Fenwick senior Bailey Wendt should have been born in a setting that more appropriately reflects his family pedigree.
A good choice might have been the Shedd Aquarium.
According to IHSA records, his mom, Rachel (Coats) Wendt, was a nine-time state medal winner for Oak Park-River Forest in the late 1980’s. She went on to swim for Wisconsin.
Bailey’s dad, Dan Wendt, played water polo at Brown. Bailey’s grandfather, George Wendt, swam for Fenwick before playing water polo and swimming at Minnesota. George Wendt was named an All-American swimmer in 1967 and was introduced by his grandson during his induction into the Fenwick Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bailey Wendt said he was in the water by the time he was two weeks old and it seemed like following in his family’s swim socks was destined.
More Top Picks Best Desktop Video Magnifiers For Low Vision
“Getting into the pool was not really a choice,” Bailey Wendt, who lives in Oak Park, said. “But ever since I was a little kid I loved going to the pool. Then I got into water polo when I was little and it’s just grown since then.”
Bailey Wendt started playing water polo competitively for the Windy City Water Polo Club when he was 10 years old. Dan Wendt has played a big role in his son’s development as a water polo player and even breaks down game tape for the Friars.
“He’s taught me a lot,” Bailey Wendt said. “After all my games he gives a lot of criticism, but it’s always helpful. He thinks the criticism is funny and it is pretty funny, but he’s always there, in my ear. He’s definitely a huge part of where I am today.”
Fenwick junior Mickey McGuire knows what it’s like to belong to a family legacy. His dad, Luke McGuire, was a standout swimmer for Fenwick and is head coach for the Friars’ boys swimming team and an assistant for the boys water polo team.
“It’s pretty tough to live up to the expectations,” Mickey McGuire said. “Our parents are so good at what they do and what they did in high school and college, it’s tough to live up to that.”
Bailey Wendt was called up to varsity for good as a sophomore, when Fenwick last won the state championship. A year later, Bailey Wendt was a starter for a Friars’ team that took second after falling to Loyola in overtime, 11-10.
“Bailey is a good solid shooter, an excellent defender and he knows where to go with the ball,” Friars’ coach Kyle Perry said. “He’s the reason we were in the state championship game last year. We were trailing the whole game and we drew up a play and it broke down. He picked up the ball and found the back of the net for a game-tying goal. That’s a good example of the way he plays. Even if stuff doesn’t go according to plan, he’s got his own plan and it usually works.”
Bailey Wendt will now get a chance to win a state title as a senior after Fenwick (32-1) dominated throughout its sectional run last week.
The Friars defeated Riverside-Brookfield 21-7 in the Fenwick quarterfinals behind seven goals from Andrew Bertschy. Next was a 22-6 win over Whitney Young. Colin Daly, Ryan Masi and D.J. Ramirez scored three goals apiece.
Fenwick captured the sectional title with a 10-0 win over Curie on Saturday, May 16. Danny Farmer led the way with five goals, while Will Skowron registered the shutout behind eight saves.
The Friars will take on Barrington 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 22, in the state quarterfinals at Stevenson. The IHSA has conducted 13 state tournaments since 2002 and the Friars have won 10.
“Winning state is everything right now,” Bailey Wendt said. “There’s high expectations, but I definitely think we can meet them. That’s what it’s always been like at Fenwick. We don’t know what it’s like to not have high expectations.”
Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.