Boys Swimming: Lyons duo leads team to state meet

Updated: February 20, 2012 7:40PM

Last month, Brendan Weibel couldn’t have predicted that he’d make the state meet, to be held at Evanston Friday and Saturday.

The Lyons Township sophomore is feeling pretty good now. The Western Springs resident cut nearly 20 seconds off his time — in three weeks — to qualify for the state meet in the 500-yard freestyle. Weibel finished third (4:47.97) at the Fenwick Sectional on Saturday. The state-meet qualifying time is 4:48.24.

“It took a lot of work to go to State this year,” said Weibel, who will be making his first appearance in the Big Show. “It was definitely a shock when I saw my time on the scoreboard.”

Weibel wasn’t close to the State-qualifying time when he finished third in 5:08.39 at the Lyons Invitational on Jan. 28.

Last year, Weibel was a member of the freshman-sophomore team, but worked extra hard in the offseason to become the school’s primary distance swimmer this season.

“I’ve worked on the endurance aspect of swimming,” Weibel said.

LT’s only senior, Danny McGuinness, qualified for State in two events by finishing second in the 100 free (47.25) and third in the 50 free (21.63). McGuinness also anchored the State-qualifying 200 free relay (with Texas Freund, Joe Shannon and Peter Dore), which finished third (1:28.18).

McGuinness heads to State in three events; he was 38th in the 100 free at State last year, and also made appearances in the 200 free and 200 medley relay.

Shannon, who also competed in last year’s medley relay at State, advanced to State for the first time on his own — in the 100 breaststroke. He took third at the sectional in a school-record 59.58.

It was a feat the junior was hoping to accomplish next season, but he peaked ahead of schedule.

“Actually, I was very much surprised,” Shannon said. “I was hoping to break that record next year. It came early for me.”

Shannon did it by the narrowest of margins, eclipsing Joe Hoadik’s time of 59.59 from 2008. Hoadik went on to compete at the University of Missouri.

Shannon appeared in last year’s state meet, helping the medley relay (with McGuinness, and since-graduated James Wing and Ryan Schafer) finish 14th.

Lyons Township won a sectional title last season, but placed third this time with 324 points.

“Coach (Scott Walker) tapered us really well this season,” Weibel said. “Everybody did a good job on their final swims.”

Added Shannon: “Walker considers State a bonus round for us. We tapered for two weeks for sectional.”

All team members had been shaved as well, which may make it tougher for LT’s competitors to reach Saturday’s 1 p.m. finals at State.

“We’ll pretty much try to make it happen Friday,” Weibel said. “We’ll see some incredibly fast swimmers down there.”

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