(Journal Online)  Glenbrook South has a rich tradition of advancing swimmers to state. The Titans not only specialize in sending individuals to the state finals, but relay teams too.

Since the 2004-05 season, the Titans have qualified each of the team’s three relays to state every year.

The tradition remains intact this year with the Titan 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relays all competing at the state meet at Evanston this weekend.

The medley relay has the biggest potential to do some damage and set records.

The Titan medley is seeded 3rd out of 38 qualifiers with a 1:35.62 time. Swimming are seniors Ryan Hianik, Ryan Brander, Thomas Pollick and freshman Jon Salomon.

This relay is arguably the best medley the Titans have had since 2006-07. That relay featured Dominik Cubelic, Ben Hengels, Andrew Schmitt and Colin Cordes going on to set the school record with a 1:35.10 in the state prelims and finishing 2nd in the finals in 1:35.44.

This year’s relay is in striking distance of taking that five-year-old school record. Their 1:35.62 finish last Saturday at the Glenbrook North sectional was a season best and shattered the GBN pool record, previously set in 2009 by Loyola in 1:37.05.

“It’s going to be a really strong relay,” said Brander, who swims the fly leg of the relay.

“Last year we lost two guys on it. So going into sectionals we really didn’t know how it was going to be. But I’m really excited for it,” said Hianik who leads off the relay with the backstroke.

Last year the relay had Hianik, J.J. Connor and graduates Will Porter and Ryan Bach. That relay took 1st at sectionals, but the week of state, Connor had a non-fatal heart condition come up that prohibited him from swimming.

So at state the entire relay got mixed up with Pollick and Brander joining Hianik and Porter.

They placed 26th finishing in 1:38.58. But being together last year was a foreshadowing of what was to be coming up this year.

“We all had a good experience together last year, which made us all the stronger,” Pollick said.

Pollick has been swimming the free leg of each state qualifying medley relay since his freshman year (2008-09).

An instrumental tool to the relay this year was the addition of Salomon swimming the breaststroke leg. The freshman has been swimming at SWIFT Aquatics since he was in grade school. The results speak for themselves.

He set the school varsity 100-yard breaststroke record at sectionals finishing in 1:00.68. He also owns three freshman records too: the 100 IM (54.66), 100 free (48.01) and the 50 breaststroke (28.75).

“At the beginning of the season I was just trying to get used to the program,” Salomon said. “I think we have a lot of potential.”

The entire relay group is also mixed together in the 200 free and 400 free relays.

Connor is back healthy this year and swims on both of them, but is particularly excited for the 200 free relay.

“Glenbrook South has had great success with this event in the past. We got the state record in this event. So we’re just trying to carry on the greatness of the 200 free relay,” Connor said.

The 200 free relay has Connor, Hianik, Brander and Pollick. They took 1st place at sectionals in 1:26.05. They’re seeded 5th out of 32.

The 2008-09 200 free relay with Cubelic, Bach, Hengels and Chris DeLetto set the state record with its 1st place, 1:22.15 finish.

The 400 free relay has Hianik, Salomon, Connor and Pollick. They placed 2nd at sectionals in 3:11.30. They’re seeded 10th out of 32.

The state meet starts Friday at Evanston with preliminaries. The top 12 times advance to the state finals on Saturday.

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(Journal Online)  There was no shortage of surprises and thrills on the Glenbrook North pool deck Saturday in Northbrook.

Times were dropped, records were shattered and underdogs advanced to the state finals this weekend at Evanston.

The tone of the sectional was immediately set from the first event. Glenbrook South’s 200-yard medley relay broke the GBN pool record finishing 1st in 1:35.62. The record was previously set by Loyola in 2009 with a 1:37.05 finish.

Conant’s relay was runner up with a qualifying time of 1:35.70. The finish broke their school record, which the same relay did earlier this season and last year as well.

Both Glenbrook South and Conant ended the day advancing the most to this weekend’s state competition on the North Shore.

The Titans advanced all three relays, 10 individuals and one diver. The Cougars advanced all three relays, six individuals and two divers.

“It’s more about getting the guys across than winning the sectional,” said Glenbrook South coach Keith MacDonald.

Conant coach Brian Drenth reiterated the sentiment. “For me, getting all these guys out and qualifying is unbelievable.”

Making some of the biggest waves in the water was Maine East. Both their divers, juniors Jeremy Rohrman and Daniel Sieghart, are on their way to state, making it the first time a Demon diver qualified since 1992. It’s the first time since 1974 the Demons had two divers qualify.

“It was very intense. To know the people in 4th and 5th behind you were only 10 points away, just tells you about the competition,” Rohrman said.

Rohrman placed 3rd with 389.5 points, but was only 2 points away from taking 2nd, which was won by Deerfield’s Ryan Church (390.55).

“He (Rohrman) had a great day,” Sieghart said of his teammate’s performance. “The battle for 2nd was up for anyone today.”

Sieghart placed 4th with 381.75 points. Handedly winning diving was Deerfield freshman Sean Scarry with 458.6 points. Rohrman is seeded 32nd and Sieghart 37th out of 48 divers this weekend.

Hersey pumped out a first time qualifier, senior Alex Roznai in the butterfly who was crowned sectional champ with a 52.30 finish.

Last week at the Mid Suburban League conference meet, Hersey coach Dick Mortensen noticed something different between Roznai’s performance in the fly and backstroke.

He was loose in the backstroke with a carefree attitude, enabling a 3rd place finish (56.97). Not bad, considering it was only his second time swimming the event this year. But it was that carefree approach he needed in the fly, Mortensen told him.

“So before the race I was just talking with Boom (Wheeling’s Mike Boom) and picturing myself back at Olympic Pool where there’s no noise and just calmness,” Roznai said.

The approach worked and scored him the school record, too, previously set by Roznai last year with a 54.06.

Roznai missed the state cut in the backstroke by one second, placing 3rd in 55.02. However, his time did break the school record.

Maine West had a four-year-old record broken with returning state qualifier Brian Wasicak in the breaststroke.

The junior has been battling mono this season and could never break under a 1:03 cut. He was seeded the second slowest in his heat, but the competition fueled him like no other. He shot off like a rocket to become sectional champion with a 59.77 finish.

“He (Glenbrook South’s Jon Salomon) drove me to get under a minute. Without him I don’t think I would be able to get that competitive motivation to get under a minute,” Wasicak said.

Salomon, a freshman, placed 2nd qualifying in 1:00.68. The two are teammates on their club team, Swift Aquatics.

“I got under the state cut and that’s all that matters. Next week I want to break a minute,” Salomon said.

Salomon has the potential to do so, because unlike Wasicak, he wasn’t shaved, only half tapered and wasn’t wearing a fast skin suit.

Wasciak also broke the school’s IM record with his 1:59.78 finish. He missed state by .72.

West sophomore Michael Connor just missed state in the 200 free, but dropped five seconds off his time to finish in the top tier placing 5th in 1:47.33 breaking a 30-year-old school record.

“I thought I would be getting 1:48. I didn’t expect 1:47, low, to be exact,” Connor said.

Connor then placed 6th in the 100 free in 49.19 just missing the state cut, but he set the school record.

The champion of the 200 free was Conant’s Jon Burke finishing in 1:43.50. Burke was also crowned champion in the 500 free finishing in 4:37.09.

His 500 free set the pool record, which was previously achieved by New Trier’s CJ Smith in 2010 with a 4:40.17 finish.

“My times were personal bests, but I’m looking forward to what I do at state when I’m fully shaved and tapered,” Burke said.

Overall, Glenbrook South won the sectional with 362.5 points. Following was Conant (322), Glenbrook North (241.5), Deerfield (233.5), Hersey (209), Maine South (205), Prospect (165), Maine West (149), Wheeling (103), Maine East (94), St. Viator (90.5), Elk Grove (90) and Notre Dame (24).

The state meet starts Friday at Evanston with preliminaries. The top 12 times advance to the state finals on Saturday.

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(Journal Online)  The Glenbrook South swim team wanted to start their post season on the right foot.

So they began shattering the Glenbrook North pool record en route to their 1st place sectional finish with 328.5 points. Runner up in a distant 2nd was Conant (282) and Glenbrook North in 3rd (209.5). The state finals are this weekend at Evanston.

“It’s more about getting the guys across than winning the sectional,” said Glenbrook South coach Keith MacDonald. “And we had a lot of guys qualify for state and some tremendous drops.”

Overall, the Titans qualified all three relays, 10 individuals in swimming events and one diver. They had at least one qualifier in 10 of 12 possible events. The backstroke and IM were the only events the team did not qualify for state.

Saturday’s sectional meet in Northbrook started with the 200-yard medley relay. Ryan Hianik, Jon Salomon, Ryan Brander and Thomas Pollick shattered the GBN pool record finishing 1st in 1:35.62. The pool record was previously set in 2009 by Loyola finishing in 1:37.05. The Titan relay team is only fractions away from breaking their varsity record, which was set in 2006-07 in 1:35.10.

Each member of that relay would go on to qualify in individual events, too.

Here’s a look at your GBS state qualifiers:

Salomon is making his first trip to state this year not only with two relays, but as an individual as well. He set the GBS varsity record in the breaststroke finishing 2nd in 1:00.68. The time is a season-best for the freshman, but he was also swimming unshaved, half-tapered and without a fast skin suit.

“I did good. I got under the state cut and that’s all that matters. Next week I want to break a minute,” Salomon said.

In the 200 free there was tight internal competition but both Titans were beat out by Conant’s. Jon Burke placing 1st in 1:43.50. He was followed by Titan J.J. Connor in 2nd (1:43.89) and teammate Ethan Spalding in 3rd (1:44.77).

The 50 free was incredibly fast. In fact it was so fast Titan senior Pollick tied for 1st with Deerfield’s Chris Roberts both finishing in 21.59.

“It’s a short race. It’s a fun race and it’s my best time by a hundredth of a second,” Pollick said.

He swam the 50 yards taking only one breath. During his 50-yard free leg of the medley relay he did not take any breaths, he said.

All season long Brander and Hianik have been pushing each other in the butterfly. Both qualified for state with Brander placing 3rd in 52.65 and Hianik in 4th in 52.79.

In the 500 free Conant’s Burke beat Spalding again, but the Titan placed a solid 2nd with a nine second time drop finishing in 4:42.44.

Sophomore teammate Kevin Benson placed 3rd in 4:44.69 punching his ticket to state with a whopping 28-second time drop.

Freshman Aaron Ach will be competing in diving. He placed 5th with 375.75 points.

The Titan 200 free relay with Brander, Hianik, Connor and Pollick took 1st in 1:26.05. They’re seeded 5th out of 32 this weekend.

The Titan 400 free relay with Hianik, Salomon, Connor and Pollick took 2nd in 3:11.30 just getting touched out by Conant (3:11.12). They’re seeded 10th out of 32.

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