Boys Swimming: Warren’s Conway trio lead the way
Updated: December 8, 2011 9:36PM
This is the last year that the three Conway brothers will be together on a team.
Next year, current Warren High School seniors and twins Danny (Purdue) and Sean (St. Louis U., Missouri or Miami) will be swimming in college, and Matt will be a senior at Warren.
And the trio clearly have saved their best for last.
As Blue Devils swim coach Chris Bertana put it, “Our goal is to win the (North Suburban) conference outright (last year, the Devils tied for first), and continue by winning the sectional.
“Realistically, our goal is to finish in the top five at state. That’s where we’re at.”
The great expectations have a lot to do with the Conways, who own or have a part (relays) of every school swim record except for the backstroke and breaststroke races, the 50 and 100 freestyles, and diving.
“I love the team we have this year,” said Danny. “It’s grown on me after four years. We get along great in the pool and out. I love how everyone is always pushing each other.”
And make no mistake: This is a real squad, not a three-man team.
Chad Church is the non-Conway on the team’s medley relay team and he’s a ready-for-prime-timer in the breaststroke.
And, as the coach noted, “We had some really good freshmen come in. All of our kids are stepping up and looking to help us get to state and a championship at the end of the season.”
The leaders by example, though, are the Conways.
Matt is a star in the butterfly and also swims backstroke.
Sean does the freestyle sprint work, and Danny is the leader in the IM.
And always they work together.
“We all train together,” Danny said. “Now that we’re in the season, we will work with the team. But during the summers, it’s always the three of us getting some work in in the weight room or early practices.”
They also push each other to succeed.
“It’s a lot of friendly competition,” Sean said. “They ask me to strive for my best. They’re the source of my determination. Just wanting to compete with them help push me to the next level. It’s fun to have them around, at home and in the pool.”
While in the pool, all swimmers have a tendency to look the same, but it’s not as hard to tell the brothers apart as you might think.
“I’ve never worn a cap in my life,” said Danny. Sean wears a black cap and Matt wears a Warren Blue one.
“I don’t think our parents have a problem distinguishing us,” said Sean, “although a lot of people say Matt and I look very alike, which is weird because Danny is my twin.
“I get that a lot, at swimming meets and at school. My teachers usually just call me ‘Conway’ so they can’t be wrong.”
The Devils opened their season on Thursday with a win over Mundelein, and the Conways had a had in six of the team’s seven victories against an opponent that has two prime-time swimmers of its own in Bryan Wiener and Connor Black.
For the final word, we go to Sean, who knows this is the kind of team the True Blue Crew student-fans at Warren will love to support.
“People should come down and check it out,” he said. “because it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
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