by Melissa Yerkov
Northeast Times Sports Editor

Complete Story (PDF)

It seems like wherever Christine Swiker swims, waves of success tend to follow.

The Northeast Philadelphia native guided the Archbishop Ryan High School swim team to four consecutive Catholic League championships, and one national championship, during her time with the Ragdolls.

The diving diva went on to compete at East Stroudsburg University, where she has consistently qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship meet, placing in the top eight during the past two seasons.

“I love the competition,” said Swiker, a senior at East Stroudsburg University, about two hours north of Philadelphia. “I get so bored in the beginning of the season . . . just training. Once the meets start, it's my favorite time of year. I love competing against other people and seeing where I'm at against others. It sets me up to train even harder. I want to always be better next time.”

She certainly has.

Swiker has steadily improved every time she leaps into the water, regularly developing her speed, style, form, and even her attitude.

“My freshman year was really hard,” she recalled. “I was the type of swimmer who put a lot of pressure on myself. I let nerves get the best of me.

“My sophomore year, it was better, but I was kind of in same boat, where I thought too much about other swimmers,” she continued. “Then, the summer before junior year, I trained a lot and came back stronger than ever. I was ready. That set the tone for the next two years.”

This season she reached the top.

The versatile swimmer — who says she loves every stroke and doesn't have a particular favorite — soaked up three personal records this season, as well as two relay records.

Swiker now holds the 200 butterfly record (2:13.71), 200 individual medley (2:09.20) and 400 individual medley (4:37.88) at East Stroudsburg University.

She also teamed up with Kimberly Lawson, Tara Robinson and Sarah Roscioli for a record-setting 400 freestyle relay (3:37.84) and 400 medley relay (4:05.62).

“It's an amazing feeling to touch the wall, look up and see that time,” said Swiker, whose advanced time in the 200 butterfly snapped former swimmer Judy Tooher's record set in 1981. “I was ecstatic. I remember my first was the 200 IM. I was ahead by a body length in the last lap, so I felt like I was going fast. After the race, I didn't remember it. It was a blur.

“This is probably the best season I've ever had,” she added. “I was really ready for the championship. I was excited, and I guess I used that.”

Swiker first dipped her feet into competitive swimming after a poolside tip at the New Jersey seashore. At the time, she and her family were traveling to watch her older brother Evan in a soccer tournament, and a friend on the trip saw her skills in the hotel pool and suggested she try out for a local summer league.

From there, she teamed up with the Torresdale Swim Club, St. Katherine of Siena, and also spent time with the Spirit USS (United States Swimming) team before joining the squad at Archbishop Ryan.

“I swam primarily with local teams, but Ryan was the best experience,” she recalled. “All the girls were one big team. To come together and win championships every year made us stronger. Coming off that high of championships and going to a new team helped me set new goals for myself.”

Swiker has completed her 13th year of competitive swimming. And after more than a decade of success in the pool, she was considering that it might be time for her to dry off.

Yeah, right.

“I was originally going to leave it where I ended,” said Swiker, who will attend graduate school in June to study occupational therapy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. “But now,
since I'm coming home, I'm going to try to swim with the master's program.”

With graduation right around the corner, Swiker is working toward a major in interdisciplinary athletic training and recreational leisure services, with a minor in psychology. Although her academic responsibilities are still in full swing, her collegiate athletic career at East Stroudsburg is officially over.

“It hasn't hit me totally yet,” she said. “It'll hit me in the fall when I'm not coming back to school. I'm just so happy that I came here because I wouldn't have had this experience anywhere else.”

In addition to taking part in the swim program at University of the Sciences — oh, and she's also training for a triathlon — Swiker is adding coaching to her resume.

“I'm going to help out at St. Katherine's,” said Swiker. “I'm going back to where it all started. I never knew if I wanted to coach — I didn't know if I would be able to do it well — but I'm really excited.

“I mean, I've spent most of my life in a pool,” she added with a laugh. “Why stop now?”