Your Gator Nation Blog: 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).