Returning state qualifier Joe Ovanic to lead L-P/Ottawa swimming

With an experienced roster, including a pair of returning state qualifiers, La Salle-Peru/Ottawa boys swimming coach Rob McNally is excited for the 2021-22 season.

“We have several kids coming back,” McNally said. “We have 10 on the team and only three freshmen. All of them have swimming experience. All the upperclassmen have swum for me before and have shown signs of improvement. It looks like we’re going to do pretty well.”

Joe Ovanic is the Cavaliers’ top returner after qualifying for the state meet in the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke as a sophomore the last time the IHSA held a postseason.

He also helped the Cavs qualify for state in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

“His times are already really, really exciting,” McNally said about Ovanic’s performance in the season opener. “The first meet at Pontiac was in a meter pool. His times to compared to what he swam before in a meter pool are a lot faster. It’s early in the season and he is working really hard. I expect nothing but better performances from him than he had last year or the year before. It’s his senior year, and I know he’s really excited about it.”

McNally said he expects Ovanic to again compete in the butterfly and backstroke in the postseason but said he could compete in a number of events.

“I can pretty much put Joe in anything,” McNally said. “He’s a good kid, and he’ll swim anything to help the team. He’s a butterflier. He loves to swim the butterfly. He’s also a backstroker. We haven’t talked at length about what he’s going to end the season with, but those are probably his two favorite events. I’m not necessarily going to say they’re his two best events because he’s good at everything, but that’s probably where he ends up.”

L-P’s other returning state qualifier is junior Owen Phillips, who swam on the Cavs’ two state relays as a freshman.

“Owen Phillips is a really good swimmer,” McNally said. “He’s really putting in the work. I think he’ll have a pretty good year.”

McNally expects solid seasons from seniors Ryan Nelson, Duncan Perry and Dillon Malerk. He said Nelson and Perry both swam well in the season opener. Malerk did not swim in the opener.

“One person who really made improvement over the last four years, but especially from his junior to senior year, is Ryan Nelson,” McNally said. “I’m really looking forward to good things from him. Duncan has improved his times, too.”

McNally thinks sophomore Chris Lowery also will make an impact.

“He had a great freshman year and is an amazing swimmer,” McNally said. “He’ll probably do really well in the breaststroke. He really swam a good breaststroke race at our first meet.”

The relays will be a work in progress, McNally said, especially with the loss of L-P senior Luke Mertes, a state qualifier as a sophomore who can’t swim this season because of a football injury.

In L-P’s opener, Ovanic, Perry, Lowery and Phillips won the 200 medley realy, while Ovanic, Phillips, Perry and Nelson won the 400 freestyle relay.

“Relays are still up in the air,” McNally said. “Losing Luke really had a big effect on the relays. We won the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay at our first meet. We’ll be competitive, but as far as making a state qualifying time, I’m hoping they do, but it’s a little too early to make that prediction.

“There’s a lot of variables involved [with who will be on relays]. A lot of it will have to do with time improvements I see. I’ll be swimming the kids in different events to get an idea where they’re at. Once we have that down for a few meets, we’ll have a better idea where we stand with relays.”