Riptide Opens 2016 Season as Coach Chloe Hicks Heads to the Olympic Swim Trials

On a bright summer morning, the Virginia Run Riptide opened their 2016 summer swim season at the Dunn Loring Dolphin’s pool in Vienna. The crowd was hoarse from yelling as the meet was tied through freestyle and backstroke, and while 67 personal bests were recorded by the Riptide swimmers, the Dolphins surfed the tide in breaststroke and fly going on to win the meet by 220 to 200.

Freestyle first places were earned by Charis Roundtree (8U G), Charles Beamon (9-10 B), Jason Cheifetz (11-12 B), Maddie Whitton (11-12 G), Anthony Arcomona (13-14 B) and Olympic trials bound Chloe Hicks (15-18 G). Second place point from Kevin O’Connor (8U B), Will Whitton (9-10 B), Nick McGrath (15-18 B) and third place points from Jack Jeffries (8U B), Neha Srinivasan (9-10 G), Emily Jon (11-12 G), Noah Schettini (13-14 B), Chelsea Nguyen (13-14 G), and Didi Pace (15-18 G) kept the meet tied at 45-45.

Backstroke events were exciting with six year old Nicholas Harris taking a first in the 8 and under boys.The 9-10 boys Davis Collinsworth, William Whitton and Charles Beamon, the 11-12 girls Alana Turflinger, Cailtin Kelliher and Izzy Cogan and the 15-18 girls Chloe Hicks, Sarah Boyle, and Chanel Cogan swept their events. Carson Coughlin (8U G), Grace Ramey (9-10 G), Owen Thomas (11-12 B) and William Beamon (13-14 B) captured seconds, while Lauren Fitch (8U G), Natalie Orwat (9-10 G), Andrew Boyle (11-12 B), and Jack Liskey (13-14 B) secured third place.

Wins in the Breaststroke were hard to come by with Griffin Osterhout (9-10B), Alana Turflinger (11-12 G), Leo Want (15-18 B) and Mia Newkirk (15-18 G) winning their events. Jason Cheifetz (11-12 B), William Beamon (13-14 B), Patrick Kearney (15-18 B) swam for second and Jenna Van Buren (8U G), Jay Rennyson (9-10 B), Angela Thomson (9-10 G), Owen Thomas (11-12 B), Gabriella Borsato(11-12 B), Lack Liskey (13-14 B), Meghan Gary (13-14 B), and Meredith Matz (15-18 G) captured thirds.

First place swims in fly were captured by Charis Roundtree (8U G), Davis Collinsworth (9-10 B), Andrew Boyle (11-12 B), Maddie Whitton (11-12 G) and Anthony Arcomona (13-14 B). Nicholas Harris (8U B), Griffin Osterhout (9-10 B), and Mia Newkirk (15-18 G) swam to seconds while Valerie Tonnu (11-12 G), Louis Borsato (13-14 B), Becca Mathews (13-14 G), Patrick Kearney (15-18 B), and Didi Pace (15-18 G) swam to thirds.

As the meet moved into the relays the Dolphins has accumulated a 20 point lead. The ebb and flow of the relay portion of the meet was frantic as the Dolphins would win a relay and the Riptide would answer by winning the next race. Since each team won six relay events the score differential remained 20 and the Dolphins secured their victory when their 15-18 Boys 200 Meter Medley out touched the Riptide by a mere 0.08 of a second.

The dynamic coaching staff of the Riptide is led by returning head coach Matt Lear. Emma Savino, a Case Western University Marketing and English Major who swam in NVSL from the age of 6, is the new assistant head coach.

Senior coaches are Geoffrey Eisenhart, Brook Guidash, Chloe Hicks, and Patrick Kearney and junior coaches Abby Borsato, Chanel Cogan, Luke Emanuel, Nick McGrath, Nia Newkirk, Didi Pace, Lauren Stovall and Leo Wang are back and ready to help the Riptide team of 211 young swimmers improve their skills and have a great summer.

The Riptide is especially proud of their senior coach Chloe Hicks who will be competing at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha on July 1. A special Riptide Rio Olympic Pep Rally Friday night will mark Chloe’s participation and honor her accomplishments.