Calan Berrier, Luke Wheele near wall of CHS careers

Tom Keegan
OnwardTrojans.com
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Welcome to high school swimming. Up before the sun for a morning workout in the pool before school, and back in the pool in the afternoon for another.

Making it to the finish line of a four-year high school career is an accomplishment in itself. Doing so while overcoming health issues requires an even greater commitment.

Luke Wheele and Calan Berrier are the only two swimmers on Chesterton’s boys team to make it all the way, despite multiple injuries.

Berrier, sidelined most of his junior season by a shoulder injury, was forced to watch most of this season because of a hip injury.

A year ago, Berrier recovered so impressively and trained so efficiently late in the season that he was able to make it to state swimming a leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Berrier returned to competition Wednesday in a senior night dual vs. Portage. He swam a 22.6 in just his third meet of the season.

“I’m feeling a lot better, so I’m excited,” Berrier said. “I was disappointed that I got hurt. I’m excited to get back into it. It’s kind of a pattern.”

Despite having in-season shoulder surgery, Berrier was able to create great memories during his junior season and is hoping to do the same in his final weeks as a Chesterton swimmer.

“That 2 free relay at sectionals was my most fun race of the year last year and I got to go down to state,” Berrier said. “It’s been tough, sitting and watching everyone else swim. It’s fun getting back into it for the fun part of the season.”

Berrier said he is confident he can “drop a lot of time,” from what he swam on senior night.

In contrast to what Berrier has been through the past two seasons, Wheele is having the healthiest season of his career.

In his previous three seasons, multiple surgeries to deal with the effects of Trevor Disease, a congenital bone developmental disorder, have eaten into Wheele’s training regimen. He had the surgery before the season this time and has not had to interrupt his training.

“It’s nice to have Calan back,” Wheele said. “And our freshman class is great. They’ve saved the team. I like how they all act. They’re all happy and they’re all friends with each other.”

Wheele said he has missed classmates who were teammates until this season.

“I’ friends with a lot of them,” he said. “it just seemed like they didn’t want to be here anymore, but I can understand it. It takes a lot of time out of your day. Two hours in the morning. Two hours in the afternoon. But I enjoyed it. I’m just happy to be here swimming.”

Wheele’s career won’t end in Chesterton. He committed to swim at Hope College in Michigan.

“I’m real excited to go down there,” Wheele said. “I love the coaches. I love the people down there. I love the campus, even though it’s small. I like being by the water too.”

Wheele made it to state last season in both freestyle relays, the 100 free and the 200 free.

“I’d like to get back and swim faster in the 2 and faster in the 100 than I did last year,” he said. “I don’t want to be sick this year. I was sick at state last year.”