NT_011019

northbrooktower.com sports
the northbrook tower | January 10, 2019 | 47
Boys swimming and diving
Purdy leads North past Vernon Hills
Gary larsen/22nd
century media
1st-and-3
athletes of the
week
1. Ryan Purdy
(Above) The Spartans
senior boys
swimmer tried
out some different
swims in his
team’s win over
Vernon Hills on
Friday, Jan. 4.
2. Cam Casey The
senior GBN wrestler
won his match
by default in what
was his last event
at home against
Vernon Hills on
Friday, Jan. 4.
3. Abby Slovin
The Northbrook
resident and GBN
freshman battled
adversity to compete
at the 2019
United States
Figure Skating
Nationals where
she will skate in a
few weeks.
Gary Larsen
Freelance Reporter
When Ryan Purdy
swam a time of 1 minute,
53.61 seconds, in the 200
individual medley back
on Dec. 7, he posted the
fastest time in Illinois this
season per illinoisaquatics.com.
In the process, he
also set a new Glenbrook
North program record.
“I’ve been training the
hardest I have in my life,”
Purdy said, “so I figured I
would break the record at
some point.”
Purdy hasn’t competed
in the 200 IM in Spartans’
past two meets, including
a 100-80 dual meet win
at Vernon Hills on Friday,
Jan. 4. He did win both
the 500 freestyle and 100
backstroke events, but
coach Jarod Schroeder
thought it best to give Purdy
a break from 200 IM.
Purdy has been urging
Schroeder to let him start
swimming the event again,
but he also sees the value of
taking a step back from it.
“Swimming the same
events can get boring,”
Purdy said. “Swimming
club you have so many
events to choose from but
swimming high school,
you’re swimming the same
three or four events every
single week.
“So swimming the 500
(freestyle) today, it was
just nice to mix it up and
Online content
For the photo gallery
from this game, visit
NorthbrookTower.com.
get some fresh swims in
there.”
In addition to Purdy’s
two individual wins, the
Spartans got wins against
Vernon Hills from Jake
Shapiro in both the 100 and
200 freestyle, Sam Shin in
the 200 individual medley,
Ryan Cohn in 1 meter diving
and Alex Johnson in
the 100 butterfly.
Cohn, who recently
committed to dive for
Binghamton University,
dominated the field at
Vernon Hills. His 260.15
points scored was nearly
100 point ahead of the second-place
finisher.
GBN also won the 200
medley and 200 freestyle
relay events. In their
first competition in three
weeks, the Spartans left
Schroeder fairly pleased.
Especially after their holiday
swim schedule hit a
few roadblocks.
“We had a flu go
through the team the past
few weeks, and we were
missing people who were
with their families over
the holidays,” Schroeder
said. “But they did what
they needed to do today,”
Schroeder said.
“We actually had a couple
guys go best times, and
Glenbrook North boys swimmer Ryan Purdy swims at Vernon Hills on Friday, Dec. 4.
Gary Larsen/22nd Century Media
anytime you can do that
in-season when you’re
tired, that’s a good thing.”
Shapiro swam his season’s
best time in the
200 freestyle, and even
though they didn’t win
their events, Eli Traub
posted his season’s best
in the 100 butterfly, as
did Neil Moghe in the
100 backstroke and Daniel
Kaufman in the 100
breaststroke.
Shapiro wasn’t feeling
his physical best against
Vernon Hills, but he gutted
the night out.
“I think it’s just our
training and mentality,”
Shapiro said. “That’s the
whole plan of the season
— to go fast even when
you’re not feeling good,
so when you do feel good,
you go even faster.”
Schroeder was also happy
to welcome freestyler
Fabian Jujescu back in the
fold.
“He wasn’t going to
swim but he joined back on
the team two weeks ago,”
Schroeder said. “This was
his first meet back so it
was good to see him race.
It wasn’t where he wanted
to be but it’s good to have
him back.”
For Purdy, choices lie
ahead. The 500 freestyle
was his main event last
season but Friday’s meet
marked the first time he
swam it this season. He'll
decide which events he’ll
swim in the postseason
come February.
Purdy recently committed
to swim for the University
of Iowa next year. He
gave up football to focus
on swimming prior to his
senior year, and he has’t
looked back.
“I’m very happy with the
choice,” Purdy said. “It was
hard during football season
to watch it, especially during
the first game. But the
decision has paid off so
much. My body feels so
much better, just from not
going through that intense
training and heavy weightlifting
and all that. I would
get out of shape during
football season.
“But I think my swimming
definitely benefited
from my football career.
Football really gave me
a competitive edge about
finishing every play, and
finishing every swim.”
Listen Up
“It’s been inspiring for a lot of people around
here. It’s inspiring to watch.”
Dana Hult — Abby Slovin’s coach on her skater’s
perseverance through injury during the past year.
tunE in
Up next
The Glenbrook North boys basketball team hosts
Buffalo Grove on Saturday, Jan. 12.
• 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 12, at GBN
Index
43 - Boys Hockey
43 - Athlete of the Month
Fastbreak is compiled by The Tower’s staff. Send comments to
m.dwojak@22ndcenturymedia.com.