Lucky 13! Gators Sending Record 13 Teams to All-Star Relays

Lucky 13!  Some people find 13 to be an unlucky number, but not this blogger.  I was born on the 13^th (in the month of January if you feel so inclined to send a card…presents are welcome too) along with my dear twin sister, and my only other sibling – my older sister – was born on the 13^th as well.  So in my family, the number 13 was always a number to celebrate.  And it needs to be celebrated at MVP this year, as well. 

The Gators are sending 13 relay teams to All-Star relays at Greenbriar next Wednesday, July 20^th!  How did they get here?  Go check out my previous blog on the division relay carnival and you can read all about the many great Gator races at Hamlet this week.  Division Relay Carnival  Blog  As a little background, each season in mid-July (after the third A meet) there is a meet that includes all six teams from each division swimming 22 different relays – mixed age, medley, and freestyle – across the different age groups and genders.  The next evening all the results across the 17 divisions are analyzed and the top 18 teams in each age/gender group make the following week’s All-Star relays, along with one alternate team (in case a team can’t participate for whatever reason).

Sending 13 teams is unprecedented, as we learned from Stat Boy, Glen Bolger, last night at Primo’s when the All-Star relays were announced.  Glen did a quick search to confirm that we have never sent that many teams to all stars before.  We were close in 2013 when we sent 12 teams, and we had a couple 11 team seasons (2012 and 2014) but never 13.  This is an awesome accomplishment for our Gators, and a big pat on the back to our coaches – Coach Paul, Coach Laurel and the many other Gator coaches helping guide our Gators to greatness at every practice and meet this season.

Here’s this year’s MVP Gator All-Star Relay Teams:

• Girls 18 & under 200 free: Emily Makin, Katya Zaitsev, Sheridan Phalen, and Cassidy Bayer
• Boys 18 & under 200 free: Kenneth Krogh, Donovan Kovalsky Clark Bayer, and Kevin Adams-Mardi
• Girls 9-10 100 medley: Lily Palmerino, Abigail Litonjun, Caroline Miller, and Katya Zaitsev
• Boys 9-10 100 medley: Matthew Makin, Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, and Donovan Kovalsky
• Girls 11-12 100 medley: Juliette Fore, Emily Makin, Isabella VanDamme, and Grace McGee
• Boys 11-12 100 medley: Kenneth Krogh, Charlie Ruppe, James Piland, and Joseph Humphreys
• Girls 13-14 200 medley: Abby Dittman, Taylor Makin, Garbrielle Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen
• Girls 15-18 200 medley: Parker Fulghum, Sarah Jones, Cassidy Bayer, and Jessie Bricker
• Boys 9-10 100 free: Jack Dupuis, Tyler Swartz, Alexander North, and Donovan Kovalsky
• Girls 11-12 100 free: same as girls 11-12 medley
• Girls 13-14 200 free – Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Gabrielle Greszler, Taylor Makin, and Sheridan Phalen
• Boys 13-14 200 free – Nicholas Dupuis, Brian McNamara, Andrew Baker, and Clark Bayer
• Girls 15-18 200 free – Jessie Bricker, Parker Fulghum, Zoe Greszler, and Cassidy Bayer