Your Gator Nation Blog: Gators Clear Cut Vienna Woods

The Mount Vernon Park Gators finished the 2015 season with their strongest showing in approximately forty years, finishing 4-1 in Division 3 after beating Vienna Woods 224-196 in the final A meet of the season.

Even Gator alum were joining the cheers.

MVP even ended up the season with more points than division winner Little Rocky Run, and the Gators were one missing swimmer away from going 5-0. The sports books in Vegas have already posted high odds that both the Stingrays and the Gators will move up to Division 2 next season, rarefied air for an MVP team that at the turn of the century was Division 13.

Not even a wrestling chokehold can stop

Mr. Schulte from watching the meet.

(The kid is 11 months -- surviving

his chokehold isn't that impressive!)

This year's showing suggests that, so far, this century ought to be known as Gator Century! (Editor's Note: Okay, you might just be getting carried away. Reporter's Note: Hey, it's my last A meet blog post, I can go out with a bang!).

Donovan is off to the races.

It was also Gator Senior Day, which as always was a wonderful ceremony celebrating a fine crop of graduating Gators (see related blog post for more photos).

Mom and Molly

Nothing says MVP Senior Day

like the Gator Arch of Fins

There was pomp. There was circumstance.

There were Gator green graduation caps!

The meet started, as most meets this season did, with MVP winning the freestyle races handily, by a 51-39 margin. Vienna Woods chopped into the Gator lead in back, as MVP lost the stroke 42-48. The twelve point lead was sliced in half, 93-87.

Emma wins the reaction time battle.

Suddenly the lead was gone, as VW won breaststroke by twelve points to take a six point lead; MVP trailed 132-138. The Gators rallied to take butterfly 52-38 and hold a tenuous 184-176 lead going into the relays. Winning eight out of twelve relays opened the final score up to a more comfortable 224-196 win.

Elizabeth, son of Whit, glides down the lane.

Four new team records were set (see related blog post below) in the meet.

This sign is urging Gators to do. . .

well, I have no idea.

Wait, I've got it -- "She told

me to walk this way!"

(Editor's Note: That picture caption can't be right. Reporter: She told me ((the ears)) to walk ((the feet)) this way ((the arrow sign)). Drops mic)

The boys race of the meet were swum by Cameron Morey, who captured the boys 15-18 fly in the closest Gator win of the season. Cameron swam the 50 fly in 29.71, while his Vienna Woods competitor had a 29.72. For those of you who are bad at math, that's a 0.01 second victory for Cam. (Editor's Note: It's also true for those of you who are good at math. Just sayin'!)

If you are wondering what a 0.01 second

Gator victory looks like, whomp here it is!

Taylor Makin won the girls race of the week, besting her Woods opponent in the 13-14 breaststroke by just 0.32.

There were a number of clutch, close Gator wins that deserve recognition. Matthew Makin took his 8 & under free by 0.33 seconds, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo won the 11-12 breaststroke by 0.44 seconds, and James Piland won the 9-10 fly by 0.35 seconds.

Juliana races home with the win.

There were three Gator sweeps, all from the 11-12 girls. In free, Gabrielle Greszler led Juliana Skopp-Cardillo and Juliette Fore to a 1-2-3 finish. In back, they went Emily Makin, Juliette Fore, and Olivia Heck. In fly, it was Gabby, Emily, and Olivia Blondin taking the first, second and third place for all nine points.

Cast on, Clark casts off.

Double Gator winners were Matthew Makin (free and back), Sean Jansen (free and breaststroke), Gabrielle Greszler (free and fly), Kevin Adams-Mardi (free and breaststroke), and Cassidy Bayer (breaststroke and fly).

Coach Emily's leg kick provides swimmers

with more speed in a close race.

Individual Gator winners were Clark Bayer (free), Sheridan Phalen (free), Cassidy Crowther (back), Andrei Zaitsev (back), Emily Makin (back), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (breaststroke), Taylor Makin (breaststroke), Tyler Swartz (fly), Samantha Cowen (fly), James Piland (fly), TJ Heck (fly), and Cameron Morey (fly). Thus, MVP swimmers won 22 out of 40 races.

Kevin sails over Sean in the mixed age relay.

Second place points were earned by Cassidy Crowther (free), James Piland (free), Andrew Baker (free and fly), Juliana Skopp-Cardillo (free), Nick Dupuis (free), George Schulte (back), Donovan Kovalsky (back), Juliette Fore (back), Brian McNamara (back and fly), Gus Leyden (back), Parker Fulghum (back), Alexander North (breaststroke), Abigail Litonjua (breaststroke), TJ Heck (breaststroke), Emily Makin (fly), and Emma Jones (fly). MVP took 18 second places.

Sheridan wonders -- what the heck is that

yellow thing in the sky on an A Meet

Saturday morning?

Key third place points were taken by George Schulte (free), Jill Humphreys (free), Isabella Van Damme (free), Juliette Fore (free), Zoe Greszler (free and breaststroke), Gus Leyden (free), Elizabeth Whitson (back), Olivia Heck (back and breaststroke), Emma Jones (back), Cameron Morey (back), Tyler Swartz (breaststroke), Parker Blondin (breaststroke), Nick Dupuis (breaststroke), Jackson Foerster (fly), Donovan Kovalsky (fly), Olivia Blondin (fly), Sheridan Phalen (fly), and Jessie Bricker (fly). MVP also took 18 third places.

Tristan and the 15-18 boys relay team clinch the meet

And the crowd goes wild!

Next week is Divisional Champs, and of course, the beloved Gator Banquet and Awards Dinner. (Editor's Note: I've still never understood how "banquet" can be used for a potluck!)