CROWN POINT | Chesterton boys swimming coach Kevin Kinel hasn't settled on a lineup. But that uncertainty might have played a part in the team winning its 16th consecutive Duneland Athletic Conference meet crown.
The Times No. 1 Trojans won nine of the 12 events to roll past No. 4 Valparaiso 531-346 and extend the league's longest meet winning streak Saturday afternoon.
"It's getting harder for them not to ho-hum (the DAC meet)," Kinel said. "We're still kind of figuring out our lineup. Nothing is set in stone, so that keeps everyone on their toes."
Sophomore Blake Pieroni, better known as a distance swimmer, broke the DAC and Crown Point's pool mark in the 100-yard freestyle (45.82) and won the 200 individual medley (1:54.53).
"Two days against Munster, I swam a 45.63 (in the 100 free), so I knew I had a shot at the record," said Pieroni, who finished second in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 free at last year's state meet. "It was fun. Evan (Whitaker) did a really good job in the distance for us."
Whitaker, also a sophomore, won the 500 free (4:46.49) and finished second to Valparaiso's Andrew Antonetti in the 200 free.
Whitaker's twin brother, Aaron, defended in the 100 butterfly (50.98) and won the 100 backstroke (53.03). Another classmate, Jack Wallar, won the 100 breaststroke (59.0).
"It's great that all of us are setting in at the top level," Pieroni said. "It's happy to see Jack and Evan start to be so good."
Second seed Antonetti broke through for the Vikings in the 200 free (1:44.96).
"Any time he gets competition, he's out there ready to go," Valparaiso coach Adam Nellessen said of his sophomore. "He just hates to lose more than he likes to win."
Crown Point's Mike Kukurugya started off strong in the 50 free (21.85) and held off the rest of the field for the crown.
"It's not like the 500 where you can start off slow and finish fast," Kukurugya said. "You have to go out and give it your all."
LaPorte's Josh Arndt won diving (455.9).
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