Hey Now, You're An All-Star, And So Are You and You and. . .

The MVP Gators are sending a modern era record eleven relay teams featuring 28 different swimmers to All-Stars Wednesday night at Lincolnia Park.  The old modern record was nine, both in 2011 and 2009.

First, The Background 
There are 102 teams in the 17 divisions in the NVSL.  The First Division has the fastest and best teams that actually even recruit, and Division 17 has the smallest and, um, not so best teams.  Teams move up and down divisions based on some complex formula divined with frogs, magic hats, and secret sauce at a place in 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 two alternates.

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, before bouncing back to nine last year.  With another eleven this year, the team has averaged 9.25 relay teams in the past three seasons, whatever the heck that means!
Now, the DetailsThe 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).

Nine girls teams and two boys teams qualified for All-Stars.  Of the 23 girls who swam Wednesday at Divisional Relays, 20 are on teams that qualified!  Both 11-12 girls relays are top seed, and we have two other single digit seeds.

Here are your 2012 Gator All-Star relays:

Mixed Age Girls relay – 7^th seed (Cassidy Bayer, Sheridan Phalen, Jessie Bricker, Sara Bertram)

8 & under girls medley relay – 7^th seed (Cage Theriot, Juliette Fore, Emily Makin, Cecilia Morales)

9-10 girls medley relay – 11^th seed (Mac Brotherton, Lily Penn, Olivia Blondin, Sheridan Phalen)

9-10 boys medley relay – 2^nd Alternate (Andrei Zaitsev, Brian McNamara, Parker Blondin, Clark Bayer)

11-12 girls medley relay – top seed (Cassidy Bayer, Holly Jansen, Emma Jones, Elaina Phalen)

13-14 girls medley relay – 8^th seed (Torie Bolger, Sarah Jones, Anna Fracasso, Jessie Bricker)

8 & under girls free relay – 16^th seed (Cage Theriot, Juliette Fore, Cecilia Morales, Emily Makin)

8 & under boys free relay – 16^th seed (James Piland, George Pacious, Connor Dunn, Charlie Ruppe)

9-10 girls free relay – 14^th seed (Mac Brotherton, Taylor Makin, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Sheridan Phalen)

11-12 girls free relay – 1^st seed (Holly Jansen, Emma Jones, Elaina Phalen, Cassidy Bayer)

13-14 girls free relay – 8^th seed (Mollie Passacantando, Torie Bolger, Anna Fracasso, Jessie Bricker)

 The 9-10 boys medley relay were just 0.07 seconds away from being 18th seed instead of second alternates -- very, very close!

Congrats to all of the Gator All-Stars!