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GODDARD: Swim leaders prep for college careers
Updated: April 15, 2013 10:14AM
Still waters run deep for Hinsdale Central seniors Will Leach, Eddie Mapel and Connor Schroyer.
They were back in the pool preparing for their college swimming careers the day after guiding the Red Devils to an exciting second-place finish at state two weeks ago behind New Trier.
Leach will swim for Georgetown, Mapel is going to Missouri and Schroyer is weighing his options.
Coach Corky King, calling the season the best in his 14 Central years, praised the three seniors for guiding a strong group of underclassmen to top-four state finishes in all three relays while individually earning additional Red Devils points.
“It was cool to see them pulling our young people along,” King said. “We may not contend next year (behind New Trier), but you never know.”
The season reminded Central fans of the late-1960s and early ’70s teams of John Kinsella, John Murphy and Mark Lambert. They were as exciting to watch then as King’s team was this season. Splendid sophomores Brian Portland, Adam Pircon and Brian Powell are coming back, along with junior Banistre Lienhart and some potentially strong eighth-graders.
Leach, Mapel and Schroyer vowed to be with next year’s Red Devils in spirit.
“They’re going to have the same kind of fun the next couple of seasons that we had this year,” Schroyer said.
Leach “thoroughly enjoyed” his official visit to Georgetown. “They’ve got a new coach and a lot of good freshmen,” he said. “I hung out with them and even went to some of their classes.”
He was attracted to Georgetown for its excellent law school. “Both of my parents are lawyers,” he said. “Fortunately, I have time to decide on a career.”
Settling on Missouri was, according to Mapel, “a long process” that included the knowledge that two of the nation’s finest breaststroke coaches are there. He’ll be competing in a schedule that includes Southeastern Conference powers Auburn, Georgia and Florida.
Mapel, who might study engineering at Missouri, cleared physical hurdles to put himself in position to succeed at Central. He only was 5-feet-6, 110 pounds as a freshman but, thanks to an impressive growth spurt, stretched to 6-5, 165 at this year’s state meet, proving you never know when Mother Nature is going to get around to everyone.
