Riptides race into busy summer
MB Riptides race into Summer Swim League and a busy season
The locally-based Myrtle Beach Riptides swim team has begun its summer competition with the City of Myrtle Beach Summer Swim League (SSL) in outstanding fashion. The City of Myrtle Beach sponsors the Summer Swim League, which includes recreational teams from Horry and Georgetown counties. Each team will participate in five regular meets and a series-ending championship.
For the Riptides, the SSL serves as a way for younger members of the team to continue to compete in short-course (25 yard) facilities. Older members of the Riptides will limit their competition to long-course (50m) facilities, the same as they Olympics.
In just two meets hosted this summer, the Riptides have garnered 31 event victories and 52 “un-official” best times. The times are un-official as the meets are not sanctioned by USA-Swimming or SC Swimming. But despite the un-official status, the swimmers still race just as hard.
Representing the Riptides so far at the SSL meets have been James Angwin, Mackenzie Angwin, Chad Bateson, Eddie Bateson, Andi Churchill, Connor Churchill, Ashlyn Dekleva, Danielle Flaherty, Jake Flaherty, Zary Gouin, Brice Hipp, Eli Kovac, Rachel Krivanek, Jace Lord, Sahara Lord, Andrew Medrick, Mackensey Moore, Yianni Paraschos, Emily Sabella, Jeremiah Sharp and Emily Tropia.
Several other Riptides’ swimmers have been away on vacation and will compete in the upcoming events for the summer.
According to Riptides’ head coach James Smith, the relay events of the last SSL meet were perhaps the most exciting races of the summer thus far.
“Relays are always fun, but the relay races last week were special,” said Smith. “The girls relay fell behind after the second leg of the race, but our butterflier (Danielle Flaherty) was able to make up the deficit and get the lead for our anchor swimmer (Emily Sabella),” continued Smith.
“The boys relay was just as exciting. The first 3 swimmers gained a pretty good lead, but when our anchor swimmer (8-year old Connor Churchill) got up to race, we were a little worried he would get caught. But Connor raced perhaps the best 50-yards of his life to secure the event win,” remarked Smith.
This year’s edition of the SSL also serves as the introduction of newly hired age-group coach Brittany Johnson Todd. Coach Todd took the reins from long-time coach Justin Schreer who recently completed his Master’s degree in shark biology and relocated to Houston, TX.
Head coach of the Riptides, James Smith, said that despite the expected departure of Coach Schreer, Coach Todd has been able to pick up right where Schreer left off.
“Justin was a vital member of the Riptides,” said Smith. “He fully understood both the short-term and long-term objectives of the team and how we needed to achieve those objectives. He fully prepared his swimmers in every area and he will be missed.”
Coach Todd comes to the Riptides with an impressive resume as a University of Florida swimmer and grad, NCAA and SEC All-American and US Olympic Trials qualifier in the 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter Individual Medley.
Said Smith, “Coach Todd brings an even higher energy level to the Riptides. Her personal experience and her ideas are already motivating the swimmers. She will be a great asset to the Riptides.”
Coach Todd commented on the performance of her swimmers, saying, “They are in great racing shape. The kids still have much to learn, but for their age and ability, they are in an excellent position to take their swimming to the next level.”
Age-group coach Mary Churchill, who works with the Riptides’ developmental swimming program known as the “Ebbtides”, was just as happy with the performances turned in by her swimmers.
“For most of the kids, this is their first taste of competition and they are doing fantastic. They are excited to race and are out their having so much fun,” said Churchill.
The Riptides will have a busy summer. In addition to the SSL meets, members of the Riptides will travel to Athens, GA for the 2010 Summer Senior Sectional Championships July 14-18. Swimmers participating at Sectional Championships are looking to qualify to the 2010 USA-Swimming Summer Junior National Championships or add to their repertoire of events.
The week of July 22-25, the Riptides will co-host the 2010 SC Swimming Summer State and Finale Championships. This is the second time the Riptides will host the event, which attracts nearly 1500 swimmers and their families to the four-day meet.
For a few select members of the Riptides who earn a spot of the 2010 SC Swimming Zone Championship team, they will immediately depart from the state championship to the USA-Swimming Southern Zone Championships in Atlanta, GA the week of July 26-Aug 2.
The 2010 Summer Swim League Championship, July 31, will be the final meet for the majority of the Riptides. The swimmers will then enjoy August off from training.
But the final meet of the summer will be the 2010 USA-Swimming Summer Junior National Championship in Irvine, CA, Aug 8-14. Currently, the Riptides’ Megan Kingsley is qualified to participate, but the Riptides’ head coach James Smith is also looking to have Lauren Campbell and Keenan Lineback earn the qualifying times to the meet.
The Riptides will host a free swim clinic Aug 16-19 for new swimmers and registration will be Aug 21 for all swimmers. The 2010-11 swim season starts back for the Senior swimmers Aug 23.
“This is the busiest summer the Riptides’ have ever had,” said Smith. “It will be a long summer for some kids, but definitely worth it if they achieve their goals,” continued Smith.
