It is difficult not to get caught up in the excitement of the boys` state swimming meet. The balcony at the Hinsdale South pool overflows with more than 1,000 cheering fans, and the swimmers yell and scream from their seats alongside the pool.
Everyone gets involved–swimmers, coaches and fans. Hinsdale South coach Rick Townsend was trying to control his enthusiasm early in Friday`s preliminaries after the Hornets` 200-yard medley relay team set an Illinois High School Association record of 1 minute 35.79 seconds.
”What can I say? They deserve it,” Townsend said. ”I felt we had the talent to do it, and they went out and did it. The home-pool advantage was one thing that helped.”
The team of sophomore Brian Kurza and seniors Mike Hemenway, Bob Allen and anchor Rich Evertz broke the record of 1:36.29 set by Naperville North in the 1984 finals.
Despite the impressive showing, Townsend was holding back. The key word, as far as he was concerned, was ”preliminaries.”
”They all did well. I can`t ask for anything more,” Townsend said.
”Still, they have to do it tomorrow. The record will be shallow if we don`t do it tomorrow.”
Naperville North had the second fastest time Friday, 1:37.85. Hinsdale Central was third in 1:38.41.
Hinsdale South entered the meet with the best qualifying time (1:38.64). The same foursome placed sixth at last year`s state finals in 1:39.58.
St. Charles looks like a sure bet to win its fifth consecutive state championship and seventh in the last eight years. The Saints advanced 10 individuals and both relays to Saturday`s finals, which start at 1 p.m.
”We`re in a pretty good spot,” said St. Charles coach Dave Bart. ”We got in almost everything we had hoped. The kids knew what they had to do.”
St. Charles senior Andy Edmondson, who won the state 100 freestyle last year in 46.02, was the leading qualifier in that event with a time of 45.65. But he wasn`t satisfied.
”I didn`t feel like I had everything in control,” Edmondson said. ”I didn`t think I had a very good start. After the 200, I felt real dizzy. I came into the locker room and threw up. I went out real fast in the 200. I ate a lot this morning. I`ll eat a lot differently tomorrow.” Edmondson also had the fastest time in the 200 with a 1:40.68.
St. Charles senior David Fix, not to be outdone by Edmondson, posted the best prelim times in the 100 butterfly (50.72) and the 500 freestyle
(4:33.88).
Plainfield senior Ben Bates and Loyola freshman Erik Maurer won`t be going after state titles. Bates, two-time state champion in the 200 individual medley, was slowed by an ankle injury and failed to qualify for the finals. He placed 11th in 2:01.79.
Maurer, who entered the meet with the second fastest qualifying times in the 200 and 100 freestyles, will not be in the finals in either event. Maurer placed 9th in the 200 (1:44.7) and 10th in the 100 (47.98).
