BOYS SWIMMING: North seniors have eyes on state swim trophy

This is the year it could all come together for Naperville North’s outstanding senior class of swimmers.

Touted as stars of the future as freshmen three years ago, Nick Bessler, Kevin Butz and Andrew Eiken believe that the Huskies have the talent to win a trophy at this year’s state meet by finishing in the top three.

“We always imagined what we could do at state as junior and seniors,” said Bessler. “We thought last year was going to be our big year, but when Andrew went out with a shoulder injury, it put things off a year.”

As a sophomore, Eiken, scored at state in both the 200 and 100 freestyle and along with Bessler, swam on the 400 freestyle relay team that finished third. He had shoulder surgery before his junior year that kept him on the sidelines for the entire high school season.

Although he’s practicing regularly, Eiken, who is recovering from a minor ankle injury, will not swim competitively until the middle of December, but, he said, it’s a slight injury and he is just taking precautions.

“It’s just a strain and I’m resting to play it safe,” said Eiken. “The shoulder is 100 percent.”

Even without Eiken last year, the Huskies managed a ninth-place finish as Butz finished top six in both the 200 and 500 free and Bessler went to the finals in the 200 IM. The 400 freestyle relay which featured Butz, Bessler and returning senior Tom Hubbard, was second last year.

Butz and Bessler believe the return of Eiken combined with the development of a strong supporting cast that includes seniors Hubbard and David Healy and a pair of talented juniors in Eric Curia and Sam Hiller and promising sophomores Steven Missak and Garrett Nash, gives the Huskies the depth and talent they need to challenge for one of the top spots at state.

“To have our junior year taken away was devastating,” said Bessler. “But we still had a great season even though we knew we had the potential to be better than ninth. A whole bunch of other swimmers broke out and had their first state experience. That and Andrew coming back is why we think we can qualify someone in just about every event and that we’re going to be calm and ready for state.”

“Our main goal is to win state, but just getting a trophy would be a great accomplishment,” said Butz. “We have that in our minds every day at practice. We think a lot about the 2007 team that tied for third. Watching that team and the Naperville Central team that won two years ago and the Neuqua Valley team that won state in 2008 have been inspirational. It shows how great a feeling it can be to achieve a goal with your teammates.”

Naperville North first-year coach Andy McWhirter is happy with the team he’s inherited from former coach Kurt Johns.

“Kurt did a great job developing this team for three years,” said McWhirter, who was formerly the Huskies boys water polo coach. “We just have to take it from there. The seniors have provided great leadership and we know they’ll do a lot. The development of that second group is just as important. We have a good nucleus for our relays, we just need a few people to step up to fill the spots that are open.”

The Huskies are a close-knit team and they come by that honestly.

Four of the seniors — Bessler, Butz, Eiken and Healy — have known each other since they were second-graders at Mill Street School and they’ve been together through junior high and age-group swimming.

“We all go back a long way and we’ve been close with Tom (Hubbard) since our freshman year,” said Bessler, who then quipped. “In high school swimming you really bond because your teammates are the only people you ever see.”

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