But Gedville will represent Lakes at state after qualifying in the 100 backstroke in 52.63. He said the school’s last state qualifier was around 15 years ago.
“I’m glad to go to state and the state walk (at school) is going to be great,” Gedville said. “I have a lot of club teammates here so it was great to see them again.
“I felt really great going into the 100 back as I was getting to the start. It’s so nice to finally break through and have it happen in front of all my friends.”
30th Anniversary of Fremd’s Dream Teams
Fremd’s two state championship teams in 1994 and 1995 are the only ones from the MSL in boys or girls swimming. Paul Reeff’s team beat Hinsdale Central 168½-112 for the first title and 135-129 for the second title.
Jay Glenn tied for first the 100 backstroke in 1994 and then edged Palatine’s Greg Plank for the title in 1995. Tyler Holcomb won the 500 free and was second in the 200 in 1994.
Quality depth was evident across the board for the Vikings both years.
In 1994, Holcomb, Brian Brinkley, Mark Kujawski and Duke Shin won the 200 and 400 free relay titles. Shin was also third in the 100 and fourth in the 200, Brinkley was second in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 fly and Jim Patla was fifth in the 50 free. Glenn, Patla, Michael Patla and Mark Fastabend were 10th in the 200 medley relay.
The 1995 champions saw the 400 free relay of Paul Desruisseaux, Mark Kujawski, Clint McHugh and Jim Patla edge Hinsdale Central 3:07.54-3:08.88 to win the final event and wrap up the title repeat. That group also took fourth in the 200 free relay, Desruisseaux and Kujawski were 5-6 in the 200 free, Desruisseaux was seventh in the 100 free and Patla tied for fourth in the 50 free.
Glenn was eighth in the 200 IM and teamed with Mark Fastabend and Jim and Michael Patla for fourth in the 200 medley relay. Diver Andy Dale added key points in 11th.
The only other MSL boys team to get a top-three trophy was Barrington in third place in 1990.