Barrington sophomore Colin O’Leary is getting a crash course on captaincy this boys swim and dive season.
O’Leary is one of the Broncos’ captains (sophomore Mitch Gavars the other). An impact freshman in 2013-14, the versatile O’Leary earned his leadership position by way of performance. He made the state cut in two individual events (100-yard butterfly, 100 backstroke) and as part of one Broncos relay team (200 medley).
Rare though, is a captaincy awarded to an underclassman.
“Captains are picked based on commitment to the sport and what they do every day in training. Colin and Mitch lead every set,” Barrington coach John Valentine said. “They show their commitment to the team every day in the pool.”
Barrington is a young team. O’Leary and Gavars are the most experienced of the group, with O’Leary a potential star.
As a freshman, O’Leary observed the workmanlike practice habits of seniors Sebastian Piekarski, Sam Miseyka and Connor Kobida.
“Every practice, [they] tried their hardest,” O’Leary said.
That every-rep-counts mentality is what O’Leary tries to instill in his teammates each day. The days start early. On Mondays and Wednesdays, workouts begin at 5:30 a.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s 6 a.m. These are bookended by afternoon sessions on days the Broncos don’t have meets.
On Saturday, the Broncos hosted their annual relays, an all-relay meet with non-traditional events like the 300 butterfly relay and 850 free relay. State-level programs Libertyville, Fenwick and Stevenson participated.
“Our kids who normally don’t get a chance to shine can compete with some of the best teams in the state in a fun way,” Valentine said.
The event provided a platform for the Broncos to vie for individual and relay spots. Junior freestyle sprinter Brandon Schaff swam in both the 100 free relay and 200 free relay. Junior Riley Lehmann swam with Schaff in the 100 free. The winning 200 medley lineup of O’Leary, Gavars, and sophomores Max Gersten and Andrew Fish was a showcase for up-and-comers like Gersten and Fish.
Junior Colin Cross, who swam one leg of the Broncos’ state-qualifying 200 medley relay team in 2013-14, is back. And senior Chase Lesniak, Barrington’s all-time leading scorer in boys water polo, is expected to add points during the Broncos’ dual-meet season by competing in the individual medley.
“It’s hard to find [individual medley swimmers]. We have some quality seniors, but the strength of our team is our sophomores and juniors,” Valentine said.
Valentine said he expects to make adjustments to the lineup for Saturday’s Lake County meet at Stevenson. The event is typically an early benchmark for area teams as the schedule pivots to regular weekly conference dual meets and Saturday invitationals.
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As the Broncos prepare, O’Leary leads. Part of leading is knowing when to work and when to reward. One morning during the week, a parent brings breakfast to Barrington’s workout.
“So far it’s been donuts,” O’Leary said.
Who can argue with that?