Sports
Gimme 5: L-Way East's Rice Enjoys His Last Splash
For Griffins' standout swimmer Kevin Rice, good friends and a great season make for a perfect way to end senior year.
For Kevin Rice, swimming started out as a chance to try something new. But now he is in his senior season at Lincoln-Way East, and swimming has turned into his old hat, one that wears with pride.
Rice began swimming when he joined the Lincoln-Way Gators in fifth grade. He said he wanted to broaden his horizons, and it led to him swimming and playing water polo at Lincoln-Way East.
He has taken on a leadership role in his last hurrah with the Griffins. Last Saturday, he helped East take first place in the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional. He won the 100-yard breaststroke event with a time of 1:00.19 to nab a berth in the IHSA state meet. Based on sectional results, he is seeded 18th heading into the competition Friday and Saturday at New Trier.
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But winning isn't the only thing that Rice is grateful for this season.
"(The best part) is just how the team has become really close this year," he said. "We've all became really good friends."
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When he's not in the water training, Rice said he spends his time just like any other teenager.
"I like hanging out with friends," he said. "I like to just chill and eat a lot."
With graduation just around the corner, Rice said he plans on studying engineering in college. He hasn't decided yet whether he will attend the University of Missouri or Southern Illinois University.
