St. Charles East working to get in top shape

The boys swimming season is only days old, but athletes are already beginning to focus on the February state meet.

While training levels are designed to physically break down the athletes before allowing them to rest and recover at the end of the season, periodic competition remains a necessary component of the season.

"I think that after two weeks of hard training, it's good to do a meet to see where we're at," Waubonsie Valley coach Chad Ganden said. "It's nice that some guys are happy with how they're doing. For other guys it's a bit of a reality check."

Waubonsie Valley defeated host St. Charles East 100-83 in the season-opening meet for both teams.

"We've tried a lot of different things than we've done in the past," Ganden said. "I expected them to be tired and sore. But some of them were surprised."

St. Charles East started the meet well and had the lead two-thirds of the way through the meet, but the Warriors surged in the late-going to win.

"We need to get in shape," St. Charles East coach Joe Cabel said. "We need to get in shape. We're not there yet. But we're getting there."

Waubonsie Valley junior Jack Poletto helped key his team's victory. He swam in the Warriors' second-placed 200-yard medley relay, won the 100 butterfly as well as the 100 backstroke, then swam on the winning 400 freestyle relay.

"I'm about at the times I want to be at right now," Poletto said. "I've been working pretty hard."

Poletto is one of the Warriors who has leadership responsibilities in this year's squad.

"No one can tell you to swim fast in the water," Poletto said. "You have to tell yourself to swim fast. But you've got to lead the team and that's been interesting so far."

Times in early December usually bear no relation to those recorded at the end of the season. But swimmers use these times as benchmarks compared to previous years and against their overall goals.

"I'm pretty close to where I want to be," Poletto said. "There's always room for improvement."

St. Charles East senior B.J. Roth was also a triple event winner. He swam on the Saints winning medley relay, won the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle.

"I think I had a pretty good meet and the team, as a whole, swam pretty well," Roth said. "I feel we're going to swim very well this season."

Roth enters the high school season on the heels of a successful season with the St. Charles Swim Club.

"Along with a lot of the guys, I was working pretty hard in club season," Roth said. "It's been a smooth transition. Workloads have picked up a little bit but not a lot yet."