Fremd pays back Conant
Fremd boys swimming coach Kristen Newby is new to the program's head-coaching position this season, but she's been part of the Vikings' effort as an assistant for several years.
So she clearly remembers a painful loss to Conant last season. Naturally, among her priorities for this season was beating the Cougars.
Check.
Newby's crew used a 1-2 finish in the 100-meter breaststroke from Ray Sheid and Ilya Skvortsov to tie the meet at 86-86 entering the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. The Vikings' quartet of Yang Zhou, Jeff Freund, Dennis Kostidis and Dustin Anderson won in 3:45.45 to wrap up the meet 96-90 before a loud crowd in Palatine.
“Last year was tough for us, and it was big for them,” said Newby. “This year, it's the other way around this is big for us.
“Everybody knew coming in that it would be a close meet, and it sure was.”
Conant was missing one of the usual members of its 400 free relay due to illness, but Cougars coach Brian Drenth was still disappointed to see Fremd prevail in the final race.
He's anything but discouraged, however, with the early returns from his team.
The Cougars won both the medley relay and the 200 free relay and got individual wins from Martin Pozniak (200 IM), Palmer Lynch (50 free) and Jon Maevski (diving).
Fremd had a pair of senior individual double winners state meet veterans Freund (100 fly, 200 free) and Anderson (100 free, 100 back). And in the 400 free, Fremd sophomore Dennis Kostidis edged out Conant freshman Jon Burke in a tight race.
“We're awfully young,” said Drenth. “But we've got good numbers, and we've got some kids that are really making strides.”
It's been a trial by fire for the Cougars so far, with dual meets against Hersey, Lake Park and Fremd completed and another tough one against Barrington on the horizon.
For Fremd, the focus turns to longer-range goals. One of them is to advance relays to the state meet at season's end.
For Freund, who won the consolation championship heat of the 500-yard freestyle in last year's state meet, a secondary goal is to make it through the MSL schedule unscathed.
“It's great that we can come out of this meet and still have that be attainable,” he said.
Hoffman Estates d. Schaumburg: The host Hawks won every race except the 100-meter backstroke to earn an MSL West victory over the Saxons.
Mike Christen had legs on all three relays and also won the 50 free; Adam Pasnicki won the 200 and 400 freestyle and also swam on the medley and 400 free relays; Sang W. Han won the 100 free, 100 breastroke and competed on the medley and 200 free relays.
Schaumburg's winner was Daniel Hartzman in the 100 backstroke.
Wheeling d. Prospect: Bryce Maczko won the 200 IM, the 100 free and had a leg on the Wildcats' victorious 200 free relays as Wheeling earned an MSL East triumph 98-86. Individual winners for the Wildcats included Jaron Witt (200 free), Shane McDade (50 free) and Scott Lunardini (100 fly). Prospect event winners were Matt Muniz (diving), Andrew Younger (500 free), Ryan Konieczka (100 back) and Nathanael Ginnodo (100 breast).
Buffalo Grove d. Elk Grove: Bison junior Ian Rodriguez swam on three winning relays and Matt Schulstad won the 100 fly and 100 back to help host Buffalo Grove past Elk Grove 126-55.
Barrington d. Palatine: The visiting Broncos flexed their muscle and came away with a 135-51 victory at Palatine. Event winners for Barrington included Greg Alexander in the 100 IM, Dan Comyn in the 50 free and Leo Hayden in the 100 fly.