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Boys Swimming: Maine East divers, Kevin Tom share hopes of making State
Maine East's Samuel Ratner swims the breastroke portion of the 200 yard medley relay during the swim meet at Maine East Dec. 9. | Curtis Lehmkuhl~Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 12, 2011 7:06PM
Kevin Tom came into this swimming season with goals not many Maine East swimmers even think about setting.
The junior wants to be in the pool at Evanston in late February for the State Meet. Tom would be the first Demon to swim on the final weekend since Neil Senkowski advanced during the 1998-99 season.
Maine East coach Mike Fosco is Tom’s biggest believer.
“He had a great offseason and came in more positive about himself and more confident about himself,” the coach said. “He does have lofty goals, and he’s on the borderline right now. We will see how the training is on his body by the end of the year.”
A year-round swimmer, Tom probably will focus on the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. But he’s capable of swimming all the strokes, which is why Fosco will enter Tom in the 200 IM during the season.
“He can do anything we put him in,” Fosco said.
Tom is motivated by his competition during the club season at NASA, the Northwestern-based organization. There, he practices against swimmers like Loyola’s Andrew Jovanovic, who won two state titles as a sophomore last season.
“(Kevin) definitely gets to see the elite kids,” said Fosco. “He learns stuff from them that really helps.”
Tom helped Maine East to second place at the team’s tri-meet at home Friday. The Demons totaled 98 points to finish behind Lane’s 152, while Notre Dame was third with 60.
Tom was second in the 200 IM (2:10.29) and fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.84). He also swam on the 200 free and the 400 free relays.
Still new to the program, Fosco is excited about building a lasting legacy at Maine East, which enjoyed success a generation ago. Tom is one of a handful of Demons who will turn the program around, Fosco hopes.
Two others are divers Danny Sieghart and Jeremy Rohrman.
In the opening meet of the season, Sieghart set the Maine East pool record with an 11-dive score of 375.75. That was after Sieghart missed most of the preseason with a concussion.
“Our goal is to make the State Meet,” Fosco said of the divers. “There’s no reason Danny shouldn’t be there. He trained all year round. So did Jeremy. They both have big dives, and I can see both of them at the State Meet in three months.”
Sieghart won the triangular with a 258.55, while Rohrman was second with 202.25.
No Maine East diver has been to State since 1992. Sieghart and Rohrman would be the first Maine East teammates at the same State Meet since 1974.
“They’ve been fun to watch and coach,” Fosco said.
Mike Babula is another swimmer on the bubble for State. The sophomore looks to follow in his older brother who swam at the school in the 1990s.
“He came in last year without much experience,” Fosco said. “But he’s built like a swimmer, and he has a family that’s been involved with the sport. He has the physical attributes of a swimmer, and we could be shocked by him at the end of the season.”
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