It's A Family Tradition: Evan Grinter Follows Sisters As Swim Champion, Is An iCAN Clinic Male Athlete of Month At EHS

EDWARDSVILLE - Senior Evan Grinter is following a long line of Grinter family swim champions at Edwardsville High School.

Evan is one of the iCAN Clinic Male Athletes of the Month at Edwardsville High School.

Evan, the son of Greg and April Grinter. Evan has four sisters who were standout swimmers - Bailey, and triplets Autumn, Isabella, and Savannah. Bailey swam for four years at the University of Tennessee and Autumn is now a swimmer at Eastern Illinois University. Bailey was a state and national swim champion and is one of the top athletes ever from Edwardsville High School. Evan is the last of this long line of Grinter family swimmers in the Edwardsville program.

Evan is enjoying a successful season with the Edwardsville High School boys swimming team, and in a quadrangular meet against Chatham Glenwood, Springfield and O'Fallon, Grinter won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.63 seconds and was also a part of a pair of relay victories as the Tigers won the meet held Jan. 22 at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.

Evan, a four-year swimmer for the Tigers, had just come off an injury to return to the pool, and has been swimming very well this season.

Edwardsville High School head boys swim coach Christian Rhoten and Bob Rettle, the Chuck Fruit Aquatics Center swim director, both had nothing but positives to say about Evan and the Grinter family.

“To have all five kids swim and go through the program doesn’t happen too often,” Rettle said. “It takes a lot of commitment on the family’s part for both club and high school swimming. Evan is a talented swimmer and is fast now but he will continue to get better because he loves to swim. His talent and love of swimming are a good combination.”

"I"m swimming really well right now," Grinter said during an interview following his final race of the day on Saturday. "I just got off of an injury, and this is one of the first times I'm actually cleared to swim and I've got some in-season best times. So I'm really excited for the rest of the season and sectionals and state."

Grinter's injury was painful, but he quickly was able to recover to return to the pool.

"I strained my hip flexor like two weeks ago," Grinter said, "and I've been out of practice - well, I've been at practice, but I've been resting a lot, having had practices, but it's really good to actually be able to get back and I feel great."

The key race of the day was when Tiger teams went one-two in the 200-yard freestyle relay, where Edwardsville collected a combined 30 points in the race. It was a key moment in the meet.

"Yeah, it's really great to see the B leg still perform just as well our A relay," Grinter said with a smile, "and move up in places and actually get second. That's really amazing."

Grinter described his own performances coming off the injury and in this season so far as being good for where he and the Tigers are thus far.

"I think I'm doing really well for where we are right now in the season," Grinter said. "I'd like to be doing a little bit better by the end, but right now, I feel like I'm on track to have a great season."

The sectional meet is set for the CFAC on Saturday, Feb. 19, with the IHSA State Meet being held in suburban Chicago from Feb. 26-27. Hosting the sectional will be a big advantage for the Tigers.

"Yeah, it's great that we're swimming in this pool," Grinter said, "so I get that, like, home pool feeling and it's exciting because I can have all my friends come and watch me and it'll be a great environment."

Evan is very thankful and grateful to return to a somewhat-normal season after the 2021 COVID season, where uncertainty and chaos ruled, and the state meet wasn't held because of the pandemic.

"It's great to be back in the water," Grinter said, "and nice to be able to be allowed to swim. It's a great feeling."

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