Brookfield Academy Duo Shines in Swimming Sectional

Brookfield Academy seniors Jack Donovan and Jonathan Marks turned in two of the top individual performances at Saturday’s Division 2 sectional boys swim meet at Cudahy.

The team finished eighth, but Donovan and Marks made sure the Blue Knights squad did not go unnoticed. Donovan won the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, while Marks won the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

With the wins, both swimmers qualify for next weekend’s state tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s natatorium.

Donovan placed second in the 100 butterfly and third in the 200 freestyle at last year’s state meet. He said he plans on one-upping that performance and ending his high school swimming career “on a good note.”

He will continue on to the collegiate level, swimming at Notre Dame or the United States Naval Academy in the fall.

He won both his races by a margin of four seconds, but said he needs to be faster at state, as the competition will be more intense.

“My opponents around the state are swimming fast,” he said. “I have to race against them, rather than racing against those in the pool with me today.”

Academy’s boys swim program is only in its fourth year of existence and is still building in both size and ability, said coach Krista VanEnkenvoort.

The team’s eight-man roster is comprised of swimmers with mixed levels of experience. While Donovan and Marks have been swimming since their youth, others on the team are fairly new to competitive swimming.

Donovan and Marks bring value beyond their impressive individual times, VanEnkenvoort said. The duo help coach less experienced teammates and are key to team morale, she said.

Nearly everyone on the team set personal bests and VanEnkenvoort said she is very satisfied with Brookfield Academy’s place in the sectional’s final team standings: Shorewood (392), Whitefish Bay (322.5), Elkhorn Area (312), Whitnall (217), Martin Luther (185), Delavin-Darien (168.5), Cudahy (162), Brookfield Academy (151), Pius XI (105), Whitewater (87) and St. Thomas More/St. Francis (73).

Shorewood turned in a true team effort to claim the championship, winning all three relay races and packing the podium with multiple swimmers in several events.

Seniors Kasmir Bohannon and Andrew Eden were the top Greyhound swimmers. Bohannon won the 50 freestyle in 22.14 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 47.99. Eder finished second in both the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

Shorewood’s closest competitors were Whitefish Bay and Elkhorn Area, who finished second and third, respectively.

Bay was boosted by the performances of sophomore Henry Smith, senior captain D.J. Friesch and senior Bobby Rinka. Smith won the 500 freestyle, Friesch claimed the 100 backstroke crown and Rinka turned in a first-place performance in the 1-meter dive.