By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
With two weeks to go until the Illinois High School Boy’s Swimming & Diving State Championship met, a new contender has emerged.
Oak Park-River Forest High School senior Ben Louis posted a 45.30 in the 100 yard free suited up at the end of practice on Saturday. His best time in official competition is 46.09 from last year’s NCSA Junior National Championship meet.
Video courtesy: Thomas Rotatori/Philip Walby
That unofficially breaks the school record previously set by current University of Denver freshman Frank Tirone, plus the pool record held by Connor Groya – a senior at York High School who is committed to Minnesota.
He also swam a 50.5 in the 100 fly at the end of practice, suited. He has been 49.5 in that event.
Louis has never raced at the Illinois High School State Championship. During his junior season, last season, the meet was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, and he didn’t qualify as a sophomore or freshman.
The River Forest boys finished 4th at the last state championship meet in 2020, but every member of that team has graduated.
In the team’s invite in mid-January, he won the 200 free in 1:43.23 and 100 fly in 52.36.
Now, with Sectionals upcoming on Saturday and the State Championship meet a week later, Louis is peaking at the right moment: as a senior, the Winter Juniors qualifier is still not committed to a college.
At Sectionals, he’s scheduled to race the 200 free, 500 free, and the two free relays. That means a big showdown against Mike Flynn from rival Fenwick High School, a private school located just down the street from River Forest. Flynn, a Notre Dame commit, was 3rd in the 500 free two years ago as a sophomore and is among the favorites to win the state title in that event this year.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Uncommitted HS Sr. Ben Louis Swims PB in 100Y Free in Pre-Sectionals Practice
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