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Apr. 5—Here are the best of the best from this boys' swimming and diving season, all of whom finished the year at state:
Garren Barker
Champaign Central junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Barker won a second consecutive News-Gazette Swimmer of the Year honor, ending his season by breaking four Urbana Aquatic Center pool records at sectionals. He earned gold medals in the 100-yard butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay to lead a group of Maroons to state.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... slapping himself before every race.
➜ His dream career is ... business.
➜ His go-to snack is ... apple juice.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... tennis.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Ryan Gosling.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Queen Elizabeth, Bruce Lee and Albert Einstein.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... completing a triathlon, becoming a millionaire and traveling to Dubai.
Tyler Cappa
Champaign Central freshman
➜ Why he made the first team ... Cappa joined Barker on the record-setting and state-qualifying 400-yard freestyle relay, getting his high school career off to just about as solid of a start as you could ask for. He also finished third in both the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... wearing a pair of goggles until they break as long as he swims well in them.
➜ His dream career is ... an anesthesiologist.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-It Snack Mix.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... ping pong.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Ryan Gosling.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Caeleb Dressel.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling to Europe, surfing a big wave and visiting all 50 states.
Erik Fahnestock
Uni High sophomore
➜ Why he made the first team ... Two years of high school competition, two All-Area First-Team honors. Fahnestock was one of only seven area swimmers to qualify for state in an individual event, doing so in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke after winning both races at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... trying to replicate everything leading up to the next race after a good race.
➜ His dream career is ... a lawyer.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-Its.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... track.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Daniel Radcliffe.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, J.R.R. Tolkien and Eric Liddell.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... growing closer to God every day, becoming fluent in another language and swimming at an international meet.
Jonathan Freeburg
Champaign Central junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Freeburg was one of three area 50-yard freestyle swimmers to make state in the event, squeaking under the state cut line with a third-place sectional time of 21.68 seconds. He also took fifth in the 100 freestyle and swam on both of the Maroons' state relays.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... just giving everything his all.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Belvita breakfast biscuits.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... bobsledding.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Michael Ealy.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... his dad, mom and sister.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling to Japan, doing a handstand pushup and skydiving.
Emmett Kearns
Mahomet-Seymour junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Owen Kearns, Emmett Kearns took on the role of the Bulldogs' team captain and broke multiple team records throughout the season. He now holds the M-S record in the 100-yard freestyle (48.39) and 50 freestyle (21.42), making state in the 50.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... eating certain foods before every race.
➜ His dream career is ... something in the medical field.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... skiing.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Jake Gyllenhaal.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Josh Allen, Michael Phelps and Owen Kearns.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... fishing in Australia, skiing in Japan and skydiving.
Max Kooper
Urbana junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... After a breakout sophomore season, Kooper returned better than ever, breaking his own 6-dive and 11-dive records numerous times throughout the season. He was far and away the area's best diver, competing with himself in most meets, on his way to state.
➜ His biggest diving superstition is ... every dive looks worse on video than how it feels.
➜ His dream career is ... a marine scientist on a research vessel in the middle of the ocean.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... surfing.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Leonardo DiCaprio.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... three cavemen.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... cliff jumping, scuba diving and skydiving.
Josh Lee
Champaign Central senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Lee graduated from a program that has a ton of potential next year, and he did it with his best season yet. He qualified for state in the 200-yard individual medley, taking second at sectionals in the event as well as the 500 freestyle. Lee was also on both of the Maroons' record-setting state relays.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... eating pasta before meets.
➜ His dream career is ... internal medicine.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... track.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Christian Bale.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Hart.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... vising Europe, skydiving and scuba diving.
Charles Medlin
Schlarman junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Medlin was the only area swimmer to advance through the state prelims and into the finals. After winning gold medals at sectionals in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle, he made the state finals in both, finishing 10th in the 100 and 11th in the 50 with respective times of 45.73 and 20.92 seconds.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... not overthinking his races.
➜ His dream career is ... a motivational speaker.
➜ His go-to snack is ... apple sauce.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... race walking.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Danny DeVito.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Sigmund Freud to settle the beef.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, cliff jumping and doing a standing backflip.
Tyler Oatman
Centennial senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Oatman totaled more points than anyone at the Big 12 Conference meet, winning conference titles in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles individually and swimming on the champion 200 freestyle relay and runner-up 400 freestyle relay. He led off for the 200 relay that advanced to state.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... pink is his lucky color.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-Its.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... basketball.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Kevin Hart.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Evan Piercy, Owen Alexander and Randal Ngo.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... visiting another country, going on a road trip and attending the March Madness championship.
Evan Piercy
Centennial senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Piercy was the last Charger in the pool this season, as he anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay at the state meet, finishing with a time of 1 minute, 27.77 seconds. He was the Big 12 Conference 50 freestyle champion and placed fourth in both of his individual events at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... telling how well he's going to race based on the timers.
➜ His dream career is ... a trophy husband. Maybe an attorney or actuary on the side.
➜ His go-to snack is ... fruit.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... wrestling.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Morgan Freeman.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, Julius Caesar and LeBron James.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... beating Owen Alexander at Super Smash Bros., bench pressing 405 pounds and jumping out of an airplane.
Continue reading...
Garren Barker
Champaign Central junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Barker won a second consecutive News-Gazette Swimmer of the Year honor, ending his season by breaking four Urbana Aquatic Center pool records at sectionals. He earned gold medals in the 100-yard butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay to lead a group of Maroons to state.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... slapping himself before every race.
➜ His dream career is ... business.
➜ His go-to snack is ... apple juice.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... tennis.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Ryan Gosling.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Queen Elizabeth, Bruce Lee and Albert Einstein.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... completing a triathlon, becoming a millionaire and traveling to Dubai.
Tyler Cappa
Champaign Central freshman
➜ Why he made the first team ... Cappa joined Barker on the record-setting and state-qualifying 400-yard freestyle relay, getting his high school career off to just about as solid of a start as you could ask for. He also finished third in both the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... wearing a pair of goggles until they break as long as he swims well in them.
➜ His dream career is ... an anesthesiologist.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-It Snack Mix.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... ping pong.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Ryan Gosling.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Caeleb Dressel.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling to Europe, surfing a big wave and visiting all 50 states.
Erik Fahnestock
Uni High sophomore
➜ Why he made the first team ... Two years of high school competition, two All-Area First-Team honors. Fahnestock was one of only seven area swimmers to qualify for state in an individual event, doing so in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke after winning both races at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... trying to replicate everything leading up to the next race after a good race.
➜ His dream career is ... a lawyer.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-Its.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... track.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Daniel Radcliffe.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, J.R.R. Tolkien and Eric Liddell.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... growing closer to God every day, becoming fluent in another language and swimming at an international meet.
Jonathan Freeburg
Champaign Central junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Freeburg was one of three area 50-yard freestyle swimmers to make state in the event, squeaking under the state cut line with a third-place sectional time of 21.68 seconds. He also took fifth in the 100 freestyle and swam on both of the Maroons' state relays.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... just giving everything his all.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Belvita breakfast biscuits.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... bobsledding.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Michael Ealy.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... his dad, mom and sister.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling to Japan, doing a handstand pushup and skydiving.
Emmett Kearns
Mahomet-Seymour junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Owen Kearns, Emmett Kearns took on the role of the Bulldogs' team captain and broke multiple team records throughout the season. He now holds the M-S record in the 100-yard freestyle (48.39) and 50 freestyle (21.42), making state in the 50.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... eating certain foods before every race.
➜ His dream career is ... something in the medical field.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... skiing.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Jake Gyllenhaal.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Josh Allen, Michael Phelps and Owen Kearns.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... fishing in Australia, skiing in Japan and skydiving.
Max Kooper
Urbana junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... After a breakout sophomore season, Kooper returned better than ever, breaking his own 6-dive and 11-dive records numerous times throughout the season. He was far and away the area's best diver, competing with himself in most meets, on his way to state.
➜ His biggest diving superstition is ... every dive looks worse on video than how it feels.
➜ His dream career is ... a marine scientist on a research vessel in the middle of the ocean.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... surfing.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Leonardo DiCaprio.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... three cavemen.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... cliff jumping, scuba diving and skydiving.
Josh Lee
Champaign Central senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Lee graduated from a program that has a ton of potential next year, and he did it with his best season yet. He qualified for state in the 200-yard individual medley, taking second at sectionals in the event as well as the 500 freestyle. Lee was also on both of the Maroons' record-setting state relays.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... eating pasta before meets.
➜ His dream career is ... internal medicine.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Goldfish.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... track.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Christian Bale.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Hart.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... vising Europe, skydiving and scuba diving.
Charles Medlin
Schlarman junior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Medlin was the only area swimmer to advance through the state prelims and into the finals. After winning gold medals at sectionals in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle, he made the state finals in both, finishing 10th in the 100 and 11th in the 50 with respective times of 45.73 and 20.92 seconds.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... not overthinking his races.
➜ His dream career is ... a motivational speaker.
➜ His go-to snack is ... apple sauce.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... race walking.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Danny DeVito.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Sigmund Freud to settle the beef.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, cliff jumping and doing a standing backflip.
Tyler Oatman
Centennial senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Oatman totaled more points than anyone at the Big 12 Conference meet, winning conference titles in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles individually and swimming on the champion 200 freestyle relay and runner-up 400 freestyle relay. He led off for the 200 relay that advanced to state.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... pink is his lucky color.
➜ His go-to snack is ... Cheez-Its.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... basketball.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Kevin Hart.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Evan Piercy, Owen Alexander and Randal Ngo.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... visiting another country, going on a road trip and attending the March Madness championship.
Evan Piercy
Centennial senior
➜ Why he made the first team ... Piercy was the last Charger in the pool this season, as he anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay at the state meet, finishing with a time of 1 minute, 27.77 seconds. He was the Big 12 Conference 50 freestyle champion and placed fourth in both of his individual events at sectionals.
➜ His biggest swimming superstition is ... telling how well he's going to race based on the timers.
➜ His dream career is ... a trophy husband. Maybe an attorney or actuary on the side.
➜ His go-to snack is ... fruit.
➜ If he could make the Olympics in any other sport, he would pick ... wrestling.
➜ The actor he'd pick to play him in a movie would be ... Morgan Freeman.
➜ If he could have dinner with three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, Julius Caesar and LeBron James.
➜ Three things on his bucket list are ... beating Owen Alexander at Super Smash Bros., bench pressing 405 pounds and jumping out of an airplane.
Continue reading...
