Joshua Bey wins 2 state titles as Hinsdale Central returns to the top. The race he doesn’t win? ‘Magical.’

Joshua Bey knew what he was getting into when he moved with his family from Naperville to Hinsdale before his freshman year of high school.

Enrolling at Hinsdale Central meant joining one of the most decorated boys swimming programs in the state.

“I kind of knew I had a lot on the line for me, a lot of work to put in to put my name in the school,” he said. “I really thought I could do that.”

Bey is off to a good start.

The Red Devils, who had won 18 state championships before he arrived, won their 19th in dominating fashion at FMC Natatorium in Westmont on Saturday, and Bey is a big reason they did.

The sophomore won the 100-yard breaststroke, finished second to teammate Jeffrey Hou in the 200 individual medley and swam a leg of the 200 medley relay team that set a state record.

The Red Devils scored 253 points. New Trier was a distant second with 134, and defending state champion Stevenson was third with 122.5.

Hinsdale Central won all three relays in state-record times, starting with the medley quartet of Vidar Carlbaum, Bey, Hou and Andrew Gilbert, which finished in 1 minute, 29.40 seconds.

In the 200 free relay, Gilbert, Carlbaum, Noah Priest and Brody Marcet won in 1:21.26, and Carlbaum, Hou, Priest and Gilbert capped the meet by winning the 400 free relay in 2:59.61.

“We set our goals high,” Hou said. “We said that we wanted to win three of the relays. We never thought we would break three of the state records, but we just had to trust in our taper and practices. Obviously, it turned out really good.”

Bey was proudest of the only race he didn’t win. He and Hou had battled all season in the 200 IM, the winner of which is generally regarded as the best swimmer in the state.

Hou won in 1:47.49, 1.42 seconds ahead of Bey.

“They are special athletes,” Hinsdale Central coach Bob Barber said. “They’ve always been driven by 1-2. They didn’t know who was going to be 1 or 2, but they were definitely fighting, and it was awesome for them.”

Their rivalry in the event is a friendly one, which is why Bey wasn’t disappointed by the result.

“It was magical,” he said. “Sure, I don’t always like to lose, but that was probably one of the happiest losses that I’ve ever had.

“I’ve trained with him the entire year, and I’m so happy for him. If there is anyone I wanted to lose to, it’s Jeffrey because he’s such a great person and such a great person to train with.”

The training partners aimed to dominate the event.

“Our plan was to get 1-2, no matter what the order,” Hou said. “When we train IM, I wouldn’t say he’s the best practice swimmer, but he does work hard, which makes me work harder.”

And not just in the IM. Hou later finished second in the 100 butterfly in 47.83, just 0.08 behind New Trier’s Aiden Musick, while Bey won the 100 breaststroke in 54.51, edging Naperville Central’s Alex Lakin by 0.30.

Bey had finished second in the breaststroke as a freshman.

“I looked at the board, and knowing that I had gotten second last year by only 0.17, it felt great,” he said. “It was exciting but also emotional.”

While the Red Devils will graduate a strong senior class — including Priest (Boston College), Gilbert (Johns Hopkins) and Sami Kassir (UIC), who was 10th in diving — they figure to make a strong push to repeat behind Bey and Hou.

“He always sets his goals high,” Hou said of Bey. “That’s what we love about him. Last year we did not expect that out of him, getting second as a freshman. He’s such a good performer.”

Bey is comfortable under pressure.

“I had to battle a lot my freshman year to get on the lineup, and I made it,” he said. “This year I wouldn’t say I’ve secured my spot, but I really had to fight to keep it.

“Seeing all my teammates put down these amazing times, getting to know them and seeing your best friends winning is magical. It just kind of ensured the fact that moving here was probably the best decision for me.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.