Two pool records were set Friday that will never be broken.
That’s because Friday was the last swim meet that will be held at the East Pool at Oak Park and River Forest High School.
The pool that was built in 1928 will be demolished over the next year and be replaced by a much larger pool as part of the Project 2 construction project.
That reality gave Friday’s dual meet with York more urgency than is typical. OPRF’s top swimmers wore their tech suits, swimsuits designed with compression features and fabrics that reduce drag and typically are only worn for the most important meets.
It was the last chance for a swimmer to set a pool record and get his name on the record board.
In the 95 years the East Pool has been used for high school swimming, no one had ever swum the 100-yard backstroke as fast as OPRF junior Pablo Pareja did Friday. Pareja covered the 100 yards in 50.60 seconds, breaking the pool record his older brother Diego Pareja set in 2021.
“It’s a great feeling,” Pareja said. “I’m super excited knowing that my name is going to be on the pool record on little plaques in the future pool for a long time. It’s, like, ecstatic. I’ve never felt this before.”
The Huskies started the meet by setting a pool record in 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:33.83, breaking the old record of 1:34.21 a Huskie team set in 2021. Pareja led off the record-breaking relay swimming the backstroke, and was followed by senior Adan Pedraza swimming the breaststroke leg, senior Lars Rauch swimming the butterfly leg, and junior Will Keyes bringing the record home with his freestyle anchor leg.
“It was really big for us to try to get our names on that board,” Rauch said. “I’m on the 2(00) free relay pool record so it’s really cool for me to have my name up on there twice.”
Pedraza came up a little short in his attempt to break the pool record in the 100- breaststroke, but won the race and set a new personal record of 57.65.
OPRF defeated York 100.5 to 85.5 to win the meet.
But setting as many pool records as possible was the goal coming into the meet.
“I was really psyched up,” Pareja said. “I suited up for this, I was really prepared to break it and I’m glad I did.”
Pareja said his brother helped him as he was coming up as a young swimmer. Pareja’s brother was also part of the 2021 medley relay teams whose record was broken.
“He just taught me the ropes and I took it farther,” Pareja said.
The meet was especially emotional for seniors such as Rauch and Pedraza. Not only was it the last meet ever in the East Pool, but it also was the last meet home meet of their high school careers.
The East Pool is small, only six lanes, hot, stuffy and has only a few rows of cramped balcony seating for spectators. It also has a special atmosphere that Pareja and Rauch said that they would miss.
“I’m going to miss the competition, it’s different from any other (pool) because it’s just so close, it’s so loud, and the atmosphere is just so much better,” Pareja said. “I really like the atmosphere in here. Unfortunately, the pool is not very good but it’s a good place to race.”
Pareja and Rauch also like the 15 bas-relief classical sculptures that adorn the walls.
“We call it the Greek bathhouse, we call it that, the girls call it the Roman bathhouse.” Rauch said. “I do like the statues, that’s a unique thing, you don’t see that at any other pool around here.”
Some of the sculptures will be persevered during the demolition and current plans are to display three in the outside area of the new, large 10-lane pool that will have a balcony capable of seating 408 people.
Although he won’t compete in it, Rauch said he believes the new pool will help the already-strong swim teams at OPRF.
“Having that type of facility at OPRF will really help the program,” Rauch said. “Not just because it’s a faster pool, but because that will mean the program can have more people on the team. We had to have cuts this year. We’re traditionally a no-cut sport, but we had like 73 people show up for tryouts this year and we had to cut people and that was heartbreaking for the coaches. But once we have a way bigger pool, we’ll be able to have all 73.”
The East Pool will be used this spring for water polo. OPRF’s West Pool will be open during at least the next two years of construction. Next year, OPRF might host some meets in the West Pool, which only has five lanes.
