Alton freshman Clancy has breakthrough meet, advances to IHSA State Swim Meet in 100 backstroke

Feb 19, 2017 10:39 AM

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SPRINGFIELD – For Alton's boys swimming team, Noah Clancy had a breakthrough meet. For Edwardsville's team, the Tigers fell just short.

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Clancy, a freshman, qualified for next weekend's IHSA Boys Swimming Championship at New Trier High School in Winnetka, winning the 100-yard backstroke in 51.82 seconds at Saturday's IHSA Boys Springfield Sectional meet at Eisenhower Pool; he was the only area swimmer who advanced to the state meet.

The host Senators won the team title with 292 points, the Tigers scoring 164 points to finish second; Chatham Glenwood was third (139) and O'Fallon was fourth (128), followed by Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (85), Jacksonville (73), Jacksonville Routt (18) and Springfield Southeast (17); the Redbirds did not field a full team for the meet.

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Besides Clancy's first-place finish, he took fifth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.27. Other Redbird finishes included the 4x50 medley relay team of Clancy, Aiden Napp, Caden and Cole Akal finishing second in 1:39.56; Caden Akal taking fourth in the 50 freestyle in 22.24 seconds, Cole Akal finishing fifth in the 100 freestyle in 49.42 seconds and the 4x50 freestyle relay team of Clancy, Cole Akal, Napp and Caden Akal finishing right behind the Tigers in 1:31.59.

Swimmers from Granite City, McGivney Catholic, Metro East Lutheran, Triad and Collinsville also took part in the meet; one Kahok swimmer, Vinny O'Connor, won the 50 freestyle in 21.47 seconds.