Central’s Bu returns to first home

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Hinsdale Central junior Bryan Bu was back in familiar territory Saturday at Hinsdale South's College Events meet. Bu coaches youth swimmers for the Hornet Swim Club. | George M. Wilcox~Sun-Times Media.

Updated: February 13, 2012 9:00AM

When Bryan Bu started swimming competitively at age 6, a Hinsdale South swimmer helped coach his youth team for the Hornet Swim Club.

Years later, Bu has returned the favor. Bu hasn’t forgotten his former coach, Hinsdale South graduate Blake Abraham. Now Bu is coaching the age 8 and under swimmers for the Hornet Swim Club.

But in an ironic twist, Bu is believed to be the first Hinsdale Central boys swimmer to coach at the Hornet Swim Club. Another junior from the Hinsdale Central girls team, Alden Leader, is coaching the girls at the Hornet Swim Club. Both Bu and Leader live in Clarendon Hills.

“I love them,” Bu said about his students. “It’s totally great to see them improve when you see them at meets. It’s fun too. It’s gratifying as a coach.”

Bu has coached the youngest age division at the Hornet Swim Club for only 1 1/2 years. He didn’t seek out to be a coach, but was recruited by former head coach Bay Bateman, who took over the program after the 2009 death of her son, Bryan, in a car accident.

Mirko Mirkov is the current head coach of the Hornet Swim Club.

Bu is very famliar with the club. He competed for the Hornets before moving to Clarendon Hills in seventh grade. He grew up in Darien and attended Concord School and Cass Junior High. He still keeps in touch with some of his former classmates who are now at Hinsdale South.

Bu finished seventh in the 200-yard butterfly for the runner-up Devils Saturday at Hinsdale South’s 44th annual College Events meet. He placed third in the 400 medley relay with Will Leach, Eddie Mapel and Alexander Cruz.

During his days with the Hornet Swim Club, Bu owns three club records in the age 14-18 division. He set club records in the 400 medley and 800 freestyle relays in 2011.

The current Hinsdale Central team features six members of the Hornet Swim Club. Danny Ciciora, Bu and Peter Quinones own club records while other club members include Johan Heiser, Brogan O’Doherty and Banistre Lienhart. Red Devils star Danny Thomson, a Stanford recruit, is attempting to win his third consecutive state title in the 500 freestyle this season. Thomson started out with the Hornet Swim Club, but later switched to the Hinsdale Swim Club. Thomson owns three current records in the Hornet Swim Club set from 2007-08.

Bu is the Junior Class president at Hinsdale Central and belongs to the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation. Despite all of his participation in clubs at school, Bu looks forward to regular practices with the Hornet Swim Club. When he isn’t swimming for the Red Devils, he’ll go on the road with the Hornets to big meets.

“The little kids always cheer me up,” Bu said. “I don’t like to call it work.”