Publications & Sites 
For brief moment, Fenwick’s White holds record
Fenwick's Tommy McGuire swimming in the consolation final of the 100-Yard Breaststroke during Saturday's IHSA State Championship hosted by New Trier High School. | Brian O'Mahoney~for Sun-Times Media
Updated: April 1, 2013 6:52AM
WINNETKA — The screen flashed “19.53” and Fenwick senior Justin White erupted.
If the clock was correct, it was a state record. If it wasn’t, Fenwick was still seeded second in the 200 freestyle relay second headed into Saturday’s IHSA state meet finals.
Either way, White had plenty of reason to celebrate.
“First, I had seen that we had beaten New Trier,” White said. “So it was just a feeling of excitement and complete shock. Then I saw my split, and I knew I went fast but I didn’t think I went that fast. So I knew there was something wrong with it. But it was just incredible to share that moment with my teammates.”
White’s anchor leg in the prelims of the state finals on Friday raised a lot of eyebrows. He came from behind to take down eventual overall state champ New Trier, and his posted time was nearly three tenths faster than the 19.80 Mundelein senior Connor Black swam to break Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers’ state record.
In the end, the time would prove to be false — his official split was 20.56. But his excitement was real.
“I didn’t really swim to my abilities in my individual races,” White said. “So I just had that much more extra motivation going into the relays. I wanted to do well for my teammates.
Backed by its second place finish in the 200 free relay behind Hinsdale Central, Fenwick wound up in 11th place overall. It was a final result that satisfied White and coach Luke McGuire.
“We had some great swims, a couple team records in the medley and 200 free relays, and I think that’s the highest a Fenwick diver (sophomore Max Showalter, who took sixth) has ever placed,” McGuire said. “Overall it was a great meet and a great season.”
