Eagles Making Waves in the IHSA This Season
Jones College Prep and Walter Payton College Prep have collaborated to form one of the best swim teams in Illinois. The team is ranked 8th in the state and is led by Coach Nic Teodosescu (pictured below). Coach Nic and the Eagles have had a record-breaking year and have a chance to make it to the IHSA State Championship on Saturday, February 24th.
Future IHSA Champions Splashing and Slashing CPS Records?
Star Swimmer Rayburn Kohl has broken several Chicago Public School records. The Eagles placed 13th-best in the medley and Kohl had the fourth-fastest backstroke in Illinois.
Kohl is looking to break more records this weekend at the IHSA State Championship. When questioned about what Rayburn was looking forward to doing in his upcoming swim meets, he said, “I am just looking …to bring home a medal.”
Kohl is a 16 year old boy that carries himself like a 30 year old professional. He has kept himself focused and sensible throughout his tenure swimming with the Eagles. His coach weighed in on his calm demeanor, “One thing I emphasize on is mentality. Rayburn is probably one of the most level-headed athletes that we have”.
Setting up young athletes for success
Coach Nic believes his team’s success is due to their focus on mental discipline, flexibility, and professionalism. I interviewed Coach Nic this week and he was adamant that, “We as a team focus more on preparing a person under stress.” Nic presumes that preparing his swimmers for high-stress situations allows them to be more at ease during swim meets. That presumption is showing promise. Along with maintaining a calm demeanor, Coach Nic keeps his athletes on their toes. The coach relies heavily on making game-time decisions for the team. This allows for his swimmers to stay flexible and thrive off of split decision-making. In addition, Coach Nic emphasized how important it is to engrain professionalism to these young athletes. This type of preparation sets his swim team apart from most other CPS programs.
