Here are the six boys swimming and diving honorees for 2026 Journal Star Swimming and Diving team, led by the athlete of the year and followed by the five other all-area members in alphabetical order.
Kenan Nowak, Metamora Co-op
The 2026 Journal Star Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year finished just outside the top 10 in diving at the IHSA state finals. He and Justin Alderson (2018-2020) are the only two Metamora athletes to claim state medals. Nowak took 11th in the state finals, posting a score of 439.75. His score was less than two points off a top-10 finish. The junior, who was also a 2025 all-area selection, was 10th in the prelims, then 11th in the state semifinals. Nowak advanced to state by winning diving at the Normal West Sectional by over 100 points.
Aiden Crull, Washington Co-op
The junior was a three-event qualifier at the state finals. He swam the third leg on the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:27.28), which finished 21st in a state prelim. Crull was also on the 27th-place 400-yard freestyle relay (3:15.59). His 200-yard freestyle time (1:45.30) put him at 31st. He helped win the 200-free relay at the Normal West Sectional.
Paxton Dickson, Richwoods
The senior was a two-event state qualifier in the 50-yard freestyle (21.64, 30th) and 100-yard backstroke (54.29, 39th). He teamed with Jude Hill to help the Knights to a state third-place finish in the combined team standings. Dickson won the 50 free and 100 backstroke at the East Moline Sectional.
Jude Hill, Richwoods
The freshman came up big in his first state meet. Hill finished first in four athletes-with-disabilities events — the 200-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke. Hill also won sectional titles in those four events.
Brayden Mcguire, Galesburg
The sophomore led the Silver Streaks as a four-event state qualifier. He was a member of two relays — the 200-yard medley (1:42.30, 40th) and 100-yard freestyle relay (3:27.96, 33rd) — and swam state prelim individual races in the 200-yard IM (2:00.62, 39th) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.54, 42nd). Mcguire won those four events at sectionals.
Drake Shepherdson, Washington Co-op
The Morton junior, a three-time all-area pick, was a three-event state qualifier in 2026. Shepherdson had a top-25 finish in the 100-yard butterfly (51.35 seconds, 23rd) in the state prelims. He was the area’s top finisher in the 200-yard IM (1:55.86, 27th). Shepherdson also swam the anchor leg in the 400-yard free relay (3:15.59, 27th.).
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
Journal Star Boys Swimmer of the Year
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2026 Journal Star all-area teams | The top 6 swimmers and divers in the Peoria area
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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