Kristel has been a lifelong swimmer!  She grew up in Michigan and started swimming at the age of 4 and quickly joined the local USA Swim Team-the Clarenceville Swim Club.  Besides swimming year-round for CSC, she swam in the summer recreational league- the Farmington Glen.  When she reached high school, she also joined the Farmington High School Swim Team.  She was MVP multiple years and captain her senior year.  Her favorite events were the 200 Free and 500 Free.  After High School, Kristel graduated from Purdue University with a Major in Genetic Biology and a double minor in Chemistry and Psychology.  She then went on and received her Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from National Louis University with an additional Middle School Endorsement.  She taught Chemistry and Physics for 5 years at Harvard High School.  Currently, Kristel is a Homeschool mom to her 3 young kids who also swim on Stateline.  Kristel has always loved her distance freestyle events.  After graduation, she became a triathlete for many years always finishing in the top 10 of the swim portion.  Most recently she competes in 1.2 Mile Open Water Swims and has finished top 3 in her age group every event she enters.  The Summer of 2024, Kristel placed 1^st Overall in the TriSwim Open Water Swim (1.2 mile) Series of 4 events.  She is looking forward to completing more open water swims with her daughters this year!  She loves working with young swimmers, helping them achieve their goals and celebrating their successes.