St. Charles North junior Will Myhre is well on his way to becoming the most decorated swimmer in program history, but that isn’t what impresses his coach the most.
Myhre already is one of the best swimmers in the state, having demonstrated proficiency in all four strokes. He is a two-time state runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke and was third last year in the 200 individual medley.
More improvement is forecast, not only in races.
“He’s not just a one-stroke wonder,” St. Charles North coach Rob Rooney said. “He’s very versatile and, more important, he’s grown up a ton as a person these last eight months.
“He’s still got growth to take place, but he’s really done a phenomenal job … being a guy who helps others out. He was teaching a guy how to dive the other day.
“He’s going out of his way to do some things that a lot of kids don’t. That’s something a year or two ago we didn’t see.”
Counting relays, Myhre has seven state medals, three shy of program leader Jimmy Brooks and one in back of his brother Joe, who won the 100 freestyle state title in 2016.
Joe, a sophomore swimmer at Iowa, is Myhre’s idol. They had one year together on the North Stars.
“I remember the feeling freshman year of hopping in and following after Joe and all the training and getting to state was incredible,” Will Myhre said. “That was just insane. I just can’t get enough of it.”
The brothers are extremely close but have different strengths. Will, who is getting interest from top college programs like Florida, Auburn and Texas, may end up being more successful than Joe, but he credits his brother with setting the tone.
“Seeing how he carried himself and knowing him as a person overall, it helped me shape how I carry myself,” Will Myhre said. “He always told me hard work is good work, no matter how much it sucks.
“In the end you’ll like your results. He’s very inspirational and that will never stop.”
No matter what he achieves, Will Myhre will never stop striving. His immediate goal is to win the breaststroke this year and eventually aspires to break state records in that event and the 200 IM.
Will holds the school record in both races, though the St. Charles North pool record in the breaststroke has eluded him. That mark is held by 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kevin Cordes.
“Ever since I came to North and saw Kevin Cordes’ pool record on the board, I just wanted to get that name off of it and put mine up there,” Will Myhre said. “My thought process in all that stuff is if you want to be the best, you’ve got to aim for goals that definitely might be uncomfortable.
“It might be a stretch, but that’s what a goal is. I’m not really one to set a goal and then settle for anything. I’m never really satisfied, whether it’s a state championship or a record.
“I always know there is more. I like to keep the ball moving.”
Rooney said Will Myhre is capable of winning state titles in four or five different events, but he will always remember his star helping a less experienced teammate learn how to dive correctly into the pool.
“Joe is a quiet guy, but at the end of the day he would help you,” Myhre said. “He motivated me to do that.
“(The North Stars) support one another and at the end of the day we just want to be the best we can be.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
