2024 All-Area boys' swim and dive: Meet the first team
Apr. 11—2024 All-Area boys' swim and dive: Meet the first team
Garren Barker
Champaign Central sophomore
Why he made the first team ... Barker is hoping to follow in former teammate Nolan Miller's footsteps and become a three-time All-Area Swimmer of the Year. This is the start, earning the honor as a sophomore. Barker was the only swimmer to win four events at the Centennial Sectional meet, claiming titles in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. He went on to place in the top 45 of his individual events at state.
He needs tickets to see ... the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Before he competes, he drinks ... a lot of apple juice.
His dream career is ... entrepreneurship.
His favorite school subject is ... Spanish.
His favorite athlete is ... Nolan Miller.
His favorite TV show is ... "Rick and Morty."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Babe Ruth, Michael Jackson and John F. Kennedy.
Three things on his bucket list are ... winning a state swimming title, making seven figures and running a marathon.
Erik Fahnestock
Uni High freshman
Why he made the first team ... Just a freshman, Fahnestock showed he can compete on the big stage, finishing in the top four of both his individual events at sectionals. He placed second in the 200-yard individual medley, just three-tenths of a second away from qualifying for state, and fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
He needs tickets to see ... the Summer Olympics.
Before he competes, he eats ... pasta with meatballs the night before and yogurt with fruit and oats for breakfast the day of.
His dream career is ... maybe something in engineering or computer science.
His favorite school subjects are ... math and German.
His favorite athlete is ... Eric Liddell.
His favorite movie is ... "Interstellar."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, J.R.R. Tolkien and Abraham Lincoln.
Three things on his bucket list are ... becoming fluent in a second language, traveling to all seven continents and competing at an international swim meet.
Alex Faulkner
Danville senior
Why he made the first team ... Faulkner has been one of the area's premier freestyle swimmers for the last couple years. He competed well in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles at the Big 12 Conference meet before becoming a sectional champion in the 200. Faulkner finished 45th in the event at the state prelims as one of only four area swimmers competing there as individuals.
He needs tickets to see ... the Bubble Bowl.
Before he competes, he drinks ... a strawberry smoothie.
His dream career is ... a commercial pilot.
His favorite school subject is ... history.
His favorite athlete is ... Michael Jordan.
His favorite TV show is ... "Breaking Bad."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Elon Musk, Adam Sandler and Abraham Lincoln.
Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling the world, becoming rich and climbing Mount Everest.
Owen Kearns
Mahomet-Seymour senior
Why he made the first team ... Bulldog records fell in bulk this season, with Kearns one of the leading factors. He broke school records in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyles as well as the 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay throughout the season. Kearns was a sectional champion in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay.
He needs tickets to see ... a J. Cole concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... spaghetti and meatballs.
His dream career is ... a lawyer.
His favorite school subject is ... history.
His favorite athlete is ... Léon Marchand.
His favorite TV show is ... "The Walking Dead."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Garren Barker, Aron Varga and Logan Goss.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, graduating and visiting 100 countries.
Max Kooper
Urbana sophomore
Why he made the first team ... Kooper was the area's top diver by a long shot, and he still has two more years of high school competition. He placed first or second at every meet he was in, breaking the Tigers' record along the way. Kooper was a sectional runner-up, missing out on a state appearance by just three points.
He needs tickets to see ... the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Before he competes, he eats ... nothing.
His dream career is ... a musical artist.
His favorite school subject is ... physics.
His favorite athlete is ... Greg Louganis.
His favorite movie is ... "Lilo & Stitch."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Pelé, Julius Caesar and Drew Johansen.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, cliff jumping and snowboarding.
Josh Lee
Champaign Central junior
Why he made the first team ... Lee was Garren Barker's right-hand man this season, helping lead the Maroons to their sixth sectional title in eight years. He did his part, swimming on the champion 200-yard medley and 400 freestyle relays that then competed at state. Lee also placed third at sectionals in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.
He needs tickets to see ... a Bruno Mars concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... pasta.
His dream career is ... an orthopedic surgeon.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... Stephen Curry.
His favorite TV show is ... "Suits."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, Kobe Bryant and his dad.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, completing a triathlon and scuba diving.
Charles Medlin
Schlarman sophomore
Why he made the first team ... Charles finished second in the 100-yard butterfly and third in the 50 freestyle at the sectional meet. His performance nearly qualified him for state, but it did qualify him for the YMCA Short Course National Swimming Championships in Greensboro, N.C.
He needs tickets to see ... the 2024 Paris Olympics to get out of the country and watch Team USA.
Before he competes, he eats ... carbs, usually homemade granola bars or pasta.
His dream career is ... a national park ranger so he can be surrounded by nature.
His favorite school subject is ... science.
His favorite athlete is ... Brock Purdy for being a testament to never judge a book by its cover.
His favorite TV shows are ... "How I Met Your Mother" and "The Simpsons."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Gordon Ramsay to make sure the food is good, Jerry Seinfeld for the entertainment and Keith Richards to keep the party going.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, learning how to do a backflip and making the swim from Alcatraz to the mainland.
Tyler Oatman
Centennial junior
Why he made the first team ... A repeat All-Area First Team recipient, Oatman put together a solid season leading the Chargers. At sectionals, he placed fourth in the 100-yard backstroke and fifth in the 100 freestyle. Oatman also helped the 200 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay to top-four finishes.
He needs tickets to see ... an Alex G concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... Cheez-Its.
His dream career is ... to be determined.
His favorite school subject is ... physics.
His favorite athlete is ... Randy Ngo.
His favorite TV show is ... "Adventure Time."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Louis Tran, Kohtaro Nizuma and Owen Alexander.
Three things on his bucket list are ... going to Lollapalooza, attending a World Cup game and visiting another country.
Aron Varga
Mahomet-Seymour senior
Why he made the first team ... Alongside Owen Kearns, Varga captained the Bulldogs' first-ever state-qualifying relay, which finished 30th in the state prelims. Varga was also a sectional champion in the 200 individual medley and placed 34th at state. Throughout the season, he broke school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay.
He needs tickets to see ... a Drake concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... spaghetti.
His dream career is ... a stock broker.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... Erich O'Donnell.
His favorite movie is ... "The Wolf of Wall Street."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Drake, Michael Phelps and Benjamin Franklin.
Three things on his bucket list are ... visiting my family this summer in Hungary, going to college and skydiving.
Jesse Wald
Urbana senior
Why he made the first team ... Wald was the Tigers' top swimmer this year, finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle at sectionals. He also anchored Urbana's 200 and 400 freestyle relays, the latter of which placed fourth in the sectional meet.
He needs tickets to see ... Chicago again. Once isn't enough.
Before he competes, he eats ... peanut butter on toast, and walnuts between races.
His dream career is ... making environmentally sustainable fuel sources with chemical engineering.
His favorite school subject is ... physics.
His favorite athlete is ... Ian Peters.
His favorite movie is ... "Cocaine Bear."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Carl Gauss to discuss math and physics, Michael Phelps to see how much he really eats and my mom so I wouldn't have to pay.
Three things on his bucket list are ... bench pressing 225 pounds, buying a Corvette and climbing a mountain.