Mundelein’s Wiener turns into one of the elite swimmers in Lake County

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Mundelein's Bryan Wiener swims the first leg of the 200 medley relay during last Thursday's dual against Stevenson. On Saturday, Wiener won the 100 backstroke at the Hinsdale Central Invite in meet-record time. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: February 27, 2012 8:12AM

When Mundelein senior Bryan Wiener announced to his parents he wanted to go out for swimming three years ago, Gary and Kendall Wiener did all they could to stifle their laughs.

They failed.

“They laughed out loud at me,” recalled Wiener.

But his folks could have been excused for such a reaction.

Their son, after all, had failed to pass a Loch Lomond deep-end beach test as a seventh-grader. He passed it, barely, the next year.

Bryan Wiener, these days, is laughing his way all the way to the banks — OK, walls — of pools. The Mustang is having a sensational season, having clocked an electric 20.66 anchor split in the 200-yard freestyle relay at last month’s Lake County Invite at Stevenson.

That’s a nothing-to-laugh-at effort.

Wiener sped to a meet-record 52.33 in the 100 backstroke at Saturday’s Hinsdale Central Invite, a time that would have been swift enough for 11th place at last year’s state meet.

“I am astounded at what swimming has done for me; it has given me so much, shaped me as a person, built my character,” said Wiener, a former three-sport athlete (golf, swimming, baseball). The 6-foot-1, 165-poudner chose not to play golf last fall, in order to get a head start for his final swim season.

“My parents,” he added, “are also astounded.”

His parents, in the 2008-09 season, attended a JV NSC dual meet at Warren. Bryan Wiener served as the Mustangs’ 400-free relay anchor then. He found himself behind — way behind, in second place — when he hit the water.

But Wiener caught the leader.

Then beat the leader.

“My parents, afterward, said to me, ‘Wow,’ ” Wiener said. “I think it was then that they realized I had made the right decision to swim.”

His career in the water took off from there.

Wiener, as a sophomore, bowed for an eighth-place medal at State as a member of the Mustangs’ 200 free relay.

He collected two more state prizes last winter, helping Mundelein’s 200 free relay take fifth and churning on the team’s eighth-place 200 medley unit.

Mundelein, the team, placed a program-best seventh.

“What has helped Bryan, throughout his career, is the fact that he didn’t swim for a club team before high school,” said Mustangs coach Rahul Sethna. “He’s never felt burned out. He’s a ‘psyche’ swimmer, and that side of him showed up when he went 20.66 (at the Lake County Invite).”

The top-notch swimmers “hold water” well. Sethna explained the ability in the middle of Mundelein’s dual meet at Stevenson on Jan. 19.

“It’s that motion a swimmer uses to pull his hands through the water during a stroke,” said Sethna, a Fremd graduate. “There have been only two guys, I know, who have held water better than Bryan does.”

The two: Jay Glenn and Connor Black.

Glenn won five state titles (three times in the 100 back, once in the 200 free) at Fremd; Black, a junior at Mundelein, finished runner-up in the 100 butterfly at last year’s state meet.

Black (21.2) and Wiener (21.67) went 1-2 in the 50 free at the Lake County Invite.

Wiener, by the way, has a shot at being Mundelein’s No. 2 pitcher in the spring.

But fastballs aren’t on his mind.

Fast swims, alongside fast teammates, are.

“I love being a part of this group of guys,” said Wiener, a captain considering the University of Tampa for his next destination as a student-athlete. “I love hanging around them. They’re all pretty much laid-back guys, like I am. Swimming for the school … It’s been the best.

“If I got injured, today, and couldn’t swim another race, I’d be sad. But not for long. I’d be extremely happy, and thankful, because of all the great experiences of swimming.”

Only one Mustang has been able to motivate Mundelein sophomore Art Kasemets.

The one: Wiener.

“He’s got so much energy, and that energy gets me going,” said Kasemets, second in the 100 fly (56.56) at last week’s varsity dual at Stevenson. “His energy, his good spirit — they’re contagious. And he always has something to say, no matter where he is, no matter what time of day it is.

“What impresses me about Bryan, the swimmer, is the way he gets it done in races. When he races, he fights. Always fights.”

Update: Black, like Wiener, set a meet record at Saturday’s Hinsdale Central Invite, clocking a 21.25 in the 50 free. He also touched first in the 100 free (47.38) and swam a leg on the Mustangs’ runner-up 200 free relay (1:28.55, with Wiener, Kasemets and senior Matt Marcotte).

MHS divers Kevin Franz (341.45) and Theo Vergis (299.5) finished 2-3.

Sethna’s crew placed fourth (170 points).

Update II: Mundelein fell 128-58 to host Stevenson on Jan. 19.

The Mustangs’ victors: Black (200 IM, 1:57.22; 100 breaststroke, 59.72); Wiener (100 free, 48.74); 200 medley relay (1:37.28; Wiener, Kasemets, Black and Marcotte).

On the schedule: Mundelein (2-2 in the NSC) visits Libertyville Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. and competes at Saturday’s Conant Invite, beginning with diving at 9 a.m. The swim segment starts at 1 p.m.