Swimming: Vernon Hills is rock solid at conference meet
By bill mclean Contributor February 13, 2012 8:06PM
Vernon Hills' Sean Pinter competes in the 200 medley relay during the NSC meet on Saturday. | Ruthie Hauge ~ Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 16, 2012 1:42AM
They wore black, concert T-shirts on Saturday, ones with “2012 VHSD World Tour” across the back — and with dates of tour stops below that.
It didn’t matter that none of the stops took place on foreign soil. Future “shows,” aka swimming and diving meets, would also take place in the USA.
Vernon Hills High School’s boys swimming and diving members, along with their coaches, deserved loud accolades for the clever threads.
Cougars assistant Chris Crawford came up with the T-shirt theme; senior captain Peter Schultz designed it.
“We got some rock-star efforts from our kids,” said VH coach Adam Lueken near the end of Saturday’s NSC conference meet, held at VH’s natatorium.
Vernon Hills’ top swimmer, senior David Kocoj, sped to ninth place in the 50-yard freestyle (23.11) and 10th in the 100 free (50.94). His brother, freshman Conrad Kocoj, dropped serious time in the 100 butterfly. His seed time in the event: 1:09.74.
His race time: 1:03.7.
Lueken also praised swims from Cougars sophomore Sean Pinter, and freshmen Nathan McAdams and Rob Williams.
Williams started the season as a 6:15 guy in the 500 free. The same Rob Williams clocked in at 5:39.48 on Saturday.
“Our team — we’re building it,” Lueken noted. “And while we’re building it, the guys are dropping time, ridiculously. It’s been encouraging.”
Vernon Hills (64 points) finished sixth in the seven-team meet. Stevenson (296) captured its fourth straight NSC title, ahead of runner-up/ five-event winner Warren (248). Mundelein, which also won five events, tied Libertyville (185) for fourth place.
VH junior diver Alex Zuniga, the reigning Lake County Invite champ, finished third (401.95 points) Saturday morning, after leading following eight dives.
Senior teammate Nathan Lightman (313.55) placed seventh.
“We’re looking for both to bounce back higher,” said Lueken, looking ahead to the upcoming sectional.
On the schedule: VH vies for state-meet berths at the Lake Forest Sectional on Saturday. Diving begins at 9 a.m.; the swim segment starts at 1 p.m.
Quote-worthy: “He wanted to keep swimming,” — Lueken, on Williams, after Williams completed the 1000 freestyle race at a “World Tour” college events invite this winter.
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