The Lombard Waves finished their 2026 season by winning the team title at the DuPage Swim and Dive Conference’s Red Division ‘A’ Meet, which took place July 18 in Glendale Heights.
The Waves prevailed in the Red Division standings with their total score of 1,559. The Bartlett Barracudas finished a close second in the six-team division’s standings with their score of 1,547.5. The Wood Dale/Addison Sharks placed third, while the Butterfield Bullfrogs landed in fourth place. The Hanover Park Sailfish and the Glendale Heights Dolphins claimed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Lombard’s first-place score of 1,559 included results from the ‘A’ Meet, as well as the ‘B’ Meet, which was held July 11 in Bartlett.
After finishing first and second in this year’s Red Division standings, Lombard and Bartlett will move into the conference’s White Division in 2027. The teams that placed fifth and sixth in this year’s White Division standings will compete in the Red Division next year.
Lombard’s individual champions in the Red Division ‘A’ Meet included Samson Norman, who won three races in the 8-and-under boys division. He earned his first of those three wins in the 25-yard freestyle, which he completed in 16.69 seconds, and added a victory in the 50-yard freestyle (37.29) before setting a new meet record in his level with his win in the 25-yard butterfly (17.27).
Avery Norman of the Waves swam to three individual victories in the 9-10 girls level of the July 18 meet in Glendale Heights. She won the 100-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 3.10 seconds, setting a new meet record in her level. After setting another meet record with her win in the 50-yard butterfly (33.96), she picked up her third individual win of the day in the 50-yard backstroke (35.35).
Jack Kueking also provided Lombard with three individual wins in the Red Division ‘A’ Meet. Swimming in the 9-10 boys level, he won the 100-yard freestyle (1:16.55), the 50-yard butterfly (36.37) and the 50-yard backstroke (44.88).
Betsy Balgemann of the Waves won three races in the Red Division ‘A’ Meet’s 11-12 girls division. She won the 100-yard freestyle (1:10.47), the 50-yard butterfly (36.10) and the 50-yard backstroke (36.09).
Lombard’s Evan McNulty earned three individual wins in the 11-12 boys level of the season-ending meet. He triumphed in the 100-yard individual medley (1:18.37), the 50-yard butterfly (36.10) and the 50-yard breaststroke (36.62).
Connor Wedel swam to three wins for the Waves in the meet’s 13-14 boys division. He won the 100-yard individual medley (1:06.82), the 50-yard butterfly (30.11) and the 50-yard breaststroke (35.25).
Adriano Bifero earned two wins for the Waves in the July 18 meet’s 15-18 boys level. He claimed his victories in the 50-yard freestyle (23.94) and the 50-yard breaststroke (30.74). Mason McKenna of Lombard also won two individual titles in the meet’s 15-18 boys division, swimming to first-place finishes in the 100-yard freestyle (52.08) and the 50-yard butterfly (25.66).
The Waves’ other individual champions in the Red Division ‘A’ Meet included: Katherine Van Kampen (8-and-under girls; 25-yard backstroke; 20.99), Joey Hitzker (8-and-under boys; 25-yard backstroke; 22.12), William Balgemann (8-and-under boys; 25-yard breaststroke; 26.66), Daniel Petrine (9-10 boys; 50-yard freestyle; 37.03), Cooper Wedel (11-12 boys; 50-yard freestyle; 32.09), Emily Olsen (13-14 girls; 100-yard individual medley; 1:11.55) and Zola Nowicki (15-18 girls; 50-yard butterfly; 30.91).
Lombard swimmers won 11 relay events during the July 18 meet. The Waves’ 8-and-under girls foursome of Katherine Van Kampen, Amelia Ali, Teagan Santarromana and Isabella Vasquez secured the Waves’ first relay victory of the meet by winning the 100-yard medley relay (1:36.66).
Lombard’s 8-and-under boys foursome of Joey Hitzker, William Balgemann, Samson Norman and Gavin Donakowski won the 100-yard individual medley (1:26.36). The same four boys won the 100-yard freestyle medley (1:18.77) later in the meet.
In addition to winning three individual events in the meet’s 9-10 girls level, Avery Norman moved up to the 11-12 girls division to contribute to two winning relay teams. She joined Betsy Balgemann, Hannah Rogers and Josephine Zeithammel to win the 200-yard medley relay (2:27.72) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:14.80).
Lombard’s 11-12 boys quartet of John Nelson, Evan McNulty, Cooper Wedel and Jimmy Cali won the 200-yard medley relay (2:27.60) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:17.31).
The Waves’ 13-14 boys foursome of Luke Bolotin, Connor Wedel, Joshua Massengale and Lucas Jackson swam to victories in the 200-yard medley relay (2:19.95) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:59.38).
Lombard’s 15-18 boys foursome of Mason McKenna, Adriano Bifero, Marco Garavito and Benjamin Bates posted victories in the 200-yard medley relay (1:49.55) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:38.30).
