Boys Swimming: Naperville North, Nick Bessler dominate Metea Valley Invite
Updated: January 28, 2012 11:11PM
If Nick Bessler of Naperville North won the 100 butterfly, can Nate Weeks of Naperville Central be far behind?
The answer is, of course not.
At Saturday’s Metea Valley Swimming and Diving Invite, which was won handily by the Huskies, Bessler turned in a performance in the fly that broke both the pool and the meet records with a time of 51.99 and Weeks was second in 52.34.
“Nate and I have a friendly rivalry that goes way back,” Bessler said. “We both swim the 200 IM and the fly and we always go against each other. Sometimes he wins. We would love to go one-two at state, although we know there’s plenty of competition outside Naperville.”
Bessler also won the 200 IM in 1:58.80, but this time it was Neuqua Valley’s Robert Vechiola who finished second in 1:59.71, as Weeks swam in the 100 breaststroke on Saturday where he finished second to Metea Valley’s Michael Stack.
The Huskies won all three relays and four individual events on the way to amassing 645.5 points, way ahead of second-place Neuqua Valley’s 499 as Naperville Central finished third with 427, followed by Metea Valley with 424 and Waubonsie Valley with 242.5
The Huskies also received record-breaking performances in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays and in three individual races with Kevin Butz breaking the pool and meet record in the 500 free (4:49.55) and Andrew Eiken turning in a record time of 47.65 in the 100 freestyle.
“This was a big meet for us because sectionals are only two weeks away,” Bessler said. “The records aren’t a big deal because the pool and the invite are so new, but it does feel good because it just adds to our success going into the postseason.”
The Huskies 200 medley relay team of Sam Hiller, David Healy, Bessler and Tom Hubbard won in 1:38.37 and missed the pool and meet records that were set last year by Naperville Central by .01.
Reigning 100 backstroke state champion Sean Lehane of Naperville Central broke records in two races, winning the backstroke in 51.48 and the 200 freestyle in 1:43.60, beating Eiken and Butz to the finish line.
“It was a tight race,” Lehane said. “I wasn’t expecting to go as fast in the 200 free because I was tired, but Eiken and Butz push me to go faster.”
Adam Stacklin of Waubonsie Valley set the 50 freestyle record by swimming a 21.80, as the Warriors hit the trifecta with Michael McWhirter and Joe Poletto finishing second and third.
“It was excellent finishing top three in that race,” said Waubonsie Valley coach Nick Arens. “We have good depth among the sprinters. With Stacklin working his way into shape from a back injury it puts a much higher ceiling of what we think we can do at state. We should be strong at sectionals in both free relays.”
Host Metea Valley went home with the other two event victories as Stack won the 100 breaststroke. He was the only contestant to go under a minute with a 59.35, and Peter Rodriguez won the diving with 358.65 narrowly beating Naperville Central’s Kyle Faulkner who scored 353.80.
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