People say working with your family causes problems but imagine having to compete against your siblings every day.

The Grinter triplets have been swimming for EHS for two years, but they have been swimming for nine years.

“I enjoy swimming with everyone in my grade and in the other grades,” sophomore Savannah Grinter said. “Swimming for the high school is definitely more challenging than swimming for my club team.”

When not swimming for the high school, the sisters swim for the Edwardsville YMCA Breakers.

“At school we have mandatory practices every day of the school week for three hours and Saturday morning practice at 7 a.m.,” Savannah said. “On my club team you can choose if you want to go to practice, and you don’t have to have an excuse (for missing).”

The Grinters have helped the Tigers to an undefeated season this year.

“The triplets are definitely up-and-coming swimmers, but their personalities are different, and their swimming is different, and they specialize in different things,” coach Christian Rhoten told The Intelligencer. “They’re a great addition to our team, and to have three of them at the same age is really great.”

The competitive nature of the Grinter family runs deep. The triplets’ older sister, Bailey Grinter, is a 7-time state medalist. In 2016, she won the state title for the 100-yard backstroke. And her current times at the University of Tennessee make her a contender for the 2020 Olympics.

The girls also have a younger brother, Evan Grinter, who is a freshman this year. He will be on the EHS swim team as well.

“In the summer when I was little, I would ask Bailey for help with swimming in the pool we had,” sophomore Isabella Grinter told The Intelligencer. “I thought that helped me in going on to the next level. She set the standards high, and we’re always compared to her.”

Although there is competition between the triplets, they push each other to be the best swimmers they can be.

“They always encourage me and always want me to win the races I swim,” sophomore Autumn Grinter said.

Savannah agrees with Autumn.

“I enjoy having my sisters on the team,” Savannah said. “We are always pushing each other in practice to go faster.”

One would think that the competitive nature of the family would drive them apart, but Autumn and Savannah said that it was just the opposite.

“It (competition) makes us closer because we are with each other in and out of the pool,” Autumn said. “We are always with each other.”