Sectional Swimming: Downers South Brothers Vince and Peter Errichiello Looking Forward to Sharing State Experience

Downers Grove South junior Peter Errichiello doesn’t have fond memories of past sectional meets.

“My freshman year my knee was bothering me and I was out of it, and last year I got sick at sectionals,” Errichiello said. “I can’t describe how disappointed I was last year because I knew I should’ve went to state.”

Those disappointments just made Saturday that much more satisfying for Errichiello, who earned his first state berth at the Downers Grove North Sectional.

The first-place finishers in each event and those achieving qualifying times advance to the state meet Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26, at New Trier High School in Winnetka.

Errichiello took second in the 100-yard backstroke with a state-qualifying time of 53.72 seconds.

“It means a lot after the last two years,” Errichiello said. “It’s nice to finally be going.”

No one was more excited for Errichiello than his senior brother, Vince, who became Downers Grove South’s first individual state medalist in 19 years last season when he placed ninth in the 200 individual medley.

Vince Errichiello qualified Saturday in the 100 butterfly (1^st place, 51.94) and 200 IM (2^nd place, 1:57.59) and can’t wait to share the state experience with his younger brother.

“I’ve been training with him the past 13 years or so,” Vince Errichiello said. “Seeing him not make it last year was hard. I’m glad he did well today. I know he wasn’t feeling 100 percent, but I’m really glad for him. I’m looking forward to swimming at state with him.”

Peter Errichiello just missed also making it to state in the 100 freestyle. His sixth-place time of 48.80 was just 0.37 of a second shy of the standard. Downers South’s 200 medley relay, led by the Errichiello brothers, missed the cut by 0.11.

Lyons Township (252 points) won the 14-team sectional, followed by Hinsdale Central (234), Wheaton North (212), Downers South (152), Willowbrook (140), Hinsdale South (121) and Downers North (118).

Maybe the most impressive feat of the day came from Hinsdale Central senior Kyle Fredrickson, who secured his first trip to state from the fourth of five heats in the 100 breaststroke. He not only easily won his heat (1:01.41), but took first overall and was the only state qualifier in the event, as none of the six swimmers in the fastest heat met the qualifying standard.

“It’s really exciting,” Fredrickson said. “I just missed the cut at sectionals and wasn’t able to go last year. I came back this season and worked really hard and was able to get it today. I really hoped to get the cut, but it’s never something you can be sure about. I just came into it with an open mind and tried to swim as fast as I could. I was really surprised I was the only one to get the time.”

Hinsdale Central junior Danny Thomson will get the chance to defend his state championship in the 500 freestyle.

Thomson took first in the event Saturday with a time of 4:35.99.

“I’m just really excited for next week because I did really well in all my events today,” Thomson said. “The experience of having two years at state really helps a lot. It gives me a lot of confidence. I can’t wait.”

Thomson finished ninth at state in the 500 freestyle as a freshman before winning the event last year. He also placed fifth in the 200 IM a year ago, but changed events and will look to fare well in the 200 freestyle after winning the event Saturday in 1:41.39. Thomson also teamed with Ben Marsh, C.J. VanWormer and Max Morimoto to qualify in the 200 medley relay (1^st, 1:38.09) and with Strati Koulouris, Mike DeSalle and Morimoto to reach state in the 400 freestyle relay (4^th, 3:14.93).

Morimoto also advanced in the 100 freestyle (48.13).

Downers Grove North senior Mike Reed is set up nicely to make some noise at state after setting two pool records and qualifying for state in three events.

Reed won the 50 freestyle in 21.14, eclipsing the previous mark of 21.26 set by Hinsdale Central’s David Kormushoff in 2004. Reed also tied former Downers North teammate Burke Sims’ pool record in winning the 100 freestyle (46.35).

“The whole goal at sectional is to get to state,” Reed said. “I was hoping for a little bit faster times, but I had some really bad turns and started out some of the races bad. I choked on some water in the 100 free and that did not lead to a pretty finish. I definitely have some work to do this week and hopefully I can pull it together at state.”

Reed, who placed sixth at state in the 50 freestyle and 11^th in the 100 freestyle last season, also teamed with Umesh Rajan, Connor Fear and Alex Matuzewich to place second in the 200 freestyle relay in a state-qualifying time of 1:27.88.

Hinsdale South senior Sebastian Ostrowski qualified in two individual events for the second year in a row.

He took first in the 200 individual medley (1:56.45) and the 100 backstroke (51.48). Ostrowski’s time in the 100 back broke the pool record and Hinsdale South record in the event.

“I feel great about it,” Ostrowski said. “I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. I had a mini-taper (rest) the last day or two and I’m glad with my outcome. I can’t wait for next weekend.”

Ostrowski became the program’s fourth state medalist in the 100 backstroke last season when he placed 12^th, but he was disqualified in the 200 IM when an official ruled he had a ‘rolling’ start off the block.

In diving, Downers South’s Ryan Kujawa (2^nd, 511.80) and Mike Holz (7^th, 413.65), Hinsdale Central’s Ryan O’Donnell (6^th, 416.20) and Hinsdale South’s Cameron Paladino (8^th, 385.10) and Nicholas Milovanovic (10^th, 341.25) all have shots at earning at-large berths.