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“I honestly couldn’t ask
for anything more for my last
year here,” Smith added. “I
couldn’t be happier.”
East’s 298 points topped
runner-up Lincoln-Way Central
(252) for the sectional
team title, aided by many
other great swims.
The Griffins now must
shift focus to the next test: the
main stage of the state meet.
Meanwhile, Lincoln-Way
Central’s Tim Murphy and
Danny O’Brien earned return
trips to state at the sectional
meet.
“I’m very excited,” Mur-
mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | February 22, 2018 | 39
fastbreak
Boys swimming and diving
East wins record-shattering sectional
22nd Century Media File
Photo
1st-and-3
Central basketball
ups and downs
1. Lauren Kraft (above)
The Knights were
among the teams in
contention for the
SWSC Red title, but
star center Lauren
Kraft tore her ACL
during the Medieval
Classic in December,
They beat SWSC Red
champs Lincoln-Way
West earlier in the
year when she was
healthy.
2. A bright future
The Knights are to
return starters Abi
Baumgartner and Regan
LoConte, as well
as reserves Alyssa
Popp, Haley Stoklosa,
Corryn Mejdrich,
Lindsey Harvey, Lily
Zopf, Mallory Robey,
Megan Hutchinson
and Maggie Bechtold.
3. Senior send off
Central will only
graduate four players,
including Kraft,
starting forward Natalie
Spudic, starting
point guard Haley
Ragland and reserve
Sydney Swift.
Central’s Murphy,
O’Brien earn
individual state
qualifying honors
Dave Owen, Freelance Reporter
Under the pressure of sectionals,
Lincoln-Way East
turned in an unforgettable
performance for the record
books Saturday, Feb. 17.
How unforgettable? A vivid
reminder of the effort will
be within daily view at the
Frankfort school for a while.
The host Griffins set new pool
records in the 200-yard medley
relay (1:34.39), the 400
freestyle relay (3:11.70), and
individually by Mason Rhode
in the 200 IM (1:53.50) and
Bryce Wyma in both the 50
freestyle (20.92) and the 100
backstroke (51.41).
In all, five of the 12 varsity
pool records are now held by
2018 swimmers. And with
additional state-qualifying
event wins by senior Dante
Smith (59.26 in the 100
breaststroke), Rhode (50.31
in the 100 butterfly) and Kellen
Bachler (47.59 in the 100
freestyle), it was a sectional
championship effort that
would be tough to top in program
history.
“We all had the goal coming
out of breaking a lot of records,”
said Bachler, a senior
who was on the two record
relays and also advanced to
state with his second-place
Lincoln-Way East senior Kellen Bachler qualifies Saturday, Feb. 17, for an individual spot (47.59 in the 100 freestyle) at the
state championships. The Griffins set five new records during the sectional meet. 22nd century media file photo
21.79 in the 50 freestyle.
“I’m just really proud of everybody.
It’s a great group of
guys.”
The greatest of the elite
group at sectionals was junior
Wyma. Swimming four
events — two individual, two
relays — he was part of pool
records in all four.
“I’ve been smiling all day
since the first relay record,”
Wyma said. “We all went out
there and swam our races.”
That first relay record
Wyma mentioned was the
200 medley that shattered a
pool record set in 2007.
Smith, Rhode and Bachler
joined Wyma on the 200
medley to open the meet,
then Wyma, Rhode, Colin
Brady and Bachler bookended
the record day with a new
pool mark in the 400 free relay
to end the meet.
Sophomore Rhode set the
new 200 IM record by 3.46
seconds, then his 100 butterfly
just missed the nine-yearold
pool record of 50.27 in
that event.
“My 100 fly I missed the
pool record by .04 [seconds],
so that was a little disappointing,
although I was still very
happy,” Rhode said. “Next
week at state I’m going to try
to get that down towards 49
(seconds).”
The dream sectional was
an especially exciting day for
senior Smith, whose season
of incredible improvement
ends with swims in two state
events.
“Last year I wasn’t even
on the sectional team, and it
(state) has happened in my
last chance,” Smith said.
“To go straight from not
even making the sectional
team to now going to state
feels great, and our 200 medley
relay set the tone early in
the meet. The time we went
is competitive throughout the
entire state. I feel we have a
good chance to go to (state)
finals.
Please see swimming, 35
Listen Up
“With Abi [Baumgartner] back along with two freshmen
and a sophomore back next season, we are building for the
future and then some.”
Dave Campanile – Lincoln-Way Central girls basketball coach, on bouncing back in
the 2018-2019 season
TUNE IN
Boys Basketball
6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
Lincoln-Way Central boys basketball
will host senior night against familiar
foe Lincoln-Way West.
Index
36 – Athlete of the Week
35 – High School Highlights
FASTBREAK is compiled by Contributing Editor James
Sanchez, james@newlenoxpatriot.com.