Lyons Township High School senior Matthew Ferguson isn’t about to miss anything in his final boys swimming and diving postseason.
“I’m definitely excited. But I have just less than two weeks of high school season. It’s kind of really flown by,” Ferguson said. “I want to swim faster but the goal is just to enjoy it and take it all in.”
Not much is faster in the pool than the Lions’ freestylers. They’ll look to continue that trend Saturday at the Hinsdale Central Sectional while Riverside Brookfield competes at the Leyden Sectional. Sectional champions automatically advance to the state meet and entries that achieve state cuts at the meet.
The Bulldogs finished third at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet Feb. 7 (180 points). Senior Henry Manning won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.72 seconds, roughly one second from the state cut. The 400 free relay of Manning, Jake Kocourek, Cameron Cimino and Brendan Lacey was second (3:33.01). Taking third were Kocourek in the 200 free (1:50.10) and 100 butterfly (55.82) and the 200 free relay of Manning, Cimino, Ryan Meschke and Kocourek (1:35.58).
The Lions (251.5 points) were second at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet Feb. 6 at LTHS and second to Hinsdale Central (321) in the final overall standings. Junior Jovan Mijailovic (47.38) and Jack Hannon (47.46) finished 1-2 in the 100 free and Mijailovic also won the 50 free (21.90). Taking second were Patrick Rhatigan (500 free in 4:47.02) and Mijailovic, Hannon, Rhatigan and Ferguson in the 200 free relay (1:25.49) and 400 free relay (3:09.14).
Ferguson said the four don’t plan to taper until after sectionals.
“I’d want to say almost every event we have two guys that are capable of going to state,” Ferguson said.
Girls gymnastics
RBHS junior Paige Phelan missed planting her foot just before her balance beam dismount at the Oswego Sectional Feb. 11 and suffered a painful and loud fall onto the mat.
“It was just more embarrassing, but it was hard to come back,” Phelan said.
Phelan did come back with more solid routines on floor exercise and vault – and more motivation for senior year – after earning her third individual sectional trip. He qualified in all-around (32.225 at sectional), uneven bars (8.6) and floor (8.45). Uneven bars, her first event at sectionals, came closest to an at-large state cut (8.85).
“(Sectionals) just gives me a sense of what I have to work on for next season and, watching everyone compete, what I could incorporate into my routines next year,” Phelan said.
Sophomore Cora Rosenfeld made her sectional debut and scored 8.2 on beam and 30.70 in all-around. Rosenfeld added tricks on beam and floor for sectionals. An at-large qualifier, Rosenfeld hopes to be better prepared next season.
“For next year I want to work,” she said. “It was kind of rushed into sectionals because I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. I want to build (skills) through the season and then add later on.”
Making their sectional debuts for LTHS were freshman Emily Martinez of Brookfield (all-around, vault, uneven bars, beam, floor), junior Katherine Trolley (all-around, uneven bars) and sophomore Jomy Santos Morales (floor).
Martinez also came closest to advancing on uneven bars with an 8.625. She also was 13th in all-around (33.10).
RBHS girls bowling
RBHS sophomore Mia Torres was 60th at the DeLaSalle Sectional Saturday with a six-game series of 837 (139.5-pin average) and a 158 high game. Torres is the Bulldogs’ first sectional qualifier in the two-year program history of girls and boys bowling. Sectionals was at Bowlero in Lyons, the Bulldogs’ home lanes.
“I’m just glad I managed to get into sectionals but it was definitely very rough for me,” Torres said. “The pressure and new high goal I had to do to make it to state was definitely very hard to surpass but I’m glad I can use it to learn and know what and how I need to prepare myself for the future skill wise, mentally, and physically.”
Girls wrestling
RBHS senior Estefany Bejarano (30-6 at 170 pounds) and LTHS sophomore Jhania Wickert-Harris (23-7 at 105) finished 2-2 at the Schaumburg Sectional, two victories from state with top-four finishes.
Bejarano recorded two pins and lost twice by pin to fourth-place and top-six finishers. Wickert-Harris lost to the third- and fourth-place finishers, the latter 5-3 in the backdraw.
The first-time sectional qualifiers are only the third in their respective teams’ history.