Connor Black of Mundelien High School in suburban Chicago swam a 46.71 to become the fastest public school swimmer in high school history on Saturday. Black is a high school senior who will be headed to Stanford next year.
Thanks to Karl Ortegon, a junior swimmer at Evanston Township High School, for taking this video, and for keeping up with live Tweeting from what ended up being a really fast meet all weekend. Follow Karl Ortegon on Twitter here!
Black is obviously strong, but the smoothness of his stroke is really impressive. Also, check out Andrew Jovanovic, who is headed to Northwestern next year, in the lane below him that pushes him through the first 75 yards. Jovanovic was 2nd in 48.11 in this race.
has anyone else noticed that connor breathes every stroke?
Breathing every stroke puts him in very good company (Phelps & Le Clos).
“Men’s 100 fly: Half of the Olympic final are breathing every stroke. The other half hold some degree of 1-up 1-down or 2-up 1-down pattern. ”
From “Butterfly Breathing Patterns”
http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=2175&itemid=4988&mid=11657
Why aren’t they updating their pools in Chicagoland? I just endured a replastering at my USF pool in San Francisco, and it needs to done every 20 years. New Trier and Evanston are overdue for renovations. I remember the state meet used to be in Hinsdale too. What’s up with Illinois swimming.
Black (and Reed Malone who went 135.60 in the 200) are entered in the Illinois Senior meet this weekend in the 100 free. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
The Illinois Senior State meet isn’t taken seriously by Black or Malone. Its just to get some racing in before Juniors a couple weeks later
his underwaters are clearly not as good as Javonovic’s yet he still can go crazy on the last 25.. incredible
Jovanovic relies almost completely on his underwater ability, he did the same in the 100 back that day, which is impressive. Black’s smoothness on top of the water and his height earned him the record for this race.
Smoliga’s swims were done at Evanston Township. The illinois state meet is alternates between the two schools every year.
How about a 45.94 (NCAA “A” cut) or below from either him, Conger, or Schooling? I’m thinking Conger at NCSA’s.
Please stop with all these “Oh my God”! I know it’s very used in USA so ok for one but four in a row!!!!
Is it the same pool where Miss America Olivia Smoliga has broken her high school records last November? Because there’s perhaps small space but I remember a great atmosphere in this pool.
I turn off the sound on all these homemade vids except for this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW-mmEf5x9o
Awesome! Thank you
This is a different pool than Olivia was swimming in, that pool is only 6 lanes with a 3’6″ turn (a little over a meter) but it does have a warm down pool while this pool is 8 lanes with a 4′ starting end. Both pools have electric environments and water is water, but it is foolish to say that it doesn’t make a difference.
yeah Olivia was swimming at Evanston Highschool. Evanston has pretty much the same exact design as New Trier except for at New Trier the blocks are in the shallow end and Evanston has a seperate area with 2 lanes to warm down in
the craziest thing about this race is that Andrew has won it THE PAST 2 YEARS! (as a sophmore and a junior) Where was Connor at all this time?
He swam the 50 and 100 Free last year (20.54 and 44.77). He also went 19.80 in the 50 Free (state record) and split 20.94 in the medley relay (fly) this year.
Would have been nice to see what Black could have done in the 100 free as well. He went a 44.87 leading off his school’s 4 x 100 free relay at sectionals the week before.
He led off his club team’s 400 free relay in a 43.74 at the Illinois Senior meet this weekend