BY ED DAVIS
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Nick Riegel didn’t think he’d make it to the Michigan state swimming finals as a freestyle swimmer, but his coach Kenwyn Chock knew better.
Riegel is a fourth year swimmer and senior captain, who Chock said leads quietly and by example. He made Clarkston school history this year by being the first Wolf to qualify for states as a swimmer. While Chock and Riegel agree it was his goal to get to states, the two differ on how it was Nick was going to get there. Riegel qualified for the state finals by swimming the 100 freestyle in 49.94 at the OAA II league last month. It was one of four records set by the senior who also owns the 100 backstroke record and is part of the record setting 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
‘I didn’t know I could swim the free that fast,? Riegel said. ‘I thought I’d really specialize in the 100 butterfly. I just remember keeping up with some other fast guys in the 100 free and they (my teammates) all said ‘Hey, you swim that pretty good.??
Pretty good indeed, but it wasn’t always that way for Riegel, especially not during his junior year when he said in the middle of an invent he had, what he called, a brain freeze.
‘I was supposed to do freestyle in a relay back in my freshman year,? he said. ‘But I ended up doing the butterfly. I got out of the pool and the other guys were like oh, you shouldn’t have done that,? he said with a laugh. ‘It was a freshman mistake. I’m not sure why it happened, but I did it as a junior.?
That’s not all Riegel did as a junior. Chock it up as one of four years the captain has battled through health problems. His freshman year he battled with ear problems. His sophomore year it was his back that was always aching. Last year he had mono and this year he’s had to get through heart problems, which he claims now are all in check thanks to several doctor visits, testing and regular medication. Riegel said when his body is under extreme physical stress sometimes his brain does not receive all the necessary oxygen. One time he passed out on the bathroom floor during a break in practice, but like most things, Riegel took it with a good sense of humor.
‘I don’t know how long I was out,? he said with a smile. ‘It couldn’t have been too long. Nobody ever came and found me.?
Through it all, Riegel has been one of the hardest workers Chock has ever had the pleasure of coaching at CHS. She spoke highly of her first state finalist.
‘He’s it. He’s a hard worker. Every day he’ll give you 100 percent. Every day he’s sick he just keeps pushing. That’s why he’s successful,? she said.
It came as no surprise to Chock that Riegel has qualified as a state finalist. It was something she saw back in January.
‘Our goal was just to get him there. We could see last year how close he was. I figured he’d get there (to states) as a freestylist, but our goal was just to get him there. But by January we could tell he’d be there,? she said.
Chock credited Nick’s younger brother Andrew with a portion of the Wolves success as a team this year. The younger Riegel owns the 200 and 500 freestyle records and there is definitely some sense of sibling rivalry between the two, not only because they are brothers, but they also joke about swimming the 100 free as opposed to longer distances.
‘He’s a pansy,? Andrew joked.
Nick didn’t see it that way.
‘He can say I’m a pansy all he wants, but I can still beat him at his own strokes.?
Since swimming as a part of the Clarkston Sea Wolves program back in his seventh grade year, Nick has always loved swimming and will greatly miss everything about it once his state final competition, set for March 12 at the University of Michigan, is complete.
‘I’ll miss the spaghetti dinners and all the friendships I’ve made here,? he said. ‘I hope those are some things that continue on even after the swimming is done.?
Chock meanwhile is hoping for something else to continue. She’s hoping for more state finalists from CHS in the coming year. She is confident Riegel’s achievement is just the beginning of something even bigger for Clarkston swimming. The team finished the season in sixth place in OAA II with a 2-7 overall record.
‘Nick has opened the flood gates. There are a lot more on the way,? she said.