Swimmers Start Strong With Win Over Loyola

Evanston’s swim team opened the season with a 109-70 victory over Loyola Academy.

But the real buzz around the Wildkits was created at a Thanksgiving weekend time trial in the 200-yard individual medley.

A head-to-head matchup between returning state qualifier Hunter Kleinschmit and fellow junior Maxton Pomykalski showed that both standouts are poised to do some damage at the Illinois High School Association state finals this year.

And they might not be alone. If veteran head coach Kevin Auger can find another sprint freestyler who can perform near an elite level on his deep squad, Evanston could score a top 10 team finish for the first time since 2014.

Time trials are usually just useful for the coaching staff to determine who came into the first week of practice physically ready for the grind of the season. Swimmers are often in a different place physically, especially those who don’t compete during the club campaign.

As usual, Auger put all of his swimmers through a trial in the 200 medley. But they don’t swim the four strokes --- backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle --- all at the same time. Instead those stroke races are conducted separately to provide 50-yard splits in each stroke.

And what Auger saw from Kleinschmit and Pomykalski confirmed that they can make an impact at the highest level competing in one of the fastest states in the country.

Kleinschmit is coming off a 14th place finish at State as a sophomore and is only two seconds off the school record currently held by Caden Hardy. But in those four separate races, there wasn’t much separation between him and Pomykalski.

“That time trial was fun to watch, and it excited everyone,” said Auger regarding what is usually a simple training exercise. “That was one of the best I’ve seen for us in the IM, where you have two guys who are good at all four strokes and who really push each other.

“Hunter out-touched Maxton in the backstroke and breaststroke, and Maxton won the fly and the 100 freestyle. Maxton won out in the total time, but the only race that wasn’t close was the 100 free and I think that’s because Maxton was a little better prepared physically.

“Hunter (who is competing at Junior Nationals in Texas this week) has a goal to be in the top eight at State this year, and he could conceivably make it in the breaststroke or backstroke, too. He might even go faster than our team record (1:51.85) this weekend. Maxton is almost as good as he is in the IM, and Maxton’s time in the 200 freestyle (1:42.70 against Loyola) would have been in the top 16 at State last year.”

The Wildkits also welcome back three-fourths of a state qualifying 200 freestyle relay --- Pomykalski, Will Kleinschmit and Finch Shewfelt --- and Shewfelt was also a state qualifier in the butterfly.

“We lost our fastest 50 freestyler (Isaac Peng graduated) and I think we have five really good, state level swimmers,” Auger said. “If we can find a sixth, we’ll be able to choose between guys who do two individual events or maybe three relays. If not, then we’ll have some hard choices to make. But I think all three relays (200 medley, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle) can make it to State if we find another guy.

“We need another guy because I don’t want to sacrifice someone who could get a (individual) spot on Saturday at State just to qualify three relays.”

Will Kleinschmit and Shewfelt --- a threat to qualify in the fly, backstroke or possibly the sprints --- are the headliners in a senior class that also features divers Jacob Potter and Brady Breen, plus Frankie Lyman Lang (distance freestyle), Hartley Scales (backstroke), and Micah Nelson (backstroke).

A talented junior class got a further boost with the return of Logan Eaton-Strong, who missed last year with a stress fracture in his back. “He’s showing signs that he’ll be really good, and he could probably swim any event for us,” said Auger. “Our juniors are incredible. It’s a great group.”

Juniors to watch include Brady Smith (freestyle), Oliver Macy (distance freestyle), Alex Corr (distance freestyle) and Gus Bell (freestyle). Sophomores who could make contributions are E.J. Hemphill (backstroke, 100 freestyle), Kieran Saszik (backstroke), John Spyrison (freestyle) and Amital Hailpern (sprints, fly).

In the dual meet victory over Loyola, Wildkit individual first-place finishers were Hunter Kleinschmit (1:58.24 in the IM, 1:01.48 in the breaststroke), Shewfelt (53.44 in the butterfly, 56.18 in the backstroke), Eaton-Strong (5:00.93 in the 500 freestyle), and Pomykalski (1:49.35 in the 200 freestyle).