Boys Swimming: Lockport’s Knowles leads area contingent to state meet

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Updated: March 24, 2012 9:00AM

Qualifying for the state meet last season as a sophomore, Lockport’s Jake Knowles knows what to expect the second time around.

The deck packed with swimmers, coaches and officials; the stands filled to capacity with cheering, screaming fans.

While some swimmers might struggle with the intense atmosphere of the meet, Knowles welcomes it.

“It’s all how you take it in,” Knowles said. “Once you’re there all the emotions start going ... it helps more than anything.”

Knowles is one of five Joliet area swimmers, three divers and one relay team competing this weekend at the state meet at Evanston High School. The top 12 finishers in Friday’s preliminaries advance to Saturday’s championship and consolation heats.

Competing last season at state, Knowles finished 28th overall in the 100-yard breaststroke (1 minute, 01.10 seconds). His time at the Sandburg Sectional (59.05 seconds) was the fourth-best time in the state. The junior also qualified in the 100 free, having beaten Sandburg’s Stephen Zieler and Stan Grotkiewicz at sectionals. Just .09 seconds separated the three swimmers in the race.

Knowles will be joined at Friday’s preliminaries by fellow Lockport junior Dan Oldendorf, who qualified in the 200 free and 500 free.

For the second straight season, the Porters also send two divers to state. Tyler Pastore finished 28th overall (169.96 points) last year while Austin Mastela will be making his first state appearance. Mastela won the Sandburg Sectional, with Pastore finishing second.

Coming off the team’s second-place finish at its own sectional, Lincoln-Way East sends two individual swimmers and a relay team to state. Michael Cardoso will look to improve on his 33rd-place showing in the 100 backstroke last season while Andy Gramont is making his first state appearance. The Griffins’ 200 medley relay team is seeded 19th based on its sectional time.

“Andy can really use this as experience heading into his senior season,” East coach Kelly Byrne said. “Michael is ready to go and hopefully to see some time drop.”

Cardoso and Gramont will swim on the medley relay along with David Drewes and Tom Vander Velde. Cardoso is the only one of the four with state swimming experience.

“Competing there at state gives you a certain advantage from someone getting there the first time,” Byrne said. “As a coach, you enjoy seeing the hard work pay off for the swimmers and see it in action. On the relay, three of the four guys will be their first time at state, so they’ll do their best and enjoy it. They’re hoping to hold their time, maybe drop a little.”