Boys Swimming: Hinsdale Central takes another sectional

Updated: February 18, 2012 8:35PM

Danny Thomson already owns one pool record at York, but added two more in a record-setting performance Saturday.

Thomson won two individual events and anchored two winning relays at the York Sectional while leading Hinsdale Central (306.50 points) to its 19th sectional title in school history. The Devils had a nine-year sectional win streak interrupted last season by Lyons, but started a new streak with wins in all three relays while sending six different individuals to the state meet beginning Friday at Evanston.

The Devils could possibly get a seventh individual into the state meet if diver Ryan O’Donnell gains an at-large berth. O’Donnell (456.80) finished fourth.

“I’m really excited. The team did so well today. I am excited to see a win today,” said Thomson, the state record holder in the 500-yard freestyle.

Thomson already set the York pool record in the 200 individual medley as a sophomore. The Stanford-bound Hinsdale resident, who has been invited to the U.S. Olympic trials this summer, broke the first of former Oak Park-River Forest star Jeff Barry’s four pool records by winning the 200 free in 1:41.98. Then Thomson broke Barry’s record in the 500 free in 4:37.96. Barry’s records, set in 1997, were 1:42.64 for the 200 free and 4:39.06 for the 500 free.

Barry’s remaining pool records are in the 100 back (52.20) and 100 fly (50.99).

“I didn’t come in expecting a pool record,” Thomson said. “After getting it in the 200 free, I thought, ‘Maybe I should go for the 500 free.’”

Thomson led the 200 medley relay to a win in 1:37.84 with Bryan Bu, Will Leach and Eddie Mapel. The 200 free relay (1:27.38) won with Alex Cruz, Connor Schroyer, Brian Portland and Thomson. The 400 free relay (3:11.15) won with Cruz, Leach, Portland and Schroyer.

Thomson hopes to tie former Devils swimmer Brian Gunn as a three-time state champion in the 500 free. If Thomson can win four more medals, he would fall short of Gunn’s total of 11 state medals for the Devils from 1987-89, but surpass Olympian John Kinsella’s haul of nine medals from 1967-70 and tie Mark Lambert’s 10 from 1968-71

Dan Ciciora was Hinsdale Central’s other multiple-event individual state qualifier by taking second in the 200 IM (1:58.03) and third in the 100 breast (59.29). Mapel won the 100 breast in 58.42.

Hinsdale Central junior Brogan O’Doherty was the fifth competitor in the 100 back to reach the state qualifying time, but O’Doherty (54.41) left little room for error by making the state cut by one-hundreth second. Leach (53.24) finished second in the event.

“I didn’t comprehend what I just did,” O’Doherty said. “I was just floating there [afterward] in a stupor of amazement. Words can’t describe it.”

One pleasant surprise for the Devils was the win by Portland, a freshman, in the 100 fly (51.56).

“I knew I was close [to qualifying],” Portland said. “You have to work hard to get there. Nothing is certain in swimming. You just go out there and try your hardest.”

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