SUN CITY – Eight members of Sun City’s Stingrays’ Swim Club annihilated their competition at this summer’s Park Ridge Six County Senior Olympics held on July 22. A total of 27 medals, 10 gold, 13 silver, and 4 bronze, were earned by the Stingrays present. All competition is judged in five-year age increments.
Stingrays’ Swim Club members at the Park Ridge Swim Meet are (first row, sitting from left) Ginny McCann and Coach Jack Bolger; (second row, standing from left) Nick Koplos, Joanie Koplos, Dave Strang, Joan Souchek, Phyllis Nordlof, and Caryl Fabian; (back row, from left-cheerleading for their team) Inge Sedey and Pat Hutton. Missing from the picture are swimmer Art Fitzgerald, and cheerleaders Jack McCann and Paul Souchek.
Top performers were Caryl Fabian, winner of 5 gold medals in the 50 yd., 100 yd., and 200 yd. freestyle events, as well as the 50 yd. breaststroke and 100 yd. IM event. Dave Strang also won gold in the 100 yd. and 50 yd. freestyle events, as well as taking home silver in his other five events: 50 yd. breaststroke, 50 yd. backstroke, 50 yd. butterfly, 200 yd. freestyle, and 100 yd. IM. Art Fitzgerald won gold in the 50 yd. and the 100 yd. freestyle contests. Ginny McCann added to the medal count by winning 3 silver medals in the 100 yd. IM, 50 yd. backstroke, and 50 yd. breaststroke events. Phyllis Nordlof continued the Stingrays’ winning ways with a gold in the 50 yd. backstroke and a silver in the 50 yd. freestyle. Joan Souchek gained silver in her 50 yd. backstroke event and bronze in her 50 yd. free.
The Stings’ only competitive married couple decided to do things “their way.” Nick and Joanie Koplos began the day with early morning running / walking races. Nick earned 3 medals, with a gold in the 1/2 mile run, a silver in the 3 mile run, and a bronze in the 1/4 mile run. Joanie won two gold medals for her performance in the 1 mile race walk and the 1 mile fun race walk.
In the afternoon, the couple joined their teammates to gain 6 more medals in the swimming pool. Nick won 3 swim medals, with a silver in the 200 freestyle and two bronzes in the 100 and the 50 freestyle events. His wife, Joanie, won 2 silvers in the 100 and 200 freestyle competitions and a bronze in the 50 free contest.
