THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
SATURDAY JANUARY 21 | SUNDAY JANUARY 22 2017 |
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Highland Park swimming and diving team brimming — and booming — with confidence BY BILL MCLEAN , SPORTS@NORTHSHOREWEEKEND.COM
VOR-OOM: Sophomore Andrew Vorobev is playing an integral part in Highland Park’s success this winter. PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE HANDWERKER.
I
t looks like Bora Hopali’s nickname is here to stay. It also sounds like it. The Highland Park High School freshman swimmer has been answering to “Boombox Bora” since early December. On Dec. 9, en route to a meet at Vernon Hills High School, Hopali cranked up the volume on some Indian music on the team bus, followed by a set of Russian tunes. “It makes everybody happy,” said Hopali, a sprint freestyler who also swims the 100-yard butterfly and the 200 IM. “The music from India is mostly a remix, and Andrew [Vorobev, a sophomore teammate] told me about the Russian music.” The actual boombox did not touch first in any of the races at VHHS, but what blared from it might have had something to do with the Giants’ 107-79 victory. “It sets a good tone,” Highland Park swimming coach Tim Sirois said, adding his varsity listened to similar music on its way to the Grenadier Swim Invitational in
Elk Grove on Jan. 7. “It lightens things up.” The Giants exited the Elk Grove High School natatorium with a spring in their collective step and the team title on that afternoon, after winning half of the 32 events and outscoring runner-up Cary Grove 387-353. “Kind of goofy,” Sirois said of the invite’s format (heats were labeled “fast”, “faster” and “fastest”). “But every race mattered, and everybody felt like they had contributed.” Their winning beat continued on Jan. 13, when the Giants — minus ailing senior standout Levy Nathan, a three-event schoolrecord holder and two-time state medalist last winter — swept the 12 events in a 137-46 defeat of Maine West at Deerfield High School. Hopali won the 100 fly in 55.64, and Vorobev (200 IM, 100 backstroke) and senior Hugh Laedlein (50 freestyle, 100 free) each won a pair of events. Laedlein sped to personal-best times (22.19, 49.51), despite being sore from a morning
weight-lifting session, while Vorobev nearly set a program record with his 52.94 time in the 100 back. Laedlein, a future U.S. Marine, owns that mark (52.92), which he set last season. His older brother, Ben, now a student at the University of Kentucky, had held the previous 100-back mark of 52.96. Don’t look for Hugh to lower his personal-best in the 100 back; the captain, who has recovered from a broken humerus, is focusing on the sprint-free relays from here on out. Jack Burson has his eye on a 1:00.00, or the state-meet cut in the 100 breaststroke. The Highland Park senior, one of four returning HPHS all-Central Suburban League North swimmers, achieved his personal-best of 1:03.6 at a meet last winter. “Jack came up to me on the second day of winter break and told me some of his goals,” Sirois recalled. “He was clear about them, and he has been laser-focused ever since. Before then, he had really stepped up, with his
training, with his commitment to club swimming in the offseason. “Some of our themes this season,” the coach added, “have been hard work and recognizing the little victories along the way — good sets in practice, good splits at meets.” Good times? HP’s Giants are getting them (see the scoreboard at meets) and experiencing them (spend a couple of minutes with the boys on a music-filled bus ride to a meet). Burson is another fan of Boombox Bora’s playlist. “It’s fun music. It’s kind of funny, too,” said the younger brother of former Giants swimmer Max Burson. “But you know what it does? It raises everybody’s spirits. Our team is a good group of people, fun to be around. I like the camaraderie and our team’s overall attitude. “So much of swimming,” he added, “is attitude.” HP’s other victorious varsity efforts against Maine West last weekend: 200 medley relay
(1:42.55, Vorobev, Ryan Tran, Jake Kinczel and Laedlein); Steven Sirois (200 free, 2:02.21); Timmy Steves (diving, 214 points); Burson (500 free, 5:41.18); 200 free relay (1:38.97, Colby Treschl, Sirois, Richard Heller and Tobe Obochi); Tran (100 breaststroke, 1:03.51); and 400 free relay (3:34.87, Laedlein, Adam Grobelny, Vorobev and Jake Reisner).
HP’s swimming and diving captains in 2016-17. … Laedlein drove to Lexington, Kentucky, on Jan. 14, to visit his brother, University of Kentucky junior Ben Laedlein. The two watched UK’s men’s basketball team drub Auburn. … The Giants planned to bleach their hair in an annual ritual on Jan. 14, the day after their meet against Maine West. “Kind of early to do that,” said Giants senior Burson, a water Notable: The new pool at High- polo player in the spring. “But land Park High School won’t be [Sirois] picked that date, and ready in time for a home meet we’re OK with it. It’s a teamthis winter, but Giants swimming bonding thing. Bleached hair is a coach Tim Sirois was hopeful last way of announcing, ‘We are weekend about its availability for swimmers.’ ” … Nathan turned in at least a couple of late-season two of the varsity’s impressive practices. “It’s going to be beauti- swims at last month’s Lake ful,” he said in the middle of a County Invitational at Stevenson, home dual (at Deerfield High topping the fields in the 200 free School) versus Maine West on (1:42.98) and 500 free (4:39.34). Jan. 13. … Sirois, on Giants diving He touched fifth in the 200 free coach Jon Roby, a former all-state (1:42.29) at state last winter. diver at Glenbrook North: “He’s Vorobev bronzed in the 200 IM doing a phenomenal job with our with a 2:02.8 at the Lake County kids.” … Seniors Levy Nathan, Invite, as the Giants placed fourth Hugh Laedlein, Jake Kinczel and (247 points) at the highly comMark Fox (diver) are serving as petitive 10-team meet.