In a two-day stretch last week, New Trier sophomore Charlie Scheinfeld beat some of the best 100-yard breaststroke swimmers in the state.
In a Central Suburban South dual meet on Friday, Jan. 15, Scheinfeld beat Glenbrook South senior Byron Mandell by nearly three seconds to finish first with a time of 58.41 seconds in Winnetka. Mandell tied for 31st at state in the breaststroke last year.
He followed that up on Saturday, Jan. 16, by winning the same event at the Trevain Relays with a personal-best time of 57.73. He topped a field that included Lyons senior Weston Credit, who took sixth place at the state meet last season.
Even after placing 11th in the breaststroke at the state meet as a freshman, breaking the 16-year-old Hinsdale Central pool record in the breaststroke on Saturday, Dec. 12, and winning two big races over the weekend, Scheinfeld still is not comfortable thinking of himself as one of the best.
“Last year, I was looking up to all of the guys and would never think I could put my name next to them,” Scheinfeld said. “At the state meet, I was super, super scared. But it gave me confidence. Last weekend was exciting. Saturday was super fun. Knowing all the guys I beat really helps me out.
“But I don’t know if I belong with them yet. I am getting there.”
New Trier coach Josh Runkle said Scheinfeld is starting to see himself as an elite swimmer.
“Saturday helped,” Runkle said. “He has a lot of potential, but he’s just learning how to get to that next level. He likes to compete, and he’s a motivated kid.”
Although a sophomore, Scheinfeld already has the look of a much older athlete. He stands 6-feet tall and weighs 175 pounds. His muscular frame doesn’t look to have an ounce of fat on it. As a freshman, Scheinfeld was 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds.
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“He was a scrawny little freshman,” Runkle joked. “Over the [holiday] break some of our college guys came back and couldn’t believe he was the same person.”
Scheinfeld said the rest of his body finally is catching up to his feet. He was a size 8 as an 8-year-old and now wears a 14. He owns hands that look like catcher mitts.
“Those big hands allow him to really grip the water and grab hold of it,” Runkle said.
Scheinfeld said he’s constantly working to refine his breaststroke technique, which he called “terrible” when he was younger. But he said it was the event he enjoyed the most, so he stuck with it.
“I can muscle through some races right now because of my athleticism, but racing is more about technique,” he said. “I’m always trying to improve on it.”
Sophomore Ryan Gridley has been a teammate of Scheinfeld’s for several years with the New Trier Swim Club.
“He’s very modest,” Gridley said. “He’s not the type of guy who is going bring up how good he is. I think that is a good quality about him.”
Scheinfeld will get another opportunity to go up against a top field on Saturday, Jan. 23, at Hinsdale Central’s invitational. In less than one month, he will compete at the Niles North Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 20. The state meet is the following week at Evanston.
“Obviously, I want to be in the mix again at the state meet,” Scheinfeld said. “I want to be in the [championship] finals and compete there. I want to be able to do my best against the highest level.”
Twitter: @harnesspreps