Gator Nation Welcomes Home Gator Superstar

A strong contingent of Gator Nation came out to Mount Vernon Park on Sunday evening to welcome home fellow teammate, Cassidy Bayer, and the Bayer family from US Olympic Team Swim Trials in Omaha.  The Gators cheered Cassidy on all week from Alexandria and were thrilled to be able to give her hugs and high-fives for her amazing performances at team trials.

The Bayers came to MVP straight from the airport after a long and exciting week, and Cassidy was truly touched by the outpouring of support and friendship shown to her at MVP on Sunday.  Cassidy shared that "It was heartwarming.  I told myself I wasn't going to cry, but I did anyways."

Congrats Cassidy on your amazing swims in Omaha and we look forward to cheering for you as you set your sights on the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020!

Swimmers of the Week - Sheridan Phalen and Kevin Adams-Mardi

There were some excellent individual performances in Saturday's A meet against the Hamlet Green Feet but two swimmers in particular are worthy of Swimmer of the Week honors: Sheridan Phalen and Kevin Adams-Mardi.

Sheridan Phalen won the girls 13-14 freestyle with a time of 29.31 and the 13-14 butterfly with a time of 33.94.   Sheridan also helped the girls 13-14 medley relay team win, swimming free (the last leg of the relay) and touching the wall with a team time of 1:03.06.  

Sheridan's as smooth as silk in the free

Kevin Adams-Mardi (I love saying his name, just FYI) won the boys 15-18 freestyle with a time of 25.77, a race that was a "race of the week" because he just edged out his Hamlet opponent by .46 seconds.  Kevin also won the boys 15-18 breaststroke with a time of 32.77

Kevin lit up his lane in the breaststroke

Congrats Sheridan and Kevin!

Hamlet Green Feet Trip Up Gators at Mount Vernon Park

We are the Gators, the mighty mighty Gators!

“Our doubts are traitors,

And make us lose the good we oft might win,

By fearing to attempt.”

—William Shakespeare “Measure for Measure”

Having swum against Hamlet on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think of Shakespeare.  And the famous quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” – “to be or not to be, that is the question” – is one I am sure many recited in their minds or out loud, as we considered this week’s A meet opponent.  But I offer up Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” quote instead. Hamlet is a true NVSL powerhouse, having come to Division 2 from Division 1 where they have spent much of the last decade.  Last week Hamlet won their meet against Donaldson Run in a landslide, with a score of 271.5 to 148.5.  As MVP came off its first loss of the season against Hunt Valley, it would have been easy to doubt ourselves and even fear Hamlet.  But instead, the Gators came out fighting on Saturday and swam with great confidence and determination, losing to the Hamlet Green Feet by a closer than expected final score of 229 to 191.

All smiles after warm-ups.

James Piland's wearing the newest goggle technology.

We’ve been spoiled by perfect weather on Saturday mornings, and this last Saturday was no exception.  Under the bluest of skies and perfect temperature, Sarah Jones treated the crowd to an awesome rendition of the Star Spangled Banner on saxophone.  When the meet got going, the Gators came out of the gates fast, picking up 49 points to the Green Feet’s 41 points after freestyle.  Freestyle included MVP’s only sweep of the day – girls 13/14, with Sheridan Phalen taking first, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo coming in second, and Abby Dittman rounding out the sweep in 3^rd.  The Green Feet picked up some serious momentum in both backstroke and breaststroke, adding 53 points in both to the Gator’s 37 points.  The Gators had a strong showing in butterfly taking 43 points to Hamlet’s 47 points.  The Green Feet won seven out of twelve relays to edge out the Gators by 38 points at the end of the meet.

Red, white and blue Olympic spirit!

Several of the relays were exceptionally close, some ending in wins and some in losses, but two are worth mentioning.  The boys 9-10 and the girls 9-10 relay teams did a little synchronized swimming during events 43 and 44.  Both teams edged out their green feet opponents by .07 seconds!  The boys team included Matthew Makin, Alexander North, Donovan Kovalsky, and Tyler Swartz.  The girls team was made up of Elizabeth Moorman, Caroline Baker, Lily Palmerino, and Katya Ziatsev.  Great job guys and girls!

The races of the week go to Kevin Adams-Mardi and Ginny Grubbs.  Kevin won an exciting boys 15-18 freestyle with a time of 25.77, edging out his Hamlet opponent by .46 seconds.  Ginny won the girls 8 & under butterfly by just .29 seconds with a time of 24.78.  And we have to also give credit to the boys and girls 9-10 relays for their unbelievably close wins!

Kevin in action.

Ginny won a close one

A special shout-out to Colin Baxter, who recently turned 12, for helping out the Gators by swimming up for the boys 13-14 backstroke.

Individual Gator winners included Donovan Kovalsky (free), Sheridan Phalen (free, fly), Kevin Adams-Mardi (free, breaststroke), Matthew Makin (back), Emily Makin (back, breaststroke), Gabrielle Greszler (back), Taylor Makin (breaststroke), Ginny Grubbs (fly), Lily Palmerino (fly), and Brian McNamara (fly).

Matthew rocking the back

Brian's flying

Second place points were earned by Liam Garvey (free), Ginny Grubbs (free), Alexander North (free, breaststroke), Katya Zaitsev (free), Charles Bradburn (free, back), Juliette Fore (free), Nick Dupuis (free, breaststroke), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (free), Jessie Bricker (free, fly), Monica Morales (back, breaststroke), Brian McNamara (back), Abby Dittman (back), Parker Fulghum (back), Charlie Ruppe (breaststroke), Olivia Heck (breaststroke), Sarah Jones (breaststroke), Donovan Kovalsky (fly), Kenneth Krogh (fly), Gabrielle Greszler (fly), and Cameron Morey (fly).

Parker finished strong in the back

Another priceless moment on deck!

Third place points were taken by Abigail Leach (free), Elizabeth Moorman (free), James Piland (free, fly), Andrew Baker (free, fly), Abby Dittman (free), Tres Greszler (free), Parker Fulghum (free), Gavin Moore (back), Helen Milito (back), George Schulte (back), Katya Zaitsev (back), Andrei Zaitsev (back), Cameron Morey (back), Anna Fracasso (back), Gavin Fore (breaststroke), Caroline Baker (breaststroke, fly), Cecilia Morales (breaststroke), Elaina Phalen (breaststroke, fly), Sean Kovalsky (fly), Amelia Adams (fly), Tyler Swartz (fly), and Juliette Fore (fly).

The Gators take on Hunter Mill next Saturday in their first away A meet of the season.  Let’s hope the perfect Saturday morning weather continues, and the Gators have a great meet in Vienna!

Photos Posted - A Meet vs. Hamlet

Photos for our A Meet against Hamlet are available!  Check out Dave Anderson's breathtaking photos! Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNRkUUaty2zJU7ok127iYvIud4MS6IghZAxZpx5CLZatS-a-O59-d1fbLJaOz8dDQ?key=ay1WZHBXR0RacEpsbEp1d3dqUXJCZ2hGRFJwbWdB

Photos Posted - Ft. Hunt Sportsmen's Relays

Caitlin Garvey’s excellent photos of the Ft. Hunt Sportsmen’s Relay Meet are available.  Take a look here:

Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPZYri4UQaI-rAvE5QBMZ41ITG-y17CBp5-5XMFoyMgeInoZkEQG9mkJwEC2v1zDA?key=cDRaSUVCQzhuRXgxbF9Td0c4RURWdWp3R3RhSy13

Gator Relays Rock at Ft Hunt Sportsmen’s Relay Meet

The Gators had an excellent night at Stratford for the annual Ft. Hunt Sportsmen’s relays.  MVP earned five first place finishes and two second finishes of  the twelve total relays.  Not too shabby!  The Gators also took third place in three relays.

Let's hear it for Gator relays!

Ellie Cullo cheering on her team and getting ready for her turn.

First Place Gator Teams

• 200 meter mixed age girls relay team – Cassidy Crowther, Ellie Cullo, Julianna Skopp-Cardillo, and Cole Snodgrass
• 200 meter mixed age boys relay team – James Piland, Tyler Swartz, TJ Heck, and Cameron Morey
• 100 meter boys/girls 6/under and 13/over relay team – Liam Fore, Karly Whitehead, Tres Greszler, and Zoe Greszler
• 100 meter boys/girls 9-10/11-12 butterfly relay team – Samantha Cowen, Gavin Fore, Mackenzie Dickerson, and Colin Baxter
• 100 meter boys/girls off-age medley relay team –  Hudson Ward, Olivia Heck, Isabel VanDamme, and Ian Neal

YES, we won!

Second Place Gator Teams

• 100 meter 8/under girls freestyle relay team –  Marina Soderlund, Amelia Adams, Catherine Delaun, and Elizabeth Delaune
• 100 meter boys/girls 9-10/11-12 backstroke relay team –  Mikayla Gordon, Garo Partoyan, John French, and Abby Adams

Congrats, great race!

Congrats to all Gator swimmers who participated.  An excellent night of swimming and lots of fun!

The MVP Blogger reserves the right to put a photo in just because he loves it!

Cheerful Gators Meet Hollin Hills

By Special Correspondent David Ruppe

"Good luck Cassidy!" smiling Elizabeth Whitson (9) called to teammate Cassidy Crowther (9) before beginning their 50 backstroke race.  Gator swimmers were full of good sportsmanship and fun as they swam hard against each other and opposing Hollin Hills swimmers at Monday night's B-meet. 

Elizabeth Whitson swam hard and was full of sportsmanship on Monday night!

The team also cheered their other Cassidy teammate (Bayer), when our home meet paused so that both teams could gather around a large projection screen and watch Cassidy place fourth in the women's 100 fly final at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha.  Her finish puts her on the U.S. national team for that event and was covered by the Washington Post Tuesday. Cassidy swims her top event, the 200 fly, on Wednesday morning.

Everyone was cheering for Cassidy at USA Swim Trials!!

Coach Paul signals that Cassidy has placed 4th in the 100 fly.  An amazing feat!

Back at MVP, quite a few other Gators had great swims, some cutting massive time. Natalie Crowther beat her previous best by 10 seconds in the Girls 8&U 25 Back to get to 31.64. Joseph Bucca dropped 9 seconds in the Boys 9-10 50 Free to get to 57.16. Nora Hixon cut 11 seconds to post 55.78 in the Girls 9-10 50 back.  Samantha Cowen posted the night's biggest improvement, cutting 15.70 seconds for a 1.57.46 in the Girls 9-10 100 IM.

Nora Hixon dropped some serious time at Monday's B Meet!

In a thrilling duel, ten-year-old Donovan Kovalsky chopped nearly 8 seconds off his best for a 1.34.97 Boys 9-10 IM time, with nine-year-old IM ace Tyler Swartz finishing close behind.

Large cuts are harder for older swimmers, yet we saw Olivia Johansson drop 3.38 seconds to touch at 39.19 in the Girls 15-18 50 fly and Andrew Baker an amazing 7.51 seconds for a smoking 1.21.10 in the Boys 13-14 IM.

The 11-12 Boys group added competition, with top-ranked Kenny Krough (12) coming back from illness and Joe Humphreys (11) from his baseball season. Another in the group, Jack Klopson (11), however, could be joining the exclusive but not highly-coveted "arm-in-a-cast" club after a non-swimming accident. He’s hoping to get a water-proof cast Thursday and if he does don’t be surprised if he starts dropping times!

"Arm-in-a-cast" club!  Let's hope this club stays small!

Photos Posted - B Meet with Hollin Hills

Photos for our B Meet with Hollin Hills are up!  Find your kids, find yourself, and enjoy!
Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMncoiRp-6VZOQ-DqVYvjRQ570dYjl0O5RKYLi-H7E38XhdmT8oNN_aTYy8iEtzBg?key=aGdMcEp2aHYzT2N5MS05UlJ0OFpXTnNPUEswOHd3

Swimmers of the Week - Donovan Kovalsky, Emily Makin, and the Girls 13-14 Medley Relay Team

As the blog for the A Meet against Hunt Valley highlights, there were many strong swims on Saturday.  Swimmers of the Week accolades go to Donovan Kovalsky, Emily Makin, and the Girls 13-14 Medley Relay Team (Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Gabrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen).

10 year old Donovan Kovalsky had a very impressive day on Saturday.  He won the boys 9-10 freestyle by over 2 seconds with a time of 33.02.  His magic number of 2 seconds carried over into the boys 9-10 backstroke, as he won this race with a time of 43.09, beating his closest Hunt Valley opponent by 2.32 seconds.  Donovan also contributed to the win for the boys 9-10 medley relay team!

Donovan Kovalsky on his way to backstroke victory!

12 year old Emily Makin had an amazing day as well.  She won the girls 11-12 breaststroke by a monumental 5.06 seconds with a final time of 37.65.  She also had an awesome swim in the girls 11-12 butterfly, winning with a time of 33.26, which was 3.62 seconds faster than the 2nd place finisher.  Emily swam with the winning girls 11-12 medley relay team, as well!

Emily Makin was in charge of the fly from the start!

Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Gabrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen are the proud owners of a new MVP record for the girls 13-14 medley relay!  Two years ago the record was set at 1;02.94 and Abby, Taylor, Gabrielle, and Sheridan swam to an awesome time of 1:02.09 to win the race for MVP and capture the new MVP record!

Abby Dittman got things started with an excellent backstroke!

Taylor Makin followed with an awesome breaststroke!

Gabrielle Greszler carried the momentum with her fast fly!

Sheridan Phalen brought it home with a strong freestyle finish!

Gators Stung by Stingrays in First A Meet of Season

The Gators got their first taste of Division 2 on Saturday morning, and unfortunately it wasn’t as sweet as Division 3 tasted last year.  The Hunt Valley Stingrays defeated the Gators with a score of 236 to 180.  But not all was lost, as there was much to celebrate in spite of the final score.  I caught up with Team Reps, Tonda and Jim Phalen, at MVP Saturday evening and both agreed that it was a great meet with excellent Gator swims.  Hunt Valley was just faster in most age categories.  But win or lose, the Gators never disappoint their fans.  Whether it is a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner sung by Gator Anna Grace Dickerson, the spirited Gator cheers that get the team going, Gator Charlie Ruppe winning the boys 11-12 breaststroke with a cast on his arm, or seeing an MVP record fall (more on that later), there was much to be proud of last Saturday at MVP!  Plus the Gators had many excellent wins, and plenty of 2^nd and 3^rd place finishes.  I’d also like to mention that Gator dedication was perfectly demonstrated by 11 year old Colin Baxter who received a last minute call on Friday night to participate in the boys 11-12 fly and didn’t hesitate to be there for MVP on Saturday morning.

Getting fired up!

Looking good Gator girls!

Hunt Valley started strong, winning the freestyle 54 to 36.  They carried their momentum into backstroke, adding another 59 points to the Gator’s 31 points.  But the Gators fought back in the breaststroke, tying the Stingrays with 45 points for those 10 races.  Hunt Valley finished the individual races with 48 points in butterfly to the Gator’s 38.  The score was 206 to 150 in favor of the Stingrays going into relays.  Coach Paul commented after the meet that he was pleased that the Gators finished strong, taking ½ of the relays and 30 points.

Speaking of the relays, the 13-14 year old girls broke a two year old MVP record in the 100 meter medley relay.  Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Gabrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen swam a time of 1:02.09, breaking the previous MVP record of 1:02.94 set in July 2014.  Congrats ladies on an awesome race!

Record-setters in action!

We did it!

The races of the week go to Juliette Fore and Nick Dupuis.  Juliette edged out her Stingray opponent by .04 seconds in the backstroke.  Nick’s breaststroke race was even closer, as he touched the wall .01 seconds ahead of his Hunt Valley opponent. That’s as close as it gets folks!

Juliette was in fine form on Saturday!

Nick was determined to win this one! (by .01 seconds!)

The one Gator sweep came in event 13 – boys 9-10 backstroke.  Donovan Kovalsky touched the wall first, Tyler Swartz came in 2^nd, and George Schulte rounded out the sweep in 3^rd place. 

Individual Gator winners included Donovan Kovalsky (free and back), Sheridan Phalen (free), Jessie Bricker (free and fly), Gavin Moore (back), Juliette Fore (back). Charlie Ruppe (breaststroke), Emily Makin (breaststroke and fly), Nick Dupuis (breaststroke), Taylor Makin (breaststroke), Kevin Adams-Mardi (breaststroke), Sean Kovalsky (fly), Tyler Swartz (fly), and Brian McNamara (fly).

Charlie can't be slowed down...even with a cast!

Second place points were earned by Liam Garvey (free), Ginny Grubb (free and fly), Juliette Fore (free), Nick Dupuis (free), Kevin Adams-Mardi (free). Parker Fulghum (free and back), Monica Morales (back), Tyler Swartz (back), Brian McNamara (back), Shaan Nagda (breaststroke), Amelia Adams (breaststroke), Jack Dupuis (breaststroke), Caroline Baker (breaststroke), Sarah Jones (breaststroke), and Matthew Makin (fly).

Third place points were taken by Jack Dupuis (free), Charles Bradburn (free and back), Gabrielle Greszler (free and fly), George Schulte (back), Gus Leyden (back), Anna Fracasso (back and fly), Alexander North (breastroke), Elizabeth Moorman (breaststroke), James Piland (breaststroke and fly), Olivia Heck (breaststroke), Elaina Phalen (breaststroke), Amelia Adams (fly), Caroline Miller (fly), Andrew Baker (fly), and Cole Miller (fly).

Our next A meet is this Saturday against the 1-0 Hamlet Green Feet at MVP. Good luck Gators!

Photos Posted - A Meet vs. Hunt Valley

Photos for our A Meet against Hunt Valley are up!  Check out Dave Anderson's awesome work! Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO14QQ2XqwNqCDy9oIgKTLXyLPsyqv2kwA6BCG5kOZeQ5FoAVzkH9BsK2ddbEt5Jg?key=b21PYTJadzV2b1RLRWpRR1A1dzF4SU4xZi1IODB3

Waynewood Meet Photos Are Here!

Our amazing MVP photographer, Dave Anderson, has posted the Waynewood meet photos! Take a look.  Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMs-rO_py2b4LHkSSNVsiMw0atXaYJ3Rt_diJBCC2LzXzCWSZ9L6qaRCEyg-fr0KA?key=WldBSFhQSmVKS25SR2lteGJ0YWZYcUR6S3B1Zzhn

Highlights of B Meet at Mount Vernon Park against Waynewood

By Special Correspondent James Joyce

The first B meet of the 2016 season got off to an exciting start at Mount Vernon Park, as the Gators hosted the Waynewood Dolphins.  Dozens of Gator swimmers set personal bests on Monday night, led by 5-year-old Caroline Watters dropping 24.36 in the girls 8-and-under 25 free. Charlie Bruce’s drop of 18.82 in the 9-10 boys’ 50 meter breaststroke and Vera Stevenson’s drop of 14.35 in the girls’ 8-and-under backstroke were also quite remarkable. Charlie Bruce also took 6.88 seconds off his previous best in the freestyle!

Those with drops of over 5 seconds also included Jackson Hannah (-7.65 in boys 11-12 free), Sofia-Marie Khahil (-8.11 in girls 11-12 free and -5.32 in the backstroke!), Andrew Sabo (-6.72 in boys’ 8-under back), Grant Cedoz (-6.22 in boys’ 8-under back), and Jack Alonza (-5.97 in boys’ 9-10 breast).

Others who improved their time by at least two seconds included Peter Hannah, Karly Whitehead, Lizzie Grubbs, Sabine O’Shea, Hayden Ward, Nora Hixson, Catie Hicks, Sofia Bryant, Abby Tynan, Edward Stone, Sam Bruce, Monica Morales, Abigail Leach, Elizabeth Delaune, Karly Whitehead, Shaan Nagda, Caroline Baker, and Ellie Cullo.

Hollin Hills visits MVP next Monday, June 27^th, for the 2^nd B meet of the season.

Swimming Fast and Dancing to the Rhythm of Time Trials

Amazing weather, great tunes, excellent dance moves, and a spirited vibe!  Mount Vernon Park was alive on Saturday morning for time trials and I can’t get Barry Manilow’s "Copacabana" out of my head.  Let me just say, before we get into the swimming results, that MVP has some great dancers, and they danced on Saturday!  For coaches, I would definitely say Laurel Greszler had it going on.  The timers found a little time to loosen up and shake it, and I give Lauren Cardillo kudos for being a dancing queen on deck.  And for swimmers, well there was a lot of hip movement and hands in the air and the two that come to mind as the ring leaders were Cassidy Bayer and Cole Miller!

 

Swimmers, coaches, volunteers, and spectators alike seemed relaxed and happy on Saturday and all of this positive energy set the stage for some great swims at time trials.  The Gators prepared for their first A and B meets on a picture perfect June morning.  265 swimmers took part in this event, swimming for almost four hours.  I caught up with Coach Paul Makin after the meet and asked him for his quick first impressions on this internal meet.  “Backstroke was looking very strong.  And I loved the team spirit today.”

I'm ready to swim!

Age group freestyle top times went to Sean Kovalsky, Ginny Grubbs, Donovan Kovalsky, Katya Zaitsev, Kenneth Krogh, Emily Makin, Clark Bayer, Sheridan Phalen, Cole Miller, and Cassidy Bayer.

On deck Emily Bayer and Jim Phalen are thrilled we made it through Freestyle!  Jim just holds it in better.

Age group backstroke top times went to Gavin Moore, Ginny Grubbs, Donovan Kovalsky, Lily Palmerino, Kenneth Krogh, Emily Makin, Brian McNamara, Sheridan Phalen, Kevin Adams-Mardi, and Parker Fulghum.

Age group breaststroke top times went to Shaan Nagda, Ginny Grubbs, Alexander North, Elizabeth Moorman, Charlie Ruppe, Emily Makin, Brian McNamara, Taylor Makin, Sean Jansen, and Cassidy Bayer.

And, finally, age group butterfly top times went to Sean Kovalsky, Ginny Grubbs, Donovan Kovalsky, Caroline Miller, Kenneth Krogh, Juliette Fore, Brian McNamara, Gabrielle Greszler, Cameron Morey, and Cassidy Bayer.

Teammates are always there to congratulate each other!

And what a difference a year makes -- a quick shout-out to some amazing time drops for our younger swimmers from last year.  For freestyle, the following swimmers dropped 8 or more seconds: Riley Drewry, Thomas Kelly, Maxwell Kelch, Anthony Campbell, Catherine Delaune, Heidi Schulte, Avery Santore, Lizzie Grubbs, Lucy Waid, Karly Whitehead, Heleyna VanRemortel, Addison Dickerson, Liliana Fore, and Mia Colaizzi.  For backstroke - Liam Fore, Evan Prible, Heidi Shulte, Karly Whitehead, Dakota Edwards, Lucy Waid, Addison Dickerson, and Colin Baxter.  For breaststroke - Ginny Grubbs, Elizabeth Moorman, Natalie Ruppe, Charlie Bradburn, and Saira Nagda.

Do you see what I see?  Did they really just drop that much time from last year?!

The first B meet is on Monday against Waynewood.  The first A meet is on Saturday against Hunt Valley.  Both meets are at Mount Vernon Park.

Bring On Summer and Bring on Division 2!

Let’s hope that this epically gloomy spring turns into a sunny and cheery summer, especially for our mighty Mount Vernon Park Gators. The 2016 season is almost upon us, and it’s a great time to switch from heat to A/C (yes this spring really has been that bad, hasn’t it?!) and take a look at what the summer swim season has in store for us.  If you have a passion for swimming and love to watch great swimmers compete, you are in for a real treat this summer.  For starters, our MVP Gators will battle it out in the impressive 2^nd Division of NVSL.  Plus, you will have the Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha in late June/early July and the Olympics in Rio in early to mid-August!

The Mount Vernon Park swim program has risen to great prominence in the NVSL over the years under the leadership of Coach Paul Makin.  In 2006 MVP was in Division 7, and we have made steady improvement over the last ten years, including spending the last three seasons in Division 3.  As a newcomer to Division 2, this season will be exciting and challenging for our Gator coaches and swimmers.  To give some perspective on how amazing it is to be swimming in Division 2, consider that there are over 100 teams in the NVSL (102 to be exact) in 17 Divisions.  There are six teams ahead of MVP swimming in Division 1 and 90 behind us swimming in Division 3 or below.  The MVP Gators are among the best, and every year we have excellent swimmers in all age categories doing what they love to do and doing it well. 

Here is a quick rundown of the season and our competitors in Division 2.

June 25th Hunt Valley at MVP

Always nice to start the season at Mount Vernon Park and our first competitor will be Hunt Valley, a club from Springfield.  Of the teams we will face this year, I would definitely say that the Hunt Valley Stingrays are a team that has dramatically improved over the last ten seasons.  Similar to MVP, the Stingrays were consistently in Division 6 ten years ago, but they’ve made continued progress in moving up the Divisional ladder and have spent the last four seasons in Division 2.  The Stingrays placed 3^rd in their 2015 campaign with a 3-2 record, with the 2014 season being slightly stronger with a 2^nd place 4-1 record.  The Stingrays are not new to the Gators -- we competed against them in three of the last ten seasons, with the last year being 2012 in Division 4.

July 2nd Hamlet at MVP

You probably expect some sort of Shakespeare reference as a way of introducing this club from McLean, but that would be too easy.  And nothing about Hamlet will be easy.  The Hamlet Green Feet (that’s their team name, don’t ask, cause I don’t know why) have an impressive history, having spent six of the last ten seasons in the very best NVSL division.  During the last decade the Green Feet have swam exclusively in Division 1 and 2, with the exception of 2012 when they were in Division 3.  Last year’s Division 1 competition was fierce, and Hamlet finished with a winless season; thus the bump back down to Division 2 for 2016.  This meet at MVP, just before the July 4^th holiday, will be one with many fireworks, as this will be a new opponent for MVP and an impressive one at that!

July 9th at Hunter Mill

I’m certain I’ve heard traffic reports on WTOP that involve Hunter Mill (so I have some sense of where this club is), but that’s about it before reading up on this team from Vienna.  Luckily, our first away meet is early on a summer Saturday morning so hopefully traffic out to the western part of Fairfax County won’t be an issue (fingers crossed – one never knows with the Beltway).  The Hunter Mill Sharks are a team very familiar to Division 2, having spent seven of the last ten seasons swimming in this impressive Division.  They found themselves in Division 5 in 2012 but were able to claw their way back to Division 2 a couple seasons later.  2015 was an excellent season for the Sharks, and they finished 2^nd to Wakefield Chapel (who has gone on to Division 1) with a 4-1 record. 

July 16th Donaldson Run at MVP

We are back at Mount Vernon Park to celebrate our amazing seniors, as well as to do some swimming against the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts.  This club, from Arlington, finished last season in the middle of the 2^nd Division pack with a 2-3 record, just behind Hunt Valley.  The MVP Gators have some history with Donaldson Run, having competed against them in three of the last ten seasons, most recently in 2014.

July 23rd at Little Rocky Run

Now if it was Big Rocky Run, we should probably be scared, but Little Rocky Run?!  Kidding aside, this club that we will visit down I-95 in Clifton does not joke around when it comes to swimming.  Our only returning competitor from last year’s season, the Little Rocky Run Stingrays won our Division (3) last summer with an impressive undefeated 5-0 season.  Over the last 10 years, LRR has spent most of their time in Division 2 (five of ten seasons), but also competed a few seasons in Division 1, most recently in 2009.

B Meets

Let’s not forget B meets, because they’re a big part of the Gator experience.  The great thing about B meets is that the Gator swimmers that want to swim are able to, with lots of opportunities to post great swims, beat personal best times, and make it to an upcoming A meet.  But my favorite part of B meets is the chance to watch swimmers race in the dark (don’t worry, there are lights in and around the pool) since these meets start at 6PM and often go until the wee hours of the night.  Ok maybe not that late, but it can feel like midnight when you are waiting for your child to swim their last race of the night!  This year, our first B meet is against Waynewood (Division 8) at MVP on June 20^th.  Next, Hollin Hills (Division 15) visits MVP on June 27^th.   The Gators visit Mansion House (Division 7) on July 11^th.  Our final B meet is at Riverside Gardens (Division 6) on July 18^th. 

Other Big Meets

As far as the big annual meets for 2016 - the Divisional Meets will include the Relay Carnival at Hamlet on July 13^th and Divisional Championships at Donaldson Run on July 30^th.  The All-Star Relay Carnival will be at Greenbriar on July 20^th and Individual All-Stars will be at Little Rocky Run on August 6^th.

I can’t tell you how this season will unfold, but I can promise the Gators will swim great races, post amazing times, and, most importantly, have a blast doing it!  Looking forward to getting things started at Time Trials on June 18^th! 

There’s a new blogger in town

For many years you have been blessed with an epic blogger, writing on behalf of Mount Vernon Park and the Gators – Glen Bolger.  I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Glen wrote the Mount Vernon Park swim team blog for 13 of the 16 years he and Carol were a part of the swim program.  Glen can write blogs in his sleep.  He writes wonderful travel blogs, was a blogger for the West Potomac high school softball team, and probably has a host of other blogs that I’m not even aware of.  The Bolgers have been an institution here at Mount Vernon Park, but their youngest daughter, Torie, graduated from West Potomac last year and they have coasted into swim team retirement.  Which leaves you with me as the new MVP swim team blogger, and I realize I have big flip-flops to fill.  I have never written a blog before, but Tonda and Jim Phalen have been exposed to some of my Facebook musings and saw some potential. Only time will tell if I live up to their confidence in me.

Photo added to blog by Team Rep Tonda, 
as she is well aware of the late night
classic rock musings of fellow insomniac, 
Shaun, thus this fitting "Welcome." 
To enjoy the tunes while reading this blog, click here. 

Right now a number of you may be asking yourself, who is Shaun McNamara?  My 14 year old son, Brian, has been a Gator for a number of years now.  He started back in 2007 and is on the cusp of his 10th season, currently swimming for the 13/14 boys.  Hard to believe!  Our 16 year old daughter, Katelyn, tried it for a couple years but decided she was more of a land creature and now spends her MVP days over on the tennis courts or helping out at the Snack Shack.

A quick story about how we joined Mount Vernon Park.  When my wife, Carrie, and I bought our house in 2001 in Collingwood, it came with a membership to Waynewood Pool.  New to this part of Northern Virginia, we were very thankful and went there for a few years.  But at some point, we started coming over to Mount Vernon Park through some kind invitations from friends and fell in love with the place.  One afternoon, we were attending a friend’s BBQ and I was gazing out at the pond with adult beverage in hand and I turned to Carrie and asked why we belonged to Waynewood and not Mount Vernon Park?  She had pondered the same thing and the next swim season we were at MVP and have never looked back.

Mount Vernon Park is a little oasis in the Northern Virginia area.  And I am certain that anyone that visits the park quickly realizes how special it is.  It’s not just a swim club, it’s a summer experience.  And beyond the lazy days and nights we enjoy at the park, no summer experience is as special to the McNamaras as being a part of the Gators swim team.  Behind the leadership of the Phalens (and the Team Reps before them, including the Bolgers), Coach Paul Makin, as well as the countless coaches, volunteers, and supporters of gator nation, we have been so fortunate to be a part of a program that has flourished over the years.  And let’s not forget the swimmers!  We have amazingly talented swimmers at all age levels that make it so much fun to be a part of.  Our team is exceptionally competitive, as our recent move from Division 3 to Division 2 highlights.  But more importantly, there is a dynamic, energetic, and fun community in the swim program at Mount Vernon Park.  When I receive the annual member letter and request for dues in the beginning of March, I get excited realizing that the weather is warming, the days are getting longer, and soon we will all be back at MVP cheering on our mighty Gators.

I have a lot to learn about swimming, blogging, and the inside scoop on Gator meets and results, and I’m excited to start.  But before I do, I am looking forward to getting together with Glen over dinner soon so that he can impart some of his blogging wisdom on a novice like me.  Likewise, I look forward to the 2016 swim season and sharing gator news/updates with you.  Let’s see how this goes!