ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF)–This was a historic day in swimming and diving in the NIC-10. One Rockford swimmer put his name all over the conference record books.
We’ll get to that in a minute, but first, Harlem senior Jeremy Mueller won two individual events, the 200 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. Mueller was also on Harlem’s winning 400 freestyle relay team.
Hononegah junior Owen West won the 100 backstroke, and he was on the winning 200 medley relay team.
Hononegah sophomore Cale Miles touched first in the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. He was also on Hononegah’s winning 200 medley relay team.
Behind the efforts of Miles and West, Hononegah won the team championship for the 13th straight year, which called for another quick dip in the pool for a celebration by all of Hononegah’s swimmers and coaches.
But the spectators at Jefferfson saw something even bigger. East senior Camden Taylor came into this meet already holding six of the eight individual conference records, so he went after the final two.
First in the 50 freestyle he cruised to a time of 20.86 seconds. That eclipsed the old conference record that had been stood since 1989 when former J-Hawk Steve Kitzman set it.
That left one final conference record for Taylor still to conquer in the 100 breaststroke. Taylor can now check that box too. His time of 56.95 seconds smashed the old record by more than two seconds.
There can be no denying, Taylor is now the greatest swimmer in NIC-10 history as he holds conference records in all eight individual events.
“I’m feeling really good,” said Talylor. “I’m feeling relieved. Definitely, that last one was, that was the toughest one. This was a goal of mine since my sophomore year when I had four of them (conference records), and I knew I could get the last four.”
Next up for Taylor and our local swimmers, the Jefferson Sectional next Saturday.
For highlights of the NIC-10 meet watch the media player above. Following are the team and individual results from Saturday.
NIC-10 TEAM RESULTS
1. Hononegah 284 (13th straight championship)
2. Belvidere Co-op 244.50
3. Harlem 171
4. Auburn 149
5. Boylan 144.50
6. East 126
7. Guilford 121
8. Freeport 69
9. Jefferson 28
NIC-10 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
1. 1 meter diving-Fr. Tristan Peterson-Freeport
2. 200 medley relay-Hononegah (included Jr. Owen West and sophomore Cale Miles)
3. 200 freestyle- Sr. Jeremy Mueller-Harlem 1:44.47
4. 200yd IM-Soph. Cale Miles-Hononegah 2:04.61
5. 50 free-Camden Taylor-East *20.86 (old record 21.32 Steve Kitzman-Jefferson 1989)
6. 100 butter-Soph. Cale Miles-Hononegah 54.35
7. 100 freestyle-Jeremy Mueller-Harlem (46.94)
8. 500 freestyle-Soph. James Murray-Auburn (5:08.69)
9. 200 freestyle relay-Hononegah (includes Cale Miles)
10. 100 backstroke-Jr. Owen West-Hononegah (56.24)
11. 100 breaststroke-Sr. Camden Taylor-East (56.95) *breaks the old record of 59.08 set
in 2021 by Boylan’s Brady Dolan
12. 400 freestyle relay-Harlem (includes Sr. Jeremy Mueller)
CAMDEN TAYLOR’S NIC-10 CONFERENCE RECORDS
1. 200 freestyle (1:42.11)
2. 200 individual medley (1:53.51)
3. 50 freestyle (20.86)
4. 100 butterfly (51.97)
5. 100 freestyle (46.43)
6. 500 freestyle (4:38.40)
7. 100 backstroke (51.96)
8. 100 breaststroke (56.93)
