Oswego co-op junior Chase Maier was well aware of where he was Saturday during the championship heat of the 200-yard freestyle at the boys swimming state meet at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.
But he had no idea what his toughest competitors were up to — and that’s because Maier was in one of the farthest outside lanes.
The lane assignments are based on times from the preliminary round, with the fastest two seeds swimming in lanes 4 and 5 in the middle of the pool.
“I was out in Lane 8, so I was kind of racing the whole this side of the pool,” Maier said. “I didn’t really have many people up there with me near me. I knew I was ahead of the three people in the lanes next to me but I had no clue on the other side of the pool what was going on.
“I just tried to get as high of a time as I can get.”
Maier, who was seeded seventh in the eight-man heat after clocking 1:39.41 in the prelims, went a personal best and program-record 1:37.53 to finish second behind Schaumburg senior Szymon Mieczkowski, who clocked in at 1:37.16.
Among the swimmers Maier beat was Hinsdale Central senior Nate Harris, the top seed who finished third, a mere .01 behind Maier.
“I just out-touched Nate Harris, so I’m happy with that,” Maier said. “I think I might be the first kid from Oswego to get second, so I get to have a banner up (at the school) with a runner-up now.”
Indeed, Maier’s finish was the highest in program history, and it came in an event where he made a significant jump from last season. He finished 16th in the 200 as a sophomore and did not make the finals.
“It’s a lot of extra work because last year I only had the 500,” Maier said. “This year, I’m swimming both events, but I’m really happy with my second place. That’s better than I placed in the 500 last year.”
Maier won his first state medal last season when he finished third in the 500 free. He improved in that race, too, capturing another runner-up finish for another personal best and program record.
The 500 would come down to an exciting battle between Maier and defending state champion Alex Parkinson of Neuqua Valley.
The South Dakota-bound Parkinson, a senior, put up the best time in the prelims with a 4:25.30, while Maier earned the second seed with a 4:27:70. Both were personal bests and program records.
“Chase took third in the 500 last year, so this year we were going after it again,” Oswego coach Erik Enslen said. “Him and Alex train together in the offseason, so in the offseason they are kind of friends and enemies.
“It’s always a great race between the two of them, and you never know who is going to win.”
This time, Maier was in the middle of the pool in Lane 5, right next to Parkinson. The race was close all the way before Parkinson hit the wall first in 4:22.33, less than four seconds shy of the state record.
Maier ended up second with a 4:24.18, which was over three seconds faster than anyone else.
Enslen and Neuqua Valley coach Chad Allen both had been eagerly anticipating the battle between their two stars.
“We were sitting out in the lobby and talking and I go, “It’s going to take at least a 24 to win this thing,’” Enslen said. “And Chad is like, ‘I don’t know if they’ve got a 24 in them.’
“Then they went a 22 and a 24 and it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
