The Gators bid Coach Kellee and the Brotherton Family A Fond Farewell

Bologna, Oreos, balloons, and streamers

Best of luck in Washington state!

Farewell Remarks

Early this morning at MVP, after the campout, Jim Phelan suggested I post the farewell remarks I prepared for last night.  After some consideration, I thought it was a good idea.  So, here goes:

 

FAREWELL REMARKS

When Carol and I took this job over from Ken and Paula three years ago, we had five simple goals:

Continue to build a program that we all could be proud of. One that focuses on sportsmanship and skill.
Have a program in which kids – whether they swim all A meets, a handful of A meets, or only B meets – become better swimmers so their parents have confidence in their ability to enjoy swimming.

Have a program in which the kids have fun, whether it is pep rallies, teen night, nights like tonight.

Continue to build friendships among adults, which in turn builds a stronger community.

Be the leading summer swim team in the greater Mt. Vernon area.

And, thanks to coach Paul’s leadership, a great group of assistant coaches, a bunch of great kids and great parent volunteers, we believe the team continues to meet those goals, and will continue to do so under Tonda and Jim.

Here is a short list of the things that make Gator swim so special:
　
There is no other sport in which a seven year old girl is as important as an 18 year old boy.

Maddy has been on this team for 13 years – there is no other youth sport where you are on the same team for 13 years. She’s gone from a little Gator who lives in a hut and likes to shake her butt to a senior assistant coach position. 

We have had remarkable stability in our head coach position – Paul has been our coach for eight years. If your swimmer is age 13 and joined when they were five, they have never had a different Gator head coach.

Not only do we have stability in our head coach, he is a great coach and a real leader for our swimmers – not only as swimmers, but as children and teen-agers. I’m not sure people know just how hard Paul works. In the school year he is a physical therapist who works with special education students in Stafford County. He also coaches year round, except for August, for NCAP, which is one of the nation’s top swim clubs, and he handles the demanding schedule that the Gators require from May through the end of July. He focuses on technique, he focuses on building leaders, and he focuses on sportsmanship and how our swimmers should act with class and dignity.

The discipline and focus it takes to be a good swimmer is incredible, but it pays off in the classroom and in life. I’ve gone to 13 years worth of senior days at A meets, and guess what – there are no dumb swimmers (well, maybe Ryan Lochte).
When our 20 year old, who’s now studying at Oxford for the summer, made her first A meets at age 7, neither Carol nor I knew the first thing about swimming. But we volunteered – Carol in concessions and me as a marshal, then Stroke and Turn, then Starter, then Ref, and we grew to love this sport. We already loved MVP as a family place, but through the friends we made on swim team, it has become the centerpiece – year round – of our community. Even at age. . .well, my age. . .I’m proud to see a car in the area with a Gator magnet on it.

Thank you for entrusting Carol and I with your swim team these last three seasons. We’ve loved nearly every minute of it that did not involve the team computer’s problems. Torie is a Gator for another two seasons, and already we can’t wait for next year.

As we leave the stage, can we get one more Gator grunt!

Gators Get Their Shine On At Divisionals

The Divisional Championships were held Saturday on a beautiful day (it wasn't hot!) at Donaldson Run.  MVP swimmers set two NVSL records (Cassidy Bayer) and three additional team records (Sara Bertram, Sara Bertram, Parker Blondin). 

Gator swimmers finished in the top three of 59% of the events, and 55% of the swims were personal bests for the season.

First place finishers
James Piland (free)
Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (free)
Andrei Zaitsev (back)
Mac Brotherton (back)
Sara Bertram (back)
Parker Blondin (breaststroke)
James Piland (fly)
Olivia Blondin (fly)
Cassidy Bayer (fly)
Cassidy Bayer (IM)

Second place finishers
Cage Theriot (free)
Nick Dupuis (free)
Maddy Bolger (back)
Sean Jansen (breaststroke)
Emma Jones (fly)
Sara Bertram (fly)

Third place finishers
Andrei Zaitsev (free)
Abigail Dittman (free)
Tom Dupuis (free)
Jessie Bricker (free)
Colby Webber (back)
Cage Theriot (back)
Abigail Dittman (back)
Gus Leyden (back)
Colby Webber (breaststroke)
Cameron Morey (fly)
Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (IM)
Gus Leyden (IM)
Torie Bolger (IM)

Fourth place finishers
Joseph Humphreys (free)
Olivia Blondin  (breaststroke)
Ian Baker (breaststroke)
Jayne Orleans (breaststroke)
Emily Makin (fly)
Maddy Bolger (fly)
Emily Makin (IM)
Sean Jansen (IM)
Emma Jones (IM)

Fifth place finishers
Cameron Morey (free)
Kevin Adams-Mardi (back)
Jack Klopson (breaststroke)
Jessie Bricker (fly)
Cyrus Adams-Mardi (IM)

Sixth place finishers
Clark Bayer (free)
Sheridan Phalen (free)
Anna Fracasso (free)
Juliette Fore (back)
Collin Sundsted (back)
Brian McNamara (breaststroke)
Torie Bolger (breaststroke)
Clark Bayer (fly)
Anna Fracasso (IM)

Congratulations to all Gator Divisional swimmers!

Romp in the Swamp Photos

If one set of photos is a good idea, how about two?

https://plus.google.com/photos/114682110635489328722/albums/5904932087108297649?banner=pwa

and

https://plus.google.com/photos/114682110635489328722/albums/5904942076071399665?banner=pwa

Pics by David Anderson, Laura Kovalsky, and David Ruppe.

Romp In the Swamp Big Hit with the Swimmers

If you heard the sound of chomping alligators coming from the park on Wednesday morning, no -- it was not a horror movie.   It was the annual ROMP IN THE SWAMP meet run by the coaches and the kids who made it to Divisionals this weekend.  The last swim meet of the season for most 12 and under swimmers, it featured plenty of fast Gators.

Winning their heats were:
Jack Dupuis (3x), Wiliam Cruz (2x), Gavin Fore, Graham Dale, Noah Webber, Peter Hannah, Leigh Kovalsky, Cameron Mulla,  Elizabeth Whitson (2x), Delancey Adrian (2x), Elizabeth Moorman, Leah Myers, Addison Dickerson, Saira Nagda, Sarah Coggeshall,  TJ Heck (2x), Bobby Kelly (2x), Lindsay Bombac, Nora Hixson, Jackson Hannah, Christopher Delaune, Sam Starr, Cecilia Morales,
Kenneth Krogh (2), Ellery Reinholtz, Olivia Heck, Ellie Cullo, and Grace McGee.

The youngest gators dipping their tails in the pool for the last time this summer were four year olds Michael Hills, Tommy Kelly, Josie  Cowen, Helen Milito, and Lizzie Grubbs.

Dropping time this time of the year is always tough but a group of swimmers took off some serious seconds. (And we're giving  everybody a break -- if a child got an assist from fins, it doesn't matter!) Among them:Leah Myers, Ginny Grubbs, Josie Cowen, Elizabeth  Delaune, Gavin Fore, Gavin Moore, George Schulte, Noah Webber, Samantha Cowen, Frances Webber, Boede Offringa,
Elizabeth Whitson (-16 and -23), Michael and Jack Hills (both -19), Rose O'Brien (-16), and Natalie Ruppe (-10).

Stat Boy! Stat Boy! Stat Boy!

Your 2013 MVP Gators! They won the Individual Medley Invitational trophy for the fourth year in a row, and finished 3-2 in Division 3. We have not that many wins in Division 3 since the 1960s, which is almost before I was born. 

We had 283 swimmers join the team – making us one of the largest teams in the NVSL. 67 (last year 54) kids age 6 or younger, 67 (last year 84 kids age 7-8), 60 (last year 64) swimmers age 9-10, 39 (last year 41) swimmers age 11-12, 20 (last year 22) swimmers age 13-14, and 29 (last year 20) kids age 15-18.

We had 236 (last year 222) swimmers swim in meets, including 92 (last year 97) who swam in A Meets. Fully 67 (last year 70) kids scored points in A Meets, including 33 girls and 26 boys who scored individual points.

In the 12 meets tracked by Hy-Tek, we had 2,817 "splashes" – 113 more than last season, and that’s 16,902 starts and stops by timers. Nick Dupuis was the Splash King with 39 swims in those meets, while Andrei Zaitsev was the Splash Prince with 36. On the girls side, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo was the Splash Queen with 40 swims in those meets, while Lily Palmerino and Mac Brotherton tied for Splash Princess with 35 each.

We had 17 (up from one dozen) swimmers with perfect attendance at meets – Andrew Baker, Ian Baker, Olivia Blondin, Parker Blondin, Mac Brotherton, Nick Dupuis, Parker Fulghum, Jack Klopson, Emily Makin, Taylor Makin, Lily Palmerino, Elaina Phalen, Sheridan Phalen, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Cage Theriot, Emily Walzl, and Katyz Zaitsev.

We’ve won eight IM Invitationals, including six in the last eight years.

Family scoring the fourth most points – the Bayers with 55, then the Bolgers with 56, and then the Theriots had 66. Olivia and Parker Blondin scored a combined 67 points to have the most points of any family

We sent twelve teams to Relay All-Stars, finishing 8^th overall – out of 103 teams. We were seeded 18^th in the league. We scored more relay All-Star points than Waynewood, Mansion House, and Riverside Gardens combined. 

Five team records set today. Call up the team record setters: Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin, Charlie Ruppe, Clark Bayer, Andrew Baker, Collin Sundsted, Jack Brunton, Sean Jansen, Cole Miller, Nick Dupuis, Cameron Morey, Cyrus Adams-Mardi. That’s 12 boys – three years ago – Nick was the only boy.

We’ve got 13 girls who set Gator team records. Emily Makin, Olivia Blondin, Abigail Dittman, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Cassidy Bayer, Kaila Stein, Mollie Passacantando, Jessie Bricker, Sara Bertram, Torie Bolger, Jayne Orleans, Maddy Bolger, and Anna Fracasso.

Recognition of NVSL record setter – Cassidy Bayer set the 13-14 record for fly and IM.

Divisonal Championships were held today at Donaldson Run. Stat Boy did some complicated math – Gators took a top three in 59% of the events, and 57% of Gator swims were best times.

Cassidy Bayer Sets Two New NVSL Records, Three Other Gator Records Fall

Cassidy Bayer set two new NVSL records, lowering her own fly record to 27.89, down from 28.34 earlier this season.  Her fly time is faster than the 15-18 NVSL fly record.  Cassidy also broke Janet Hu's 100 IM record from 2010.  Cassidy sliced 0.17 off Hu's record, and 1.70 seconds off her own team record.

(In what is good news for NVSL fans, Janet Hu is clearly over the health issues that were ailing her last season -- she broke a six year IM record by 1.64 seconds yesterday.)

Sara Bertram lowered two of her team records that she set last year, while Parker Blondin smacked down the 1992 9-10 boys breaststroke record of 44.44 with a 43.96.

The new records from yesterday:

Boys 9-10 Breaststroke
43.96-Parker Blondin (old record from 1992, Drew Dinsick, time of 44.44)Girls 13-14 50M Butterfly
27.89-Cassidy Bayer (NVSL Record) (She broke her old record of 28.34 from 29 June 13 this year)Girls 13-14 100M IM
1:04.02-Cassidy Bayer (NVSL Record)  (She broke her old record from the IM Inviational of 1:05.72 and holds the IM Invitational record with the old time too.)

Girls 15-18 50M Backstroke
31.06-Sara Bertram (She broke her old record from 4 Aug 2012, last years All Stars, time 31.36)Girls 15-18 50M Butterfly-29.47-Sara Bertram (She broker her old record from 4 Aug 2012 last years All stars, time 29.70)

In total, there were new 18 Gator team records set this season, seven boys and eleven girls.  Of the 36 girls records (including relays), only the 8 & under breaststroke time of 21.64 set by Erin Deal in 1985 was set prior to 2003.

The boys are slowly chipping away at the team records.  Of the 36 Gator marks, 17 have been set this century.

Records set this season:

Boys 9-10 Backstroke-38.90-Andrei  Zaitsev
Boys 9-10 Breaststroke-43.96-Parker Blondin
Boys 9-10 100M Medley Relay-1:12.03-Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin,
Charlie Ruppe, Clark Bayer
Boys 9-10 100M Free Relay-1:04.05-Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin,
Andrew Baker, Clark Bayer
Boys 11-12 100M Medley Relay-1:06.46-Collin Sundsted, Sean Jansen,
Cole Miller, Nick Dupuis
Boys 11-12 100M Free Relay-57.40- Sean Jansen, Collin Sundsted,
 Jack Brunton, Nick Dupuis
Boys 18 &Under Mixed Age 200M Free Relay-1:59.75-Nick Dupuis,
Andrei Zaitsev, Cameron Morey, Cyrus Adams-Mardi
Girls 9-10 100M Free Relay-1:04.08-Emily Makin, Olivia Blondin,
Abigail Dittman, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo
Girls 13-14 50M Freestyle-26.96-Cassidy Bayer
Girls 13-14 50M Backstroke-30.35-Cassidy Bayer
Girls 13-14 50M Breaststroke-35.46-Cassidy Bayer
Girls 13-14 50M Butterfly-27.89-Cassidy Bayer (NVSL Record)
Girls 13-14 100M IM-1:04.02-Cassidy Bayer (NVSL Record)
(IM Invitational Record Time 1:05.72)
Girls 13-14 100M Medley Relay-1:03.03-Cassidy Bayer, Kaila Stein,
Mollie Passacantando, Jessie Bricker
Girls 15-18 50M Backstroke-31.06-Sara Bertram
Girls 15-18 50M Butterfly-29.47-Sara Bertram
Girls 15-18 200M Medley Relay-2:09.18-Torie Bolger, Jayne Orleans,
Sara Bertram, Maddy Bolger
Girls 15-18 200M Free Relay-1:57.61-Maddy Bolger, Anna Fracasso,
Torie Bolger, Sara Bertram

Next Fools, Er, Team Reps Up!

Jim and Tonda Phalen look

happy. . .because they haven't

started the job yet!

Hey Now -- Gators get 20 swims at All-Stars

A modern era record (which in my book started in 1999 when the first Bolger joined the team) was set yesterday with 21 Gator swims making it to All-Stars.  Your 2013 Individual All-Star Gators:

• James Piland, 8 & under 25 free, seed 8
• Cage Theriot, 8 & under 25 free, seed 16
• Andrei Zaitsev, 9-10 free, seed 10
• Clark Bayer, 9-10 free, 2nd Alternate
• Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, 9-10 free, seed 12
• Nick Dupuis, 11-12 free, seed 14
• Jessie Bricker, 13-14 free, 1st Alternate
• Andrei Zaitsev, 9-10 back, seed 10
• Sara Bertram, 15-18 back, seed 7
• Maddy Bolger, 15-18 back, seed 14
• Parker Blondin, 9-10 breaststroke, seed 6
• Sean Jansen, 11-12 breaststroke, seed 12
• Olivia Blondin, 9-10 fly, seed 7
• Emma Jones, 11-12 fly, seed 9
• Cameron Morey, 13-14 fly, seed 16
• Cassidy Bayer, 13-14 fly, seed 1
• Jessie Bricker, 13-14 fly, 2nd Alternate
• Sara Bertram, 15-18 fly, seed 4
• Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, 10 & under IM, 1st Alternate
• Cassidy Bayer, 13-14 IM, seed 1

 

Drew Dinsick and a Ponytail Both Get Cut Out

Coach Paul Makin cuts Dave Blondin's ponytail off at the Awards Banquet.  Dave's son Parker smashed a 21 year old Gator record, so Dave's ponytail came off.  The old team record was set in 1992 by Drew Dinsick.

 

Our Master of Ceremonies, A Man In Full

John Passacantando,

Being All That He Can Be

Memories of a Gator

Josh Stein is graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University pretty darn soon.

Memories of a Gator

By Josh Stein

After finishing my last Saturday meet, going on my final coach retreat, and coming back to a lively Gator team on Monday morning, it’s scary how it all flew by so quickly. Now after the last Friday practice and divisionals. it really seems like it’s coming to an end.  Thirteen long years later, Mount Vernon Park has become a much larger part of my life than I had ever expected it to be.  I don’t quite remember joining the team, but I’m sure it was a combination of living so close and my parents wanting me to do something in the summer besides summer camps or just sleeping in only to sit around at the house.  I don’t think it’ll be easy to fit all of my thoughts into this, but I’ll do my best.

 

Josh and his parents, Karen and Jim

 

The past thirteen years of being on the Mount Vernon Park Swim Team have been a long ride, and it’s been one that brought me from not knowing what to do after jumping into the water at my first practice, to one that’s put me in a position where I can teach the little Gators what they’re supposed do.  My first practice is one that I remember vividly, as I can recall lifting my head up straight to breathe, and as we teach the eight and unders over and over again, you don’t do that when you swim (that’s the Tarzan drill, actually).  I was lost and confused, but knew that the coaches would be there to help me out.  That’s something I’ve learned to rely on, and something that I’ve learned to do as well.  We’ve gone through a number of coaches, Mary, Jessica, Jeremy, Jamie and now Paul and Kelli, Laurel and Kellee.

Coach Paul has been a role model and someone that I have counted on for my teenage years to help me grow as a coach, swimmer, and individual.  Whether it’s joking around, making fun of me, telling me I’m doing something wrong, or taking us to the big pool to play water polo, I always know we’ll have a good time.  Of course the times when he’s let me drive the Prius or numerous times he’s given me his credit card have been a blast too (except for when I couldn’t tell if the car was even on or not.)  Saran wrap, balloons, sticky notes, car paint, gift wrap…who knows what the 13 and overs will bring next year.

 

Coach Kelli and Kellee have also been there every practice, in the winter and in the summer.  It’s great being able to coach on deck and have them there if you don’t know what to do regarding how to teach a swimmer how to do something or how to fix a pair of goggles.  It’s pretty difficult to describe how much fun it is coaching and being on deck with the other coaches, but I’ve loved it ever since I started helping out in middle school with the little Gators.

Teen nights, campouts, coach retreats, getting big yellow Gatorades and muffins, bagels, coffee for Paul, donuts, pastries from the Hollin Hall Pastry Shop, Primo’s and Baskin Robins after the divisional relay carnival, water polo in the mornings, endless cheering of “We’ve Got Spirit,” teaching the little Gators the cheers, and so many more things that make up MVP.

Looking back on my time as a Gator, it was thirteen years of the same thing each summer, with thirteen school years in between.  However, each one of these school years was either slightly, or completely different than the previous year.  I went to Waynewood and Stratford Landing, Carl Sandburg, and then TJ for high school; and the transitions between elementary, middle, and high school were obviously the biggest changes in my life.  This made me realize that summer swim team at Mount Vernon Park has been the only completely consistent group I’ve been around throughout my childhood. I played lacrosse since the third grade, but the team was always different.  Clubs at school changed, people switched schools, and classes were different every year, just to name a few. Throughout these years in school I made different friends, but always tried to keep the old ones.  Still, I didn’t see them every day, week, month, or even year. 

Although I didn’t see my Gator family every day, I saw most of them on Sunday nights during the school year and of course during the summer.  Even having gone to TJ, my time seeing my fellow Gators was quite limited, almost never during the school week, and rarely on weekends.  But this didn’t hold anything back.  That’s where the key difference is between my life as a Gator and my life as a student.  I was with the same group of people on Sunday nights during the year, and every day during the summer. School changed, my Gator family didn’t.  Those memories as a Gator will be ones with the same friends, the same little Gators, and the same older role model coaches—the same Sean Bourne, Carolyn Darville, Jayne-Marie and Brendan Haley, Christine Rholl, and Julia Bolger, just to name a few.

Not only has it been a long ride on the team, but I’ve been on both sides of it.  When I was an 8 and under my relay team was the only Gator team to make All-Star Relays. Now, being in division three, I don’t remember the last time we won a relay.  I’m not upset that we’re not the hottest 15-18 boys in the NVSL now, because it’s still fun, and that’s what summer swim is all about.

I’ve loved the people on the team, the things we’ve all done, learning to swim and most importantly teaching others to swim.  Coaching has been the biggest part of my high school summers, and it’s something that I’ve absolutely loved doing and I wish I could be able to continue after this season.  It’s hard to give something up that’s so enjoyable and fulfilling; because nothing is quite as nice as teaching someone to do something they never thought they could do.

Even though I haven’t gotten to them all, I have loved every Gator memory, experience, and lesson from the past thirteen years of my life.  My Gators will always be there for me, and I know I’ll be able to stop by in coming years on a Saturday morning to find them at the pool.  I was a Gator once, and I always will be. 

 

Paul's Car

Every year, on the last day of practice, the coaches prank Coach Paul's car. 

Gift-wrapped Prius

 



For the photos of the pranks for the last two years:

http://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2012/07/coach-pauls-car-2012.html

http://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2011/08/coach-pauls-minivan-after-all-star.html

Just another reason Gator kids love Gator Nation.  Tradition.

Thoughts on the Tragedy

Five years ago on July 27th, 2008, Mark Fracasso died in an accident. Mark was a Gator swimmer, a tennis player on the MVP team, a lifeguard, and a pool rat who spent many hours at the Park that is our second home in the summer.  His youngest sister, Anna, is a swimmer and assistant coach on the Gators, his mom, Michele, is our Chief Marshal (wearing the orange vest), his dad is a former Park President, his brother a former Gator, and his sister was a Gator and then an assistant park manager for several years .  This is an article written on July 28, 2008 for the Gator website, with comments from other MVPers, about Mark, and has run each year since. We continue to hold the Fracasso family in our hearts and minds.

As long as I am involved with the Gators, I hope to honor the Mark and his family with this remembrance.  I ask that the parents of younger kids who do not know the Fracassos read this as well -- it offers a good reminder on how precious life, and life events like MVP swim, are.

The link to the article is here:

http://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2012/07/thoughts-on-tragedy.html

 

IM Invitational Photos

Are here:

https://plus.google.com/photos/114682110635489328722/albums/5903952816391549793?banner=pwa

Thanks again to David Anderson for doing a great job shooting Gators.  (Hmmm. . .that doesn't read quite right. . .try again).  Thanks again to David Anderson for doing a great job hunting Gators with his camera.  (okay, that's better, I suppose).

Directions to Donaldson Run

Donaldson Run Recreation Association
2729 N Marcey Road, Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 522-3115

Take the GW Parkway past the Key Bridge. . .
 From the GW Parkway, proceed up Spout Run and take the first exit on the right, Lorcom Lane. Proceed on Lorcom Lane for 0.5 miles, and turn right at the bottom of the hill onto Nellie Custis Drive. In 0.4 miles, Nellie Custis will merge onto Military Road. Follow Military Road for another 0.3 miles, and turn right at the light onto Marcey Road. DRRA is 0.3 miles ahead on the right hand side.

IM Invitational Haiku

Fly, back, breaststroke, free
Points add up for Team Gator
Six titles, eight years.

Best GIF Ever, Plus a Great Swim GIF

Anna, Natalie, Sophia (and her hair),

Torie, and Griff rocking out!

 

By my count, David Anderson took 14

separate shots to create this GIF of

Maddy finishing the 15-18 relay win.

The Gator Arch of Fins

Senior Day 2013

Jack Benson

 

Maddy Bolger

 

Leigh Orleans

 

Sophia Passacantando

 

Josh Stein

Thanks Elaina and Parker!

Splendid job on the National Anthems

for the big meets this season!

Gator Trophy At IM Invitational Turns Out To Be Most Noteworthy World Event of the Day

Celebrating crowds outside of Buckingham Palace turned their attention away from the birth of some baby to celebrate the fifth Gator win in the last six Individual Medley Invitational meets.  The reign of the Gators was greeted with Gator love, Gator peace, and Gator joy throughout the world, although there was markedly less enthusiasm in areas known as Waynewood, Hollin Meadows, and Riverside Gardens.

Gators Win the Trophy. . .Again!

After MVP saved the cancelled meet by agreeing to host it and run it, the Gators went out and won the Colonial Division by a convincing 139.5 to 89 score over Waynewood, with Hollin Meadows (82) and Riverside Gardens 79.50 trailing not far behind.

While a few ungrateful louts whined about parking, most of the people representing the other twelve teams that participated in the meet were extremely appreciative of the effort MVP put into saving the meet this year.  The 13 teams are divided into three divisions based on team rank in the NVSL. 

It was a total team effort, as three Gators (the maximum allowed) scored points in seven of the ten events.  The top scoring event for the Gators were the 13-14 boys, who scored 21 points between Cameron Morey, Gus Leyden, and Ian Baker.

Cassidy Bayer crushed the old IM Invitational record set in 2009 for the 13-14 girls in being the only overall age group Gator winner.  She swam a 1:05.72, which is 2.13 seconds faster than the Gator team record she set back in June at Time Trials, and is 3.49 seconds faster than the old meet record of 1:09.21.

The meet is scored based on the modified Stableford system (Editor's Note: That's a lie, although to be fair to the reporter, any explanation of the scoring would be too confusing to the reader, as well as to the writer).  The most important aspect of the scoring is that swimmers are scored based on how well they did compared to their division counterparts.

Overall, 26 Gators scored points for the team, and another three finished top eight but were denied points under the scoring system.  For those of you who believe in numerology, the 26 Gator point scorers number is eerily similar to the 27 Gators who went to Relay All-Stars (Editor's Note: 26 and 27 are NOT the same number!).  For the rest of us, who don't believe in numerology, it's just coincidental that the two numbers are sequential.

Besides Cassidy winning overall, other Gator division winners (and ten point earners) were:

• Cage Theriot, who took 1.87 seconds off her seed time in 8 & under fly.
• Cameron Morey, who took 2.37 seconds off his seed time in 13-14 IM.

First place is worth ten points, second is eight, third is six, fourth is five, fifth is four points, and down to eighth place being one point.  Additional Gator points came from:

• Gus Leyden, eight points and a 0.69 second seed time drop.
• Sara Bertram, eight points and a 1.12 second seed time drop.
• Parker Blondin, six points and a 0.05 second seed time drop.
• Emily Makin, six points and a 3.70 second seed time drop.
• Nick Dupuis, six points and a 4.58 second seed time drop.
• Cyrus Adams-Mardi, six points and a 0.75 second seed time drop.
• Maddy Bolger, six points and a 0.12 second seed time drop.
• Colby Webber, 5.5 points and a 0.82 second seed time drop.
• Olivia Blondin, five points and a 0.17 second seed time drop.
• Collin Sundsted, five points and a 0.15 second seed time drop.
• Sheridan Phalen, five points and a 3.46 second seed time drop.
• Jessie Bricker, five points and a 1.19 second seed time drop.
• Torie Bolger, five points and a 1.63 second seed time drop.
• Andrei Zaitsev, five points.
• Clark Bayer, four points and a 1.67 second seed time drop.
• Kevin Adams Mardi, four points and a 1.23 second seed time drop.
• James Piland, four points.
• Mac Brotherton, three points and a 2.82 second seed time drop.
• Ian Baker, three points and a 0.08 second seed time drop.
• Abigail Dittman, three points.
• Cole Miller, three points.
• Mollie Passacantando, two points and a 0.70 second seed time drop.
• Ceci Theriot, one point.  That's the six year old's first Gator point!
• Taylor Makin, one point.

Also finishing top eight in the division, but not scoring points because three Gator teammates finished higher, were: Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Anna Fracasso, and Emily Walzl.

Notable time drops were also turned in by Jack Klopson (cut 2.91 seconds), Andrew Baker (cut 4.38 seconds), Juliette Fore (cut 2.69 seconds), Nick McBroom (cut 5.39 seconds), Tristan Colaizzi (cut 2.62 seconds), and Emily Walzl (cut 1.55 seconds).

One touching moment was when Torie Bolger ended up racing her friend and West Potomac High School swim teammate Christine Pinter (of Stratford).  The two finished at the exact same time in adjoining lanes, and the watches confirmed the tie -- the two swimmers high-fived and hugged -- happy to share the heat win with their competitor and winter teammate.

There was a time when Waynewood won the Colonial Division every year, but those dark days of Dolphin dominance have been replaced by Greater Gator glory.  MVP has now won the IM Invitational eight times, including six of the last eight years.  Riverside Gardens has won it six times, Hollin Meadows once, and Waynewood has won it 13 times, but not since 2007.

Recently, the Gators have won in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Riverside Garden B Meet Photos

Sorry for the delay on the photos -- my email isn't accepting it when Dave sends it directly to me, so we lose a day or two figuring out the problem.

Here's the link to the Riverside meet: https://picasaweb.google.com/114682110635489328722/RiversideMVP71513?authuser=0&feat=directlink 

Donaldson Run Meet Haiku

Nine great relay wins.
Spectacular sportsmanship.
Three and two season

A couple of GIFs from Saturday

The most effective part of warm-ups

 

Feel the spirit!

David Anderson's Donaldson Run Meet Photos

The meet was sooo good he had to use two sets of photos -- hence the two links.

Also, I've added some of the photos into the stories below, so scroll down through the game story and the Swimmer of the Week.

https://picasaweb.google.com/114682110635489328722/DonaldsonRunMVP7201302?authuser=0&feat=directlink

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114682110635489328722/DonaldsonRun2ElectricBoogaloo?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Coach to Swimmers: "Get Some Wins." Swimmers to Coach: "As You Wish"

Those bloodcurdling screams of anguished pain you heard Saturday morning emanating from Mt. Vernon Park was not Wesley at the Pit of Despair, but the battered and bruised wails of the finish wall hammered by the Gators pounded wall first 22 times in individual events and an amazing nine times in relay events. 

Swims. True swims.

In the final A Meet of the 2013 season, MVP clinched 2nd place in Division Three with a 231-189 win over Donaldson Run.  The Gators finished the season at 3-2, which is the first time MVP finished with a winning record in a division this high since LBJ was holding his beagles up by their ears for a horrified press corps. 

I was talking to my friend Vizzini after the game. Here’s our conversation:

“For the meet, the Gators had some really great swims,” said I. “They truly were S.O.U.S.’s – Swims of Unusual Speed!”

“Inconceivable!” he said.

“The Gators won nine out of twelve relays, including the first five in a row!" I noted.

“Inconceivable!” Vizzini muttered.

“They won the ten freestyle events by twenty points, 55-35,” I pointed out.

“Inconceivable,” he complained.

“Winning backstroke 51-39 put the Gators up by 32 points, although the Thunderbolts fought back by  winning breaststroke 55-35 and tying fly 45-45 each,” I added.

“Inconceivable,” Vizzini virtually shouted.

“You keep using the word. I do not think it means what you think it means,” I said. His only riposte: “Do not go against a Makin when swim is on the line.” Then Vizzini keeled over. 

What you don’t know is that, even though I have been typing this left-handed, I am not left-handed. I just switched to using my right hand, so this article should be even better!

(Editor’s note: If you don’t get the “Princess Bride” references, rent, no, buy this cult classic movie immediately. If you do get the references, watch it again anyhow, because it’s that great a movie.)

The Gators celebrated the five graduating seniors as well -- Jack Benson, Maddy Bolger, Leigh Orleans, Sophia Passacantando, and Josh Stein.  The ceremony featured a new Gator tradition -- the Arch of Fins, as well as a great banner done by the creative Mike Miller.

Paul, Josh, Sophia, Leigh, Jack, Maddy, Kellee

Particularly memorable swims (besides the ones swum by your kids, of course) were:

• Clark Bayer's freestyle leg of the 9-10 medley relay, where he came from behind to out-touch his Thunderbolt opponent by 0.07 seconds.

Darn, the 9-10s are going to come up just short.

 

It's getting close!

Yes!  The touch. . .

And the win by 0.07!

• Tom Dupuis' second place in 13-14 free, and third place in breaststroke.  Tom had missed all season (except Time Trials) with a broken arm, and had only one practice after getting the cast off.
• Emma Jones winning the 11-12 free by 0.11 seconds in a race that battled back-and-forth all 50 meters. 

The aforementioned 9-10 relays was the race of the week, as Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin, Charlie Ruppe, and Clark Bayer got revenge over the DR relay team that won All-Star Relays.

Andrei to Parker

 

The Gators won an amazing nine out of twelve relays including the first five, and both Mixed Age Relays.  MVP only led by twelve points after the individual events, so 30 points of the 42 point margin came from the dominating relay showing. 

Cameron wins a close one.

Gator heroes include 13 year old Cassidy Bayer swimming 15-18 free and winning it handily, 12 year old Anna Capper swimming 13-14 backstroke, 9 year old Charlie Ruppe swimming 11-12 breaststroke, 9 year old Ceci Morales swimming 11-12 breaststroke,

Moments before this pic was taken,

I bet there was a very loud buzzer

Double winners were Nick Dupuis (free and breaststroke), Cameron Morey (free and fly), Cassidy Bayer (free and back), Cage Theriot (free and fly), and Emma Jones (free and fly).

Single winners were James Piland (free), Collin Sundsted (back), Gus Leyden (back), Parker Blondin (breaststroke), Cole Miller (fly), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (free), Emily Makin (back), Mac Brotherton (back), Maddy Bolger (back), Jayne Orleans (breaststroke), Jessie Bricker (fly), and Anna Fracasso (fly).

Sunny with a chance.

Second place points were earned by Isabella Van Damme (free and fly), Abigail Dittman (free and back), Jessie Bricker (free), Katya Zaitsev (back), Caroline Baker (breaststroke), Olivia Blondin (breaststroke and fly), Torie Bolger (breaststroke), Maddy Bolger (fly), Joseph Humphreys (free), Andrei Zaitsev (free and back), Tom Dupuis (free), Colby Webber (back and breaststroke), Cole Miller (back), Kevin Adams-Mardi (back), Ian Baker (breaststroke), and James Piland (fly).

Like a primordial sea monster,

Mac emerges from the deep.

Third place points were garnered by Collin Sundsted (free), Jack Klopson (breaststoke), Cyrus Adams-Mardi (breaststroke), Tom Dupuis (fly), Mollie Passacantando (free and fly), Lily Palmerino (back), Leigh Kovalsky (back), Torie Bolger (back), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (breaststroke), Lily Penn (breaststroke), Parker Fulghum (breaststroke), and Emily Makin (fly).

Leigh Kovalsky on the move.



Next Saturday is Divisional Championships at Donaldson Run -- Go Gators!

Anna and her pirate mustache.

  .



 

 

Swimmers of the Week -- James Piland and Maddy Bolger

James Piland helped key the strongest showing for the 8 & under boys this season with his freestyle win and second place in fly.  He also staked the free relay to a big lead it never relinquished, as they put up a time that was nearly 4.5 seconds faster than their previous best this season.

James cruises home.

Maddy Bolger scored a first place in back and a second place in fly, representing the best showing for the five seniors in their last A Meet.  Maddy also swam free for the winning 15-18 relay and the final leg of the Mixed Age relay, going out of her long A meet career by helping the team earn 18 points.

Maddy gets ready

to go. . .to college.

IM Haiku

by Karl Metter

Invitational
The IM not happening
MVP rescues

Memories of a Gator

Sophia Passacantando, also known as S.Pazz, will be attending Tufts University in the fall.

MEMORIES OF A TATER

By Sophia Passacantando

Swim team has always been the quintessence of my summer. My other experiences between the months of June and August all swirl into a blur. But I can easily recall the highlights of practice water polo (my team always loses sorry guys), or major finishes at an A meet that came down to the very last relays. Life with the Gators has been one of the biggest, most beautiful parts of my life.

I have been with the MVP Gators since the time of the chain-handled showers, Debbie Miller's monopoly of the record board, and when the head coach had a tongue-piercing. The community at MVP seemed to have a strong gravitational pull, embracing my family, who had just edged in on the fringes of this whole other world when I was six.

Sophia and her 8 & under relay team

 

 

My parents quickly got insanely enthusiastic about this sport for me, and would take me to watch A-meets, for which I could only dream of qualifying. I would sit by, and wistfully watch Jayne-Marie Haley's relay or Ryann Doyle's powerful breaststroke, and know that this was the most exciting thing that I could possibly do. For the past 11 years, our Saturdays have been occupied with meets filled with haphazard costume themes, green hairspray that sank into more scalp than hair, and the best scones in the entire NVSL (this is not even hyperbole and they are made by Mrs. Metter of course). We return home with sore throats, tired legs, and the announcer's voice playing on repeat inside our heads. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Some other senior, and Sophia

Swim meets act as showcases to other teams of what MVP is all about. The feng shui of our team area spotlights our sportsmanship. Because of the long walkway through “enemy grounds,” the opposing team gets to venture through hordes of hopeful hands sticking out to ease the competitive tension between swimmers. Whatever team you are on, WE WILL TRY TO HIGH FIVE YOU.

Sophia & Gator Friends

MVP, while now in Division 3 and among insanely competitive teams, manages to maintain its laidback and supportive environment while continually rising up into the most cutthroat divisions. The ULTIMATE part of being on a swim team, is seeing competing swimmers congratulate each other after their races, knowing that, for better or for worse, they help each other along. We shake hands after every swim and the race isn't over until the last competitor touches the wall.

 

I'm sure parents have noticed that, even while we strive for excellence, we do not break into pools in the dead of night to mark our territory for an upcoming meet, nor do we hire our 9-10's to paint banners of Gators bloodthirstily munching on a mangled corpse of a "insert opposing mascot here.” We do not condone turf wars because this isn't West Side Story or the Five Points, this is just summer swim. And while we are competitive and determined, we want everyone to be driving home smiling.  

Being a coach on my home team (and by "home" I really mean more of "family" and less in the geographical sense), has really made me appreciate all of my past swim instructors who, in turn, had to put up with me. This is a way of giving back to my people, after I have put so many coaches through practices of me hiding in bathrooms so I didn't have to swim. All of a sudden, we are the coaches who are trying to coax a crying 7-year old into the water on her first day.

 

The perks of being a MVP coach come in many forms. One, being a part of the fabulously never-ending B-meets. Two, being responsible for the greatest, most enthusiastic kids ever (and I'm still talking about the B-meet). After the most strenuous activity of handing out cards to children who only want to draw on your skin with pen, we coaches are burnt out. But suddenly, in the middle of the meet that will inevitably last till 9:30, the most excited swimmer approaches us, beaming because of her time drop of two seconds. She exclaims to us in her high pitched voice, incredulous because she never thought she could do it.

I'm telling you, that is the coolest part.

The team keeps us busy, tired, mildly smelling of chlorine and with pool hair that looks as if it hasn't seen a shower in days (because it really hasn't). We end up conversing more with 8 & unders than people our own age. This begins the weird time where our non-swim friends never seem to be on our same wavelength. They sleep in on Saturday mornings (actually all the mornings), acquire 2-piece suit tans, and have no newly formed calluses from walking on our treacherous bathroom floors. Our friends begin to get office jobs and internships, real work experience for the looming years ahead. They are taking vacations to other countries, going on mission trips, and they stay cool with AC instead of pool water. But really and truly, the best summer experiences that you could possibly get, come from the Gators.

And so here is my helpful list for all you little Gators, for one day you will be a coach too.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE BEING A 15-18 COACH/SWIMMER

1. Bring extra hair ties, because the rapunzels on our team usually show up expecting us to stuff yards of hair into a 5 in. diameter cap

2. Do not challenge Torie Bolger in water polo, you will lose

3. You don't really need to bring a water bottle for 3 hours of coaching, the pool water will do just fine

4. If you are like my family and wake up approx. 3 minutes before you need to leave for morning practice, please remember your suit because it is slightly important

5. Figure out the names of your swimmers the first week and get them down, because calling them by names you make up isn't always effective

6. Do not constantly sing the swim sets to the swimmers, they will just laugh and then not know what to do

7. Tiramisu is a great mid-practice snack

8. Sometimes, when you are all out of clean towels, the lost and found can be a great resource

9. Paul's swim sets can only be deciphered by a select few-find the ones who can translate

MVP has been an enormous part of my life. My many experiences on the team have taken me everywhere from an All-Star Relay win, to the possession of numerous rainbow "competitor" ribbons (the DQ ribbons are among the most beautiful to behold so all is not lost). I have swum every stroke possible (there are only four but still) and in addition, ones that don't legally exist (the aforementioned rainbow ribbons).

I know what it feels like to go into a race, knowing that, at best, hopefully, I won't get dead last. And I know what it feels like to go into a race where everyone expects you to win. These experiences through swimming -  combined with all the incredible individuals that have come with it - have taught me so much and shaped much of who I am now.

As many people know, I have pretty much left the world of swimming for running, but have still hung on to MVP with an iron grip (4:30 am practice wasn't that hard to give up though, I'll be honest). With such a brilliant team culture, I am going to miss everything about the MVP Gators. Thank you to Coach Paul and everyone who has been a part of this team, you have influenced me and so many others to carry on the Gator spirit wherever we are.

PEACE. LOVE. GATORS.

Gators Post Team's Best Showing Of Modern Era At All-Star Relays

Seeded 18th going into the season by the NVSL, Gator relays rocked again by scoring 268 points, good for 8th place.  In the last six years, MVP has finished 8th, 9th, 14th, 11th, 16th, and 14th at All-Star Relays.  This represents two straight top ten finishes for the Gators, which is very impressive for a league with 103 teams.

(McLean won first place, which means it was not won by one of the tiresome trio of Chesterbrook, Overlee, and Tuckahoe.  A small victory in life!  I don't know if McLean recruits like those three do, but it's still nice to see an actual change in Washington for a change.  But I digress.).

Not that we pay attention to these things, but I always check to see how the 18th place, 41st, and 56th place teams did.  Wow -- what a coincidence -- it turns out those are Mansion House (154 points), Waynewood (62 points), and Riverside Gardens (16)!  Who knew? 

(For those of you not good at math, combined, Mansion House, Waynewood and Riverside Gardens scored fewer points than MVP.)

Of the other Division 3 teams, Wakefield Chapel scored 316 points, good for 6th place.  Fairfax scored 184, finishing 15th.  Vienna Woods was 17th with 162 points, while Donaldson Run scored 143 points for 22nd place.  Lee-Graham scored 140 points in 24th place.

Four new team records were set -- see related article. 

Several swims jump out:

• Nick Dupuis swimming breaststroke because of a missing swimmer -- and Nick made up huge chunks of ground.
• Sara Bertram's fly in the 15-18 medley relay jump starting the Gator time improvements for the rest of the meet.
• Kaila Stein and Elaina Phalen holding their place in the free relay, giving Cassidy Bayer ample opportunity to pull away for the decisive heat win.

The highest Gator finish was posted by the 9-10 Boys free relay team of Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin, Andrew Baker, and Clark Bayer, as they eviscerated their seed time of 1:04.06 to finish second with a Gator record time of 1:04.05 (Editor's Note: You keep using that word, "eviscerated."  I do not think it means what you think it means.)

The 9-10 Girls free relay team of Emily Makin, Olivia Blondin, Abigail Dittman, and Juliana Skopp-Cardillo was not to be outdone by a lot, as they finished third overall, finishing with a time of 1:04.08, down 0.79 from their seed time of 1:04.87.  This was also a new Gator record.

The 9-10 Boys medley team of Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin, Charlie Ruppe, and Clark Bayer earned a third place finish, swimming a 1:12.56.

The 13-14 Girls free relay moved from seventh seed to fifth place by knocking 0.62 off their seed time for a 2:00.60.

The Mixed Age Girls free team of Emma Jones, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Cassidy Bayer, and Sara Bertram sliced 0.05 seconds off their seed time to get 5th place with a time of 2:01.36.

The 15-18 girls medley had the biggest move of the day -- they were seeded 13th and finished 8th, dropping 1.89 seconds and setting a new team record.  The swimmers were Torie Bolger, Jayne Orleans, Sara Bertram, and Maddy Bolger.

Seeded 11th, the 15-18 girls free relay set a new team record and earned a tenth place finish.  Maddy Bolger, Anna Fracasso, Torie Bolger, and Sara Bertram knocked 0.66 off their seed time with a 1:57.61.

The 11-12 Boys Free Relay earned an impressive 12th place with a time of 58.92, as Cole Miller, Collin Sundsted, Jack Brunton, and Nick Dupuis battled hard.

The 9-10 girls medley earned a 13th place finish with a time of 1:15.25.  It was the same four swimmers who got third in the free -- Emily, Olivia, Abigail, and Juliana.

The 11-12 boys medley also got 13th, as Collin, Jack, Cole, and Nick swam a time of 1:07.48.

The 13-14 girls medley finished 14th with a time of 2:17.67.  The team consisted of Jessie, Kaila, Cassidy, and Elaina.

Four New Gator Team Records Set At All-Stars

Four Gator relays set new team record last night.  All of the "old" records were from this year or last year.  The new records: 

• 9-10 Girls 100M Free Relay.  Lowered their record by .79 from the Divisional Relay Carnival Record.  Old time 1:04.87, new time 1:04.08.  Emily Makin, Olivia Blondin, Abigail Dittman, and Juliana Skopp-Cardillo.

• 15-18 Girls 200M Medley Relay. New record 2:09.18, Torie Bolger, Jayne Orleans, Sara Bertram, and Maddy Bolger.  Old Record from 14 Jul 12 , 2:10.87, or 1.69 seconds faster than the team of Sara Bertram, Jayne Orleans, Cassidy Bayer, and Leigh Orleans.

• 15-18 Girls 200M Free Relay broke their previous record from 10 Jul 13 Divisional Relay Carnival.  New time 1:57.61.  Old time 1:58.37 or .76 faster.  Team of Maddy Bolger, Torie Bolger, Anna Fracasso, and Sara Bertram.

• 9-10 Boys 100M Free relay.  Broke thier previous Divisional Relay Carnival Record from 10 July 13 by .01 seconds.  Old Record 1:04.06 and the new record is 1:04.05.  Team of Andrei Zaitsev, Parker Blondin, Charlie Ruppe and Clark Bayer.

The 15-18 medley record represents the first time Cassidy Bayer has been knocked out of a Gator record.  However, since she was swimming up and helped set it when she was 12 years old, there's a pretty good chance her name will be on that record in the future.

(Editor's Note: This article would have been written regardless of the fact that two of the new records include two girls with the last name Bolger.  All team records get written about.  However, safe to say, this article probably got posted faster because of it!)

A Safe Relay Start

If you can't tell by now, I love GIFs.

We Get Letters -- Well actually, Emails!

A nice note to our team photog from a team mom that I thought worthy of sharing with you:

David, 

I just wanted to congratulate you on the amazing photos you took at the A meet versus Wakefield.  You took a wonderful bunch of photos.  If the cause is a change of settings, please pass along the info, but most likely, it was your talent and way of seeing, plus just the way it goes sometimes, in a really good way!  The series of the Colaizzi boy underwater is breathtaking, and those photos are just a few from a bunch of photos that really, really stand out.  These photos are an outstanding group of work as a documentary of the morning, as well as individual portraits from the day.  

I don't know how much feedback you get, but I wanted to let you know how wonderful your photos are, and I am a photographer myself so I have a fair idea of the challenges of sport photography!  

Thanks very much,

Caitlin

(To see the photos Caitlin is referring to, go to:
https://plus.google.com/photos/114682110635489328722/albums/5900225650790880449?banner=pwa 

Another GIF from Saturday!

 

In theory, this is relay "warm-ups"!

Some Fun GIFs from Saturday

Great work by Dave Anderson -- underscoring the team spirit!


Breaststroke Action!

 

Riverside Gardens Meet An IM Treat for All!

Individual medley races were the top dog this past Monday night at
the meet between MVP and Riverside Gardens.

About 20 heats of the long race (and 25 fly for the 8 and unders)
were run to get the best times for seeding in the IM Invitational next Monday afternoon. 
Among the MVP first place winners were: James Pliland, Colby Webber, Cage and Ceci
Theriot, Parker Blondin, Charlie Ruppe, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo,
Nick Dupuis, Emma Jones, Olivia Johansson, Cameron Morey, Maddie
and Torie Bolger, and in their first successful fly race this summer -- Mikayla Gordon
and Graham Dale.

Others trying fly or IM for the first time were: Caroline Baker, Sophia Huertas,
Sofia-Marie Khalil, and Annie Terwilliger.

The 3 and a half hour meet also featured other great swims. Winning their heats
were: Joseph Humphries, William Mochel, Michael Ienzi, Jack Ciovacco, Sam Starr,
Isabella Van Damme, Andrei Zaitsev, Will Freidman, Kenneth Krogh, Alice Ackerson,
Colin Sundsted, Joseph Ienzi, Sheridan Phalen, Ripley Vaughan, Cole Snodgrass,
Ian Baker, Kaila Stein, Elaina Phalen, Leigh Orleans, Colby Webber, Dylan Moore,
Mikayla Gordon, Anika Degen, Sophia Huertas, Clark Bayer, Giovanni Marcucci,
Abby Dittman, Nick Dupuis, Sheridan Phalen, Jessie Bricker, Molly Cabral,
Leah Myers, TJ Heck, Katie Whalen, Anna Grace Dickerson, and Parker Fulghum.

Swimmers knocking 4 seconds or more off their best times were: Jack Ciovacco,
Tyler Swartz, Grayson Normand, Luke Adrian, Lauren Scott, Caroline Myers, Ginny
Grubbs, Charlie Bruce, Mikayla Gordon, Brandon Santangelo, Patrick Riley, Leah Meyers,
Katya Zaitsev, Abby Dittman, Colin Sundsted, and Dom Heratsch.

Biggest time drops belonged to Lindsay Bombac (-20), Elizabeth Whitson (-22),
Frances Webber (-11), Leigh Kovalsky (-10), Nick McBroom (-11), Isabelle
Thornburg (-14), and four year old Josie Cowen who cut more than 10 seconds from her
25 free!

There are no more developmental meets on Monday nights this season but don't
forget ROMP IN THE SWAMP next Wednesday am. If you are not swimming in divisionals,
and are 12 and under THIS IS YOUR MEET!

Gator All-Star Cake!

Gator Cake by Torie Bolger

Wakefield Chapel A Meet Photos Are Up

David Anderson's Photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/114682110635489328722/albums/5900225650790880449?banner=pwa

Three Stat Boy Stats From Divisional Relays

Out of the 17 Divisions in the NVSL, MVP had the second most 2nd place points with 190.  Only Cottontail, who scored 208 while finishing second in Division 10 had more for a second place finish.  (No word on whether Cottontail's top swimmer is named "Peter.)

In fact, 190 points would have been enough to win eight of the 17 divisions.

I noted that we were the 14th best relay team out of the 103 in the league.  Comparing our times to the last place teams in Division 2, we beat Fairfax Station in eleven of 22 relays -- which of course means they beat us in the other eleven.  So, I'm thinking we're really tied for 13th!

Memories of a Gator

by Maddy Bolger

(Editor's Note: Most seasons, one or two graduating seniors will write a post for the blog -- Memories of a Gator.  It's great for parents of younger kids to read, so they understand what it means to grow up as a Gator -- summer after summer of swim team from being Little Gators to being assistant coaches and heading off to college.

We have the most seniors on the team in at least the last 15 years, and I expect there will be more "Memories" in the coming days from other seniors.

Maddy graduated from West Potomac High School and will be going to Duke University in August to study public policy, or something along those lines.)

Every year since the age of five, my summer has consisted of swim team. My uncle has a Friday night wedding in New York in the summer? We drive through the night to get back in time to participate in the Saturday meet. Family vacations? Taken in August, after all races have been swum. I cannot say I loved every minute of swimming. As a younger swimmer I would jump into the pool during those first few weeks of practice and come out blue and shivering, wanting nothing to do with the pool or the sport of swimming. I much rather preferred to sit wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool in the sun and watch the brave faces of those who made it through a full practice. But the more time I spent in the pool and with the team, the more I grew to love swimming with the Mount Vernon Park Gators. Now I cannot even begin to imagine summer without the team.

After 13 seasons, I think I’ve seen it all. From winless to undefeated years and everything in between, I have witnessed Mount Vernon Park rise through the divisions to become the powerhouse pool of the area (take that, Waynewood!), yet still managing to have the most fun at the same time. Between the cheering, costumes, car paint, hair spray, and body paint, the Gators are one of the most spirited teams in the NVSL.

One of my favorite memories was getting locked into a passionate fifteen minute long cheering competition with Ravensworth Farm, each team shouting, “We’ve got spirit”, attempting to be louder than the other, and therefore delaying the start of the meet. Neither team wanted to relinquish the emotional cheer victory to the other.

 

A different Saturday meet we had the opportunity to compete against a local pool, Mansion House. Mark Faherty, a good friend of Coach Paul and a winter coach to several swimmers on the team, was head coach at the time. They brought pots and pans and noisemakers. We dressed up as superheroes and put Mark’s face on a scarecrow. Both teams knew it was all in good fun and there was never a quiet moment at the meet. When you’re having that much fun cheering on both your teammates and your friends, nobody really cares what the score was at the end of the meet (we did win, however!).

Next year I am going to miss the swim meets, but I am especially going to miss the 13 and over practice. In my opinion, we have the funniest, most interesting group of teenagers in the area on the team and practice is always an adventure. I would walk in at 7:30 every morning never knowing if we would be trying to touch the flags by jumping off the diving board or intensely kicking for 15 minutes straight. We’d bond over the crazy things Paul and Kellee would say or laugh about the horror movie we had watched at teen night. I’m going to miss driving Paul insane every morning with some of the best friends I’ve ever had. Team Bucket Urns dominate water polo!

I loved every part of coaching this team. From the races, the cheers, the laughter, the teasing, and even the yelling, my time as a coach has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life thus far. The excitement on a swimmer’s face after dropped time or a narrow victory is incomparable and I was always glad to share in their thrill. But I also just liked messing with the kids, and they teased me right back.

 

Often this season, I had my sunglasses stolen off my face as a prank by the younger swimmers and was always relieved to get them back by the end of a meet. It felt reminiscent of my 8 and under gator years when I would steal Steven Berry’s hat off his head as often as I could. I’m going to miss tying a towel around my neck to transform into SuperCoach and calling my 8 and unders my goon squad. One of my proudest accomplishments as a coach this season was getting the swimmers to yell “taters!” instead of “Gators!” at practice, when Coach Paul said “eyeballs”.

The old traditions- chanting about being a little Gator who lives in a hut and shakes my butt, staying up all night and the end-of-season campout, and the gator grunt taught me to love swim team. I have also gotten to enjoy building new traditions such as post-divisional relay dinner at Primo’s, the triple Gator grunt, Chinese food after All-Star relays, and of course, getting pied in the face at the end of the season.

 

I cannot wait to come back and visit next year to see these traditions live on and observe as new traditions start. Thank you to everyone who has ever been involved with making this team so special and helping me become who I am today. I am awed by how well our team is able to compete at high levels while also being able to maintain good standards of sportsmanship, a true testament to the dedication and compassion of those involved with the team. I have had 13 great seasons with this team and I look forward to seeing what you all can do next summer.

Go Taters- I mean- Gators!!!