Record-setting efforts propel Maroons to sectional title

Feb. 19—URBANA — Dave Young's message to his Champaign Central boys' swimming and diving team has stayed consistent throughout the season.

The hard-working Maroons validated that by capturing a sectional championship at Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center on Saturday afternoon, tallying 274 points to best a top three that included Centennial (167) and Urbana (142).

"We've been told all year that we're a special team and we proved it (Saturday)," Central senior Nolan Miller said. "Coach Dave has told us that he's never had a team work as hard as us, and it showed in the way we performed (Saturday)."

Central — which boasted three individual state qualifiers and two relay teams that made the cut into next weekend's IHSA state meet at FMC Natatorium in Westmont — started its sectional title pursuit early on Saturday as Avi Rhodes captured the diving competition with 339.25 points.

Miller and Aidan Williams added wins in two events, with Miller taking first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 38.53 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 4:33.47. Williams touched the wall first in the 50 freestyle (20.67) and the 100 freestyle (46.38).

Williams topped former Maroons standout Payton Woods' meet (20.69) and pool (20.83) records in his 50 freestyle triumph, while Miller broke meet and pool records in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

"All I ever wanted since I was a freshman was to break Payton's record," Williams said. "It's really been something I've been working for very hard for the past four years. It feels amazing."

Miller's performance in the latter comfortably downed a pool record that had been in place since Colton Paulson swam the event in 4:42.03 in 2017 and edged Tyler McGill's meet record of 4:35.38 that was set in 2006.

"It's good to be on the board," Miller said. "It's good to be remembered. The hope is that somebody will take them down in a couple of years. That'd be great.

"It's not just me taking the records down. I mean, I have a couple of my own already, and it means the world to see relays and other teammates (doing that). It's a wonderful feeling."

Central's 200 freestyle relay team of Williams, Miller, Garren Barker and Jonathan Freeburg earned a win in 1:27.44.

It was the first of two relay victories for the Maroons as their 400 freestyle relay team of Williams, Miller, Trevor Plattner and Joshua Lee captured the top spot at 3:15.27 in the final race on Saturday. That led into Central's celebration in which the entire team and coaching staff leapt into the diving area with the regional plaque in hand.

"The guys worked really hard this year," Young said. "It's just always great to see all the hard work pay off at the end."

Sullivan standout Ethan Schmohe was part of the team's 200 medley relay that earned a victory at 1:39.64 and also qualified individually with an emotional 50.87 in the 100 backstroke that set new meet and pool records. He'll also swim in the 50 freestyle at state.

"I wouldn't be here without my team because they're the ones who've been pushing me," said Schmohe, who will swim at state in the 200 medley relay along with teammates Liam Donovan, Isaac Chambers and Matthew Wesselman.

"My coaches, obviously my family, I've had people and animals passed away recently and my goal overall was to get the Seth Dunscomb record. (He was) a great man who passed away young and if I'm being honest, I'm honored to have been able to take those records, take those times and go to state. I'm feeling great right now."

Aron Varga earned Mahomet-Seymour representation in the state meet with a victory in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.30.

"I've been practicing for a while," Varga said. I've been working the pace work a lot to get under the time that I have to go for nationals. I just did what I practiced and it worked out."

The Bulldogs placed fourth as a team with 123 points, with St. Thomas More (71), Danville (49), Charleston (42), Williamsville (25), Clinton (18) and PORTA (11) rounding out the top 10 teams.

Champaign Central's win marked its fourth sectional title since 2019.

"We've worked hard," Young said. "We're going to go up and have fun and do our best and we'll have some fast swims and some good times."