RMSC Renames Annual December Meet “Riley Eaton Holiday Invitational” To Honor Coach

Courtesy: Rockville Montgomery Swim Club (RMSC)

The Rockville Montgomery Swim Club honored the lifelong commitment of Coach J. Riley Eaton to the swimming community by renaming their annual Holiday Invitational meet the Riley Eaton Holiday Invitational.

As an RMSC swim coach for 35 years, Riley coached thousands of young people, many of whom grew to love the sport as much as he did and have gone on to their own careers in coaching, including current RMSC coaches who swam under Riley.

Riley Eaton.

On a national level, he served for nearly 20 years as a founding member of the Board of Directors for the National Club Swimming Association. In the Potomac Valley LSC, Riley served as a HOD at-large delegate, senior chairman, and general chairman. In 2014, Riley was presented with a USA Swimming Life Membership for his years of dedicated and exemplary service to the LSC, and most importantly the athletes.

After retiring from coaching, Riley was the Holiday Invitational announcer for many years and could always be found with tootsie pops on his table. Out of the pool, Riley taught at Hyattsville Middle School for 26 years. His principle: “It’s all about the kids”, is truly reflected in his life’s work. Riley passed away on August 4, 2023, and will be sorely missed. At the meet, RMSC swimmers wore caps with his initials “JRE” to further honor Coach Riley.

At the meet, held December 14-17, 2023 in Boyds, MD, RMSC also celebrated their many Seniors who have committed to swim collegiately with a photo and gathering.

Top row – Owen Watkins, Adriano Arioti, Shad Frantz, Amy Qin, Reagan Phillips, Livia Venditti, Elliot Lee, Evan Mackesy, Adrianna Caponiti, Nasim Elkassem, Brady Begin
Bottom row – Rachel Katz, Natalia Evans-Gibson, Sarah Eliason, Michael Kaiser, Samir Elkassem, Joe Umhofer. Photo: Mark Eldridge.

Several of these RMSC Seniors had outstanding performances in the meet, including meet record performances by Adriano Arioti in 100 back (46.97) and 100 fly (46.89), Evan Mackesy in 500 free (4:23.94) and 1650 free (15:15.44), Livia Venditti in 200 back (1:57.64), and several all-Senior Relay teams, including: Watkins, N.Elkassem, Lee, S.Elkassem in the 200 free relay (1:22.47); Arioti, Begin, N.Elkassem, Lee in the 800 free relay (6:45.48); N.Elkassem, Wilbur, Arioti, Watkins in the 200 medley relay (1:30.30).

• Meet results

Other meet records were recorded in the Open age group by RMSC swimmers: Andrea Dworak in 200 free (1:47.49), Sienna Karp in 100 breast (1:00.80), Maria Webb in 200 fly (1:59.87), and the team of Venditti, Karp, Eliason, Qin in the 200 medley relay (1:42.57). Diamond State Aquatics of Wilmington, DE also had some meet record-breaking performances, including Aaron Stevens in the 50 free (20.47) and 100 free (44.62), and the team of Bryce Patterson, Aaron Stevens, Jude Winnington, Chase Bearley in the 400 medley relay (3:22.67).

RMSC had several record-breaking performances on the age group side as well:

Rafael Fontana had a standout performance in the 11-12 boys’ age group, breaking meet records in all six of his events: 50 free (23.15), 100 free (51.09), 50 back (27.02), 200 back (2:01.36), 100 fly (55.46), 200 fly (2:02.73).

Fontana also joined his teammates on meet records in the 11-12 200 free relay (Fontana, Selim Ericson, Tripp Thomas, Marcos Mastronikolas – 1:37.48) and 400 free relay (Fontana, Mastronikolas, Jack Gravell, Ericson -3:35.60).

Alex Jungbluth led the way in 13-14 boys, with meet records in 50 free (21.24), 100 back (52.00), 100 fly (50.64), and 200 fly (1:52.66). He also joined his teammates for 13-14 meet records in the 400 free relay (Jungbluth, Colton Mettler, Jeremiah Germosen, Lachlan Batholomew – 3:16.92), the 200 medley relay (Mettler, Jack Dawson, Jungbluth, Germosen – 1:37.14), and the 400 medley relay (Mettler, Dawson, Jungbluth, Germosen – 3:33.14).

Also setting 13-14 meet records were RMSC’s Nicholas Liberty in 1000 free (9:34.48), and Viona Sunjaya in 200 breast (2:17.02).