Ryan Knohl is one of the three senior captains on the Evanston boys swimming team who will conclude his prep career this weekend at the state meet.
Knohl advanced as an individual in two events and on two relay teams Saturday at the Glenbrook South Sectional. Knohl finished first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 43.59 seconds, and his 4:43.00 in the 500 free was under the state cut of 4:46.85.
The sectional champion in each event automatically advanced to the state meet. Swimmers who finished under the state-qualifying standard also advanced to the final weekend of the season. The state meet is Friday and Saturday at New Trier.
Knohl, who qualified for his fourth state meet, joined varsity as freshman, along with fellow senior captains Jake Girard and Christian Stankovic. Girard and Stankovic also qualified for the state meet in multiple events. Knohl said the three of them started swimming together about 10 years ago as part of Flying Fish Aquatics, a club based out of the Evanston YMCA.
“We are all close friends and have been pushing each other for a long time now,” Knohl said. “We probably are considered the heavy hitters, the fast guys on the team. But we have gotten a lot of help from the younger guys, too. We need them as much as they need us.”
In addition to his two individual events, Knohl swam on the 200 medley and 400 free relay. Girard was on the victorious medley team that clocked a 1:36.42, and Stankovic was on the 400 free relay that placed second in 3:09.89. Girard and Stankovic teamed up on the 200 free relay that finished first in 1:25.86.
The 200 free relay had the fifth-best time out of the 16 sectionals, while the 400 free relay’s time ranked sixth in the state.
Evanston coach Kevin Auger said it’s been rewarding to watch the three seniors grow for four seasons. On Saturday, the Wildkits won their second consecutive sectional championship with 302.5 points. The host Titans took second with 284.
Like Knohl, Stankovic secured two individual spots at the state meet. His time of 1:54.70 was under the cut in the 200 individual medley as was his 47.72 in the 100 free. Both of his times were the best of his career. Girard will compete in the IM at the state meet after swimming a 1:56.53 at the sectional and placing third.
“Those kids have been a big part of our success over the last four years,” Auger said. “Seeing them progress is what coaches look for. You see them put in the hard work and take a step farther each year. It’s the reason you coach.”
Knohl, who plans to swim in college at Davidson, said he will look back fondly on his career at Evanston following this weekend.
“It’s definitely a big conclusion for me,” he said. “Last year, sectionals was our big meet. This year, we have a better shot at making the state meet more interesting. We are excited to see how we stack up.”
Twitter: @harnesspreps