LAPORTE | The LaPorte Boys Swim Invitational serves as a good measuring stick each year for coaches to gauge their teams.
Six Duneland Athletic Conference schools met at the Slicers’ pool to participate in a variety of relays that provided splits showing where they stand so far this season.
No coaches were happier than those from Chesterton, as the Times No. 1 Trojans swept all 13 swimming relays en route the title with a total of 217 points.
Crown Point finished second with 166 points, with Valparaiso edging Portage for third place with 151. The Indians came in fourth with 150 points, followed by Michigan City (119) and LaPorte (89).
Chesterton assistant coach Pat Ward, who took the lead in coaching the Trojans for the invitational, said the team had set the goal of swimming some best times and showing their depth.
“We just wanted to show that some of the full strength that we have,” Ward said. “What is best about this meet is that someone always comes out of the woodwork and really shines and does some good times.”
Ward said there were several standout performances at the meet, including a time of 1 minute, 26.23 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle relay, which the Trojans won by more than eight seconds over the second-place Bulldogs.
As for individual performances, Ward said Nate Rodriguez turned in a solid split in the 400 free relay, with a 100 free split of 51.7. Ward also noted that Patrick Curley was off his 200 free sectional time by just one second in the 800 free relay.
The Trojans do not have another major meet until the North Central Invitaional, which is more than a week away. Ward said the LaPorte Swim Invitational gave the team a chance to challenge themselves.
“It was good to get this good quality swim in,” he said. “We did a great job of racing and really we were racing the clock. They did a great job of racing their own personal best individual times.”
LaPorte won the one-meter diving A event, Portage took first in the B diving event.
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