February 5, 1999 Calvin College Chimes

Swimming to put finishing touches on strong season photo courtesy Febus COME ON IN, THE WATER'S FINE: The men's swim team flies off the blocks in the Natatorium. They finished with a dual meet record of 6-2. By Jennifer Neumann Guest Writer Strong and steady strokes helped Calvin swimmers defeat Grand Valley last Saturday. After losing to Hope by a mere second a week before, their disappointment turned into exhilaration. This year’s swim team has improved tremendously compared with past years. Both the men and women ended up doing extremely well, finishing their dual meets with records of 6-2 and 7-2, respectively. Winning their last meet against Grand Valley was a noteworthy success. The men won with a score of 149-88, and the women with 130-111. Sophomore Liesje Konynkyk broke the Calvin school record in the 1,000 freestyle. However, the loss to Hope was equally noteworthy. In the words of Coach Dan Gelderloos, it was “a milestone for us to compete with them. To get down to the last relay was a step in the right direction.” From here the teams prepare for the MIAA Championships from February 10-13. At the Championships, individuals will have a chance to compete in nationals. FOR THE RECORD: Sophmore Liesje Konyndyk set a Calvin record in the 1,000 freestyle. They will also once again face Hope. Beating them there would rank Calvin higher overall in the MIAA Standings. The last time Calvin beat Hope in a dual meet was 15 years ago; after last meet they stand only one second away. Many aspects have contributed to the team’s success. Gelderloos believes the “captains (Brad Rietema, Keith Ritsema, Erica Smith, and Kristi VanWoerkom) and the seniors are the backbone of the team.” They provide good leadership and experience to the team. Another essential aspect is addition of the many talented freshman this year, and the size of the teams has also grown extensively. Gelderloos also believes that his teams’ success is due to the commitment put forth by the team. He stated, “they really believe in what they are doing.” Captain Erica Smith speaks of their newfound success: “It is easy for winning teams to take their success for granted; and conversely, in our case, we have become more hungry to achieve unprecedented success.” The teamwork and bonds formed between all of the swimmers is largely why the team has grown in so many ways. The words of captain Ritsema sums up the feeling saying, “Regardless of how well we did in meets, Calvin’s swim team has always been like a family. The bond developed between teammates after spending every day with each other for five months is like no other. Even though everyone doesn’t get along with everyone else all of the time, we still love each other like brothers.”