Hope College swim staff seniors are maybe one of the best in historical past

HOLLAND – While the Hope College ladies’s swim staff rose to a prime 10 staff within the county behind an increase in star swimmers, it’s the rise of this yr’s senior class that has ensured the Flying Dutch are there to remain.

The seven-member senior class has come from every kind of backgrounds and skills and match collectively like puzzle items to remodel Hope right into a nationwide energy.

Greta Gidley, Laurel Wasiniak, Katie Hermann, Bella Turner, Ashlea Swingewood, Madi Remendschneider and Hope Weeda have been a part of the rise of MIAA dominance and NCAA prominence for the Flying Dutch the previous 4 years.

Their tales and backgrounds are very completely different, all introduced collectively by coach Jake Taber. Here is a take a look at every one, together with their ideas on the group.

More: How Emme D’Errico took down one of many oldest, most hallowed, Hope swimming information

More: How Madi Remenschneider remodeled step-by-step into elite swimmer for Hope

The switch

Greta Gidley began her collegiate profession on the University of Michigan. She was a stellar highschool swimmer at Farmington Hills Mercy and landed a Big Ten scholarship.

But it wasn’t the correct match. Gidley struggled with the ambiance and it affected her psychological well being. She needed a contemporary begin with a smaller, family-style staff and got here to Holland.

Gidley has thrived at Hope, incomes a number of NCAA All-American honors, together with a nationwide runner-up within the 200 IM.

“This class in particular has really changed the tide for Hope swim and dive,” Gidley mentioned. “A lot of that was started by some people in the past, but this class was the first really super strong class that everyone knew could make an impact at the national level. So, spending four years with them and seeing how we have been able to lead Hope to new places has been really special. We are all here for a reason and meant to be doing this together.”

The reluctant residence towner

Madi Remendschneider was a great swimmer at West Ottawa. She has develop into an important swimmer at Hope College.

Her rise within the breaststroke and particular person medley occasions has given Hope a whole lot of relay choices and she or he has grown maybe greater than any swimmer at Hope in 4 years.

She wasn’t certain she was even going to swim in school, let alongside keep in her hometown. But she noticed what was potential, and went to work.

“We just work really well together. It might not look like that from the outside because we are all so different an unique but it only took a week and we were best friends. I feel really lucky to have all of them,” Remenschneider mentioned. “The success part is really cool. I knew my class was really fast and to now be a part of that is really awesome. They have pushed me to things I didn’t even know I could do, which is really special.”

The late flip

Katie Hermann was an important swimmer in highschool at Farmington Hills Mercy and was on the lookout for the correct match.

That did not look to be Hope from the beginning of her recruitment, however like the remainder of the group, as soon as the items began coming collectively, and got here to Holland on a go to, she modified her thoughts.

Since arriving, Hermann has develop into a nationwide qualifier and NCAA scorer.

“Hope was at the bottom of my list. But I came on an official visit and fell in love with it immediately, meeting everyone on the team and then going to chapel – never experiencing anything like that before. I felt it was the place for me,” Hermann mentioned. “The senior class, they are my best friends. Coming together is an amazing gift. When Taber was recruiting me, he told me his goal was go get Hope back in the top 10 in the nation. No other coaches has been that goal-oriented and up front with me. Hearing that made me want to be a part of it.”

The water polo star

Bella Turner was a star swimmer and water polo participant at Chelsea High School. She wasn’t certain she even needed to swim in school, leaning towards water polo.

But the items recreation collectively, together with her highschool coach, Dave Jolly, approaching board as Taber’s assistant coach.

Turner has develop into the important thing to Hope’s freestyle relays and helped the staff rating on the NCAA degree.

“I am unbelievably grateful. We are so lucky to have found a group of people who collided and came together so well. Our friendship is so healthy and amazing,” Turner mentioned. “I will be able to look back on this and remember how fun this was. These girls will be friends for the rest of our lives. The biggest takeaway is the amount of grit we have and it not being about our individual success. Being excited for each other has allowed us to accomplish these goals – together.”

The nearly Briton

Ashlea Swingewood was properly conscious of coach Taber when she was in highschool at powerhouse Carmel, Indiana. Taber at the moment was the coach at Albion and had two older Swingewoods on the Britons.

But when he moved to Hope, Ashlea adopted, after seeing how a lot enjoyable her sisters had with Taber as a coach.

“It has been really cool to not be a Swingewood legacy at another school, but almost create one at Hope. It has been so fun building on that,” Ashlea mentioned. “Taber is really good at his job with recruiting, so there is a high likelihood that I would have gone to Albion if he was still there. We have all come from different backgrounds and have gone through struggles and come out stronger on the other end.”

The sprinter

Laurel Wasiniak did not know Hope College existed till her older neighbor in Northville attended.

It piqued her curiosity and Wasiniak, who was getting appears to be like from all sizes of faculties, has develop into one of many quickest sprinters in Hope historical past. She has been an All-American and could possibly be within the combine for an NCAA championship.

“I had dreams to go to a big D-I school, get a scholarship then go to med school. But that path eventually became something that wasn’t for me. Recruiting was during COVID-19 and D-III schools were the only ones that allowed visits. I needed to see a campus and not feel like a robot going into college. I immediately fell into the cliche of feeling like I belonged here, but I really did. We all bring different strengths to the table and that helps us succeed.”

The diver

Hope Weeda got here to Hope a brief distance. The Grandville native is the lone senior diver on the staff.

That could be a lonely spot since swimmers and divers prepare at completely different components of the pool, typically at completely different occasions of the day. But Weeda was welcomed into the group with open arms.

“It takes a lot of intention to really integrate swimmers and divers. You don’t get to chat during training. This group has been very intentional to include me with everything the seniors do. I am on the quieter side and I really appreciated their intentionality,” Weeda mentioned. “Being able to watch our team at the end of meets and watch the seniors really excel in the classic moments is a joy.”

The future

Just a few elite swimmers began this rise, with Meg Peel, Emma Schaefer, Delaney Wesolak and Sara Kraus starring at Hope. But every was from a distinct graduating class, so it was a distinct scenario the place Hope was glad to get a relay or two to nationals.

The success of these people led to staff success, particularly with Wesolak and Kraus teaming with the present group of seniors for a few years.

Now this system has a robust seven-woman senior class that’s excelling on the nationwide degree. Taber is hoping this turns into the norm as recruits see what is going on in Holland.

“I don’t know that I have the right words for this group. You knew it was a good class when they came in as freshman – but you didn’t know how good,” Taber mentioned. “Collectively, it just kept getting better and better. Part of that is perspective, part is commitment and discipline. It is a really fun group to watch develop. You see the example here and what it can be – and what this experience is supposed to be. There is so much value in the right experience, and this is an exceptional example of that.”

Contact sports activities editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, previously recognized as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.