Neuqua Valley boys swimming hosts a 2025 IHSA sectional with multiple area teams on Saturday. Metea Valley, Waubonsie Valley, Naperville North, and Naperville Central join the Wildcats. Oswego East, Illinois Math and Science Academy, Bolingbrook, West Aurora, Marmion, and Plainfield North round out the teams vying for a trip to State. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
200 Yard events get the 2025 IHSA Boys Swimming Sectional underway
The first event of the day is the 200 Yard Medley Relay. A 1:36.78 is the state qualifying time. Plainfield North is in lane two at the far left of your screen. Going to the right, it’s Oswego East, Naperville North, Neuqua, Marmion, and Naperville Central. The favorite is North, who qualified with a time of 1:35.64, but so far, it’s Patrick O’Conner of Marmion ahead in lane six. Josh Turner of Plainfield North is not far off.
In the breaststroke portion, Tanner Spillane maintains Marmion’s lead. Neck and neck into the turn are Mason Hoffman of North and Braden Meurer of Neuqua; along with Chris Johnson, the trio is tight as can be going into the butterfly leg of the race.
Going into the final part of the race, Sam Russell paces Marmion. Maksim Fedorovskiy is in second for North and just behind is Arun Kaura for Neuqua. The three swimmers make it into the homestretch as Russell increases the lead, Fedorovskiy stretches for the wall but settles for second as Marmion takes the first race of the day, with a 1:33.12. North and Neuqua qualify for state as well as Naperville Central who placed fifth.
Let’s get underway with the first individual event of the day: the 200 Medley. Get under 1:57.28, and you’ll be headed to State. It’s very close to the first turn as Marmion’s Brayden Capen leads by a hair over Jack Langan of Neuqua and Dan Ginaitis of Marmion.
As the race approaches the midpoint, a clear leader emerges as Capen improves his lead. Langan and Ginaitis are still in second and third.
In the end, Capen scorched the competition, setting a new pool record with a 1:48.08. Langan came in second place. Ginaitis was disqualified, so Arthur James Landorf of Naperville Central qualified in third. Fedorovskiy, Zidan Lam of Waubonsie, and Neuqua’s Meurer qualified as well.
Oswego boys swimming finishes one and two in the 50-yard fre
The fastest event of the day takes place next as George Zenow of Central, Josh Bacani of Plainfield North, Tyler Liska and Owen Lippoldt of Oswego, Marmion’s Russell, and IMSA’s Mattson Uhlenhopp compete hard into the turn. As they come to the wall, it becomes an Oswego 1-2 by a slim margin as Lippoldt and Liska get in front of Bacani and Russell. Anthony Newton’s time in the heat before was good enough to qualify for Neuqua.
Here we are on the last leg of the 100 Fly, Braden Nagel, Peter Carroll, Ginaitis and Jack Reif are all tight as they go into the turn. Coming out Nagel and Carroll stand out from the pack. It’s a mad dash to the wall as one of the closest races of the day. Nagel is ahead in lane 6 with Carroll close by in lane 3. In the end, it’s Nagel who goes sub-50. A 49.96 wins the sectional, but Carroll, Ginaitis, and Reif all qualify.
Marmion Boys Swimming looks to win the 2025 Neuqua Valley boys swimming Sectional
Here, we are deep into the 200 Freestyle Relay. Out front is the Marmion team, but Neuqua, Oswego, and Naperville North are close by. We go into the final swimmers in the race as the pack tightens up into the turn. After they turn it’s the 200 and 500 free champ Chase Maier in lane 4 and Evan Conti of Marmion in lane 5 in the lead. The two are as close as can be but Conti sticks it out and touches first. Marmion win with a 1:24.52, and North and Neuqua also qualify with times under 1:26.
The 100 backstroke kicks off with a tight race expected. A 52.96 is needed to get to State. Conti and O’Conner lead the way for Marmion with qualifying times already under that. Jackson Wagoner of Neuqua is in lane three, trying to shave some time to join his teammate Anthony Newton at State. West Aurora enters Owen Haymond and Plainfield North Swimmers Turner and Adian Ward are also trying to qualify.
As we go into the last 25 yards, Conti is ahead for Marmion, with O’Conner right behind. The two Cadets lead as they approach the wall. With Wagoner, Ward and Turner all making pushes as well. It’s a fast bunch as all of the swimmers qualify for state. Conti and O’Conner get a critical 1-2 for Marmion. You see how much it means to Wagoner as his 52.49 extends his season as another Neuqua swimmer qualifies.
Neuqua Valley boys swimming sends seven swimmers to the IHSA State Meet
Let’s start with the 100-meter breaststroke. Mason Hofmann qualified first, and all is going well for him in the orange cap. Neuqua has a presence here, as Langan and Meurer are in the top 4 so far.
Hofmann extends his lead into the final stretch, with Meurer in second and Langan and Tanner Spillane nearby. Naperville Central’s Robert Hargrove is in lane 7, putting together a good swim as well. All the names mentioned qualified in the end, including Waubonsie’s Zidan Lam who places sixth. Hofmann wins with a 55.68.
The day’s final event has a lot on the line, as a tough qualifying time of 3:12.85 is standing in front of the teams. About halfway through, Oswego leads Marmion and Naperville North. Oswego has dominated the freestyle events so far, winning the 50, 100, 200, and 500 individual events. They lost by two-tenths of a second in the 200 relay, so can they get their revenge here? It looks good so far.
As we head into the final turn, not only is Oswego in the lead in lane 5, but we have to start thinking about the pool record of a 3:03.98. Maier is finishing off a blistering pace for Oswego along with Conti of Marmion. It’s Maier who steamrolls ahead though as the senior caps off a great day with a strong anchor performance in the relay. Oswego celebrates a pool record of 3:03.84, but Marmion celebrates a team win. They collect 252 points on the day, to win the 2025 IHSA Boys Swimming Sectional. Neuqua edged out Oswego with a 230 and the Wildcats send seven swimmers to state.
The swimmers will compete at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont next Saturday.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!