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WAVES Swimmer Wins Statewide Award

A Bloomington Normal swimmer has won female swimmer of the year in Illinois. Grace Ariola also won best female performance of the year, a 100 meter backstroke time of one minute and 62 hundredths of a second. In the last five years, Ariola has reduced her time in that event by more than 12 seconds. The teenager has also qualified for next year's Olympic Trials. Ariola swims for the WAVES team at the Bloomington YMCA.

Ariola and her WAVES team mate Melissa Pish were on the U.S. National Junior team that competed in Singapore.

Senior Coach of the year awards went to the WAVES coaches Heather Fort and Charlie Yourd.

WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.