Kara Vandawater places in the top three in her event. Photo by ANNE HARRINGTON
Riptide Coach Mike Cutler said there were a number of strong swims at both meets, but the overall effort of the team is what mattered most. “We had a number of great swims and personal best swims, but the team spirit is what sets this year’s Riptide team apart,” Cutler said. “Even tough swims are good learning experiences, and our swimmers cheer each other on and support each other. I’m very proud of every one of them.”
Jacob Newberger places first in all of his events at Winter Washout. Photo by ANNE HARRINGTON
Swimmers who placed first through third in individual events at the Winter Washout and Zeeland events are Grace Badovinac, Grace Bargwell, Yousef Bennett, Alexa Caster, Stephan Cress, Kennedy Cutler, Macy Folcik, Rachel Fredricks, Sara Fredricks, Andrew Haid, Daniel Haid, Christina Hanssen, Kennzie Hartmann, Benjamin Hoffmeister, Timmer Hoffmeister, Erin Hudson, Hunter Ignasiak, Nathan Isley, Julian Kipke, Delayni Kornak-Kotarba, Sydney McDowell, David Newberger, Jacob Newberger, Peyton Rayburn, Megan Schremp, Abigail Setterington, Meegan Snyman, Courtney Uselton, Karrington VanderMolen, Kara Vandawater, and Madelyn White. J. Newberger placed first in every event in which he competed at Winter Washout, and D. Haid, Hartmann, and D. Newberger swept their events at the Zeeland meet.
Riptide swimmers cheer on their teammates. Photo by ANNE HARRINGTON
Riptide’s purpose is to introduce children to the benefits of competitive swimming and encourage swimmers to reach their highest level of potential in and out of the water while demonstrating leadership and sportsmanship skills. For more information on Riptide, visit www.riptide.org.
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