WESTMONT — Nolan Miller’s performance at Saturday’s IHSA boys’ swimming and diving state finals was deserving of a dietary cheat day.
Miller is strict with what he puts into his body. It’s part of the reason he was racing for a pair of state championships at the FMC Natatorium.
But Miller had other things on his mind while leaving the Chicagoland area.
“(Sunday), I’ve got to go to another meet just to qualify for the (YMCA) nationals meet later on,” Miller said. “But we just went to a really nice Mexican restaurant up here in Westmont. I’ll probably get some ice cream somewhere.”
Miller clearly isn’t resting just because he made history.
The Champaign Central junior scored state runner-up finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle, with his times also putting him atop the Maroons’ all-time leaderboard in both events.
“I wasn’t so sure after (Friday). Going into the meet, I thought my faster times would’ve came out of prelims,” Miller said. “But finals was a good racing atmosphere.”
Evidently, as Miller bested his personal-best times in each race and gave Central its first boys’ all-state outings since Cam Barnard placed fourth in the 100 butterfly in 2017.
“Warming up, I just kind of managed what I had to do, and I wasn’t really thinking too far ahead,” said Miller, the 2021 News-Gazette All-Area boys’ swim and dive Athlete of the Year. “I was trying to stay in the moment of warming up now (and) my race is later.”
Miller previously swam as quick as 1 minute, 38.60 seconds in the 200 freestyle. And, in real time on Saturday, he didn’t feel like he was going to eclipse that mark.
But he did just that, touching the wall in 1:38.21 and only being bested by Fenwick senior Mike Flynn (1:37.03).
“I couldn’t even see the (video) board at first. There were a lot of flags in the pool that were in the way,” Miller said. “When I finally saw it, I was really surprised. Pure joy, I guess.”
The individual whom Miller took Central’s 200 freestyle record from owns an Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter medley relay.
Tyler McGill set the program’s high-water mark at 1:38.85 when winning the 2005 IHSA 200 freestyle state title. McGill ended his Maroons career with four IHSA state titles, including three in the 200 freestyle, before representing the United States internationally as a swimmer.
“In the moment, I was really just thinking I got second place at state,” Miller said. “But then the emotions start piling on that you also broke the Olympian’s record at your school. It was just a really fun few moments there.”
Miller spent the time between the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle attempting to avoid any stress.
He’d hop in the water whenever possible to swim some laps and tried not to envision what could occur in his last event of the day.
Miller noticed a difference between his 500-freestyle effort and his 200-freestyle race.
“About halfway through ... I was still with Tyson (Tucci of Normal Community) and Mike,” Miller said. “I was like, ‘Wow, they’re either really slow or you’re really fast right now.’ I was just kind of trying to keep Mike’s feet in my field of vision.”
Miller said he felt there was a chance to overtake Flynn in the final 100 yards. But Flynn surged down the homestretch to log a time of 4:27.66 while Miller wound up a shade behind at 4:28.49.
Another second-place display. And another Central record dashed, this one set by four-time IHSA state titlist Dan Trupin in 2001 (4:30.18).
“Going into it, I was almost like, ‘I got second at state in the 200.’ I was going in with a who cares attitude,” Miller said. “I definitely was going to try and go out fast, but I’d say it was more of a joy than a relief.”
Miller texted with former Maroons state champions Payton Woods (50 freestyle in 2016) and Tommy Lockman (500 freestyle in 1999) leading up to this weekend’s showcase.
That also put him in the correct mindset to achieve some significant goals on the state stage.
“It means a lot. I’ve had the support coming into this meet,” Miller said. “There’s a picture somewhere on my mom’s computer of me as a baby and Tyler in my house with his gold medal. It’s going to be pretty cool looking up (on Central’s record board) and seeing my name.”
Two Uni High athletes joined Miller in logging multiple all-state finishes Saturday.
Illineks senior Andrew Lin took third place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 48.27, landing behind St. Charles North’s Aleksej Filipovic (47.60) and Barrington’s Griffin O’Leary (47.99).
Lin also earned fourth place in the 100 backstroke with a clocking of 49.56, ranking behind O’Leary (47.83), Waubonsie Valley’s Arnav Deshpande (48.43) and West Chicago’s Brady Johnson (48.56).
Uni High senior Jake Regenwetter booked the ninth-best time in the 200 individual medley at 1:52.01 and also placed 10th in the 100 breaststroke with an outcome of 57.27.
Lin and Regenwetter become the second and third Illineks in boys’ program history to earn state medals, joining Adam Reynolds in 1998 (third place in the 200 freestyle, fifth place in the 500 freestyle).
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'Pure joy': Maroons' Miller earns two state runner-up swim medals, breaks two records - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
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