For most of his swimming career, Christopher Gregg ‘26 had competed individually- collecting medals, flying all over the country for tournaments, and setting new personal records- all with his club, Club Wolverine. This year, however, Gregg has decided to dive into something new and join Greenhills’ swim team for his junior season. It wasn’t going to be an easy transition; after all, Gregg would now be racing for team points and school pride, alongside his personal goals and records. Despite the change of scenery, Gregg has immediately made an impact on the program, in the pool as a talented competitor, and from the sidelines, cheering on his teammates. Making the decision to ultimately compete for Greenhills after not competing for the last two years was evidently a tough one, but luckily for Gregg, a familiar face would be coaching him.
“I decided to join the team this year because of the coach, Katie Capelli,” said Gregg. She’s one of my coaches at Club Wolverine as well. She’s awesome. I have full faith and confidence in her to give me the necessary training to compete at the next level.”
Over the years, Capelli has coached hundreds of swimmers, many of them highly talented, but she believes Gregg stands out.
“I think his work ethic and his willingness to be uncomfortable at practice set Chris apart,” said Capelli.”You’re not going to get faster if you aren’t willing to work hard and push yourself to your limits, and I can always count on him to do that. That’s what makes him so good and what helps him continue to improve.”
In club swimming, athletes are rewarded with week-long breaks after meets to recover and replenish their energy. In high school swimming, however, meets occur twice a week, leaving little time for recovery.
“The hardest part about high school swimming is definitely the dual meets every single week,” said Gregg. In club swim, you race maybe once every couple of weeks, but you’re going weeks at a time without having to get up and race. During the high school season, you have dual meets on Tuesdays or Thursdays. It’s been tough to get used to because I am usually fully rested and prepared, so it kind of throws me off a little.”
Among the many highlights of Gregg’s first year on the team, helping Greenhills defeat Cranbrook for the first time ever takes the cake.
“We beat Cranbrook for the first time in school history, winning 94-82. There were a lot of great races at that meet, and it was a big upset and a huge milestone for our program,” said Gregg. “Coach Katie actually jumped in the pool fully clothed after that, so that was pretty awesome.”
After the historic dual meet win over Cranbrook, qualifying swimmers competed at the MISCA (Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association) meet, where school records were shattered across the board—including five by Gregg. He also broke the 500-freestyle record by an astounding nine seconds.
“This was the most records we’ve ever broken in one meet,” said Capelli. “By a mile. It feels like everyone has raised their level in response to Chris being here. They all want to chase him, and that has definitely been a key reason for our success.”
Capelli believes that Gregg’s ability to accept feedback and his desire to improve make him so easy to teach.
“Chris is great to coach because he knows a lot about the sport, and that makes it a lot easier,” said Capelli. “I don’t have to explain a lot of things. He’s also willing to do whatever I say, and he trusts the process, knowing that there is always room to improve. Chris is a distance swimmer, so we work together to ensure he’s doing practices that suit him. He gives me feedback on what he thinks he needs, which is great. He also responds to criticism or any feedback really well and tries to implement any changes I suggest. He’s the kind of athlete every coach wants.”
Even though it’s only his first year on the team, Gregg isn’t letting that stop him from being a strong example and supportive teammate to the younger, less experienced swimmers.
“I can offer up more technique tips as I’m older and also help them out in racing situations too,” said Gregg. “I’ve been through a lot more races and a lot more situations than the younger kids have, so it’s good to really pass along and really just mentor them so that they’re ready to take over and do the same thing in a couple of years too.”
Captain Nico Dettling ’25 has been part of successful teams for the past three years, but he says this season feels more competitive than ever.
“He’s the fastest swimmer I’ve ever seen, and I feel like it motivates all of us,” said Dettling. “We all want to catch him [Gregg] and try to keep up with him.”
While Dettling and the upperclassmen appreciate Gregg’s incredible speed, underclassmen like Freddie Kibble ’28 view him as a mentor.
“It’s great to have someone like him [Gregg] to look out for me and help me grow as a swimmer in my first year on the team,” said Kibble. “He always gives me advice and cheers me on when I’m competing, and of course, he’s insanely fast and super fun to watch.”
As for individual goals, Gregg hopes to earn some of the most prestigious awards in junior swimming and finish his best event, the 500m-fr, on a high note.
“We’ll have to see what we can do with individuals at states. At the bare minimum, I want to be top three on the podium for the 500m, but ideally, I want to be first,” said Gregg. “Maybe I or someone else on the team can get All-American, but it’s tricky—it’s based on the top 100 times in the country.”
One unique aspect of Greenhills swimming is that the team consists of athletes from multiple schools, Greenhills and Whitmore Lake. While this could create discontinuity within a team, Gregg believes it gives the Gryphons an edge.
“Having multiple schools on our team really brings us together,” said Gregg. “That’s something a lot of communities don’t have—they’re just one school. It brings a lot of diversity and perspective to our program.”
Swimming requires immense commitment and hours of dedication, but Gregg still manages to excel in school and stay on top of his coursework.
“Honestly, just having docs and spreadsheets to plan things out helps,” said Gregg. “Lately, I have been utilizing my calendar a lot, just making sure in advance that I’m organized for everything. I also try to get my work done as soon as possible. I don’t push things off or procrastinate—I stay on it.”
So far, with each race, Gregg continues to set a high bar, not just for himself, but for the entire Greenhills program.
“I’ve had an amazing time this season, and I just want to keep pushing myself and my teammates to be the best we can be,” said Gregg. “We’re making history, and I’m excited to see what happens next.”