2017 IHSA BOYS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- When: February 24th – February 25th
- Where: New Trier HS, Winnetka, IL
- Live results
- State qualifier list
The Lyons Township boys swimming & diving team took first overall for the second year in a row, scoring 156.5 points to place ahead of Hinsdale Central’s 142 and New Trier’s 120. Lyons placed third in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay and also touched 2nd in the 200 free relay, their relay presence garnering them 74 points.
Individually, Lyons was led by junior Spencer Walker, who won the 100 backstroke and was essential on relays. He touched the pad at 48.70 to take the 100 backstroke, doing so just two events after grabbing 4th in the 400 free (4:27.99). Walker led off the medley relay with a field-best 22.87 (though he was 22.39 in prelims), while Ryan Hammond split a 20.06 to anchor before he finished 4th in the individual 50 free (20.83). Walker (46.21 with a relay start) and Hammond (46.12 lead-off) both helped out on the 400 free relay, which was anchored in 45.76 by Henry Claesson. Lyons had an ‘A’ finalist (which is top 6 for Illinois, not top 8) in every event, including the 1 meter diving, except for the 200 IM and 100 fly.
New Trier performed very well, winning the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. Their star was junior Charlie Scheinfeld, who won the 100 breast (54.63), split a 24.58 breaststroke on the medley relay, placed 8th in the 100 free (46.41), and anchored NT’s winning 400 free relay with a 44.75. The fastest split on that relay in the field, however, came from Stevenson sophomore Topher Stensby, who anchored his relay with a 44.06. Stensby is much-improved from his 46.76 split last year, as he won the 50 free this year (20.44) and was runner-up in the 100 free (45.14) to St. Viator’s Michael Balcerak (45.12).
GBS’s Sam Iida had the most impressive meet, downing an IHSA record by over two seconds in the 200 IM and winning the 500 free as well. Iida, an Arizona commit, went 1:46.02 in the 200 IM to break the state record of 1:48.08 set by the late Jake Miller in 2014. Before this weekend, Iida had only been under 1:50 once before (1:48.33), meaning he dropped more than two seconds from his previous lifetime best in one weekend. His 4:23.63 to win the 500 free was also a lifetime best for him. Additionally, Iida split a 22.63 leading off GBS’s 200 medley relay and anchored their 400 free relay in 45.21.
FINAL SCORES
1. Lyons 156.5 2. Hinsdale Central 142 3. New Trier 120 4. Stevenson 106 5. St Charles East 82 6. Notre Dame 61 7. Glenbrook South 56 8. St Charles North 53 9. Naperville Central 52 9. Naperville North 52