Hinsdale Central’s swimming team finished fourth at the two-day state tournament held Feb 24-25 in Evanston. After finishing 10th in 2011 and 14th and 12th the two years prior, the Central swim team is excited to place so well at state, which provided the ideal culmination of a successful year for the swim team.
“To get fourth place was an amazing way to end my high-school career,” said Thomson, senior. Thomson, already a state champion in the 200 free and a two-time champion in the 5000 free, won both events in Evanston. His 500-free performance shattered the previous state record, which was also set by Thomson.
In the past few years, Central students and parents have maintained a noticeable presence a swim meets. The state meet proved no exception. Relatives and peers alike traveled to Evanston to cheer on the swim team in its final meet of the season. “I will never forget looking up into the stands after the 500 free and hearing the Hinsdale section cheering for me,” Thomson said.
Besides Thomson, Central had two other individuals reach the final round: Eddie Mapel, who finished sixth in the 100-breaststroke event and Ryan O’Donnell, finishing eleventh in diving. Furthermore, for the first time in nearly a decade, all three relay teams qualified for finals. “[These] facts alone make me think that the team will have continued success next year,” Thomson said.
In addition to the team’s inspiring state performance, the upcoming group of swimmers looks promising. “There is a group of juniors that is just about ready to get to the final level of state. To complement the juniors, the freshman class has some real potential to do some major damage at the state meet as they continue to develop and grow stronger,” Thomson said.
