Hey Now, You're An All-Star!

Just like 2009, a modern day Gator record total of nine relay teams featuring 23 different Gator swimmers are going to Hayfield Farms pool on Wednesday for the NVSL All-Star Relays.  MVP has become famous for its relay teams since 2006, and this year marks another strong showing.

Torie & the Mixed Age Girls

Are Heading to All-Stars

First, the Background
There are 102 teams in 17 divisions in the NVSL. The First Division has the fastest and best teams, and the 17^th division has the smallest and, um, not so best, teams. Teams move up and down divisions based on some complex formal divined at a place near Scotland called "Hogwarts."

Every year, on the Wednesday after the third A meet, there is a meet consisting of all six teams in the division swimming 22 different relays mixed age, medley, and freestyle across the different age groups and genders (don t worry, things haven t changed since you were younger, there are still only two genders). Results from across the 17 divisions are compared, and the top 18 teams in each age/gender group make it the following Wednesday to a huge meet called All-Star Relays, along with one alternate.

The 8 & under boys modified medley relay

of Andrei, Parker, Charlie, and Clark are

bound for All-Star glory.

All-Stars is like Woodstock for swimming -- the best from the biggest summer swim league in the country -- a total of 396 relays swim, which results in approximately 1,700-1,800 swimmers.

In 2006, the Gators sent seven relay teams to All-Stars. In 2007, the number dropped to three (although they put on a show). In 2008, the number bounced back up to seven. Then, in 2009, the Gators hit a new high of nine relay teams going to All-Stars.  That "dropped" to eight in 2010, although there were some powerhouse relays.  With another nine this year, the team has averaged 8.67 relay teams in the past three seasons, whatever the heck that means!

Cassidy & Jessie watch intently as Elaina brings

home an All-Star bid.  Holly is the fourth member

of the highest seeded Gator relays.

Now, the Details

The All-Star teams are seeded, from one to 18, and swim in three heats, with the slowest heat going first, and the fast six teams in the final heat. Teams can move up -- we've had Gator teams in the slow heat finish in the top six overall. (Of course, they can also go the other way).

Listed by seed order, here are your MVP Gator All-Star relays:

Seed 4: 11-12 girls medley team of Cassidy Bayer, Holly Jansen, Jessie Bricker, and Elaina Phalen.
Seed 7: 11-12 girls freestyle team of Cassidy, Holly, Jessie, and Elaina.
Seed 8: 9-10 boys freestyle team of Sean Jansen, Cole Miller, Tyler Dunn, and Nick Dupuis
Seed 9: 9-10 boys medley team of Collin Sundsted, Sean, Cole, and Nick.
Seed 11: 8 & under boys modified medley team of Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondinm, Charlie Ruppe, and Clark Bayer
Seed 14: Mixed Age girls relay team of Cassidy Bayer, Claudia Theriot, Torie Bolger, and Sara Bertram
Seed 15: 13-14 girls medley team of Torie Bolger, Jayne Orleans, Mollie Passacantando, and Emily Walzl
Seed 16: 13-14 girls free team of Torie, Mollie, Emily, and Molly Cabral
Seed 19: 15-18 girls medley team of Julia Bolger, Sophia Passacantando, Sara Bertram, and Maddy Bolger

Despite the concerned looks by Molly & Mollie

the 13-14 girls made All-Stars in both events too.

Congrats to the Gator All-Stars!

Gator News & Notes
The 9-10 boys as a group have now set three of the four possible Gator relay records for the 8 & unders and now 9-10s.  Let's hope they stay together for a  long time.

With three of the four 11-12 girls relay swimmers only age 11, next year holds bright promise.  The same is true for the mixed age relay -- three of the four girls are at the bottom of their age bracket.

The 15-18 girls free relay finished 20th in the NVSL -- a bit faster and they'd be All-Stars too!