:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/HTTTBVFYUJ7CUAI6W2PZJRASO4.jpg)
Fox Valley Conference
Cary-Grove co-op
(with Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge)
Coach: Scott Lattyak (sixth season)
Last season: First at FVC Invitational
Top returners: Ben Castro (CLC), sr.; Danial Sanahurskyj (CLS), jr.; Drew Watson (CLS), so.; Kameron Fadden (C-G), sr.; Dexter Zielinski (CLC), jr.; Connor Chan (CLC), so.; Brendan Baser (PR), so.; Sam Naatz (C-G), sr.
Key newcomers: Kasparas Venslauskas (CLC), fr.; Noah Brereton (CLS), fr.; Jace Kranig (PR), fr.; Victor Praczkowski (CLS), fr.
Worth noting: The Trojans went 7-0-1 in FVC duals and ended the regular season with a tie against Woodstock North co-op. C-G won the FVC Invitational by 24 points over runner-up Huntley and now has won three straight conference titles and 13 in the past 14 years. … C-G returns state hopefuls in Castro, Sanahurskyj and Watson. No state meet was held last season because of the pandemic. All three of those swimmers posted times last season that would have beat the state-qualifying time for the current season: Castro in the 100-yard butterfly (49.86), Sanahurskyj in the 100 butterfly (51.13) and Watson in the 100 backstroke (52.70). … Castro is committed to Tampa and is a five-time state qualifier (three individual events, two relays). He took 10th in the 100 butterfly as a sophomore. … The Trojans swept all three relays at the FVC Invitational last season. Castro, Watson, Zielinski and Sanahurskyj won the 400 free relay while Naatz was part of the winning 200 free relay, along with Castro and Zielinski. Watson took first in the 200 IM, Castro and Sanahurskyj were first and second, respectively, in the 100 butterfly, and Baser won the 500 free at conference. … Lattyak said the Trojans are looking to grab multiple state berths and a top 10 finish overall. The team’s 200 medley relay has gone to state three years in a row.
Huntley
Coach: Jenna Gaudio (fourth season)
Last season: Second at FVC Invitational
Top returners: Ben Rocks, jr.; Max Van Doran, sr.; Gavin Heard, sr.; Yehan Subasinghe, jr.; Dominic Siwiec, jr.; Luke Hackemack, so.
Key newcomers: Matthew Glosson, fr.; Jack Peterson, fr.
Worth noting: Rocks is one of only two returning area swimmers with previous state experience. He qualified as a freshman and placed 35th in the 100 free. … The Red Raiders were runners-up to C-G for the second year in a row at the FVC Invitational. Both losses have been by fewer than 24 points. This year’s team only has two seniors. … Huntley had three first-place swims at the conference meet. Rocks finished first in the 100 free (47.23), and graduates Luke Vandy (50 free) and Kacper Cebula (100 backstroke) also won. Rocks’ 100 free time would have beat this year’s state-cut time. Hackemack finished runner-up in the 500 free at conference. … “We are looking forward to weekend invitations, the FVC Invite and the state series with sectionals and state,” Gaudio said. “We are cross training and adding stretching, yoga and meditation to practices. Several swimmers have goals set around state qualifying times. The team and I are so happy to have a more normal season this year.”
Jacobs co-op
(with Dundee Crown and Hampshire)
Coach: Molly Gomberg (fourth season)
Last season: Third at FVC Invitational
Top returners: Martin Nowak (D-C), sr.; Pavlo Komarov (Jac), so.; Charlie Mason (Jac), so.
Key newcomers: Luke Johnson (Jac), fr.; Gabe Niemi (Jac), fr.
Worth noting: Nowak is the team’s top returner and, during the fall club season, came within a second of the state-qualifying time in the 100 butterfly. … Komarov “has lots of potential to be competitive for a conference title in sprint freestyle events,” Gomberg said. ... Jacobs improved by one spot in the FVC standings. … “I am most excited about seeing how much all of our swimmers grow in their swimming abilities this year,” Gomberg said. “The amount of potential in this group of young men is incredible. We are a young team that is ready to learn and make some waves. We have a few swimmers that have the potential to qualify for state, so my goal is to give them every opportunity possible to get to the FMC Natatorium [in Westmont for the state meet] at the end of February.”
McHenry
Coach: Sharon Lesniak (fifth season)
Last season: Fifth at FVC Invitational
Top returners: Gaven Hedberg, sr.; Kenneth FitzPatrick, sr.; Kellen FitzPatrick, sr.; Brayden Dufield, jr.; Dominic Nambo, jr.; Carter Neiman, so.; Ryan Story, so.
Key newcomers: Kyle Rychlik, fr.; Jakob Axelson, fr.
Worth noting: The Warriors finished fifth at the FVC Invitational for the third straight year but were not far away from fourth place. ... Lesniak said Rychlik is a freshman to look out for. ... Story had some of McHenry’s top swims at the conference meet last season in the 100 butterfly and 500 free. ... “[Our goals] are to work hard and to be able to grow as a team ... to help each individual get their personal best times for the year,” Lesniak said.
Woodstock North co-op
(with Woodstock)
Coach: Maggie Gomberg (first season)
Last season: Fourth at FVC Invitational
Top returners: Connor Weitermann (WHS), sr.; Robert Zawadzki (WHS), sr.; Keaton Parrish (WHS), so.
Key newcomers: Kayden Bracken (WN), so.; Kevin Riley (WN) fr.
Worth noting: Gomberg takes over for longtime coach Ian Shanahan, who coached the Thunder for 18 years. … The North co-op team graduated five and will be without Quinn Cynor, now at Cincinnati, for the first time in four years. Cynor holds team records in all eight individual events and had four top 10 state medals combined as a sophomore and junior: placing third, fifth, sixth and ninth. Cynor had the best local finish at state in each of the past three seasons with a state series, but did not get a chance last year to add to his total because of the pandemic. He had both of the team’s first-place finishes at the FVC Invite last year. … “I am looking forward to seeing what this team can achieve this year,” Gomberg said. “It has been great to see both new and returning swimmers back in the pool. They are a very motivated group of swimmers and have unlimited potential.”
-- An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated where Cary-Grove co-op senior Ben Castro will swim competitively next year. He will be at Tampa.