The Lyons Township High School swimming and diving team (235 points) finished third behind Oak Park and River Forest (251.5) and Marmion (244.5) at their annual LT Invitational on Jan. 28.
Senior Quinn Collins was second in the 200-yard individual medley (1:59.59) and 100 backstroke (53.74).
The 200 medley relay of Collins, Jack Dillon, Peter Smith and Marko Trajanovski (1:41.41) and the 400 free relay of Collins, Smith, Garrett Walls and Trajanovski (3:20.54) both finished third. The 200 free relay Smith, Dillon, Walls and Trajanovski (1:32.42) was fourth.
Diver Matt Adler was third (399.10 points) and Walls was fourth in the 200 IM (2:08.90) and 100 free (51.46). Dillon (1:05.39) and Brody Robison (1:05.94) finished 4-5 in the 100 breaststroke, Trajanovski was fourth in the 50 free (22.95) and Matthew Ferguson was fifth in the 500 free (5:04.64).
Nazareth Academy’s Cooper Kosanovich won diving with 402.85 points.
LTHS’ Jack Dillon competes in the Breaststroke at LTHS on Saturday (1-28-2023). | Ian McLeod 
LTHS’ Xavier Vazquez-Kerscher competes in the Breaststroke at LT on Saturday (1-29-2023). | Ian McLeod 
LTHS’ Kieran Athy competes in the Backstroke on Saturday. (1-28-2023) | Ian McLeod 
LTHS’ Liam Garrity competes in the Backstroke on Saturday (1-28-2023) at LT. | Ian McLeod 
LTHS’ Ben Kozak competes in the Breaststroke at LTHS on Saturday (1-28-2023). | Ian McLeod
LTHS boys bowling
Seniors Drew Escamilla and Tommy Hennessy had hoped to compete both days of the boys bowling state meet with their Lyons Township High School teammates.
Both reached final day on Jan. 28 as individual qualifiers, but the team did not advance, since the Lions were not among the 12 advancing teams. The Lions were 18th (5,690) of the 24 team qualifiers.
Escamilla finished 22nd overall with a two-day, 12-game total of 2,536 (211.3 average) with high games of two 235s and 233 Saturday and 268 in Friday’s first game. Escamilla improved from sharing 39th place Friday (1,254).
Hennessy was 68th overall (2,328) with high games of 257 on Jan. 28 and 235 and 231 for a 1,231 series on Jan. 27.
Other LTHS bowlers on Jan. 27 were seniors Nick Boxell (973 in 5 games) and Matt Skwarek (880 in 5 games), sophomore Danny Haley (707 in 4 games), senior Michael Kubick (313 in 2 games), sophomore Tyler Swiatek (170 in 1 game) and junior Cesar Izguerra (162 in 1 game).
Escamilla and Hennessy were the only Lions who competed at state for last year’s team that finished 16th (5,845).
LTHS girls gymnastics
At the end of Saturday’s West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet, LTHS sophomore Emmy Bertucci was wearing a big tiara and a big smile and had no voice.
“I’ve been cheering too much,” Bertucci said. “I’m just happy in general about everything this year.”
Bertucci put the crowning touches on a great meet for her and the Lions at York High School on balance beam, their final event. She delivered a second-place 8.875 that lifted her to fifth in all-around (34.05) for top-five, all-conference honors in both events.
The Lions tied for third as a team with a season-high 134.15 points.
“Beam was the highlight,” said Bertucci, wearing the traveling tiara passed along for the team’s last high-scoring hit routine. “That’s my season high for beam and I’m very proud of it.”
Junior Emily Tucker was an all-conference third on uneven parallel bars (8.8).
“[All-conference] means everything,” Tucker said. “I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of the team pushing through many struggles.”
LTHS and Oak Park and River Forest finished just behind second-place Hinsdale Central (134.425). The Lions previously scored 134 twice, including their 134.00 to 122.20 Senior Night victory over York on Jan. 26.
Tucker also was seventh (8.75) and Bertucci shared eighth (8.525) on floor exercise at the conference meet. Tucker was eighth on beam (8.25) and Bertucci was ninth on uneven bars (8.15) Dahlia Highland’s team-high 8.7 on vault was 11th.
Event winners against York on Jan. 26 were Annmarie Holmes (33.05 in all-around and 9.0 on beam), Carli Proctor (9.15 on floor), Tucker (8.15 on uneven bars) and Highland (8.75 on vault).
