Six Local Teens Heading to National Swim Meet

March 25, 2022

PERU – Six local teens from the ILVY Dolphins Swim Team are heading to the National Swim meet in Greensboro, North Carolina this week. Peyton, Caden, Joey, Owen, Nolan, and Luke will be swimming a total of 20 events throughout next week. They all will also swim time trials through the week to try to make cut for additional events. Friday night, March 25th, at 5:30pm there will be a send off for them at the YMCA after they finish their last practice together. The public is welcome to come join in the celebration.

Peyton Heagy, a senior from LP will be swimming the following women’s events: 100 Breaststroke, 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, and 50 Freestyle. She has signed with Indiana State University to swim with them while she pursues her nursing degree. She has been a member of the ILVY Dolphins for 11 years and swam for LP all 4 years.

Caden Brooks, a senior at Princeton High School will be swimming the following men’s events: 100 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 100 Backstroke and 4 relays – the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, Men’s 400 Medley Relay, Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay, and the Men’s 200 Medley Relay. He is the first swimmer from Princeton High School to head to the high school state competition earlier this spring. He will be attending McKendree University in the fall and continuing to swim on their team while studying.

Joey Ovanic, a senior at Ottawa High School, will be swimming the following men’s events: 100 Butterfly, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, and 4 relays – the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, Men’s 400 Medley Relay, Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay, and the Men’s 200 Medley Relay. Joey swam 12 years for the Ottawa Dolphins and 1 year for the ILVY Dolphins, and 4 years on LPCo-Op. He plans to swim in college next year, but has not decided where yet.

Owen Phillips, a Junior at Ottawa will be swimming the following men’s events: 50 Freestyle and 4 relays – the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, Men’s 400 Medley Relay, Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay, and the Men’s 200 Medley Relay. He will continue swimming this fall with the ILVY Dolphins, he swam with Ottawa Dolphins for 10 years.

Nolan Deats, a junior at Flannigan will be swimming the following men’s events. 100 Butterfly, 50 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Freestyle, and 4 relays – the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, Men’s 400 Medley Relay, Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay, and the Men’s 200 Medley Relay. He is also a part of the Pontiac Co-op swim team and plans to continue swimming his senior year with them and the ILVY Dolphins.

Luke Mertes, a senior at LP qualified to swim 100 Back, 100 Breast, and 50 Free at nationals. Due to an injury he will be cheering his teammates on. He has been swimming with the Dolphins since 2010. He started swimming when he was six. Luke plans to attend Iowa State University and then on to Palmer College to become a Chiropractor.

Community members wishing to join in sending these swimmers off to Nationals can meet at the Link Aquatic Center of the Illinois Valley YMCA on Friday, March 25th, at 5:30pm.