advertisement

Petro leads Hersey's team-friendly state effort

It can be lonely at the top, so Hersey senior Michael Petro has been very happy to have some peer-level company this week.

Long a standout swimmer, he's made a couple of previous trips to the high school state meet pretty much by himself as the Huskies' only qualifier.

That meant an entire week of solo preparation for the event, and final practices that included only himself and the coaches.

"I think he wasn't looking forward to spending another week with just me and (assistant coach Jeff) Baker," quipped Hersey coach Dick Mortensen.

That was not his fate, and Petro had a lot to do with the way it turned out. His superb 45.52 anchor split on the sectional 400-yard freestyle relay ensured Hersey would have four swimmers on deck at Evanston this weekend, as the Huskies finished in 3:12.20, just ahead of the qualifying standard.

Sophomore Gavin Hill, junior Jack Blumenfeld, freshman Ethan Marunde and Petro set a team record and also made some history, as the Huskies had never before qualified a 400 relay to the state meet under Mortensen's guidance.

Their collective qualification was especially rewarding because most figured Hersey's best relay was the medley. And when that one just missed the state cut at the start of the Deerfield sectional, it could have spelled trouble.

Instead, Mortensen said the subsequent efforts of Hill, who made state individually in the 50 free (21.79), and a pair of terrific efforts from Marunde in the 200 free and 100 breast, helped get Hersey thinking positive thoughts again.

"Everyone thought the medley was our ticket to state, and the 400 relay was a maybe," Petro said. "It turns out it was just the opposite."

Junior diver Nick Nocita is also part of the Hersey state meet effort after rolling to the sectional title with program-record score of 517.15. That puts him fifth in qualifying, but Nocita isn't putting too much stock in that part of the game.

"It's hard to tell with diving because the judging can really be different from place to place in the sectionals," he said. "But I feel really good about how I've been diving and I'm looking forward to state."

Back to that 400 relay - all four classes will be represented on it, and with three of those competitors having fewer races to prepare for than at the sectional, the general hope is that some faster swimming could be at hand.

This much is certain: even getting a relay to the state meet raises the bar at Hersey. Petro, bound for a collegiate swimming future at LSU, can take much of the credit for that.

"For our younger guys, it's so helpful to have someone like Michael," Mortensen said. "You just take them over when he swims the IM and say, 'Take a good look at that, because that's how it's done - you won't see anybody better.' I'd see Baker bringing whole herds of our freshmen over just to watch him race."

Last year's state runner-up in both the 100 butterfly and 200 IM is hoping to come home with a state championship this year. It won't be easy, with plenty of fierce competition in both races.

In the IM, Petro is the top seed at 1:49.78 - faster than his performance as a junior. St. Charles North junior Will Myhre (1:51.79) and New Trier senior Charlie Scheinfeld (1:52.49) are next and both are expected to drop considerable time from those qualifying efforts.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous," Petro said. "But I'm excited, too."

In the 100 fly, St. Viator's Michael Balcerak is the top seed at 48.68. Next is Lyons' Henry Claesson (49.25), and then Petro (49.68).

Petro is close friends with Balcerak, as they are club teammates for most of the calendar year.

Their friendship will remain strong, irrespective of this weekend's outcome, and Petro simply wants the head-to-head matchup to bring out the best racing in both of them.

"I just hope one of us is able to come up with an insane swim," he said, "and gets to go home really happy."

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.