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Seniors carry Hinsdale Central to another WSC Silver swim crown
Hinsdale Saturday 2/2/13 Hinsdale Central's Nicky Relias during the start of the 50 free style. | Jerry Daliege~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 11, 2013 3:19PM
HINSDALE — Senior Eddie Mapel had a pretty good idea that Hinsdale Central was going to win the West Suburban Silver championship Saturday in Hinsdale.
That’s what the Red Devils are accustomed to achieving, but the feeling never gets old.
“It’s always great to have a meet like this,” Mapel said. “Everyone swam out of their minds today. I think everyone played their part to get this.”
Hinsdale Central (327 points) captured its fifth consecutive conference championship, finishing ahead of Lyons (287) and Oak Park-River Forest (220) in the six-team field.
The Red Devils got first-place finishes from seniors Connor Schroyer (50-yard freestyle, 22.37 seconds), Bryan Bu (100 butterfly, 53.38), Will Leach (100 free, 49.39), Peter Quinones (500 free, 4:54.65) and Mapel (100 breaststroke, 59.90).
Leach, Mapel, Bu and Schroyer won the 200 medley relay (1:37.81), while Schroyer, senior Nicky Relias, Bu and Leach took first in the 200 free relay (1:29.74).
Hinsdale Central has won the conference championship 14 of the past 15 years after OPRF won back-to-back conference titles in 1997-1998 when the Silver and Gold divisions were combined.
Lyons captured the Silver crown in 2008 after sharing the title with the Red Devils in 2007. Every other year, Hinsdale Central won the conference championship outright.
“We don’t ever take that lightly,” Hinsdale Central coach Corky King said. “It looked like it might be pretty close (on paper) between us and Oak Park but they had a mishap on the first relay and that took all the momentum away from them making a run. They definitely have the talent. We never want to take anybody for granted.”
Lyons placed second in the 200 medley relay (1:37.81) with sophomore Jack Garrow, senior Joe Shannon, junior Adam Kline and senior Peter Dore, while junior David Freund (100 free, 50.74) and Shannon (100 breast, 1:03.35) both finished third for the Lions’ top individual finishes.
OPRF senior Kyle Patnode set a conference record in winning the 100 backstroke (52.13) and also placed first in the 200 free (1:46.32) to pace the Huskies. Senior Nikita Bondarenko won the 200 individual medley (1:58.21), while Patnode, senior Nathan Pimentel, junior Mark Hallman and Bondarenko won the 400 free relay (3:15.58).
