Clinton Township, Macomb Township

Board of Education honors Chippewa swim team

By Robert Guttersohn
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Robert Guttersohn The Chippewa Valley High School girls swim and dive team pose with certificates of excellence presented to them by the Board of Education. The team won their third consecutive Macomb County championship in October. Photo by Robert Guttersohn The Chippewa Valley High School girls swim and dive team pose with certificates of excellence presented to them by the Board of Education. The team won their third consecutive Macomb County championship in October.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — The Board of Education presented the Chippewa Valley High School girls swim and dive team with certificates of excellence Nov. 5 after winning their third straight Macomb County championship in October.

Board member Euel Kinsey was in the stands during the final meet of the season, and the four swimmers in the relay knew it came down to their performance to win the championship.

“That foursome went out there and, not only did they win … but they broke the county record in the process,” Kinsey said. He called the finish an exclamation point to the last three seasons for the swim team.

“These girls have done an amazing job,” Kinsey said.

Board of Education President George Sobah noted the required commitment to excel in the sport.

“We know how hard it is and what a tough commitment it is — the early days and late nights and constantly being wet and soggy,” Sobah said.

Superintendent Ronald Roberts said, when he watched them swim against Dakota High School’s swim team, the Chippewa Valley team’s spirit was evident.

“They are truly a great group of students,” Roberts said. “That’s a tribute to their coaches, too.” He was also impressed by the ability of the divers to perform under the watchful eye of everyone in the audience. “The whole world stops when they perform, whereas in the rest of the meet, there’s a lot of activity, so you can be a little anonymous,” Roberts said. “But when the divers go, everything stops and everyone focuses on that one diver.”

Roberts joked that when he was in high school, he refused to dive and could only do belly flops into the water.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Robert Guttersohn at rguttersohn@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.