Swimmers Take Your Mark, Wait and Boogie at the B Meet at Riverside Gardens!

By Special Correspondent David Ruppe

A whole lot happened at the Gators' final B-meet of the season, at Riverside Gardens -- just not a lot of swimming. 

The meet was cancelled for thunder after nearly two hours of freestyle, backstroke, and extended dance jams between swims. With warm-ups cancelled before the meet due to a heavy shower, some swimmers never dipped a toe in the pool. 

Gator boys waiting for a race that will never come...

Some swimmers (and spectators) at our neighborhood's reputed "party pool" did appear bored waiting for swims. 

Still, it was a amusing time, if you were watching closely or had a high quality camera lens. For instance, we saw two new dive styles in just one race, the Sprinter and the Frog:

And check out this pic:

Giving credit where it's due, the "DJ" announcing the meet was spinning some catchy tunes that got our Gators grooving, from the Chicken Dance to Cotton Eye Joe, to the Cupid Shuffle. Hatchlings pulled out all kinds of moves.

Gators who weren't dancing found other ways to amuse themselves. 

Olivias Blondin and Heck were having a foot battle.

And did you catch the kids playing a (fortunately) G-rated version of "spin the bottle?"

Some exciting things did also happen in the water. Young Tyler Swartz (9) continued to push his body to new limits, swimming his 50 free race on just two breaths. His goal is a no-breath 50 race, according to dad Matt.  

We saw him last year swim a 25 fly on no breath and pop up smiling.

After all the fun and dancing, Gators did make some significant improvements to their personal bests. Ian Hixson cut 6.33 to post 47.19 in the boys 8&U 25 free.  In the girls 8&U 25 free, Evelyn Milito cut 15.08 (42.43), Kaitlyn Herrmann 6.01 (40.89) and Alexandra Holden 9.66 (48.90). In the girls 9-10 50 free: Catie Hicks cut 5.58 (50.69) .

Smaller, yet notable cuts included Marina Soderlund improvement of 1.73 seconds (23.44) to leap into second on the girls 8&U 25 free ladder and Sam Bruce's cut of 4 seconds (31.02) to jump several places into second on the boys 8&U 25 back ladder. 

This guy put an end to the racing:

But not before Gator cameras caught a few more cool moments brought to you by Gators Lily Palmerino, Andrew Baker, and Emma Bruhl.

Memories of a Gator: Anna Fracasso

Celebrating with proud Mom and Dad

My mom knew from when I was little that I would love the water. Starting as a little blob jumping off the high dive in my yellow ring before my older brother might have been the tip off. But just like any young 6 and under swimmer, I was terrified of swimming by myself. I didn't want to be on swim team at all. As a young 6 and under, I would've never thought I would be swimming this long and I definitely wouldn't have thought I'd be enjoying it. All my siblings swam so it seemed normal for me to join in on the fun, but it was definitely a slow start. One summer morning, a swim team mom at the time, Mrs. Grady, told me she'd been "waiting for me." Obviously I didn't know exactly what she meant at that moment, but now it all makes sense. Not too long after that, I was moved to the 9-10 practice as an 8 and under and I was getting better and better. There's something about competitive swimming thats addictive, and it makes you strive to be your very best, something I loved. The Mount Vernon Park gators have been a second home for me in the summertime and I've met some of my closest friends in life, something I am oh so grateful for. Cassidy, thanks for being just as crazy as me during practice and in meets, just know I'll be back and always cheering you on wherever it may be :-)

If you think I'm old, you should know that I've had Coach Paul since age 7! I've seen his various different shoe phases: the Birkenstocks, the keens, and his many different asics, not to mention his obsession with coffee get worse and worse haha (love you Paul) As much as he makes fun of me, tells me to stop talking, yells at Cassidy and I for being obnoxious, I will miss you Coach Paul. One of my favorite memories (and trust me I have many), was our meet against Lakevale Estates in division 5. It was the last A meet that would have eventually given us an undefeated record. The meet was incredibly tight- but we beat them and we pushed Paul in the pool at the end. Nothing can quite measure up to that. I will miss so much about the gators; the sweaty Monday night B meets, the early morning A meets, the lunches afterwards, the thrilling All Star Relays, the Bolger All Star Relay parties, coaching the little ones, the 15-18 practices, and all of you!! So soak it all in, because trust me, it goes by all too fast.

A Win For the Ages – Gators Get a Big W in Division 2 Against Thunderbolts

Big Division 2 win for the Gators on Saturday, our first of the season!  So big, I had to do some research to get perspective on how significant it really was.  After the meet I grabbed a couple Rolling Stones cassettes for my Walkman and headed over to the windowless basement of NVSL headquarters to review league data on microfiche and see when MVP won our last Division 2 meet.  That sounded way cooler than what I really did, which was to consult with the team historian, Glen Bolger (a new title for you, Glen), who shared with me that there is no record of MVP ever being in Division 2 since at least 1959, and it’s unlikely that it occurred before that because NVSL was way smaller then and didn’t have the same divisional structure.

Gators showed their college spirit on Saturday!

The bullhorn added some volume to Gator cheers, not that we need help.

Elaina Phalen getting swimmers ready to win

It was a huge win and a lot of fun to watch.  MVP took it to the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts, with the Gators winning this historic Division 2 meet by a comfortable 58 points, 239 to 181.  It was the perfect salute to Gator Seniors who were celebrated today at the last home meet of the 2016 season.  The Gators never let the Thunderbolts get any traction during the individual strokes; taking free 53 to 37, back 47 to 43, breaststroke 51 to 39, and fly 48 to 42.  Before relays began, the Gators were leading 199 to 161 and the Gator relay teams, coming off strong performances on Wednesday night at Division Relay Carnival, won 8 of the 12 relays to add an additional 40 points.

Sea of Gator balloons for our Seniors

Hugs for the stars of the day - Gator Seniors

Senior Day is always a wonderful celebration of all the awesome Seniors that are bidding farewell to the Gators as swimmers.  Many of these guys and girls have been swimming for MVP since they were little ones, and this home meet brings out a few more fans than usual.  The crowd on Saturday was large, with past Team Reps, additional friends and family, and other MVP veterans joining in the festivities and giving these Seniors a great send-off. 

We're gonna miss them!

Our Seniors are Gator leaders who encourage the younger swimmer and their friends/teammates, facilitate team cheers, and help keep the team organized.  There were lots of cheers and tears on Saturday morning for these great kids.  For more details on our Seniors, check out the Senior page on the Gators web-site.

Back to the swim portion of the meet news.  There was one record broken on Saturday and it was one that we all had a feeling was just a matter of time.  Last week Donovan Kovalsky (10) tied a nearly 50 year old record in boys 9-10 free, and this week he broke it!  His new record of 32.86 takes down the 33.00 record.

Gator girls took two Gator sweeps on Saturday.  Sheridan Phalen, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, and Gabrielle Greszler finished in that order in the girls 13-14 free.  In girls 9-10 breaststroke, Caroline Baker finished first, Abigail Litonjua touched second, and Elizabeth Moorman rounded out the sweep in 3^rd.

Ginny Grubbs clearly loves to win in dramatic fashion.  Ginny won two 8&under races this week, both by a mere .25 seconds or less.  In free, she beat her Thunderbolt opponent to the wall by .21 seconds, posting a time of 20.79.  In fly, Ginny clocked a time of 22.90, edging out her opponent by .25 seconds.  On the boys side, we had the closest race possible.  Donovan Kovalsky squeaked out the win in the boys 9-10 fly by .01 seconds with a time of 17.23.  Way to keep fighting Ginny and Donovan!

Individual Gator winners included Sam Bruce (free), Ginny Grubbs (free and fly), Donovan Kovalsky (free and fly), Nick Dupuis (free and breaststroke), Sheridan Phalen (free), Kevin Adams-Mardi (free and breaststroke), Cassidy Bayer (free and breaststroke), Emily Makin (back and breaststroke), Brian McNamara (back and fly), Taylor Makin (back and breaststroke), Gus Leyden (back), Jack Dupuis (breaststroke), Caroline Baker (breaststroke), Gavin Moore (fly), and Caroline Miller (fly)

Second place points were earned by Jack Dupuis (free), Katya Zaitsev (free), Juliette Fore (free and fly), Clark Bayer (free and back), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (free), Gavin Moore (back), Monica Morales (back), George Schulte (back), Lily Palmerino (back), Kenneth Krogh (back and fly), Olivia Blondin (back), Alexander North (breaststroke), Abigail Litonjua (breaststroke), TJ Heck (breaststroke), Sean Kovalsky (fly), Andrew Baker (fly), Gabrielle Greszler (fly), and Elaina Phalen (fly)

Clark Bayer catching his breath after a strong race.

Third place points were taken by Caroline Miller (free), Gabrielle Greszler (free), Sean Jansen (free and breaststroke), Marina Soderlund (back), Matthew Makin (back), Katya Zaitsev (back), John French (back), Cameron Morey (back), Parker Fulghum (back), Edward Stone (back), Elizabeth Moorman (breaststroke), Charlie Ruppe (breaststroke and fly), Cecilia Morales (breaststroke), Lily Penn (breaststroke), Sarah Jones (breaststroke), Tyler Swartz (fly), Sheridan Phalen (fly), Cole Miller (fly), and Anna Fracasso (fly)

Great swim honey!

The final A meet of the season is this coming Saturday at Little Rocky Run.  It should be a battle, since both the Gators and the LRR Stingrays are 1-3 in the division.  The Stingrays stand in 4^th place, just slightly ahead of the Gators with 864 points to the Gator’s 819.

Got GIFs - DR@MVP

Gator photographer Dave Anderson is at it again with two fun GIFs from the AMeet DR@MVP.

Take your mark....

Annnnnnnd ... whoosh!

Swimmers of the Week - Ginny Grubbs and Nick Dupuis

When you win an A meet you certainly have more great swim performances to consider when selecting swimmers of the week.  This week honors go to Ginny Grubbs (8) and Nick Dupuis (14). 

Ginny Grubbs had two great wins - 8&under free and fly.  Event 2 was a close one, with Ginny taking that race with a time of 20.79, .21 seconds ahead of her Thunderbolt opponent.  In fly, she also had a close race with a first place finish of 22.90, .25 seconds ahead of her 2nd place opponent.  These were races of the week (see A meet blog) and this is the 3rd time this season that Ginny received these honors in an A meet.  Ginny also swam in the 8&under free relay, with the Gators coming in 2nd with a time of 1:30.67.

Great fly win Ginny!

Nick Dupuis had a strong performance for the Gators on Saturday, capturing 10 points in two individual wins and helping add 5 points as a member of the winning 13-14 100 meter medley relay team.  Nick's first win came in the 13-14 free, posting a time of 27.69.  His next win was in the 13-14 breaststroke, finishing with a time of 36.78.  Nick swam the last leg of the medley (free) to help the 13-14 boys win with a time of 1:00.36.

Nick tearing it up in the free!

Great job Ginny and Nick!

Photos Posted - A Meet vs. Donaldson Run

Another meet, another great set of photos from Dave Anderson. Check them out here: Photos - Donaldson Run

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNld8Dj8921HZZjvwT1W_4oXSJWC-tzCKvU3mLlE1SfJfza6xb3Z5K5l6gL-k-Y-Q?key=WTBrME9jbFFWWjkwWkJUN2FFbGxkbGhyaUN2OEJR

Reflecting On Our Gator Seniors

When I was a parent of younger children, I always felt like I had so much time.  Like all parents I'm sure, everything seemed like it was ahead of me.  When my kids were in elementary school I had all those middle and high school years down the road.  It just seemed like everything was in the future.  I remember when Katelyn turned 10, Carrie, said to me "well this is a milestone.  We've now had Katelyn home longer than we have left with her before she goes off to college."  For some reason that hit me hard and I've been more aware since then of the passage of time, the significant growth of my kids, and the need to cherish all our days together.  

My own personal journey of parenting connects to what we will celebrate tomorrow during our A meet against Donaldson Run - Senior Day.  I'll be honest that years ago when my kids were little Gators the significance of Senior Day was lost on me a little.  Like everyone, I really enjoyed celebrating our Seniors as they near the end of their MVP Gator experience (as swimmers anyways) and prepare to begin the next chapter of their lives, often heading off to college.  But again, there was a slight feeling of detachment because I just wasn't there yet and couldn't truly appreciate the emotions that parents must feel when their kids are "leaving the nest."  Since then the years have flown by, even faster than I could have imagined.  Now my kids are in high school and Brian's Senior Day is only a few years off.  I thought I had so much time, but time is catching up to me.  Over the last couple of summers I've had a much greater appreciation for the transition our Gator kids go through - from tiny 6&under Gators, to those middle age brackets (11/12 and 13/14), to the last few years swimming in that final 15-18 age group.

Tomorrow I will be up on the hill celebrating our Seniors with a reflective heart and a great appreciation for all that these amazing kids have accomplished, as Gators and in the rest of their lives.  No matter what division we swim in, how many relay teams we send to all-stars, or how many records we break, the reflection I have today is that swim team kids are amazing young people with much to contribute to our communities and the world.  Unique, talented, thoughtful, spirited, focused, and full of character are words that quickly come to mind when I think about our current Seniors and the many other Gators that have graduated from our amazing team over the years.

Congratulations to all the wonderful Seniors we celebrate this year - Kevin Adams-Mardi, Jessie Bricker, Tristin Colaizzi, Anna Fracasso, Sarah Jones, Gus Leyden, Molly Passacantando, and Kaila Stein!  We are truly sad to see you go, but excited for your future!

Lucky 13! Gators Sending Record 13 Teams to All-Star Relays

Lucky 13!  Some people find 13 to be an unlucky number, but not this blogger.  I was born on the 13^th (in the month of January if you feel so inclined to send a card…presents are welcome too) along with my dear twin sister, and my only other sibling – my older sister – was born on the 13^th as well.  So in my family, the number 13 was always a number to celebrate.  And it needs to be celebrated at MVP this year, as well. 

The Gators are sending 13 relay teams to All-Star relays at Greenbriar next Wednesday, July 20^th!  How did they get here?  Go check out my previous blog on the division relay carnival and you can read all about the many great Gator races at Hamlet this week.  Division Relay Carnival  Blog  As a little background, each season in mid-July (after the third A meet) there is a meet that includes all six teams from each division swimming 22 different relays – mixed age, medley, and freestyle – across the different age groups and genders.  The next evening all the results across the 17 divisions are analyzed and the top 18 teams in each age/gender group make the following week’s All-Star relays, along with one alternate team (in case a team can’t participate for whatever reason).

Sending 13 teams is unprecedented, as we learned from Stat Boy, Glen Bolger, last night at Primo’s when the All-Star relays were announced.  Glen did a quick search to confirm that we have never sent that many teams to all stars before.  We were close in 2013 when we sent 12 teams, and we had a couple 11 team seasons (2012 and 2014) but never 13.  This is an awesome accomplishment for our Gators, and a big pat on the back to our coaches – Coach Paul, Coach Laurel and the many other Gator coaches helping guide our Gators to greatness at every practice and meet this season.

Here’s this year’s MVP Gator All-Star Relay Teams:

• Girls 18 & under 200 free: Emily Makin, Katya Zaitsev, Sheridan Phalen, and Cassidy Bayer
• Boys 18 & under 200 free: Kenneth Krogh, Donovan Kovalsky Clark Bayer, and Kevin Adams-Mardi
• Girls 9-10 100 medley: Lily Palmerino, Abigail Litonjun, Caroline Miller, and Katya Zaitsev
• Boys 9-10 100 medley: Matthew Makin, Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, and Donovan Kovalsky
• Girls 11-12 100 medley: Juliette Fore, Emily Makin, Isabella VanDamme, and Grace McGee
• Boys 11-12 100 medley: Kenneth Krogh, Charlie Ruppe, James Piland, and Joseph Humphreys
• Girls 13-14 200 medley: Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Garbrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen
• Girls 15-18 200 medley: Parker Fulghum, Sarah Jones, Cassidy Bayer, and Jessie Bricker
• Boys 9-10 100 free: Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, Alexander North, and Donovan Kovalsky
• Girls 11-12 100 free: same as girls 11-12 medley
• Girls 13-14 200 free – Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Gabrielle Greszler, Taylor Makin, and Sheridan Phalen
• Boys 13-14 200 free – Nicholas Dupuis, Brian McNamara, Andrew Baker, and Clark Bayer
• Girls 15-18 200 free – Jessie Bricker, Parker Fulghum, Zoe Greszler, and Cassidy Bayer

All Six Teams Stayed Close in Division Relay Carnival, Gators Break Three Records

Division 2 is intense.   I continue to remind myself that there are 102 teams competing in 17 divisions in the NVSL, one of the most competitive swim leagues in the United States, and MVP is swimming ahead of 90 of those teams with only six teams swimming one division better – in the #1 division.  Just to say we are swimming in Division 2 is a testament to how far we’ve come; especially considering that a decade ago we were regulars in Division 6.   But when you are new to a division with such a high caliber of talent there is no easy road to the top.  The competition we face week in and week out was perfectly highlighted on Wednesday night at Division Relay Carnival which took place at Hamlet.  The 22 event meet showcases the freestyle and medley relay teams of all six Division 2 teams.  The Gators captured 144 points throughout the night to finish 5^th overall.  But that’s only part of the story.  The more promising note is that the final scores remained tight, with no blow-outs occurring.  Hunt Valley won the relays with a score of 186.  Hamlet and Little Rocky Run finished 2^nd and 3^rd, and not far behind Hunt Valley, with scores of 182 and 174.  Hunter Mill finished 4^th with a score of 154 followed closely by our mighty Gators.  Donaldson Run, our A meet opponent this week, finished in 6^th place with a score of 124. 

As is tradition, the night threatened storms.  Past team rep, Glen Bolger, shared with me that the only sure fire way to end a drought in the DC area is for the NVSL to hold divisional relays.  BUT, not this evening.  While black clouds loomed overhead at times, the night was pleasant, the setting nicely shaded, and the meet went off smoothly.  The perfect night for Gator relay teams to post excellent times.  Highlights of the evening were three MVP records being broken, taking first place in the very first event (girls 18 & under 200 free relay), seven 2^nd place finishes, and one 3^rd place finish.

Relay crew celebrating at Primos!

MVP’s first record fell in event 2, boys 18 & under 200 meter free relay.  Kenneth Krogh (12), Donovan Kovalsky (10), Clark Bayer (13), and Kevin Adams-Mardi (18) beat a two year old previous record of 1:57.56 with a record time of 1:57.42.  Want to see how competitive this division is?  Our record breaking team came in 5^th, behind two other teams that broke records.  These D2 boys are fast! 

Fast forward to the end of the meet – the last two events as a matter of fact – and you get the other two record breaking races of the night.  Jessie Bricker (17), Parker Fulghum (16), Zoe Greszler (15), and Cassidy Bayer (16) broke the girls 15-18 200 meter free relay with a record time of 1:56.37.  The previous record was also set two years ago at 1:57.06.  Not to be outdone by the girls, the boys 15-18 200 meter free relay team of Kevin Adams-Mardi (18), Cole Miller (15), Sean Jansen (15), and Tristan Colaizzi (18) capped off the night with a record setting time of 1:45.37 beating the previous record of 1:45.53 set WAY BACK in July 1993.

First place winners were the girls 18 & under 200 free – Emily Makin, Katya Zaitsev, Sheridan Phalen, and Cassidy Bayer

Second place finishers:

• Girls 9-10 100 medley – Lily Palmerino, Abigail Litonjun, Caroline Miller, and Katya Zaitsev
• Girls 13-14 200 medley – Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Garbrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen
• Girls 15-18 200 medley – Parker Fulghum, Sarah Jones, Cassidy Bayer, and Jessie Bricker
• Boys 9-10 100 free – Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, Alexander North, and Donovan Kovalsky
• Girls 13-14 200 free – Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Gabrielle Greszler, Taylor Makin, and Sheridan Phalen
• Boys 13-14 200 free – Nicholas Dupuis, Brian McNamara, Andrew Baker, and Clark Bayer
• Girls 15-18 200 free – Jessie Bricker, Parker Fulghum, Zoe Greszler, and Cassidy Bayer

Third place went to the boys 9-10 100 medley – Matthew Makin, Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, and Donovan Kovalsky

Gators Bring/Endure the Heat at Mansion House

By Special Correspondent David Ruppe

Gators young and old endured another swampy evening to post fresh times, but fewer than usual personal bests in their B meet at Mansion House Monday night.

The meet started out with the youngest swimmers, 6&Unders, some aided with kick-boards, racing the 25 free.

Kaitlyn Hermann

 A number of older swimmers did cut significant time. Jack Beardsley cut 6.71 seconds to post a 34.63 in the Boys 8&Under 25 free; Henry O'Shea 6.39 for a 53.62; and Daniel Williams 10.85 (101.24). In the Girls 8&Under 25 free, Meela Stevenson cut 10.42 (32.44); Grace Chapman 5.39 (34.26); and Vera Stevenson 9.17 (39.05). Kaitlyn Hermann in the Girls 8&Under 25 back 5.30 (40.94); and Liliana Fore in the Girls 9-10 50 Breaststroke 10.64 (1.10.34).

Liam Garvey and Gavin Moore having a laugh before their swim.

Noah Litonjua - adorable!

Personal bests seemed harder to come by for top seeded Gators, but there were a few notable exceptions. For instance, Shaan Nagda and Grant Cedoz each cut just over a second in their Boys 8&Under 25 Back race. Jack Dupuis, Lili Palmerino and Isabella VanDamme took nearly a second off their 50 Breaststroke times.

Olivia Blondin of the Girls 13-14 won both her events -- lopping .78 off her 50 Back and 1.52 off her 50 Fly. Also, Andrew Baker and TJ Heck pushed each other to cut time and place first and second in the Boys 13-14 50 Fly. 

With daylight waning, the teams cancelled the IM races.

B-Meets Matter

The Mansion House meet came at a time in the season when top-seeded swimmers strive to make coveted relay team slots, and so excitement, anxiety and sometimes disappointment was in the air.

It was the last chance for swimmers to make or lose positions on the teams, which are assigned by the coach based on swim ladder rankings. At an annual meet, the divisional "relay carnival," which occured Wednesday, two days after Mansion House), teams for each age group and gender swam an all-freestyle relay and a mixed stroke relay. Teams with the top 18 times in each event from all the divisions in the Northern Virginia Swim League are chosen to participate in the all-stars relay meet next Wednesday.

A consequence of swimming for a large team with a depth of talent is that often quite speedy swimmers who would make a relay for other other clubs might miss out some summers -- particularly if they are a young swimmer in a multi-year age group.

These are the "character-building moments" where athletes might reflect on the reasons they swim, refocus on future goals, and perhaps dedicate themselves to new levels of commitment. And hard work and future growth spurts can help shake up swim ladders each season!

Jack Klopson knew his waterproof sleeve would disqualify his time,  but wouldn't miss his chance to swim.

Memories of a Gator: Sarah Jones

“Wait… You still do swim team?”  After graduating from high school this past spring and entering into my last summer before college, many of my friends have asked me this question when I mention the Gators.  When they ask with a laugh I tend to answer in the most condescending and questioning way I can.  “Yeah!?!,” I say, because 13 years and  6 divisions later, I cannot imagine doing summer any other way.  It simply just would not be summer without a horrible one-piece tan, the lingering smell of chlorine, and the Mount Vernon Park Gators.

As my time with the Gators is drawing to a close, I find myself thinking back on what has made MVP swimming so special to me.  I remember when dryland consisted of running around the pond and when the coaches had me convinced that there was a real alligator living below the First Aid room.  I remember when Matthew Makin was a newborn (he loves when I tell him that story) and how the end-of-the-season banquet was the greatest night all summer.  I remember when I was once the gangly 8 & under that the coaches could toss around, and now suddenly I am the coach who does the same to the current little gators.  I have no idea how these last 13 years flew by so quickly, but I have enjoyed every minute of that time with the Gators. 

Throughout it, easily one of the greatest and most powerful memories on this team came when we swam at Dunn Loring when I was 8.  It was an incredibly close meet and we were in Division 7 at the time, but it seemed like the biggest deal in the world.  When we got to the 15-18 boys relay the score was tight, and Steven Berry pulled off one of the most incredible relay comeback swims I have ever seen to clinch us the win.  I remember the team going insane and I was so happy and full of emotion I had to keep myself from crying of joy.  I think that was the moment when I realized how amazing and powerful sports can be, and I have Mount Vernon Park to thank for that.

As I have gotten older, my time in the pool has decreased while my time on the lacrosse field has rapidly increased, as I discovered what I am really passionate about.  But even when swimming in the offseason became nonexistent for me, MVP has always welcomed me back each summer with open arms.  I know confidently, in all the ways it has affected me, the Gator swim team has helped prepare me for school and lacrosse next year at William and Mary, and for that, I could not be more thankful.

Finding Myself in Thunderbolt Territory

One evening last week I dropped off my daughter, Katelyn, at Marymount University in Arlington for an evening volleyball clinic and went for a walk in the neighborhood.  I approached the following sign and realized I was in Donaldson Run Thunderbolt territory (our Division 2 opponent this Saturday, July 16th).  So I did what any other person associated with the MVP Gators would do -- a triple Gator grunt -- and then I resumed my walk.  No one was around but I think I scared a couple squirrels.

Good luck to the Gators on Saturday!

More gifs please!

And because those Gators can never get enough dancing and good times - here is a nice gif from the Mansion House meet of little Dakota Edwards cutting some serious moves! You go, Gator girl!

Photos Posted - B Meet vs. Mansion House

Photos from the B meet with Mansion House are now on-line, check them out here!:  Photos Link

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOdXJRA0FWFWnCZs7PpFr1ZkxnDoQU21RvxoXbCklFSyu5yddbxF4KImPAzRcsc9Q?key=XzdxT3A1N3NVRTdQbDFHQVZVMnZQWTlfQ25iUFVR

Gator gifs MVP@HTM

Gator photographer Dave Anderson is at it again with two fun GIFs from the AMeet at Hunter Mill!

Relay exchange - and headed for the barn!

Better than the YMCA

Swimmers of the Week - Monica Morales and Brian McNamara

Every week Gator nation swims fast and with great heart.  This week's swimmers of the week are Monica Morales (8) and Brian McNamara (14).  

Monica Morales had a first and second place finish, and she swam as part of the girls 8&under 100 meter freestyle relay.  Monica started things off in event 2 with a 2nd place finish of 22.44 in freestyle.  She then swam backstroke, edging out her Shark opponent by .5 seconds to finish first with a time of 25.33.  She capped her strong day of swimming with a solid performance as the 3rd swimmer in the freestyle relay.

Monica's winning backstroke form

Brian McNamara swam to a first and second place finish, and was a part of the record breaking and winning boys 13-14 100 meter medley relay (read about it in the A Meet blog).  Brian's first race of the day was the backstroke, and he came in second to a Hunter Mill opponent with a time of 35.08.  Next, he won the fly with a time of 32:00, which was also one of the "Races of the Week" because he edged out his Shark opponent by a mere .21 seconds.  Brian swam backstroke in the medley relay, with the team posting the record time of 59.06.

Brian's gets things going in fly

Congrats Monica and Brian!

NOTE: it's a little strange writing about your son as Swimmer of the Week, but please note that I consulted team reps, Tonda and Jim, to get their feedback on this week's selections. (Note from Tonda: we wouldn't take no for an answer! Brian totally earned it!)

Swampy Conditions Suit the Gators, but Lose to Hunter Mill by Two Points

Gators like it hot.  Like sticky and swampy hot.  Like can’t stop sweating Florida Everglades hot.  Like the steamy hot you might expect on a Saturday morning in July at a swim club in Vienna for an A meet.  On just such a Saturday, the Gators squared off against the Hunter Mill Sharks and swam their best meet of the season so far, losing to the Sharks by just two points, 211 to 209.  That’s right, just TWO points!  If even one race had gone in a slightly different direction we could be talking about our first big win of the season.  But it’s a waste of time playing “what if” scenarios over and over in your mind and doesn’t change the end score.  So instead, the Gators are talking about what an amazing  meet it was.  The morning had everyone, both young and old, on the edge of their seats (or pool).  The Gators and Sharks battled it out through the individual strokes and relays, with the meet outcome literally coming down to the last two relays – mixed age freestyle.

Peace, love, and Juliana Skopp-Cardillo

Groovy Gators prepare to enter Shark territory

This meet had all the drama you love to see -- come from behind wins, super close finishes, records broken or tied, sweeps, and many Gators having impressive races.  It was one of those “back and forth” meets.  The Sharks took freestyle, leading 49 to 41.  The Gators showed great strength in the backstroke and won that stroke 47 to 43.  Next it was breaststroke, and the Sharks grabbed 50 points, to the Gators 40.  The Gators finished the individual races by edging out the Sharks by two points, 46 to 44, in the fly.  The score before relays was Hunter Mill 186 and Gators 174.  The meet would be decided on relays and MVP needed to win 8 of the 12 relays to win....and won 7.  So close!

Gator parents don't love hot like Gators do.

Records were meant to be broken, or in the case of one race today, tied.  Donovan Kovalsky (10) tied a boys 9-10 freestyle record that is so old, it’s literally older than me!  The record of 33.00 dates back nearly 50 years to July 1967!  And Donovan has more opportunities to break this record this season.  

Let's hear it for Donovan!

Two records were broken on Saturday.  The first was the boys 13-14 200 meter medley relay.  Brian McNamara, Nick Dupuis, Andrew Baker, and Clark Bayer broke the previous record of 59.49 set way back in July 1991 (that’s 25 years, people!) with a new record time of 59.06.  Congratulations boys!

The other record broken is a great story as well.  Gus Leyden, Kevin Adams-Mardi, Cameron Morey, and Tristan Colaizzi broke a previous boys 15-18 200 meter medley relay held by Gus Leyden, Kevin Adams-Mardi, Cameron Morey, and Tristan Colaizzi.  No, I am not stuttering - the boys beat their previous record of 1:58.96, set in July 2015, with a record time of 1:58.84!  A year older, a year wiser, and a year faster.  Their valiant attempt to put the Gators ahead before the mixed age relays was dashed by a Shark relay team time just slightly faster at 1:58.58.

Let’s talk about sweeps – we had two.  In boys 9-10 backstroke, Kenneth Krogh touched the wall first, quickly followed by John French in second and Charles Bradburn in third.  In girls 15-18 butterfly, Cassidy Bayer cruised to victory, followed by Anna Fracasso in second and Jessie Bricker in third.

Races of the week came in the butterfly.  Ginny Grubbs won the girls 8&under fly by .07 seconds with a time of 26.14.  Brian McNamara won the boys 13-14 fly by .21 seconds with a time of 32.00. 

Friends and relay partners

Congratulations go out to three Gators for swimming in their first A meet for MVP: Riley Drewry (7), Zoe North (11), and Mackenzie Dickerson (12)!

Individual Gator winners included Donovan Kovalsky (free), Emily Makin (free and breaststroke), Sheridan Phalen (free), Kevin Adams-Mardi (free and breaststroke), Monica Morales (back), Matthew Makin (back), Lily Palmerino (back), Kenneth Krogh (back), Gus Leyden (back), Parker Fulghum (back), Shaan Nagda (breaststroke), Cassidy Bayer (breaststroke and fly), Sean Kovalsky (fly), Ginny Grubbs (fly), and Brian McNamara (fly).

Second place points were earned by Monica Morales (free), Jack Dupuis (free), Charles Bradburn (free), Clark Bayer (free), Gabrielle Greszler (free), Parker Fulghum (free), Gavin Moore (back), Alexander North (back and breaststroke), John French (back), Brian McNamara (back), Taylor Makin (back and breaststroke), Anna Fracasso (back and fly), Liam Fore (breaststroke), Charlie Ruppe (breaststroke), Nick Dupuis (breaststroke), Sarah Jones (breaststroke), Donovan Kovalsky (fly), Kenneth Krogh (fly), Juliette Fore (fly), Sheridan Phalen (fly), and Cameron Morey (fly).

Third place points were taken by Sam Bruce (free), James Piland (free and fly), Nick Dupuis (free), Tristan Colaizzi (free), Jessie Bricker (free and fly), Charles Bradburn (back), Juliette Fore (back), Abby Dittman (back), Ginny Grubbs (breaststroke), Jack Dupuis (breaststroke), TJ Heck (breaststroke), Olivia Heck (breaststroke), Gavin Moore (fly), Amelia Adams (fly), Tyler Swartz (fly), Lily Palmerino (fly), Gabrielle Greszler (fly), and Gus Leyden (fly).

It might have been HOT but Tristan was COOL on Saturday

Wait 'til my friends see this! (Coach Paul is always a good sport!)

You won’t want to miss next week’s A meet.  The Gators return home on Saturday to take on the Donaldson Run Thunderbolts.  This meet is a special one, as it’s MVP’s opportunity to celebrate our Gator seniors in their last home meet of their Gator careers.