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Preview: Top-5 finish the goal for South Bend Riley at boys state swim meet this weekend

justin frommer, south bend tribune
·5 min read
Jarek Ruszkowski of South Bend Riley competes in the 500 Yard Freestyle during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.
Jarek Ruszkowski of South Bend Riley competes in the 500 Yard Freestyle during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.

SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Riley boys swim program is drenched in historic success with seven state championship banners gracing its natatorium, the most recent from 1994.

But the past few years the current team has had a nemesis it hasn't been able to get past in mighty Penn. Until Saturday.

Host Riley edged the Kingsmen 522-499.5 to win its 30th sectional title and first since 2018. It marked the first time in the careers of current Wildcat swimmers that they have beaten Penn. Now they have lofty goals heading into this weekend's IHSAA state boys swimming finals at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

More:Riley, Concord claim boys sectional swim crowns

"It's something that we talked about since we were little," said senior freestyler Jarek Ruszkowski. "It was my biggest meet in my 12 years (swimming). Beating a powerhouse that has dominated the past five years felt great."

Prelims start at 6 p.m (EST) Friday with finals and consolations at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Penn beat Riley twice this season, once in a dual meet and then again in taking the Northern Indiana Conference championship, a meet Riley head coach John VanDriessche said his team didn't rest for. At full strength in the sectional, he knew his swimmers had a good of a chance to beat the Kingsmen.

"Penn has always stood in our way," he said. "Based on how we improved throughout the year, we thought we had a really good chance."

The Wildcats won 10 of the 12 sectional events. It was a performance sparked by a team meeting after a prelim session they didn't feel was up to their standards.

"We called everybody together because this was our chance and what we have been training for," Ruszkowski said. "We needed everybody to stay focused and give 100% and we did."

Collin Fleming of Penn competes in the 100 Yard Breaststroke during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.
Collin Fleming of Penn competes in the 100 Yard Breaststroke during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.

Riley expects that momentum into Friday's state prelims.

"We are going to try to keep our foot in the gas pedal going into state," Ruszkowski said, "and make the finals in every event."

Ruszkowski headlines a deep Riley team that has competitors in 10 events, the only absences being the 1-meter diving and 100-yard butterfly.

The strength of the team, according to Ruszkowski, is Riley's relays, two of which he competes in (the 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle) as well as the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke.

Ignatius Ruszkowski of South Bend Riley celebrates after the 200 Yard Medley Relay during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.
Ignatius Ruszkowski of South Bend Riley celebrates after the 200 Yard Medley Relay during the NIC Boys Swimming Finals Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elkhart Aquatics Center.

Riley won all three relay events in its sectional. Ignatius Ruszkowski in the 100-back and Christopher Bartmess in the 100-breast also won sectional titles.

VanDriessche said the goal of a state title is too out of reach this year with Carmel and Zionsville expected to dominate. But a top-five finish is realistic, he said, which would be the first such finish for the Wildcats since 2003.

"Going into the season we thought we could be a top-15 team," VanDriessche said. "Now we will switch those goals. It reinforces that we feel we are a top program in the state."

Click here for complete state meet psych sheets.

South Bend-area swimmers at state

Seed, competitor, seed time

200-MEDLEY RELAY (Top seed time 1:29.78)

(3) South Bend Riley — Ignatius Ruszkowski, Christopher Bartmess, Joel Kricheff, Padraig Chapman 1:32.28; (6) Penn — Leo Ni, Collin Fleming, Nathaniel Reininga, Christopher Oberlie 1:33.57; (17) Concord: Reid Sollars, Brayden Sollars, Cole Stevenson, Austin Zimmermann 1:36.15; and (18) Elkhart — Gabe Kazmierczak, Lucas Byrd, Christian Khamkueang, Gavin Sommer 1:36.31.

200-FREESTYLE (Top seed time 1:35.66)

(7) Jarek Ruszkowski, South Bend Riley (1:41.23); (17) Levi Moser, Goshen (1:42.47); (18) Nathaniel Temeles, Penn (1:42.70); and (22) Thomas Brunner, Concord (1:43.54)

200-INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY (Top seed time 1:47.32)

(5) Sawyer Lehman, Northridge (1:51.73); (6) Cole Stevenson, Concord (1:51.80); (10) Ignatius Ruszkowski, South Bend Riley (1:53.24); (15) Christopher Bartmess, South Bend Riley (1:54.60); and (17) Gabe Kazmierczak, Elkhart (1:55.43).

50-FREESTYLE (Top seed time 19.74)

(3) Lucas Byrd, Elkhart (20.69); (7) Joseph Hahn, NorthWood (21.03); (10) Padraig Chapman, South Bend Riley (21.12); (21) Nathaniel Reininga, Penn (21.60); (23) Ashton Maurer, South Bend Riley (21.71); and (28) Tristan Zuyderwyk, Penn (21.87).

100-BUTTERFLY (Top seed time 48.37)

(13) Nathaniel Reininga, Penn (51.05); and (24) Ivan Blystiv, Concord (52.08).

100-FREESTYLE (Top seed time 44.18)

(6) Padraig Chapman, South Bend Riley (46.43); (12) Joseph Hahn, NorthWood (46.96); (23) Reid Ohlson, Penn (47.73); and (27) Sawyer Lehman, Northridge (47.86).

500-FREESTYLE (Top seed time 4:23.55)

(13) Thomas Brunner, Concord (4:39.48); (19) Levi Moser, Goshen (4:42.02); (23) Jarek Ruszkowski, South Bend Riley (4:43.89); and (24) Nathaniel Temeles, Penn (4:43.97).

200-FREESTYLE RELAY (Top seed time 1:24.17)

(4) South Bend Riley — Ashton Maurer, Christopher Bartmess, Padraig Chapman, Jarek Ruszkowski (1:24.70); (6) Penn — Nathaniel Reininga, Reid Ohlson, Nathaniel Temeles, Tristan Zuyderwyk (1:25.96); (18) Goshen — Levi Moser, Maxim Yegorov, Jeremy Stutzman, Skye Steury (1:27.71); (19) Elkhart — Gavin Sommer, Gabe Kazmierczak, Christian Khamkueang, Lucas Byrd (1:27.88); and (24) Concord — Austin Zimmermann, Brayden Sollars, William Delio, Thomas Brunner (1:28.46).

100-BACKSTROKE (Top seed time 45.53)

(3) Ignatius Ruszkowski, South Bend Riley (50.21); (7) Gabe Kazmierczak, Elkhart (51.56); (8) Elliott Dye, Penn (51.76); (26) Leo Ni, Penn (53.20); (28) Jeremy Stutzman, Goshen (53.36); and (29) Christopher Oberlie, Penn (53.36).

100-BREASTSTROKE (Top seed time 55.19)

(3) Christopher Bartmess, South Bend Riley (55.44); (4) Lucas Byrd, Elkhart (55.76); (5) Cole Stevenson, Concord (56.16); (7) Brayden Sollars, Concord (56.75); (11) Collin Flemming, Penn (56.96); and (18) Abbas Hakim, LaPorte (57.92).

400-FREESTYLE RELAY (Top seed time 3:07.88)

(7) Penn — Christopher Oberlie, Nathaniel Temeles, Leo Ni, Reid Ohlson (3:10.83); (17) Concord — Thomas Brunner, Ivan Blystiv, Reid Sollars, Cole Stevenson (3:14.66); and (19) South Bend Riley — Joel Kricheff, Cooper VanDriessche, Jarek Ruszkowski, Ignatius Ruszkowski (3:15.49)

1-METER DIVING

Nick Hardary, Elkhart

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Riley boys swimners take sectional momentum into state meet