While it was essentially a foregone conclusion that New Trier would win its second straight IHSA Boys State Swimming title and its sixth in the past nine years over the weekend, area swimmers from Fenwick, Riverside-Brookfield and Lyons Township all posted relatively solid results during the Trevians-dominated, two-day event hosted by Evanston High School.

Fenwick, along with IMSA and Oak Park, earned a three-way share of 15th place overall in the team scoring with 20 points. RB (41st place with three other schools) scored one point on the state swim meet scoreboard. New Trier (250 points, fourth-highest total ever), which has won an astonishing 22 state swimming championships, defended its state title comfortably by winning four individual events and all three relays. Senior star Max Grodecki captured state titles in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles in addition to being part of two Trevians relay state championship squads. Naperville North (130), Warren (80), Hinsdale Central (73) and Sandburg (73) rounded out the top five in the team standings.

Fenwick made its mark on “finals” Saturday via its 200-yard freestyle relay team. The quartet of Justin White, Viken Huening, Tommy McGuire and Dan Kelly clocked in at 1:26.71 to place fifth in state overall.

Other Fenwick state qualifiers who didn’t make it past Friday’s prelims included Matt Bresnahan (200 free, 1:46.46), Bryce Peters (200 IM, DQ), Dan Kelly (50 free, 21.52), Max Showwalter (diving, 147.45), Rich Mueller (100 fly, 54.18), White and Huening (100 free, 48.02 and 48.47, respectively), along with Tommy McGuire (100 breaststroke, 1:00.95).

“I thought our boys underperformed,” said Fenwick coach Luke McGuire. “The team goals were to place in the top 10 and we ended up 15th. Their times were decent [Friday prelims], but not fast to come back on Saturday. Just taking the kids to the state meet is a positive experience.

“We had a good year because this group of kids is one of the hardest working groups I have coached. We had solid leadership from our captains Dan Kelly and Viken Huening, and we have a great group returning next season.”

Senior Sean DeMuro capped off a stellar RB career by taking 12th in state in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.82. He recorded a time of 21.27 in the prelims. Aside from DeMuro’s strong 50 free showings, RB freshman swimmer Kevin Garza recorded a solid time of 53.31 in the 100-yard butterfly prelims. At the Fenwick Sectional, Garza broke the Bulldogs’ all-time record in the 100 fly.

The Bulldogs enjoyed a record-breaking campaign by qualifying all three relays for the state swim meet for the first time in school history. Quinn Risley, John Copp, Ken Castle, Tim Walsh, Luke Keller, Anthony Colon and Dan Somers all contributed for coach Todd Fridrych’s deep, versatile squad this season.

LT senior sprint swimmer Danny McGuinness competed in a pair of prelim events, clocking times of 21.73 in the 50 free and 47.70 in the 100 free. Junior Joe Shannon swam the 100 breaststroke, while sophomore Brendan Weibel slotted in the 32nd position for the Lions with a time of 4:52.38 in the 500 free prelims.