The Rye Riptide, a team of ninth-grade girls from Rye, captured the top division 2029 AA Girls Championship this past weekend January 17-18, 2026 at the SandStorm Lacrosse Festival in Indio, California. Competing against elite club programs from across the country, the Riptide entered the tournament as an independent team and finished a perfect 6-0. In the championship game, Rye defeated nationally ranked Steps California by a score of 6-3 to claim the title.
The Riptide was formed by Matt Pymm, president of Rye Youth Lacrosse and father of defender Reilly Pymm. Pymm co-coached the team alongside Justin Driscoll, father of midfielder Riley Driscoll. The coaching duo previously guided this group during a highly successful Rye Youth Lacrosse career, including CONNY Championships in 2022 and 2025 against top programs from neighboring Fairfield County.
“This group of girls has grown up playing together and competing the right way,” said Pymm. “They play for each other, they trust one another, and they rise to the moment. To see them come together as an independent team, compete against top club programs in the country, and finish it off with a championship was incredibly rewarding.”
SandStorm is one of the largest single-site lacrosse tournaments in the world, featuring more than 500 teams competing across 80 fields at the Empire Polo Club. Numerous Rye lacrosse players also participated in the event as members of various teams across multiple age groups. Other Rye residents on the Riptide roster include Rose Denvir, Hillary Donahue, Dylan Ehrlich, Harper Howell, Fleur Kevorkian, Caroline Kmetz, Arianna Lewis, Ella McKay, Avni Patel, and Maddie Treacy.
