Saturday is proof that the way things start doesn’t have to be the way they end. Case in point: Fenwick senior Michael Neumann began this season on the bench with sickness for two weeks. That’s a lot in the boys swimming and diving world.
He returned, though, and worked hard – despite the fact that he and the Friars were nomadic most of this campaign due to issues with Fenwick’s pool, swimming at both Triton College and the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, where the IHSA state meet is held.
But at the IHSA sectional Saturday at Leyden, Neumann qualified for state next weekend in the 200-yard individual medley, where he took second in 1:54.56, and the 100 butterfly, also second in 50.78 seconds. He also swam a leg on the qualifying 200 medley relay, which opened the meet with a win in 1:33.57.
“He came back hungry to make up for lost time,” Fenwick coach Justin Jornd said.
After the meet, Neumann was all smiles, though he did say all that moving around throughout the season was challenging.
“There’s not much you can do about it,” Neumann said. “We just kept pushing each other day in and day out. At the end of the day, we just got in everyday and swam no matter what pool it was.”
Neumann’s senior teammate, Jack Posluszny, qualified for state individually by winning the 100 breaststroke in 57.44. He was also part of that 200 medley relay, along with Neumann, sophomore Hugo Gibson and senior Thomas Caicedo. Gibson qualified individually by winning the 100 backstroke in 50.86, setting a pool record.
This is Posluszny’s third trip to state. He never tires of it, but he did have advice for first-timers.
“Go in to have fun,” Posluszny said. “You can’t go fast unless you’re having fun. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, it’s going to be hard if you get too nervous.”
The season came to an end for many swimmers Saturday, including Fenwick junior Sebastian Gutierrez, who took eighth in the 500 freestyle in 5:16.07. Jornd said he was among those who had come a long way during the season.
What’s Gutierrez’s off-season strategy? It’s pretty simple.
“Staying in the pool,” he said. “Staying active and working hard.”
Cides stars for OPRF
If you want to talk about someone who maximized his time at the Leyden Sectional, look no further than Oak Park and River Forest High junior Alfonso Cides.
Cides qualified in two individual events – the 100 freestyle, where he swam 47.06 seconds to take second, just .48 of a second better than the qualifying time, and the 200 freestyle in 1:43.32, where he took third. He also led off the winning 200 freestyle relay, which took first in 1:26.90. Joining him on that relay were juniors Connor Harmon and Cameron Kuenster, and senior Francesco Canzona.
“He’s a super-hard worker,” OPRF coach Clyde Lundgren said of Cides. “He’s not your loud, boisterous, vocal guy. He lets his swimming do the talking. He’s definitely a leader. The guys try to hitch their wagon to him.”
Cides was on a state-qualifying relay last year and thought a lot in the offseason about getting back as an individual.
“That offseason was six days a week, Monday through Saturday and just thinking about these cuts all year,” he said. “I think I’ve been prepared very well by coach Clyde.”
Fenwick’s Peter Hasenauer (Lane 3) and OPRF’s Justin Dairyko (Lane 4) dive in at the start of the 200 Yard Freestyle at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
OPRF’s Justin Dairyko competes in the 200 Yard Freestyle at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
Riverside Brookfield’s Jake Kocourek competes in the 100 Yard Butterfly at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
Fenwick’s James Kiesewtter competes in the 100 Yard Butterfly at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
Riverside Brookfield’s Aidan Diaz competes in the 200 Yard Individual Medley at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
Riverside Brookfield’s Emerson Lacey comptes in the 200 Yard Individual Medley at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
OPRF’s Sam Morgan competes in the 200 Yard Individual Medley at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
OPRF’s Charlie Beyer competes in the 100 Yard Butterfly at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor 
Fenwick’s Peter Hasenauer competes in the 200 Yard Freestyle at East Leyden High School on Saturday February 21, 2026 | Todd Bannor
Part of Saturday’s drama included Kuenster, who took second in the 50 freestyle in 21.76 … just .03 of a second away from the qualifying time of 21.73. A disappointment, to be sure, but Kuenster wasn’t mad about it.
“Being .03 seconds away from the state cut definitely hurt, but it was still close to a second off a cutoff, which I was very happy with,” Kuenster said. “That helped fuel my next race.”
Which was the 200 free relay, where he raced the anchor leg and earned his first trip to state.
“We’ve earned it and we can continue to prepare for it and practice to make the little things consistent like the walls and relay starts,” Kuenster said.
Senior diver Max Vannopas also qualified for state, finishing second with 330.30 points.
As a team, OPRF took second with 255 points, while Fenwick was third with 226. Chicago Lane Tech won with 275.