Boys Swimming: Ready to finish in style

Updated: February 15, 2012 10:34PM

This has already been a good winter for Dion Low, and he’s hoping it gets even better.

The Valparaiso senior swimmer heads into this week’s LaPorte Sectional ranked among the state’s best in both the 200-yard individual medley (1 minute, 56.93 seconds; eighth) and the 100 breaststroke (58.96; seventh).

Proud as he is of that, it might actually pale in comparison to the fact that he learned a few weeks ago that he’d made the cut for early acceptance to one of America’s premier universities: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“It was unbelievable,” Low said of the news, which arrived just before Valparaiso’s winter break. “I was almost speechless.”

That achievement is the latest on the classroom side for Low, who ranks No. 1 in his class. He can’t wait to head east to enter the next phase of his academic and athletic career.

But before that happens, he’s hoping to go out in style at Valparaiso, where he’s helping first-year coach Adam Nellessen keep the Vikings among the area’s elite programs.

Low credits his parents, including his father for teaching him how to swim and coaching him in the breaststroke. And he cites former coach Zach Hall for instilling “a phenomenal work ethic,” and appreciates Nellessen — himself a former Vikings star — for bringing in a new vibe that recalls the team’s glory days under its legendary former coach, the late Skip Bird.

“We have a really good senior class passing through,” Low said. “It’s really helped this team a lot as far as helping Boomer (Nellessen) create new traditions.”

The seniors — Low, Ethan Joll, Brandon Karcher and Conner Sunday — all have leadership roles in various school organizations, which Low thinks carries over to their time in the pool.

Low is gearing up to make postseason runs in his individual specialties and, he hopes, to help the Vikings fare well in the 400 freestyle relay as well.

Like many elite high school swimmers, Low has moved around from event to event in the regular season, partly to stay fresh and partly to help the Vikings pick up some extra points here and there.

“He’s really only swam the breaststroke three times the whole year,” Nellessen said. “I think that’s helped him stay focused on the IM.”

Low has reached the state qualifying standard in the breaststroke and is close in the IM, That’s important when you’re in a sectional with state-title contender Chesterton and only the sectional winner in each event is guaranteed of going to state.

Low missed advancing from sectional in 2011 when he was second in the IM and fourth in the breaststroke.

“We looked at what happened last year,” Nellessen said. “We’re not going to take (qualifying) for granted. We don’t look for wins (at the sectional), but the state cut.”

But aiming high, and reaching those goals, is nothing new for someone who’s made the cut for MIT.

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