On Tuesday, the girls swim and dive team faced off against Hudsonville and Holland Christian in its first meet of the season. Led by senior captains Jessica Doyel, Maggie Hier, Caroline Bell, and Avery Verlinde, the team has been working extremely hard to prepare for this season.

“We started our season in the summer, and we’ve been doing two-a-days with everyone coming to morning practice before school and after,” Jessica said. “I’m very proud of the determination and work ethic these girls have shown because it shows that no matter the circumstances, an individual’s drive and passion inspires the rest of the team to be better.”

When all was said and done, the Rangers placed second out of the three teams. Jessica Doyel showed out, placing third in the 50-meter freestyle race with a time of 26.09 seconds. Following Jessica in third place was Maggie Hier with a similar time of 26.81 seconds. In the distance category, Caroline Bell edged out first place in the 500-meter freestyle with a 5:57.74 finish. Lastly, achieving a time of 2:19.27, Sydney VanLente also took home first in the 200-meter individual medley. Overall, the Rangers performed extremely well and are preparing for the rest of the season. 

In two weeks, the Lady Rangers will travel to Holland to compete against Holland and Spring Lake in a pivotal tri-meet. Leaning on their senior leaders, the Rangers are primed to hit the water quickly and compete for podium-worthy finishes.