Latin School of Chicago

AT H L E T I C S 16 L AT I N M A G A Z I N E Latin Alumni Face Off Against Swim Team To 'Save Senior Night' By Quinn Ford The swim team record board at Latin School of Chicago used to have Zach Spreitzer's name all over it. When he graduated in 1995, he held the school record in every singles event. He had one relay record, too. But over the years, his times were bested, and in 2013, now-senior Jacob Cruger beat Spreitzer's only remaining record in the 50-meter freestyle. On Friday evening [February 14], during a swim meet that pitted alumni against current Latin students, Spreitzer got to meet Cruger, who was born the same year Spreitzer graduated. e two faced off in the 50-meter freestyle. As he stood beside the record board just before the meet began, Spreitzer, 37, wasn't exactly feeling confident he could reclaim his glory from the 18-year-old Cruger. "I'm pretty confident I might have a mild heart-attack," Spreitzer joked. But winning was not really the point of the meet. Coaches for the men's swim team reached out to alumni after their only home swim meet was canceled last week. As in most high school sports, the team was planning to honor its seniors at the meet, who would swim on their home turf for the last time. "Everyone was devastated," said Danielle Carlson, who coaches the team. "We had to cancel the meet at two o'clock that day, so it was a very last-minute cancellation." e team was ready to take on Mt. Carmel High School, but a pipe problem caused the water in the pool to get cloudy, which made for unsafe conditions for the swimmers, Carlson said. With sectionals the next week, coaches could not find time to reschedule the meet. So Carlson, who swam at Latin and graduated in 2006, came up with the idea is page: Latin men's swim team faces off against Latin alumni. Opposite page: Latin seniors Jacob Cruger and Matt Rauner.

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