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Sports
Oswego stands out at sectionals : Sports : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisOswego stands out at sectionals
| Swim team qualifies in seven of 12 events
| by Christine Bolin Dascher
| 2/21/2013
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The Oswego-Oswego East boys' swimming and diving team placed seventh overall at the Neuqua Valley Sectional on Saturday and qualified for the state finals in seven of the 12 events.
The state meet will take place Friday and Saturday at New Trier in Winnetka.
Just 67 points separated Oswego from sectional winner Naperville North (202). Waubonsie Valley was second with 189, followed by Metea Valley (173), Naperville North (167), Marmion Academy (166), Neuqua Valley (144) and Oswego (135).
IMSA was eighth with 95, Plainfield Central 64, Benet Academy 36, Morris 14 and West Aurora scored eight points.
"Seventh wasn't what we were shooting for, but I think people realize how well we swam at the meet," head coach Deryl Leubner said. "Even though our place didn't reflect that, I think people noticed."
Senior Pierce Parlier will be making his fourth and final trip to state while his younger brother, Quinn, a sophomore, will be making his debut at state.
Seniors Bucky Coonradt and Andrew Carlson are also making a return trip to state while senior Zak Thoreson will be making his first appearance.
Pierce Parlier qualified in two individual events - the 200-yard IM (1:56.57, third place) for the second straight year and in the 100-yard backstroke (53.19, fifth place) for the fourth time in his high school career.
"I'm really excited because it's my last state against all my rivals I've been racing for four years, so it's the final say on who is the best," Pierce Parlier said. "I'm very happy with (my 200 IM time). Third place really doesn't matter as much as it will at state. (In the 100 back), I wasn't quite as happy with that one, but I have another chance at it (at state)."
Parlier placed seventh in the state in the 100 yard back and qualified for the first-time ever in the 200 IM last year.
"Pierce is the 100-yard backstroke," Leubner said. "His time was unshaved, so we're looking for big drops (at state). To finish in the top five at this sectional is outstanding. He did an outstanding job (in the 200 IM). He had a good, strong swim,"
Pierce Parlier was also a part of the 200-yard free relay team with Quinn Parlier, Coonradt and Carlson that qualified after placing third in 1:27.49.
"This was one of the relays we wanted to make," Leubner said. "Andrew had an up-and-down meet, so we put him last on that relay. We changed the order, and he came through for us."
In the very first event of the day, Oswego was disqualified in the 200-yard medley relay. Carlson then had to turn around and compete in the 200-yard free. He just barely missed the cut after he placed fourth in 1:45.46. The last qualifying and third-place time was 1:44.54.
"He had to re-group in four minutes, and that's hard," Leubner said. "He did a great job and had a good swim, but making that cut was hard."
By the sixth event, the 100-yard fly, Oswego was on the rebound, thanks to Coonradt's second-place finish in 52.09. This was his second consecutive time qualifying for state in this event.
"That's when we officially got things going again," Leubner said. "He had a great swim the whole way."
Coonradt also qualified for state in the 100-yard breaststroke for the second straight year. This time, he did it in 59.78 (fifth place).
"He's incredibly strong under water," Leubner said. "He has room for improvement for the state meet, so he did a great job."
Thoreson will be making his debut at state after he placed second in the 500-yard free in 4:43.46.
"He absolutely deserves this," Leubner said. "He's had his ups and downs throughout the four years, but he really started firing on all four cylinders in the second half of the season."
Quinn Parlier, the youngest and perhaps the biggest surprise for Oswego, heads to state for the first time after placing third in the 100-yard free in 47.86.
"He went out slow and finished faster than we thought," Leubner said. "Outstanding for him to make the cut."
"I wasn't sure if he was going to qualify, but I'm ecstatic now that he has," Pierce Parlier said of his brother. "I thought he'd fall just short, but I'm so glad for him."
Carlson just fell short in this same event after his seventh-place time of 48.41 did not qualify. Quinn Parlier also fell short of qualifying in the 50-yard free after placing 10th in 22.17.
Oswego did not qualify in the 12th and final event of the day, the 400-free relay. Thoreson, freshman Tyler Guist, senior Sam Timken and senior Michael Ebbinger placed ninth overall in 3:30.18.
Sophomore Cody Padlo placed 10th in the diving portion with a 275.35. Even though he did not qualify for state, Leubner appreciated his efforts throughout the season.
"This is a guy who started diving 10 days before conference," Leubner said. "We recruited him up, and we won the (Independent) Conference meet from his diving points and competed in the best sectional in the state. That's impressive for that little amount of time."
New Trier won the state title last year and Naperville North, Naperville Central, IMSA, Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley all finished in the top 20 in the team standings. Oswego finished with seven points, thanks to Parlier's advancing (and placing seventh) in Day 2 of the tournament.
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