Riptide Swim Team of Apple Valley, Minnesota, will be graduating 8 swimmers to college programs this fall: Lucia Rizzo, Quenton ‘Q’ Steffen, Jack Poppitz, Andrew Von Berge, Christian St. Clair, Sjon Greseth, Jack Van Meter, and Macy Klein (not pictured).
Lucia Rizzo, Iowa State University
Woodbury High School
Lucia is a Junior Nationals qualifier, Speedo Sectionals champion, and leader on Riptide’s Senior Elite practice group. She is a versatile swimmer who specializes in distance freestyle, butterfly, and the IMs, and has been a training and travel partner to World Junior Champion Regan Smith for the past three years.
Lucia is the third in her family to swim in college, following older sisters Marina Rizzo, who swam at Gustavus Adolphus College, and Linnea Rizzo, who is a senior at Saint Olaf College. Lucia also has a younger brother, Tim Rizzo, who is a senior at Woodbury High School and a member of Riptide’s Senior Elite training group.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free – 24.71
- 100 Free – 53.97 (50.98 relay split)
- 200 Free – 1:51.92
- 500 Free – 4:55.10
- 1000 Free – 10:06.94
- 1650 Free – 16:57.05
- 100 Breast – 1:07.86
- 100 Fly – 56.20
- 200 Fly – 2:03.92
- 200IM – 2:03.97
- 400 IM – 4:22.96
QUENTON ‘Q’ STEFFEN, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Eagan High School
Q has been with Riptide since the team was founded in 2012 and has grown from swim lessons student to Junior Nationals qualifier who specializes in breaststroke and IM. Q’s breaststroke and IM times position him to have an immediate impact on the Fordham men’s roster. At the 2018 MSHSL Boy’s AA State Championship, Q finished 15th in the 200 IM and tied for 4th in the 100 breaststroke, helping Eagan to a 17th-place finish overall.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breast – 57.87
- 200 Breast – 2:06.49
- 200 Fly – 2:01.19
- 200IM – 1:57.42
- 400 IM – 4:12.80
JACK POPPITZ, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE
Eastview High School
Jack joined the team in 2012 and has proven himself as a hard worker and talented swimmer. Jack is a natural at the breaststroke and has also developed into a promising IM-er. His best time in the 200 breaststroke would have made him the 2nd-fastest on Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s roster in that event during the 2017-2018 season. At the 2018 MSHSL Boy’s AA State Championships Poppitz placed 13th in the 100 breaststroke and contributed to the 12th-place 200 yard medley relay. Poppitz, alongside Sjon Greseth, helped Eastview to a 22nd-place overall finish.
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Breast – 58.52
- 200 Breast – 2:08.11
- 200 IM – 2:02.39
- 100 LCM Breast — 1:07.70
- 200 LCM Breast — 2:25.01
ANDREW VON BERGE, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE
Simley High School
Andrew is a sprint freestyle specialist who has been with Riptide for three years. At the 2018 MSHSL Boys ‘A’ Swimming & Diving Championships he helped his team to a 23rd-place finish, being the only swimmer from his school to compete in the finals individually. He is the 2017 Minnesota Section 1A champion in the 100 freestyle, and along with a 4th-place finish in the 200 free and two 2nd-place relay finishes, he helped Simley to finish 2nd at the 2017 Minnesota Section 1A Championships. His current 50 and 100 freestyle times would have earned him berths in the consolation finals of each race at the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships, and his 50 will make him a contender for a spot on the 200 free relay.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free – 21.90
- 100 Free – 47.97
- 200 Free – 1:47.30
Back Row L-R: Greseth, Van Meter., Steffen, Von Berge; front row L-R: Poppitz, Rizzo, St. Clair
MACY KLEIN, ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY
Home School/Rosemount High School Swim Team
Macy is a sprinter who has primarily focused on the 50 and 100 freestyles, but has recently began to invest more heavily in middle-distance training to improve her 200 free. Though home schooled, Macy competed for nearby Rosemount High School and was a finalist in the 50 and 100 freestyles and contributed vitally to relays at the 2017 Minnesota Girl’s High School AA State Championships. Macy will have an immediate impact at St. Kate’s, and her 50 and 100 freestyle times are already faster than the current team records.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free – 23.71
- 100 Free – 52.03
- 100 Fly – 1:00.75
JACK VAN METER, COLGATE UNIVERSITY
Cretin-Durham Hall High School
Jack is a sprint freestyle specialist with the ability to swim middle-distance who has been with Riptide for five years. Jack has played an important role on Cretin-Durham Hall’s relays during high school season and is an individual MSHSL Boy’s Section 6AA finalist in the 100 and 200 freestyles. His twin sister, Kate Van Meter, will also be swimming at Colgate in the fall.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free – 22.62 (21.61 relay split)
- 100 Free 48.67
- 200 Free – 1:47.07
- 500 Free 4:51.30
CHRISTIAN ST. CLAIR, GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE
Eastview High School
Christian is a sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist who has been with Riptide for five years. As a senior at Eastview High School, Christian won the consolation finals of the 100 fly and placed 2nd in the ‘B’ final of the 200 IM at the 2018 MSHSL Boys Section 3AA Championships, helping Eastview finish 2nd in the team standings.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free — 23.52
- 100 Free – 51.53
- 200 Free – 1:52.46
- 100 Fly — 56.77
SJON GRESETH, ST. OLAF COLLEGE
Eastview High School
Sjon is a versatile swimmer who specializes in distance freestyle and IM. Sjon is known for being an high-achieving student and was recognized as a leader on his high school team. In addition to his own training, Sjon teaches others to swim at the same swim school where he learned, and is an example for Riptide’s young swimmers. Alongside teammate Jack Poppitz, Greseth helped Eastview High School to a 22nd-place finish at the 2018 MSHSL AA Boy’s State Championships by finishing 15th in the 50 freestyle and 12th in the 500 freestyle. Greseth and Poppitz also contributed to a 12th place finish in the 200 yard medley relay.
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Free – 21.74
- 100 Free – 50.80
- 200 Free – 1:47.45
- 500 Free – 4:41.98
- 1000 Free – 9:47.28
- 1500 Free – 16:32.99
- 200 Back – 1:59.25
- 400 IM – 4:17.09
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