Normal University Wins Illinois Boys High School State Title

By Eric Finger

EVANSTON, Illinois, March 9.  NORMAL University won the IHSA Boys State Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday, March 1 by scoring 123 points. Libertyville finished in second with 120 points, followed by Hinsdale Central, who scored 108 points.

Libertyville’s 200 medley relay started off the night with a victory, led by Alex Snarski, Bobby Snader, Matt Harrington and Atticus Rush in a time of 1:31.55. That broke the state record set in 2011 by Naperville Central. Hinsdale Central was right behind Libertyville in a time of 1:33.16, followed by Aurora Metea Valley in 1:33.66.

Adam Drury of Normal University took home the crown in the 200 freestyle in a blistering 1:38.96, well ahead of his competition. Peoria Notre Dame’s Jared Schimmelpfenning followed in second in 1:40.18, out-touching Winnetka New Trier’s Murphy McQuet (1:40.54).

Normal University got their second straight individual event victory from Jake Miller in the 200 IM, as he broke the state record set by Dan Trupin in 2001 by .07. Miller touched in 1:48.08, the only swimmer to break the 1:50 barrier. Winnetka New Trier’s Jae Park finished right behind him in a 1:50.21 and O’Fallon High School’s Sean Workman rounded out the top three in 1:51.55.

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Ryan Held broke 20 seconds in the 50 freestyle, going a 19.76 to break the state record set by Connor Black last year. Chicago Whitney Young’s Mossimo Chavez (20.89) and Aurora Metea Valley’s Matt Salerno (20.90) came in second and third, respectively.

The 1-meter diving title went to Chicago Heights Marian’s Joey Cifelli, as he scored 474.05 points to finish ahead of Rockford Christian Life’s Michael Klemm (438.40) and Deerfield High School’s Sean Scarry (420.00).

Aurora Illinois Math and Science Academy’s Steven Tan, Libertyville’s Matt Harington and Normal Community West’s Justin deDianous had one of the closest and most exciting races of the night in the 100 butterfly by going times of 48.43, 48.73, and 48.78 respectively.

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Held finished his dominance in the sprint events by pulling off the victory in the 100 freestyle as well, touching in 43.73 and breaking his second record of the night, this one set by Kevin Overholt in 2009. Hinsdale Central’s Brian Portland followed in a 45.28, right ahead of Chicago Whitney Young’s Mossimo Chavez, who finished second in 45.89.

The longest race of the evening, the 500 freestyle, was won by 200 free champion Jake Miller out of Normal University in 4:28.36.  Bloomington High School’s Michael Wolfe followed in 4:32.09, just ahead of Peoria Notre Dame’s Jared Schimmelpfenning, who finished second in the 200 freestyle earlier, in 4:34.09.

The second relay of the night, the 200 free relay, was won by Normal University’s Adam Drury, Steven Fishman, John Remmes and Jake Miller in 1:23.84, just ahead of Hinsdale Central, who went 1:24.18, and Libertyville, who came in at 1:24.54.

The 100 backstroke went to Libertyville’s Alex Snarski in a 48.99. Aurora Illinois Math and Science Academy’s Tan, who won the 100 butterfly earlier in the night, finished in second in 49.76, right ahead of DeKalb’s Daniel Hein in 50.28, who made his first top-three finish of the night.

Jordan O’Brien out of Aurora Metea Valley out-touched teammate Matt Salerno in the 100 breaststroke, 55.88 to 55.89, in another exhilarating race. Winnetka New Trier’s Jae Park made another top-three finish by coming in at 56.21.

In the last relay of the evening, Normal University’s Drury, Fishman, Remmes and Miller did it again by winning the event in a 3:03.97. They were followed by Evanston, who came in at 3:06.55, and Libertyville (3:06.89).

Results For: IHSA Boys Swimming and Diving Championships

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