Boys Swimming: Tenth straight conference crown for Sandburg
By Tim Tierney For Sun-Times Media February 2, 2013 10:40PM
Sandburg's Trevor Winans takes first place in the 200-yard freestyle during the SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue boys swim meet at Sandburg High School in Orland Park Saturday, February 2, 2013. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 4, 2013 6:29AM
Mike O’Malley and Trevor Winans, Sandburg’s senior standout and sophomore sensation, led the host Eagles to the SouthWest Suburban Blue championship Saturday, the team’s 10th straight conference title.
O’Malley won the 100-yard freestyle (48.82 seconds) and swam on all three first-place relay teams. Winans raced to first in the 200 freestyle (1:44.92) by six seconds, the 500 freestyle (4:49.76) by 10 seconds and anchored two of the first-place relays.
Sandburg won seven events and totaled 300 points to 240 for Lockport and 225 for third-place Lincoln-Way East.
“It’s great,’’ O’Malley said. “Coach (Jim Caliendo) kept telling us ‘It’s been nine years in a row we won and we want to make it 10.’ And we got there.’’
“My times weren’t as good as I wanted them to be, but I did win all my races, so it was a good accomplishment,’’ Winans said.
Senior Conor Gallimore also played a big part in Sandburg’s title, winning the 100 butterfly (54.55), taking third in the 100 backstroke and swimming on two relays.
Sandburg’s winning relay teams were Kevin Stratton, Kevin Tunney, Gallimore and O’Malley in the 200 medley (1:41.63); O’Malley, Ben Crnich, Alex Nykaza and Winans in the 200 freestyle (1:29.51) and O’Malley, Gallimore, Tunney and Winans in the 400 freestyle (3:16.29).
“Mike and Trevor, they’re our top two guys and they hate to lose,’’ Caliendo said. “They love to race. Coming from behind is something they love to do.
“The conference is very important to us. We feel the conference meet is the team meet. It’s a level playing field with everybody. To win the conference is a true team championship.’’
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kevin Kuchta also was a meet standout, winning the 100 breaststroke (1:01.57) and the individual medley (2:00.14).
“It went really well. I dropped time in all my events,’’ Kuchta said. “I think it was an all-time best for me in the breaststroke. I’m really looking forward to sectional.’’
The other winners were Lincoln-Way East’s Spencer Smith in the 50 freestyle (22.69), Lincoln-Way Central’s Cody Moris in the 100 backstroke (56.18) and Lockport diver Tyler Pastore (413.25).
