Both the OPRF and Fenwick boys swimming teams performed well at the sectional at Leyden Saturday, but it was the Huskies who came out on top.
OPRF (236 points) were sectional champions, as they placed first in five individual events and also finished first in the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, and 400-yard freestyle relay.
“I felt awesome,” said OPRF senior Lars Rauch, who won the 100-yard freestyle with a state qualifying time of 46.44 as well as placing third with a state qualifying time of 21.36 in the 50-yard freestyle. “It’s my senior year and this is a great way to go out for sectionals and now we have state coming up. To put out a performance like that was awesome.”
Rauch was also on the winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:24.75) and 400-yard freestyle (3:07.46) relay teams. The 200-yard freestyle relay team consisted of senior Adan Pedraza, junior Will Keyes, senior Joshua Wood, and Rauch.
Oak Park and River Forest’s John Murphy swims the 500 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Lars Rauch reacts after swimming and qualifying for the 100 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Pablo Pareja swims the 100 yard Butterfly during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Brady Sorg swims the 200 yard IM during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Oak Park and River Forest’s Will Keyes swims the 200 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal
“It’s great to compete and have the crowd behind you, especially on relays when you’re up on the block and can feed off that energy and it almost makes you go faster,” he said. “It was great that the JV guys and the rest of the varsity team care that much about the program to come and support us.”
Huskies head coach Clyde Lundgren received the Coach of the Year Award at the event as voted by the other coaches, and he gives full credit to the team’s overall effort throughout the season.
“It’s great to get the award,” Lundgren said. “But I did zero laps in the water, so these guys deserve it. It’s nice for the program to get recognized for the accomplishments that we had.”
Fenwick’s Finnbarr Munley swims the 100 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Fenwick’s Patrick Rhatigan swims the 500 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal 
Fenwick’s Carter Fask checks the clock for his time after swimming and qualifying for State in the 50 yard Freestyle during the Swimming Sectionals at Leyden High School Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Franklin Park. | Steve Johnston Credit: Wednesday Journal
Fenwick (206 points) placed second in the sectional, as they qualified for state in five individual events as well as in the 200-yard medley relay (1:34.35), 200-yard freestyle relay (1:24.82), and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:07.64). Sophomore Patrick Rhatigan took third place in the 500-yard freestyle with a state qualifying time of 4:39.93, while senior Owen McDonald had a season best time of 4:52.91 in the same event.
“We were feeling really good,” McDonald said. “We’ve been wearing drag suits with no caps all season to add drag, and this was our first chance to really lose a lot of that drag and move faster.”
“I think the energy overall was amazing,” added Friars senior Cameron Estes, who placed 7th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.57. “The team really came together, and the crowd was enormous with people supporting us.”
First year head coach Spencer Walker is proud of the progress they’ve made.
“It’s been going well,” Walker said. “We have a lot of great seniors with lots of good energy. We’ve had a lot of great moments. I’m just happy that the guys got the swims they deserve today.”