EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School senior girls swimmer Autumn Grinter had a very successful opening to the 2020 season by winning the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events as the Tigers won their opening meet over O'Fallon 69-59 Thursday evening at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.
Grinter won the 50-yard race with a time of 25.86 seconds, and the 100-yard in 56.72 seconds, and felt that she swam well on the day.
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"I did well," Grinter said during an interview that followed her final race of the day. "I didn't go any best times, but I'm right where I need to be in the season."
The races were a good way to get back into competition, with the summer club season cancelled because of COVID-19, and Grinter loves being back in the pool.
"It feels good," Grinter said. "Over the summer, we only got an hour practice, and now, we're doing two to three hours, which is nice."
As all her fellow swimmers and other athletes, Grinter is very grateful and thankful that the season is now underway, but she's also aware that if circumstances change, the season could be called off as well.
"Yeah, you know, we could get called out or get cancelled at any time," Grinter said. "So we're all trying to swim the best we can right now, and keep trying to get to sectionals if we can."
Grinter comes from a locally prominent swimming family. Her older sister, Bailey, currently swims for the University of Tennessee, and is considered a possibility for the United States Olympic team when the Summer Games are held next year in Tokyo after a one-year delay. She's also a triplet, along with her sisters Isabella and Savannah, and her brother, Evan, also swims for the Tigers boys team. She's very proud of her sisters and has enjoyed swimming with them for all these years.
"I'm used to swimming with them, because they're my sisters," Grinter said.
As far as both individual and team goals, Grinter has her sights set on simple and attainable targets.
"Well, we all want to go best times, and everyone wants to get their record, and go best times," Grinter said. "So we're all trying to do that."
Grinter hopes for a chance at a sectional meet this fall as well, as the state swimming meet won't be held this year, due to the pandemic. She also knows that there's still much to be won this year.
"We want to win in whatever we have to do," Grinter said. "We all want to go best times for personal, best times in high school, best times."
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