By Fred Kroner
Owen Kearns and Aron Varga were each involved in two first-place finishes for the Mahomet-Seymour boys’ swimming team on Tuesday (Dec. 14) in a three-school meet at Champaign.
They teamed up with Mitch McAnally and Carter Logsdon to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 50.44 seconds.
Individually, Varga won the 200 individual medley in 2:13.27 and Kearns was victorious in the 500-yard freestyle (5:27.23).
Champaign Central was the meet winner with 158 points. Runner-up M-S had 100 points and third-place Danville totaled 31 points.
Kearns and Varga also captured second in an individual event and with a second relay.
Kearns was the runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.66) and Varga took second in the 100-yard butterfly (58.60).
They teamed up with Logsdon and Aaron Smith to place second in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:54.88).
M-S athletes also secured third place in five events and fourth in three events.
Placing third were Smith (200-yard freestyle in 2:31.47), McAnally (50-yard freestyle in 24.55), Logsdon (100-yard butterfly in 1:06.36) and Caden Raquel (100-yard breaststroke in 1:24.51).
The Bulldogs’ 200-yard freestyle relay, featuring Max Katz, Raquel, Smith and McAnally was third in 1:45.96.
Contributing fourth-place finishes were Raquel (200-yard individual medley in 2:46.78), McAnally (100-yard freestyle in 58.45) and Kam Bartels (500-yard freestyle in 7:47.75).
On Saturday (Dec. 18), M-S placed seventh in the 15-school Bloomington Raider Invitational.
Hinsdale South was the team champion (354 ½ points), followed by Chatham Glenwood (346 ½ points) and Centennial (346 points). M-S finished with 238 points.
The Bulldogs had one event winner. Katz prevailed in the diving competition, with a score of 373.90.
M-S had top-five placers in four other events, including a third-place finish by Varga in the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.75).
Kearns was fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:28.37), Varga was fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (59.42) and the 200-yard medley relay foursome also captured fifth.
Teaming up for a time of 1:49.92 were Kearns, Varga, McAnally and Logsdon.
M-S returns to action on Wednesday (Jan. 5) in a meet at Kankakee that also includes Thornton Township.
