tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86140300712540067212024-03-14T04:45:22.229-04:00Your Gator Nation BlogGator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-50914679246637811492021-07-23T23:14:00.005-04:002021-07-24T08:38:59.141-04:00Log Flumes and the Crosspointe A Meet<p>We covered roller coasters earlier in the season. This week, we're going to focus on the wet cousin of the roller coaster, the log flume, or log "ride" depending on which amusement park you are going to. While I think I've used the term "ride" more frequently in my life, I'm going to stick with "flume" for the blog mostly just because its a fun word and I don't get to use it very often normally. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PzPIRknWM3kl3PpYRiWyfFjTb1jU5DUI0sWab15Kbpl26JZqOBK-J4ZGe2x3hfiQgRFZFFB_qHvoKF6R25rpKmHlfiTmHM_fY5Q0IsrMjxy4484Ea7FsFhfl1z7H8yy44GTYEE4jH1qV/s1600/D71_2947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PzPIRknWM3kl3PpYRiWyfFjTb1jU5DUI0sWab15Kbpl26JZqOBK-J4ZGe2x3hfiQgRFZFFB_qHvoKF6R25rpKmHlfiTmHM_fY5Q0IsrMjxy4484Ea7FsFhfl1z7H8yy44GTYEE4jH1qV/s320/D71_2947.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tie Dye. Groovy. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Let's start with a quick overview on the flumes for those who aren't familiar. A log flume ride is based on the real-life flumes used by lumber companies as they used water to float the logs down the mountains to the sawmills. The rides are meant to simulate those flumes by floating passengers around, and then normally having some drop as a thrill at the end. The more advanced of the modern amusement parks out there have developed varying degrees of entertainment along the "float" part of the rides, while some of the older or budget parks just float the logs around through some trees or fields. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZI4_FrEYaNOFbd6rWg5bJDfKsEYG2aL8UyAIBhGG2tWd2DOEJaHp87ogl9omOh5Sa4h9Ui0WXHnnKbx3TyNa_4yagVkq1waxds_1LdVbpp1lHEhV8Lrum18ET1jlsb1Vjf4cSexHBzYd/s4898/D71_3024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZI4_FrEYaNOFbd6rWg5bJDfKsEYG2aL8UyAIBhGG2tWd2DOEJaHp87ogl9omOh5Sa4h9Ui0WXHnnKbx3TyNa_4yagVkq1waxds_1LdVbpp1lHEhV8Lrum18ET1jlsb1Vjf4cSexHBzYd/s320/D71_3024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floating is fun, but the splash is what its all about. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Here in Virginia, both of our major theme parks, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens, have pretty basic log flume rides. Passengers load up in their logs, and then float around through some trees, before a conveyor belt hauls the logs up and then shoots the logs "down the mountain" at the end, with a big splash at the bottom to get everyone wet. (And of course, take the standard theme park photo while the group is sliding down the falls.) </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnJ8sJJphdooX-Jiz3CAYGeC1s1xOa_ow71RMfS6R6eW3SMC0HhbK4yKa38dALI7pEvlmmksmvnO3npqAzsSYvvfEeWGmKI__HhQqP5ruGumtXEObpoiU5sB_5ubO6j0jd8z4snAExsdP/s4898/D71_3028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPnJ8sJJphdooX-Jiz3CAYGeC1s1xOa_ow71RMfS6R6eW3SMC0HhbK4yKa38dALI7pEvlmmksmvnO3npqAzsSYvvfEeWGmKI__HhQqP5ruGumtXEObpoiU5sB_5ubO6j0jd8z4snAExsdP/s320/D71_3028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florida is that way...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The theme parks in Florida step it up a notch. The floating part of the ride has a lot more going on. For example, Splash Mountain at Disney World has a full animatronic and digital show of Disney's "Song of the South" movie with various scenes highlighting the adventures of Br'er Rabbit. Universal Studios' log flume ride comes in somewhere between the Disney experience and the more basic versions at KD and BG. The Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls at Universal has a fun immersive show, but not quite the same level of choreography and activity of the characters as you float through the scenes. </p><p>I am definitely in the camp that believes the experience is enhanced by the supplemental entertainment along the floats at Disney and Universal. At their core, all the rides pretty much do the same thing: float, go up, splash down. The more immersive rides just provide a little more and that makes the whole experience a ittle better. Which brings us to swim. </p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvaN-wj2flkG62PqICB3wEP6-LWgbLCIdnDCl8cxtFxkB55L1uOAxemLSGOGQjQyfaE5rmFzxkTjzeR0V06apRg5JvIu-_tBnmBMJ3drx8aVgvprGXmMM2SeKbZQAZcRk6j1ubfg5qOUD/s4898/D71_3551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvaN-wj2flkG62PqICB3wEP6-LWgbLCIdnDCl8cxtFxkB55L1uOAxemLSGOGQjQyfaE5rmFzxkTjzeR0V06apRg5JvIu-_tBnmBMJ3drx8aVgvprGXmMM2SeKbZQAZcRk6j1ubfg5qOUD/s320/D71_3551.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't win them all if you don't win the first... Check. <br />Quite the day for the 9-10 ladies. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The log flume rides can serve as a pretty good metaphor for the annual swim cycle. You load up and get on the log at the beginning. In our metaphor, this is September of the swim year when swimmers begin their off season training programs. Then, you float around on the log for what is a pretty long time compared to the actual "payoff" at the end. And that's how winter swim is: nine months of training, for two quick months of summer excitement. And the level of engagement you get from the ride depends on which park you go to and which ride you take. If you stay here in Virginia, you get the basic ride, still the same thrill at the end, but maybe not quite the same level of engagement. The rides in Virginia represent the Gator winter swim training program or perhaps something like the RECenter swim classes. Good rides, good programs, and they will have a fun finish. The Florida parks, on the other hand cost a bit more. You need to travel there and the tickets are definitely a bit higher priced, but the experience is most definitely more engaging while you are there and you'll probably get a bit more out of it. This is the club swimming experience: NCAP, Ft Belvoir, Machine, etc. All the rides end the same way with a fast drop and everybody getting wet... just like summer swim.. lots of fast drops (of time) and the wet thing.... pretty sure I don't even need to explain that part of the analogy. </p><p>Importantly, if you just go up the hill and then come down, without the float part, you are just on a slide... not a log flume ride. And I'm not trying to say slides are bad. They are fun. But sooner or later, we all want to upgrade from the slides and go on the rides. The excitement and payoff at the end is enhanced by the engagement we experience on the ride. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESq12VMFxZzbET63BmqK8i-OorzJFuk7otU-L-ZtUnmLshk0r3L8DpFuPe9tmkZxYt1cn8NoWdL-ymw7T4wLmCBWAvDhq9ACz57gQYSc2LQqw62TvPK52vGfAkxv61z129l3Lo3ieG8PJ/s4898/D71_3511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESq12VMFxZzbET63BmqK8i-OorzJFuk7otU-L-ZtUnmLshk0r3L8DpFuPe9tmkZxYt1cn8NoWdL-ymw7T4wLmCBWAvDhq9ACz57gQYSc2LQqw62TvPK52vGfAkxv61z129l3Lo3ieG8PJ/s320/D71_3511.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoom Zoom Saloom. I'm looking forward to next season when <br />Jack finally gets to strut his stuff at the TOP of an age group. <br />One to watch. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />One of the things about log flume rides, is they are best in the right situations. Usually, that means when the weather is not too cold. The wet part is fun and refreshing in that situation. But when its cold out, the ride doesn't generate the same level of endorphin releasing excitement. It is probably still fun, but you may ask yourself... why did we do that again? Which makes me think about the overall season against some pretty stiff competition this year. Why did we do that again? The weather was a bit chilly to be taking this log flume ride... maybe we should have gone with the old school roller coaster instead. </p><p><br /></p><p>Hopefully I haven't scrambled your noodle too much with my analogy. On to the meet versus Crosspointe. One of my favorite Gator t-shirts from a few years back had the quote "Vini. Natavi. Vici." We came. We swam. We conquered. This year's shirt would probably be a bit more "Vini. Vidi. Natavi." We came. We saw. We swam. Still good... just no conquering. The 2021 dual meets have come to an end and we ended up without a victory for the first time in a long time. But we still had lots of fun and did lots of exciting things... no matter which log ride you're on, and no matter what the weather is, the drop at the end is still going to give some thrills. And thrills we found. </p><p>Thrill #1: Lincoln Jetton making a run at a perfect season and just getting edged out in the Freestyle race. I don't normally highlight races when our Gators don't finish on top, but this was a great season for Lincoln and he ended up winning the Breaststroke resulting in a regular season record of 9-1 to lead the Gators in individual races. He swam 10 individual races and won nine times (and still ended up in the points on the 10th one). That's quite a season. Nice going Lincoln. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixi44V0w7p65JCF2qwAmEVMZgaUCENN5MQ_Lw9HhI5pewNLo1N68J02w4hnwk-Md0biTvZav501OcXEEDEiJpU4g3oAfYFyWfmFho-E_iVMwoOmPvzZi2jvAOjqqSnqNBb_plC0rnUagRy/s1600/D71_3347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixi44V0w7p65JCF2qwAmEVMZgaUCENN5MQ_Lw9HhI5pewNLo1N68J02w4hnwk-Md0biTvZav501OcXEEDEiJpU4g3oAfYFyWfmFho-E_iVMwoOmPvzZi2jvAOjqqSnqNBb_plC0rnUagRy/s320/D71_3347.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13-14 Boys finishing off a great season with one final <br />Medley Relay victory.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Thrill #2: 13-14 Boys bringing home their third "Clean Sweep" of the year in the Freestyle race to lead the Gators in that category. Congrats to Alex North, Gavin Fore, and George Schulte on earning all nine points in the race. The Race of the Week usually goes to one of the closest wins of the day, but on this particular day this Sweep generated the most thrill and excitement, so it gets the honor. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq75MvNuGdXiCtRcljhROuBbKZrxpxOFD49mrIAcA8Yr6z4Yo-xmQCBdk8WlhyphenhyphenqOP0PHA-gziSWY5xAys4z_Rf6whA9gLVjV27QOujO0zspOysqr6OZYq3u89hI9uHKixG7Rm3WUSZC_iR/s4898/D71_3049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq75MvNuGdXiCtRcljhROuBbKZrxpxOFD49mrIAcA8Yr6z4Yo-xmQCBdk8WlhyphenhyphenqOP0PHA-gziSWY5xAys4z_Rf6whA9gLVjV27QOujO0zspOysqr6OZYq3u89hI9uHKixG7Rm3WUSZC_iR/s320/D71_3049.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kate earning her share of those 33 points for the 9-10 girls.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Thrill #3: The 9-10 girls putting two swimmers "on the podium" in every single event on the day and winning the Age Group of the Week honor for the second week in a row! Margaret Driscoll and Kate Barber went 1-2 in Freestyle. Then, Margaret and Elizabeth Kellogg went 1-3 in Back. In Breaststroke, Helen Milito and Elizabeth finished 1-2. And finally, Kate and Helen finished 1-3 in Fly. The four of them then teamed up at the end to win the Medley Relay and haul in a combined 33 points to lead the team. </p><p>Thrill #4: Sam Bruce finding his form. We all know what Sam has done and can do, and he seems to be putting it all together when it counts... cutting time and taking home blue ribbons in both the Freestyle and Fly for the 11-12 boys. Sam also anchored the winning Medley Relay team to earn himself 15 points on the day and the Swimmer of the Week title. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaXFnX1MBwhRTDIG5nSyXyh5UZ-R4eN92Um7pdv5Y6qiQTZVfvkdqk5SDTFsPFUXPFWXXiEApPHo8ntUZbbxQ9GJqjjEixCAZ-FE_lGVuOkbTFlFMF3I9_rmkaiACLjBm_w01rp4qcaL-/s4898/D71_3067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaXFnX1MBwhRTDIG5nSyXyh5UZ-R4eN92Um7pdv5Y6qiQTZVfvkdqk5SDTFsPFUXPFWXXiEApPHo8ntUZbbxQ9GJqjjEixCAZ-FE_lGVuOkbTFlFMF3I9_rmkaiACLjBm_w01rp4qcaL-/s320/D71_3067.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nice swim... but I'm peaking, you know. "</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Divisional Championships are up next! This is the meet where every team in Division 2 sends its top two swimmers in every stroke to compete for the honor of "Division Champion" and try to earn a bid into the Individual All-Star meet coming up next week. And we're hosting at the Swamp. Home pool advantage. </p><p>Go Gators!</p><p>Full meet results versus <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hs2kSZjedzysYh-mUn8kVOPekZ8OlTEW/view" target="_blank">Crosspointe</a> are here. </p><p>All the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-photos-1" target="_blank">pictures are here</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1WUwlaA60kCYJvImBy0Ru96uu8GnjN1CzHZZJFfETzu5vONb-Nf1UZAPRmstGjZko1EuPDRiP6SUXJ_sPJRUWtASR4slmbTpDeMfojyYmhZSIMakE4Aw3RQy64DlDvXf4Murlhw9Iat8/s4898/D71_3320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1WUwlaA60kCYJvImBy0Ru96uu8GnjN1CzHZZJFfETzu5vONb-Nf1UZAPRmstGjZko1EuPDRiP6SUXJ_sPJRUWtASR4slmbTpDeMfojyYmhZSIMakE4Aw3RQy64DlDvXf4Murlhw9Iat8/s320/D71_3320.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QFP. Quality Fly Photo. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-4412333350693960902021-07-14T19:51:00.001-04:002021-07-14T19:51:57.526-04:00Reflections of a Gator by Leigh Kovalsky<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTI2MRnycmHPtye8k1NCjODF6hEEEbJwiU5UexkVQgqfyli4sesp_IYm_QpUh3AwP0bNVpqH1zeKCUNKBVWVXjUYOWbvVd3qFajXmOCO-SeMCbGtEyJieTYoY_JbcSdAAt1vYfgkM65W-/s720/leigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTI2MRnycmHPtye8k1NCjODF6hEEEbJwiU5UexkVQgqfyli4sesp_IYm_QpUh3AwP0bNVpqH1zeKCUNKBVWVXjUYOWbvVd3qFajXmOCO-SeMCbGtEyJieTYoY_JbcSdAAt1vYfgkM65W-/s320/leigh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I sit down to write this, I can’t believe this will be my last summer as a gator. The past 13 years have gone by faster than ever imagined. At age 5 when I first began swimming, I had no idea what I was getting myself into other than simply going to swim practice and swimming in meets. But little did I know the gators would grow to become a community I’d never ever forget. </span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Over the years I was lucky enough to be coached by the best, Coach Paul, who always pushed me to do my best, despite the fact that I was never a constant A-meet swimmer. I’ll never forget the first time Paul brought all of us 11-12’s up to the big pool to watch the older kids play water polo where he said “get ready to join them next practice” with the biggest smirk on his face. That was the scariest swim practice of my life. But since that day I grew to look forward to playing, and beating my brother’s team, of course. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_5rBz-PVytJHqARKnToQAU_WkRbuWYHdcRvxKIa1z_Mx-Xrpe3OCmv60-REIb9yHrco-RznJe0Qk3MN2c5_wRV-s4mFIdU4evxOa6ycS8LaAsfQ0MIbNdeNbCHiXXIUg4MDLRiv0iMKl/s2048/20170626-DSC_0533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_5rBz-PVytJHqARKnToQAU_WkRbuWYHdcRvxKIa1z_Mx-Xrpe3OCmv60-REIb9yHrco-RznJe0Qk3MN2c5_wRV-s4mFIdU4evxOa6ycS8LaAsfQ0MIbNdeNbCHiXXIUg4MDLRiv0iMKl/s320/20170626-DSC_0533.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As I look back on my time as a gator, nothing but fun memories come to mind. From hot and sticky Monday night B-meets to fast flying fish to all-nighter coaches retreats to bloody sharks and minnows (shout out to Paige Humphreys), every minute has been a blast but boy has it flown by fast.<p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But aside from all the fun I’ve had, the gators have been so much more than just a summer swim team. The gators have served as a team, job, family, community, and place I’ll never forget.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">If you’re reading this and deciding whether or not to pay the fee to register your kid for summer swim, this is your sign - do it. This place has done more for me than I’ll ever be able to put into words, but one thing I can say is that it will change your life. I've disagreed with my parents on a lot of things (sorry Mom and Dad!) but this is one thing I’ll never argue with them about. Growing up as a Gator, I’ve been taught so many lessons both in and out of the water that I know I’ll use throughout my life.</span> </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyksyki0i4NvMqerwl7TG31v1IrqIQmBig2zOgwKnLOt3rAIcPqvE4GWXeyZTd7h_Bw11O-X23HT-ppF8qocdeKRZSSe1acEs81eDGQaJOSoIIxDZDKZEPi2wbamYRgtkEUaq2IvR-bRT/s828/seniorgator2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyksyki0i4NvMqerwl7TG31v1IrqIQmBig2zOgwKnLOt3rAIcPqvE4GWXeyZTd7h_Bw11O-X23HT-ppF8qocdeKRZSSe1acEs81eDGQaJOSoIIxDZDKZEPi2wbamYRgtkEUaq2IvR-bRT/s320/seniorgator2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’d like to thank the entire gator community for making the past 13 years nothing but fun. To the various coaches and team reps that have joined us over the years, thank you for pushing me to do my best and adding on to the wonderful MVP Gator experience. To my other senior Gators, thank you for giving me some lifelong friendships and memories I won’t ever forget.</span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />The MVP Gators have given me so much over the years and I’m so happy I was able to give just a little bit back by coaching the young ones and teaching them how to swim. So once again, if you’re on the fence about signing up for swim team, just do it. Trust me. You’ll see exactly what all us seniors are talking (and maybe crying) about soon ....</span></p>Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-366588041968272222021-07-12T16:06:00.002-04:002022-03-25T14:59:49.816-04:00Pool and a Pond - Langley A Meet<p> Continuing our theme from the last blog, let's start with a little more from Caddyshack. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9tFNbncymjY" width="320" youtube-src-id="9tFNbncymjY"></iframe></div><br /><p>"We have a pool and a pond. Pond would be good for you..." </p><p>If you haven't used that line 100 times at MVP, I just don't know what to say. Not only do we have an actual pool and a pond, but we have TWO pools and a pond. I mention this, because the meet on Saturday was another reminder of how lucky we are to be members at Mount Vernon Park. The trees, the picnic areas, the playground, the tennis courts, the gazebo, the pools, the pond... we have it all and it really is beautiful. Like most things in life, when you are close to them, it is easy to take things from granted. I find that the MVP grounds are one of those things I sometimes take for granted.</p><p>I showed up earlier than usual to the meet on Saturday because of some transportation management issues (i.e. I didn't want to walk...). And getting there early had me walking in as the Langley Wildthings were showing up and assembling in the inner parking lot. In the process of saying a few "hellos" and "welcomes" I ended up getting a half dozen compliments on the park and then overhead another half dozen as I walked in toward the pool. I'm sure the beautiful weather Saturday morning made it that much more impressive as the Wildthing families drove up and took their first looks at the sprawling acreage, the pond, the trees, the majesty... The amazement of first-time visitors when they come to the park is really something to behold and definitely makes me appreciate what we have even more. </p><p>I love that we have an old steel slide and big giant swings in the playground... without 157 inches of padding below to cushion the kids when they fall. </p><p>I love the string lights in the picnic area. </p><p>I love the new Weber grills and the new fridge in the pavilion. </p><p>I love the newly resurfaced tennis courts. </p><p>I love the "Founding Gator" mural in the bath house (you are missing something, ladies, if you haven't peeked in to see it). </p><p>I love the hill in back where the kids can roll down during swim breaks. </p><p>I love the bat house, even if the bat is never home. </p><p>I love that the bike parking lot is sometimes more full than the car parking lots. </p><p>And yes, I love that we have a pool and a pond. The pond really does anchor the park as a defining feature, in my opinion, more than the pools. Yes, the pools are the primary recreation draw to the park. But the pond defines the park: the fountain, the fishing pier and constant sight of members with lines in the water, the watchful gator stalking us from Blondin Island, the consistent presence of Dave Blondin and his remote controlled sailing yacht tacking around Blondin Island... I am fond of the pond. And so were our visitors on Saturday as they took in the beauty of the park. </p><p>To be honest, like Ty told Carl in the opening Caddyshack clip, maybe the pond would have been better for those visitors? Perhaps it would have slowed them down a bit and given us the chance to earn a few more points in this particular "A" Meet. (Kidding, of course.) </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFECU5WcYzdxY47GRKL8M1Dglzw4-eAz0JXONlemTRw1199HLHSkeQjAuhyDukD01riJNKdYRyPmwCp8QSG7mY7GVXMOl9k13TkbPmW4LKIIVPBhLmw9pXtL_McJ_MmmcYT76H-QkVgyEh/s1600/D71_1876.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFECU5WcYzdxY47GRKL8M1Dglzw4-eAz0JXONlemTRw1199HLHSkeQjAuhyDukD01riJNKdYRyPmwCp8QSG7mY7GVXMOl9k13TkbPmW4LKIIVPBhLmw9pXtL_McJ_MmmcYT76H-QkVgyEh/s320/D71_1876.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sportsmanship and Spirit Tchotchkes</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Anyway, since Langley came to town, there would be a swim meet (in the pool, not the pond). Langley is the presumptive D2 champion this year. It won't be official until next week, but its pretty much a done deal. And seeing how we have fared in our first three meets of the season, you can guess how this one was going to turn out in the end (Langley won by quite a bit). But as always, there are still a few good stories to tell within that meet. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSrSm0tvx0ek1VNl6W1JyGhIceqJF-qrJ5mPzf322bnaa1t9BpZWCYPMRTGa4NZAFl_cODqQaTPOz-lR9DUW1EqFLkg0lPC_guwEVDxRSf6pW0Qo9CfWDtk_7Kz05A_Wh_WsU28xpz5Nd/s1600/D71_1894.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSrSm0tvx0ek1VNl6W1JyGhIceqJF-qrJ5mPzf322bnaa1t9BpZWCYPMRTGa4NZAFl_cODqQaTPOz-lR9DUW1EqFLkg0lPC_guwEVDxRSf6pW0Qo9CfWDtk_7Kz05A_Wh_WsU28xpz5Nd/s320/D71_1894.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">College Day Cheers - Fight On! </td></tr></tbody></table><p>There was a high volume of Gator Excellence going on down in the 9-10 age groups this week. First on the list was Lincoln Jetton. Blog followers know that Lincoln is having a great season, and it only seems to continue getting better. Last week I mentioned that Lincoln was undefeated so far this season in all of his individual events. I will admit, I feared that I was going to get some backlash about that with cries of "You jinxed him!" if and when he lost this week... and he was supposed to lose, on paper. You see, I knew that Langley was bringing one of the three D2 swimmers with faster times than our stalwart Lincoln. He was supposed to lose. But he didn't. In what I hereby dub this week's Race of the Week, Lincoln not only cut time to overtake his opponent from Langley, but dropped the hammer so hard he beat him by over TWO seconds. Let that sink in. He had never swam as fast as his opponent before, but the will to win/refuse to lose mentality earned Lincoln another victory in a race that wasn't close. If you watched it in the meet, you didn't even know there was supposed to be drama. Amazing. Not only did he beat a previously faster swimmer, but he continued a three-week trend of getting faster every week: 37.37 in week 2, 36.76 in week 3, and 35.88 in week 4. Now that is putting in work! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEfiE5UEyGu1a_Ha6TE0yXF3sQ527iCYPff_ieCns8ULCIxgVP6tK7csJ1DFJHGA-R2eI-igTnNt2zgv4MR1mpHXUV_tAYeh2PbOypbhgDJj6-oZO4XD-00lNOISBX9AC9azEH1G_gf-X/s1600/D71_1926.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTEfiE5UEyGu1a_Ha6TE0yXF3sQ527iCYPff_ieCns8ULCIxgVP6tK7csJ1DFJHGA-R2eI-igTnNt2zgv4MR1mpHXUV_tAYeh2PbOypbhgDJj6-oZO4XD-00lNOISBX9AC9azEH1G_gf-X/s320/D71_1926.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln is auditioning for MVP of MVP this year. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>And the excitement is not over. You'll note that I said there were three swimmers ahead of Lincoln on the D2 ladder. With his victory, there are now only two, and both of them swim for Crosspointe, our opponents next week. As it should be. Can he do it again? I'm excited to watch. Make sure you do, too. It'll be Event 3, the Boys 9-10 Freestyle next week. I am definitely not betting against Lincoln. "Be the ball, Lincoln." </p><p>I did say there was a high volume of excellence in the 9-10 group this week, and Lincoln was just the beginning. Margaret Driscoll put in her own outstanding day at the office, coming home with two individual victories in the Free and Back, BOTH of which were time cuts to beat higher seeded opponents. She shaved about 3/4 of a second off her Free time to earn that victory, and then chopped the heck out of her backstroke time by over THREE seconds to earn the victory over her opponent by a slim 0.3 seconds. Not satisfied with those individual wins, Margaret also swam the anchor leg in the Medley Relay pulling out another photo finish victory over the Langley team 1:21.70 to 1:21.81. Quite a day for young Ms. Driscoll. And yes, as you have probably assumed... with that day, she earned herself the title of Swimmer of the Week. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HZhT7qjnvR5ShfsBglgeaj2dDDAHFIbNE9pdmt8QAXya_t5qQtqVqbMx6SoIhyphenhyphenl3i-p_B-0RYxosnVG3cJVGiHufLJzfrsuQZ5OKEkWPbfIY-KWRghwNTVcpgzriVrpAuicb1MnjU7w1/s1600/D71_2066.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HZhT7qjnvR5ShfsBglgeaj2dDDAHFIbNE9pdmt8QAXya_t5qQtqVqbMx6SoIhyphenhyphenl3i-p_B-0RYxosnVG3cJVGiHufLJzfrsuQZ5OKEkWPbfIY-KWRghwNTVcpgzriVrpAuicb1MnjU7w1/s320/D71_2066.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love when Dave Anderson gets the "photo finish" <br />on a race that needs a "photo finish." He's a Pro. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>I need to add one side note on Margaret. When I called her the "young Ms. Driscoll" I wasn't kidding. She's 9. I can tell you, as Blogger/Stat Guy, the Stat Guy side of my brain is very excited when I see swimmers in the bottom half of the age group doing such great stuff and then think about the things she's going to do next year when she's 10 and still swimming in this age group again. Not that there won't still be more exciting stuff this year, but next year... Oh, boy. Look out NVSL. </p><p>Okay, but I'm still not done with coverage of the 9-10's. I told you, they really got it done this week. </p><p>Keeping up with the pace of excellence, Kate Barber took first place in the Fly and third in the Free. And Evelyn Milito took second in the Breast. And then Elizabeth Kellogg, Evelyn, Kate, and Margaret teamed up for that aforementioned Medley Relay victory to earn the 9-10 girls the honor of Age Group of the Week. Outstanding week girls! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFLxSbSJsEiYathmAR5he3DFHvQurh8qQgJQU2SF8zmM6vRQsIBPYTyPlBliMiBndjcmSWo1_KGWgu8lSKnZbwwyQEwmChzQD2sx1rru9ECjtJrZbnDou0BYnwcKriSv2daUKzgqv1T3W/s1600/D71_2316.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFLxSbSJsEiYathmAR5he3DFHvQurh8qQgJQU2SF8zmM6vRQsIBPYTyPlBliMiBndjcmSWo1_KGWgu8lSKnZbwwyQEwmChzQD2sx1rru9ECjtJrZbnDou0BYnwcKriSv2daUKzgqv1T3W/s320/D71_2316.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's a high quality Fly photo as a victory memento. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Yes, there was more swim meet outside of the 9-10 events. George Schulte continued his outstanding year taking the victory in Backstroke and Matthew Makin took the Breast for the 13-14 boys. And Emily Makin made it another double on the day winning both the Breast and Fly for the 15-18 girls. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oxVmiFuSAJpbUmi7g-TycBNKovyUR63UwOt_32Lkd_aJiaN37zrMrVaywwWiA9guF_GKdCPkc3jOxbg6l_RTwE6fRqaIL3CuwBPX8n39wwY5UJ7Fp1v_7pgmCXApdD9GcZdumeM_sjVt/s1600/D71_2144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oxVmiFuSAJpbUmi7g-TycBNKovyUR63UwOt_32Lkd_aJiaN37zrMrVaywwWiA9guF_GKdCPkc3jOxbg6l_RTwE6fRqaIL3CuwBPX8n39wwY5UJ7Fp1v_7pgmCXApdD9GcZdumeM_sjVt/s320/D71_2144.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all about those starts and finishes. <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>And while relay victories proved tough to come by on this day, the girls were able to pull out three. In addition to the 9-10's discussed above, the 11-12 (Karly Whitehead, Reese Myers, Alexandra Myers, and Helen Milito) and 15-18 girls (Lily Palmerino, Olivia Heck, Emily Makin, and Juliana Skopp-Cardillo) also both won their Medley Relays. </p><p>Beautiful park. Check.</p><p>Great swimming. Check. </p><p>More Caddyshack references. Check. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2vfBLu4NdhsbdyTyrUH7jFPUgKnInGWI3hpMT4vIarfCJ2LLp2vnIYjODlyFZ3PAllV7ftLJ9R9RuYvu-D7K1TeD83cNgA7lZV3VVN8qylV3uBOl5zqew5VaegCUCdKVwhW6tX03ykg/s1600/D71_1965.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgB2vfBLu4NdhsbdyTyrUH7jFPUgKnInGWI3hpMT4vIarfCJ2LLp2vnIYjODlyFZ3PAllV7ftLJ9R9RuYvu-D7K1TeD83cNgA7lZV3VVN8qylV3uBOl5zqew5VaegCUCdKVwhW6tX03ykg/s320/D71_1965.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...starts and finishes. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hmmm. I feel like I am forgetting something... Ah! Graduating seniors! Can't forget them. This was senior day at MVP complete with tears, joy, and lots of "fin whacks" in the gauntlet. We bid farewell and congratulations to eight departing senior Gators: </p><p>Andre Zeitsev</p><p>Andrew Baker</p><p>Cecy Morales</p><p>Clarke Bayer</p><p>Juliana Skopp-Cardillo</p><p>Leigh Kovalsky</p><p>Olivia Heck</p><p>TJ Heck</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4GP6EFSG2MacU0f7eQNZ9-64uKUYk_rMRLLYCpi2gHHkOlT4UMoaUD2WNidfMPltR5cv4AQ3UYmlMczd5dfi47V-eJWbqxjNYrItgv-55eD0wXw1H2jQWJNqekM7pNcA-r8iin2OU3a6/s1600/D71_2419.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4GP6EFSG2MacU0f7eQNZ9-64uKUYk_rMRLLYCpi2gHHkOlT4UMoaUD2WNidfMPltR5cv4AQ3UYmlMczd5dfi47V-eJWbqxjNYrItgv-55eD0wXw1H2jQWJNqekM7pNcA-r8iin2OU3a6/s320/D71_2419.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#GatorsForLife</td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can go to the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-seniors" target="_blank">Gator Senior page</a> to read some information on each senior and be sure to check out their traditional "Reflections of a Gator" blog posts which are always wonderful to read. (We'll continue to post more as the others complete their write-ups... these are seniors, you know... deadlines are only suggestions.) </p><p>The <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aXtC0r-mWUl0ON3w8zC6sPvIqwsv0AVo/view" target="_blank">full meet results are available here</a>. </p><p>And all the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-photos-1" target="_blank">pictures are here</a>. </p><p>Go Gators! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5imYpu24Lqjdf1U9ADfrSM8GbL0xtaenIXeXbPe1nH389SJ4rcsBSUF3av59n7ZE03AY2l02cpNPOO38qFnEA14qFm3CukjiqPmuPBd9g1DuBlWOQgyqNxyVA6NQ3MWJUFLx7RwHQ7rK/s1600/D71_1875.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5imYpu24Lqjdf1U9ADfrSM8GbL0xtaenIXeXbPe1nH389SJ4rcsBSUF3av59n7ZE03AY2l02cpNPOO38qFnEA14qFm3CukjiqPmuPBd9g1DuBlWOQgyqNxyVA6NQ3MWJUFLx7RwHQ7rK/s320/D71_1875.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congrats Seniors! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgjTSMv9taz5JebNOXZcsWCwTQeqbN7AQHhnik5RVGr4NDhrExZGxRcUuh2_5at1aN36SVe-O-TpemdaPDBTf1Cs7brGtpzY7Ct9woZbxL8rtTxJrShSWmtZdY1SBAKVKOjjMdgn9-KPB/s1600/D71_1912.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgjTSMv9taz5JebNOXZcsWCwTQeqbN7AQHhnik5RVGr4NDhrExZGxRcUuh2_5at1aN36SVe-O-TpemdaPDBTf1Cs7brGtpzY7Ct9woZbxL8rtTxJrShSWmtZdY1SBAKVKOjjMdgn9-KPB/s320/D71_1912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still outpacing the rest of the parents with cheer swag. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p>Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-1844955816842595112021-07-11T10:24:00.002-04:002021-07-11T10:30:19.907-04:00By Height - Measuring Up at Divisional Relays<p>First, I think I owe the community an apology. In researching and preparing for this blog entry, I discovered something rather shocking... and disappointing. I've been doing the Gator blog for about five years now. And those of you who have been reading along with us know that I like to make quite a few movie references. Well, my idea for this blog was from one of my "go to" movies for general references, but I couldn't remember how many times, and how many scenes, I've already referenced from said movie in the past few years. So, I thought I should do a quick audit to make sure I wasn't recycling old content. And what did I find? Zero. Zilch. Nada. No references to Caddyshack at all! In nearly five years of blogging. I don't know what to say. I'm not sure how I allowed that to happen, and I am truly sorry. I will rectify that issue immediately. Caddyshack quotes aplenty! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2FGRVRzXZM" width="320" youtube-src-id="g2FGRVRzXZM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Judge Smails: Ty, what did you shoot today? </p><p>Ty: Oh, I don't keep score, Judge. </p><p>Judge: Oh, well, how do you measure yourself with other golfers? </p><p>Ty: By height. </p><p>Simple and classic. I love that line and try to us it in conversations whenever I can... and about 100 others from that movie, but don't we all? </p><p>But what does it have to do with Divisional Relays? Well, I was thinking about it, and I thought that maybe this was a good time to point out some other measurement techniques to evaluate our performance. "How do you measure yourself against other swimmers?" "By height."</p><p>Okay. Not exactly. But it is no secret that this season has been a challenging one at the team level. Our competition in D2 is especially strong this year, and we are collectively having an off year as even many of our best swimmers (save a few exceptions) aren't always hitting their elite level performances in the pool, which is asking a lot by the extremely high bar that our swimmers have set for themselves in previous seasons. But the goal of this "alternative measurement" is to show that while we may not always be hitting our own high expectations of elite performances, we are still doing great. And I thought a good way to benchmark that is by creating a virtual Relay Carnival meet between a bunch of the local Fort Hunt pools. So, I pulled the data from Wednesday and put together a comparison of how the Relay Carnival would have turned out if we swam against this group instead of D2, namely: Waynewood, Hollin Meadows, Stratford, Riverside Gardens, and Little Hunting Park. Along with MVP, that makes a tidy little division of six teams, the unofficial NVSL Fort Hunt Division. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxtTSQeUDhvP5A3BhqRfVYd2jfrlsK765I-7CFEtDEiIiqZdRADC6BD9c2lguLFGehNAa715rFdlHofRJZ0Yo1YfoAnTzkxGEX9ISis7ulOti-G03LbMxk7RWqbqjABRVb-WCpw1dc9YO/s6000/D71_1140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxtTSQeUDhvP5A3BhqRfVYd2jfrlsK765I-7CFEtDEiIiqZdRADC6BD9c2lguLFGehNAa715rFdlHofRJZ0Yo1YfoAnTzkxGEX9ISis7ulOti-G03LbMxk7RWqbqjABRVb-WCpw1dc9YO/s320/D71_1140.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Be the ball." </td></tr></tbody></table><p>As background, teams are scored on the following graduated scale in the Relay Carnival:</p><p>First place: 14 points</p><p>Second: 10 points</p><p>Third: 8 points</p><p>Fourth: 6 points</p><p>Fifth: 4 points</p><p>Sixth: 2 points</p><p>DQ: 0 points</p><p>So, using that scoring scale and pulling the times from all six teams, I put together a "Fort Hunt Division" Relay Carnival. Virtual, yes, but still fun to look at. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULuv5EzIbOJs7EFbPBJgho3Z064HnwJZB6hAdz7z6FgLtoWnJfalL974R3P7VA_D4PaSZLH2kmNbWIWoMIxrOBdI0mVwUCgmWa2sBeuSnfSekaeZ_B3Sce6jXIuZshfejNaSfweYmOGmt/s6000/D71_1463.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULuv5EzIbOJs7EFbPBJgho3Z064HnwJZB6hAdz7z6FgLtoWnJfalL974R3P7VA_D4PaSZLH2kmNbWIWoMIxrOBdI0mVwUCgmWa2sBeuSnfSekaeZ_B3Sce6jXIuZshfejNaSfweYmOGmt/s320/D71_1463.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"You buy a hat like that, I bet you get a free bowl of soup. Oh... <br />Looks good on you though."</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>So, how did things turn out? Pretty good for the Gators. The final scoring would have been: </p><p>1. Mount Vernon Park 228</p><p>2. Little Hunting Park 194</p><p>3. Waynewood 144</p><p>4. Riverside Gardens 136</p><p>5. Hollin Meadows 132 </p><p>6. Stratford 102</p><p>Not too shabby. A commanding victory for the Gators in the matchup of local teams. In the 22 relay events, the Gator teams would have come away with 10 victories, three 2nds, five 3rds, three 4ths, and no 5th or 6th place finishes (with one DQ). Little Hunting Park, as the nearest challenger, would have had seven race victories, while no other team would have had more than two. </p><p>I will take a quick paragraph here to give a shout-out to LHP for their virtual 2nd place finish. That amounts to quite a tectonic shift in the local pecking order of pools. As recently as 2015, LHP was in Division 15, but has been on a strong upward trajectory ever since. And looking closely at the "Fort Hunt Division" Relay Carnival data, it appears that ascension is poised to continue. A detailed analysis of the races shows an outsized share of the younger age group victories, including first or second in every 8 & under and 9-10 age group race. And, while they currently sit in Division 9, they are 4-0 this season, which ensures promotion next season. The NVSL wisdom dictates that teams with strong lower age groups tend climb the NVSL ladder as those age groups grow. In Caddyshack terms, we may be the Judge Smails/Dr. Beeper defending club champions on the local course, but LHP has done well in the caddy tournament and is making a challenge for supremacy. So, well done LHP, and I for one will be checking over my shoulder in the next year or three to see if they continue the charge up the ranks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R15eVTTfRA9QVXpfpSGdZSI4g9D_qXwIX02iunNN-oK4Hhin2T-ltjyklY43njFPjin8Zv2m-fQzTBWlotU8tNDqRMpzM6sWsXhTvmYW3wqpLBBUaRcUcmI33SkPyavisfd0HnBPNSFE/s1600/D71_0975.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5R15eVTTfRA9QVXpfpSGdZSI4g9D_qXwIX02iunNN-oK4Hhin2T-ltjyklY43njFPjin8Zv2m-fQzTBWlotU8tNDqRMpzM6sWsXhTvmYW3wqpLBBUaRcUcmI33SkPyavisfd0HnBPNSFE/s320/D71_0975.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I want a hamburger, no a cheeseburger. I want a hot dog. I want a milkshake."</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>But enough about LHP. The main point of this analysis was to look at how the MVP relays stacked up versus the local teams. And the answer is GREAT. </p><p>MVP's ten victories would have been in both mixed age free relays, 9-10G Medley, 11-12G Medley, 15-18G Medley, 9-10G Free, 11-12G Free, 13-14B Free, 15-18G Free, and 15-18B Free. </p><p>Yeah, I know, virtual meets aren't quite as satisfying as the real thing... but I do think it is good to put our team's performance in context, which I think this comparison does nicely. With that context, I hope everyone can see how well our team did relatively speaking, viewed from outside the lens of D2. But, this is a blog about the actual D2 Relay Carnival. So, with all that previous discussion as pretext, let's go ahead and dive into the actual results of the D2 relays. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPNliUUspUAjCoRadOfFFUtrs1z1syrdnvfuZm9g3kxSrT1l7FxTVGmOErehNIyhvueXQXpj_rkg1npEYWUiIPMhxedSHf1SBCwZJZ5DDZqQJjSsotFrcE_hleN_RUogQWewXEMrhHAg6/s6000/D71_1739.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPNliUUspUAjCoRadOfFFUtrs1z1syrdnvfuZm9g3kxSrT1l7FxTVGmOErehNIyhvueXQXpj_rkg1npEYWUiIPMhxedSHf1SBCwZJZ5DDZqQJjSsotFrcE_hleN_RUogQWewXEMrhHAg6/s320/D71_1739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Big hitter, the Lama..." </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Gators came in sixth place with 116 points, while Crosspointe took home the trophy with 190. The full results are <a href="https://www.mynvsl.com/results/26140?back=dv" target="_blank">online here</a>. </p><p>MVP's top performance on the night was the Boys 13-14 Freestyle Relay (George Schulte, Matthew Makin, Jack Alzona, & Alex North) which placed 2nd. The same group was also in the 13-14 Medley, but unfortunately DQ'd in that one. They are the 2nd ranked team in D2 for the 100m Medley, so we can assume that, if not for the DQ, they'd have been near the top of the 200m Medley, too. </p><p>There were six MVP teams that finished in 3rd place: </p><p>Boys Mixed Age Free Relay - Sam Bruce, Lincoln Jetton, Alex North, Clark Bayer</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp2cr2jPkVAoeSyw6luqLZKf2J__1qT9qHb7aVAz59MDOPBFlS8q2-B6DwA7bdrsHBrLMKxRw8SKSQWr79mkRLTtj2rmMuVixvaDwI-epAPeXCxtFXuzGvoP1GAFbTO3afo8XBtmtIUFA/s6000/D71_1178.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrp2cr2jPkVAoeSyw6luqLZKf2J__1qT9qHb7aVAz59MDOPBFlS8q2-B6DwA7bdrsHBrLMKxRw8SKSQWr79mkRLTtj2rmMuVixvaDwI-epAPeXCxtFXuzGvoP1GAFbTO3afo8XBtmtIUFA/s320/D71_1178.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"So, I've got that going for me... which is nice." </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Girls 9-10 Medley Relay(*16) - Elizabeth Kellogg, Evelyn Milito, Kate Barber, Margaret Driscoll</p><p>Girls 11-12 Medley Relay(*Alt) - Karly Whitehead, Reese Myers, Alexandra Myers, Helen Milito</p><p>Girls 9-10 Free Relay(*17) - Evelyn Milito, Kate Barber, Andrea Morales, Margaret Driscoll</p><p>Girls 11-12 Free Relay(*18) - Karly Whitehead, Alexandra Myers, Julia Himes, Helen Milito</p><p>Boys 11-12 Free Relay - Sam Bruce, Ty Mills, Rhett Butler, Anthony Sarro</p><p>We had four teams qualify for All-Star Relays (meaning that they are in the top-18 of all relay times in the NVSL). Additionally, we had three teams come in as alternates in the 19th or 20th spots. The asterisks (*) above indicate those teams and their seeding. The teams below swam so fast, against such strong competition, that even though they finished outside the top-3 in their Divisional races, their times were still good enough to get the All-Star bids or alternate nods: </p><p>9-10 Boys Medley (*Alt) - Jackson Saloom, Lincoln Jetton, Andrew Wiggers, Jacob Milito</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpQIOXze4rKgsiemQZnAdMNYtxrCXrRxi6A2h97Hh21lMIBpF_5xWVrb9LjXa_3Ezvi2JwQXsJ92GfZxpOGpFaGRsauy5C9eCGxEXO-6z5u39zyxravwwFUDVy5OYbzXFTRZTLM26ywbI/s6000/D71_1167.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpQIOXze4rKgsiemQZnAdMNYtxrCXrRxi6A2h97Hh21lMIBpF_5xWVrb9LjXa_3Ezvi2JwQXsJ92GfZxpOGpFaGRsauy5C9eCGxEXO-6z5u39zyxravwwFUDVy5OYbzXFTRZTLM26ywbI/s320/D71_1167.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"He's a Cinderella story...outta nowhere"</td></tr></tbody></table><p>15-18 Girls Medley (*17) - Lily Palmerino, Olivia Blondin, Emily Makin, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo</p><p>15-18 Girls Free (*Alt) - Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Lily Palmerino, Caroline Miller, Emily Makin</p><p>In a normal season, these teams would all get to gather for the All-Star Relay Carnival, which along with the Divisional Relays, are normally my favorite meets of the year. But while we are mostly back to a post-Covid normal routine for the swim season, the All-Star Relay event was one of the casualties that the league was not quite ready to undertake yet. The higher concentration of teams all in one meet was deemed to be just a bit too risky for this year. But we should be back in business next year. </p><p>So, there's the results, and some context that hopefully helps put things in perspective. Another Relay Carnival in the books. </p><p>Go Gators! </p><p>I will take a moment to add... the Relay Carnival was held at McLean. While a great pool with terrific parking and nice facilities, it was not the best spectator location for Relays. Everybody wants to watch these exciting races, and the limited deck space for spectators at McLean was a bit of a downer in a normally spectacularly fun event. What we need for an event like this is a pool that has a hill or some elevated space next to the pool where spectators can all sit and watch the races in their "stadium seating," cheering on the racers. Anyone know of a pool like that? Hmmm. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9i1yiXBcrzBwJ7ljXqfKNasIpGwxF6QrhOEsOmF3ESu51AvtamJoIKHMLQuJGXsslPpe1E8NMdUyKIxqbXp6t800ar9iIENmhKcbu7Yxijk3JLjhjYJ3BKCT2KMYA1tg8n4kGBFMX5xf/s1600/20170624-DSC_0073.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9i1yiXBcrzBwJ7ljXqfKNasIpGwxF6QrhOEsOmF3ESu51AvtamJoIKHMLQuJGXsslPpe1E8NMdUyKIxqbXp6t800ar9iIENmhKcbu7Yxijk3JLjhjYJ3BKCT2KMYA1tg8n4kGBFMX5xf/s320/20170624-DSC_0073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey, you scratched my anchor!"</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>(<a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP2hDC0Jmf8I9rMpt0Xqjmw3N1NYvGSYjDog0cRYs9nqJ6e84JznCV3hfdczR0OVQ?key=NXkwWlNvVkRNOWFsVnViTC1yZDdhSlp6OXpPbkZn" target="_blank">More photos here.</a>) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-5207956246063537902021-07-09T09:24:00.001-04:002021-07-09T11:45:57.384-04:00Reflections of a Gator by Juliana Skopp-Cardillo<p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every year my family and
friends ask me what I am going to do over the summer and my answer is always
the same: “summer swim.” It is my favorite time of the year. The weather is
warm, the sun is shining, and the smell of chlorine fills the air. For 14 years
I have been a Mount Vernon Park gator. I have been able to compete in my
favorite sport, with my best friends, while learning how to be a leader and
passing on traditions to the younger swimmers.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAvIjbrVRW9ZheF5Bm7dC7MZXLANT0GwtGdbUbaOXnppKvzyO3aAHw0jq3QtPhPCWYIduOq_w99RjoraW1UdTqrZOTA-kENrFLaNGufoj4nvWhFrOWrBPsWsj6Vot6_QIiuQTjP2QD9C9/s384/IMG_6481.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="274" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAvIjbrVRW9ZheF5Bm7dC7MZXLANT0GwtGdbUbaOXnppKvzyO3aAHw0jq3QtPhPCWYIduOq_w99RjoraW1UdTqrZOTA-kENrFLaNGufoj4nvWhFrOWrBPsWsj6Vot6_QIiuQTjP2QD9C9/s320/IMG_6481.JPG" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Believe it or not when I
started at MVP at the age of five I absolutely despised swimming. I got so
nervous for practices and meets that I would cry my way out of the water. The
stories Kelli Makin could tell. Once I finally got up the courage to swim my parents
bribed me by offering me things like silly bands or Chick-fil-A sandwiches. My
older sister Rachel who first got me in the water would try to trick me into
races too. Now I enjoy every second of every event and I am able to help the
little gators who have similar anxieties that I had.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every year I looked up
to the oldest swimmers and wished that I could be them, but now that I am in
their position, I don’t want to say goodbye. I am going to miss getting up
early in the morning and seeing my swim buddies' smiles and crazy bedheads. I
am going to miss going out to lunch after an away A meet and watching the
waiters be blown away by how much food our group can eat. I am going to miss
making crafts at the pep rallies after Friday morning practices. I am going to
miss dressing up for meets like a superhero or painting myself green. I am
going to miss teaching the little kids how to blow bubbles instead of holding
their breath. I am going to miss the caravan to meets and seeing other drivers
stare in confusion wondering where we were all going so early in the morning. I
could go on and on about all the incredible memories I have had at MVP. While
all these memories are small, altogether they have everything to do with what
this pool means to me. It’s more than just winning blue ribbons. It’s a family.
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOskiMg_OgUW1TvvRqD3_T8jx7DKls22WK6lYfe3OIVoo0UtAHs9d9ZJGxXDZhLL5GIpte-rHEoDyuPz7YQbljdWSgYd9vV6uPQ0WU1h6BtN2LXRJPDtXlfk3u_dyeOcdJDi8mjvo9QI2x/s720/IMG_6482%25281%2529.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOskiMg_OgUW1TvvRqD3_T8jx7DKls22WK6lYfe3OIVoo0UtAHs9d9ZJGxXDZhLL5GIpte-rHEoDyuPz7YQbljdWSgYd9vV6uPQ0WU1h6BtN2LXRJPDtXlfk3u_dyeOcdJDi8mjvo9QI2x/s320/IMG_6482%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While I have helped set
records, competed in individual all stars and all star relays many years, and
gotten several medals and awards, none of that really matters. The memories of
my friends and the time we spent together are what count and are enough to last
a lifetime. I know that I will remember my amazing times at MVP forever. I
don’t have enough words to describe the impact that this team has had on me. </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWA_37N1RNy8EIB7ATc_X8FlPptQYK1qsy8Pe1hlWdh3eAeigaJBL5SBQkNTyUbVSV-34xbJOc6Rc0H3NFBwknoY009yaY5t0KTRenYqBoKHe0PWp9IoZlNyMdYUnbObaki5pJbGeZjL0y/s384/julianacostume.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWA_37N1RNy8EIB7ATc_X8FlPptQYK1qsy8Pe1hlWdh3eAeigaJBL5SBQkNTyUbVSV-34xbJOc6Rc0H3NFBwknoY009yaY5t0KTRenYqBoKHe0PWp9IoZlNyMdYUnbObaki5pJbGeZjL0y/s320/julianacostume.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could not have been a
part of MVP all these years without some help. I would like to thank my parents
for always supporting me, always cheering me on, and of course driving me to
swim practices and meets at all times of the day. Thanks to Coach Paul for
tolerating me and my talkative personality, teaching me life lessons in and out
of the pool, and for being the goofiest but best coach ever. I would also like
to thank the various team reps over the years and everyone who has made my
experience as a gator that much better. <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next year I will be
attending Montclair State University in New Jersey. I will be majoring in
fashion design and furthering my swim career on the MSU swim team. My future
goal is to expand on my fashion brand Out Of The Blu by creating a sustainable
fashion line that has low or zero environmental impact. As someone who spends a
lot of time in the water, reducing the amount of chemicals dumped into our
waterways from cheap clothing production is an important mission to me. An
important mission just like swimming each year with MVP. Some words of advice
never give up and just keep swimming gators! Last triple gator grunt on 3, 1…
2… 3…! </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyED-CHTKZssITAtcGVejMuVWz6fLEfAunGrrHeQ56Um-7aMifuPZTXvRYqgNTdewEy9rES3hWn1c_dQgn0aA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p></p>Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-81100223443317918702021-07-08T18:25:00.002-04:002021-07-08T19:06:25.996-04:00Reflections of a Gator by TJ Heck<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR11ZhUXUkjhtj9p0ETZGXpsT2vGnk-X0AI9aJTqQKjm9_pHkcJEjyBiXyrGzNlMUdxw4Sfe6XtWonRqYXKcG0xAhg_oFDifwjQbFpS3-NJaRIBkEknJhTDY4CC5gBL2nRRrGPnpxYhwMs/s2048/baby+TJ.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR11ZhUXUkjhtj9p0ETZGXpsT2vGnk-X0AI9aJTqQKjm9_pHkcJEjyBiXyrGzNlMUdxw4Sfe6XtWonRqYXKcG0xAhg_oFDifwjQbFpS3-NJaRIBkEknJhTDY4CC5gBL2nRRrGPnpxYhwMs/s320/baby+TJ.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s hard to believe that after 13 years, I’m here writing my farewell address. Over the last years, no matter how crazy the year was, the one thing that remained constant would be summer swim. My parents were let off the waitlist when I was 2 years old, and since then I’ve spent ample amounts of time in every part of the park. A few years later, at the innocent age of 5, my parents registered me and my sister for the gators. What did all that mean to me at that age? Countless runs on the hill, red light green light, and my tactile defensiveness surfacing from the sticky dew on the grass. This prevented me from showcasing my lack of experience and manifested by my being last in the pool because “my feet were too dirty.”<br /></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">My earliest memory of being a gator would be a B meet in 2008 or 2009. Now, at the time I was not aware it was a B meet. After seeing Mr. Fulgum and other dads setting up the tent, I knew my mom had fabricated her words to not set me off. Well, it didn’t work. As I pieced the situation together, I immediately began to throw a tantrum and cry all the water out of my body, pleading, begging, my mom to not do this to me. In the end, I swam and it’s all a blur now. </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6bX2SClIjBGzKAWtH2YTYKhoghhyphenhyphen3zDi1j4-A_uxBsWwrzyiKuRWJ_YTsmYtRvoAViRQ7GWua4UAiHj-jwNGw3KtbwSE6xSvWqrArdT9dvEJvSVvnkmRuGk9_Hs149CwvZrKgdeEYZPr/s443/tjmid.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6bX2SClIjBGzKAWtH2YTYKhoghhyphenhyphen3zDi1j4-A_uxBsWwrzyiKuRWJ_YTsmYtRvoAViRQ7GWua4UAiHj-jwNGw3KtbwSE6xSvWqrArdT9dvEJvSVvnkmRuGk9_Hs149CwvZrKgdeEYZPr/s320/tjmid.jpg" /></a></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">My experience being a gator was much more than dirty feet and being last in the lane. Over the course of my Gator career I have created some of the most rewarding memories to this day. My two highlights being placing 3rd and 5th at All Star Relays in 2015 & 2017 respectively. Besides those, I am thankful for experiencing the gross sweaty B meet afternoons, the too early to function morning A meets, and the pep rallies on Friday mornings. <br /></span></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Last summer while I was walking out after giving a few lessons, Eddie and I were having a conversation, and he told me that when he was my age, “this was the place to be.” I didn’t think anything of it at the time but as I’m now writing this, it makes sense. I believe that the park itself but furthermore the Gators has not lost it’s element in all the years the team has been active. The park and the Gators have facilitated a different kind of growth for me both in and out of the water, one that I would not be able to achieve anywhere else. I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve received and the experiences I’ve lived through since being a little gator. </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3kZQ2Sbud-O-gfPU7PBTCbKUmM474c6U7-kj961blcJkBCgSnKL9ghOmq5N2s0C9XZob3TsNEiur7SEGBAL6q_xDGj7e_juTBjbWT7Fg9hOlgE3yn65aVA8OVEdDSJ2ndUrg1y8677Jt/s720/tjswim.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3kZQ2Sbud-O-gfPU7PBTCbKUmM474c6U7-kj961blcJkBCgSnKL9ghOmq5N2s0C9XZob3TsNEiur7SEGBAL6q_xDGj7e_juTBjbWT7Fg9hOlgE3yn65aVA8OVEdDSJ2ndUrg1y8677Jt/s320/tjswim.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">To close I’d like to thank the Bolgers, the Phalens, and Rose and Jamey for making summer swim nothing less of an incredible experience throughout my childhood. To Kellee Brotherton, Kelli Makin, Emily Bayer, Laurel Greszler, and Paul Makin thank you for investing your time into this team and especially in me. To past gators who may read this, thank you for showing me what being a gator is all about and encouraging me to do my best. To my graduating senior gators, it’s been great to grow up with you all. For the younger gators, keep working hard and being kind to one another. </span></div></div><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><div style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Once a gator, always a gator. </span></div></div></blockquote><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-77693733401381210702021-07-05T08:37:00.006-04:002021-07-05T08:52:51.706-04:00Rollercoasters - "A" Meet vs Wakefield Chapel<p></p>I am a pretty big fan of rollercoasters. One of my favorites is Apollo's Chariot down at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. It's powerful and fast, with exciting drops, but it does so in a very classy way. There are no unnecessary flips and turns. No loops or corkscrews to make your head hurt. Just lots of great speed and that sense of floating and falling as you coast through the steel hills. Contrast that with a similar roller coaster at Kings Dominion- the Intimidator 305. The Intimidator also has the huge drops and exhilarating speed, and also avoids the unnecessary fluff of loops and flips. And looking at the numbers, it even falls a little farther and goes a little faster than its counterpart, Apollo's Chariot. But it is not as enjoyable. The Intimidator is just too aggressive. In trying to be better than Apollo's Chariot, the Intimidator goes too far... it goes beyond the limits of what makes a roller coaster fun. The drop is actually so high and the first curve so tight, that the G-Force has a history of causing people to black out. Even more, the turns are so abrupt and sharp that riders have their heads uncomfortably slammed back and forth against the restraints while hammering through the high speed curves. Contrast that with Apollo's Chariot which doesn't even have any restraints on the shoulders or near your head... the ride is so smooth and enjoyable that riders only need a lap restraint to hold them in the open-style coaster. The first time you ride it, it almost makes you wonder if the restraint is going to be enough, but it is. The classic style of Apollo's Chariot makes that simplicity work. The over-the-top, in-your-face assault of the Intimidator requires a lot more restraint to keep riders safe. I'm sure there are some out there who prefer the Intimidator and other similar coasters. But for me it's the Chariot. Smooth speed and exhilaration all the way. <div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeqMW95mkrNFGonJEuGQmSBZwwAxXn1veaVdzVGyq8Z9gjE04nAeX9cDSF1TMQ-JaEegs5l-2Ic3T27X0JV6ejXUSJAyOLkqwmYB7DUzJLfGLTY6-iUhmkjHyg1UcSXPnJW2TBc6J1f9z/s2048/2AB9F726-2A2B-475A-A85E-8C0E7166FF2A.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFeqMW95mkrNFGonJEuGQmSBZwwAxXn1veaVdzVGyq8Z9gjE04nAeX9cDSF1TMQ-JaEegs5l-2Ic3T27X0JV6ejXUSJAyOLkqwmYB7DUzJLfGLTY6-iUhmkjHyg1UcSXPnJW2TBc6J1f9z/s320/2AB9F726-2A2B-475A-A85E-8C0E7166FF2A.jpeg" /></a></div><div><br /><p></p><p>Why the coaster discussion? Well, I do think they provide a good metaphor (or two) for swim meets. And I do like coasters. And its the Fourth of July, so amusement park stuff seems like a good topic for the day/season. I think the primary hallmark of roller coasters is that there are lots of ups and downs. Sure, there are lots of other variables that can be introduced, but the up and down is the main thing. Summer swim seasons, and meets, definitely have lots of ups and downs, too. Sometimes you start fast, sometimes slow. Through the highs and lows, you have fun and generally want to do it again. Your experience on that coaster (or swim season) may determine which one you go on next, perhaps take a ride on the same one again, or perhaps try a harder or easier one. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROAo2T3tA5bUQ6TpffJSnXQwRppudcURVx2QX_akCntgQa0naLdE0mUoYFbfdApZjK8rM4GMH4GINXH2oYy4GMjXWW-6X4fXkS6YPO-Ppa4805G2rFvBraCVo5tKqiMacUc2QjO25Y7LJ/s4898/D71_0168.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROAo2T3tA5bUQ6TpffJSnXQwRppudcURVx2QX_akCntgQa0naLdE0mUoYFbfdApZjK8rM4GMH4GINXH2oYy4GMjXWW-6X4fXkS6YPO-Ppa4805G2rFvBraCVo5tKqiMacUc2QjO25Y7LJ/s320/D71_0168.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other team's theme was "Wild Animal Safari"... these guys were just wild. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This week's meet at Wakefield Chapel definitely had a roller coaster feel to it. I heard from quite a few people that rumor had it that this was our best chance for a team win this season, so there were high expectations as we waited nervously in line to start the ride. We've grown accustomed to a fast start this season as we've rocketed out of the start in each of our meets thus far, however this one was a little bumpy. We didn't get that initial lead in the beginning and the riders grew nervous as we began rolling DOWN the track instead of up. But midway through Freestyle things started to pick up as the wobbling coaster found its track. Lincoln Jetton won his event for the 9-10 boys and then Sam Bruce and Helen Milito both earned the blue ribbons in the 11-12 races. As the 13-14 boys stood on deck, it felt like the coaster was tipping over the edge and ready to fly... and Alex North, Gavin Fore, and Jack Alzona claimed their first "clean sweep" of the day AND put the Gators ahead 34-29 in the meet. Ahhh... there is that exhilaration. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGO0UJCA_gl2oDsb-AmADzI58PxL8b0JPlmigMF0YbtPsBxWrf-bB-kvZEPaEcLId_GSR4NezfPAHGokDYa_hkO31ktj-wtTGdqsfvp2cFOCiXdQHN5tD2Y3L9ir_M73_axmlc3lW1MCc/s4898/D71_0244.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGO0UJCA_gl2oDsb-AmADzI58PxL8b0JPlmigMF0YbtPsBxWrf-bB-kvZEPaEcLId_GSR4NezfPAHGokDYa_hkO31ktj-wtTGdqsfvp2cFOCiXdQHN5tD2Y3L9ir_M73_axmlc3lW1MCc/s320/D71_0244.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out that winning time.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Gators kept pace as the coaster made its way through some small features. In the Backstroke, Alex Kellogg won the 8&under race, Jackson Saloom took the win for the 9-10 boys, and Karly Whitehead won for the 11-12 girls. Next up were the 13-14 boys, who put in "clean sweep" #2 with George Schulte, Joe Mills, and Gavin Fore taking all the ribbons. Up, down, up... this roller coaster was proving to be an exciting one. </p><p>Things did start to get a little bumpy. And there was definitely some of that in-your-face roller coaster aggression that made our heads bang around a bit too much. But, after losing a few in a row in those dreaded corkscrew loops, Lincoln Jetton was able to get the coaster back on track with another win in the 9-10 Breast (That's 6 for 6 on the season for Lincoln, in case you weren't keeping track.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik5aqR4BViXj5BJ645RgsokexjhXljzowMuWssAu4cdeO_jRpOihtEUfQ-W0KAnxjyEAXVxNOZ1cJ84SHL6Ne3ZvcW_aKJNQ7KjB1K8FppHDTy3qFHTWJ3L8AzccB-xlNPhUbYlZkIerY/s4898/D71_0391.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik5aqR4BViXj5BJ645RgsokexjhXljzowMuWssAu4cdeO_jRpOihtEUfQ-W0KAnxjyEAXVxNOZ1cJ84SHL6Ne3ZvcW_aKJNQ7KjB1K8FppHDTy3qFHTWJ3L8AzccB-xlNPhUbYlZkIerY/s320/D71_0391.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head down... time going down... Victory.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>And that lead up to one of the best Gator wins of the day in the 13-14 Girls Breaststroke. Abigail Litonjua put in her best race of the season and dropped a quarter second to upset two of the Wahoos by 0.02 seconds and earn the 5-point victory. What a close race. Interestingly, even at a 0.02 margin, it was still NOT the closest race of the day... more on that later. With such a great time drop to leapfrog over her competition in such a key race, Abigail earned the coveted title of Swimmer of the Week for this one. And she gets to sit in the front row on the next ride. </p><p>Emily Makin finished off the Breaststroke events with a win for the 15-18 girls. After three events, the roller coaster ride was fun and exciting... but it was feeling a little more like the Intimidator than Apollo's Chariot. Wakefield Chapel had steadily outpaced MVP to about a 40 point lead. </p><p>We were able to earn three move victories in the Butterfly races. Kate Barber won the 9-10 Fly in a personal best time of 18.77 breaking the 19 second threshold for the first time... that's the kind of drop we really like to see- in the pool and on roller coasters. Sam Bruce won for the 11-12 boys, and Emily Makin for the 15-18 girls. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLdu2CG8E0LXrDcYd7X2xJDEjonnnQWkfjcGqb-ENchz5s5bM687AqlsHI7r0UbqA1WJkMMZLHG5eKF9pvX3CqkSi2sdqaXi6GQ5NMkx5bUrn-NaOhZD20Baz7k00Y3SyN9Wmw4o2tisB/s4898/D71_0432.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLdu2CG8E0LXrDcYd7X2xJDEjonnnQWkfjcGqb-ENchz5s5bM687AqlsHI7r0UbqA1WJkMMZLHG5eKF9pvX3CqkSi2sdqaXi6GQ5NMkx5bUrn-NaOhZD20Baz7k00Y3SyN9Wmw4o2tisB/s320/D71_0432.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome Fly photo, AND a new PR! </td></tr></tbody></table><p>At the end of the individual events, the Gators were down a little over 50 points. And with 60 points remaining in the relay events, there was still a chance.... if we won all 12 relays. That didn't happen. </p><p>But we were still on this roller coaster, and let me tell you, there were still some interesting twists and turns ahead! </p><p>The 8&under girls (Emily Moore, Lauren Rudy, Alex Kellogg, and Elizabeth Miller) took the win in their Freestyle relay. And then the 9-10 boys lost their Medley in a nail-biter as both teams cut time from their previous bests in a close, fast race... which set the stage for the 9-10 girls Medley Relay. Oh, what a race. This one had the smooth, classy excitement of Apollo's Chariot, alright...</p><p>The swimmers were very close through each leg of the relay (Back, Breast, Fly...), but the Wahoo's had progressively opened up about a body-length lead heading in to the final Freestyle leg. And that is where this ride gets interesting. In fact, as I watched the final leg of the race I couldn't help but be reminded of "The Swim" as we now call it. That fabled final leg from back in 2018. In case you are new around here or haven't thought about it in a while, now is a great time to watch it again, before we continue. (I will pause to let you watch this short video as you prepare for the final excitement of this particular ride... and if you want to read about "The Swim," its in the <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2018/07/div-relays-part-deux-details-records.html" target="_blank">archives here</a>.): </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b3ayGK9tbpY" width="320" youtube-src-id="b3ayGK9tbpY"></iframe></div><br /><p>Okay, that was awesome. But so was Andrea Morales' final leg in the 9-10 Medley Relay on this day. Apparently Andrea decided to channel her inner Donovan Kovalsky and dropped the hammer to overtake her Wahoo opponent and come from behind to win the race by 0.01 seconds! Race of the Week- no question. Possibly Race of the Season! It was awesome. I don't have the same video of the girls race, but it definitely had the same feel. So, you can just watch "The Swim" video again and imagine Margaret Driscoll, Evelyn Milito, Kate Barber, and Andrea Morales in the roles of the boys from "The Swim." Great race. Great finish. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ttzSxZ7djdZL-t0YK6rd8GA3m85-kXAgy8cTAWSPGoaW0dwG9KNLuuXntZiXwJ70rChPnW9Stsf81-JHUwXOY-ZlvEvFpPYqsvjGu-mYnR2wSa8_WQqGckGZ-y36OljqQnau-0lEg6kd/s4898/D71_0549.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ttzSxZ7djdZL-t0YK6rd8GA3m85-kXAgy8cTAWSPGoaW0dwG9KNLuuXntZiXwJ70rChPnW9Stsf81-JHUwXOY-ZlvEvFpPYqsvjGu-mYnR2wSa8_WQqGckGZ-y36OljqQnau-0lEg6kd/s320/D71_0549.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head down. No breaths. Come from behind victory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The 11-12 boys and girls both won their Medley Relays, too, though without quite the same drama. </p><p>The 13-14 boys won their relay in a landslide capping off a terrific day for our Age Group of the Week. If you weren't tracking the updates above, the 13-14 boys had two clean sweeps (in Free and Back) and also took 2nd/3rd in both the Breast (Matthew Makin and Shaan Nagda) and Fly (Alex North and Matthew Makin), and then the team (George Schulte, Matthew Makin, Alex North, and Gavin Fore) won the Relay by a wide margin. All tallied up, they took 31 out of a possible 41 points on the day to lead the Gators. As runners up in last week's AGOTW competition, it looks like these boys decided to leave no doubt this time. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6WKmby8U-dAmUS3PRTDvVXuGbuahUPbzxTFWcb2W2rabgdgqU4rgIwkpt71C_JKkhdkkRApZvmkndjj79ql1U0bO7y1HTfF4E1a8ZutgyMntVUZP6nhisW0UaYWqupgVP7ncYnwUB8kK/s4898/D71_0093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6WKmby8U-dAmUS3PRTDvVXuGbuahUPbzxTFWcb2W2rabgdgqU4rgIwkpt71C_JKkhdkkRApZvmkndjj79ql1U0bO7y1HTfF4E1a8ZutgyMntVUZP6nhisW0UaYWqupgVP7ncYnwUB8kK/s320/D71_0093.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you see this week's blog? We won AGOTW. I love reading the blog. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was a fun ride. That said, I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that maybe, just maybe, this amusement park we are at this summer, and these big, bad roller coasters, are just a bit out of our range. But while we're here let's have fun and enjoy it. And if the roller coasters are too scary, we can always try some other rides. Another favorite ride of mine is the "Drop Tower" style ride. It is different from the roller coaster in that there isn't as much up and down drama. It's pretty much just free-fall. Yeah. See you next week. Not that there's a metaphor here. </p><p>Go Gators. </p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dyv8Vzw1cMlUJXxDwFkvQz4lfNjYr_Z0/view" target="_blank">All Results. </a></p><p><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-photos-1" target="_blank">All Pictures</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eed5stVei3CdFrEVhO6WQhA9zl9zMa9Pz4h-RCNyusPyfSRBmJNe8wLx2Vlt0kTBJZnJA0DNekg3yTycoCNf8j45XDT0sxgn-W87WXKv2EoK1mMJCveizyoRxQ59qLOmRMhaeW0PTMJ4/s4898/D71_0485.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eed5stVei3CdFrEVhO6WQhA9zl9zMa9Pz4h-RCNyusPyfSRBmJNe8wLx2Vlt0kTBJZnJA0DNekg3yTycoCNf8j45XDT0sxgn-W87WXKv2EoK1mMJCveizyoRxQ59qLOmRMhaeW0PTMJ4/s320/D71_0485.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High quality cheer gear right here. <br />I think the rest of the parents have some work to do.... just sayin'. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-57738258053864300052021-07-02T19:14:00.008-04:002021-07-11T10:32:40.957-04:00Americana<p>This will probably be considered "pool blasphemous," but I don't love "B" meets. They are held in the late afternoon/early evening, and it is often very hot. The bugs are usually out. It's hectic making all the things happen that need to happen at that time of day, which is after work, camps, or whatever. And, the elephant in the room... we are just so darn big of a team, that every "B" meet we go to takes a LONG time. A LOOOONG time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyFAPTfFNjFp2gk4i5xh9bvCTQ9qweNHBHBolxg0DK4A9ppSRS5jxJkk9LxZHmcxK9UrtKVH629bFvy9hNYqoczpkLwGW7lAxjs9dlfeb6UITgLQ18DYgc7eGrWyQAOVS4McF_6oub7x6/s1600/D71_9463.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyFAPTfFNjFp2gk4i5xh9bvCTQ9qweNHBHBolxg0DK4A9ppSRS5jxJkk9LxZHmcxK9UrtKVH629bFvy9hNYqoczpkLwGW7lAxjs9dlfeb6UITgLQ18DYgc7eGrWyQAOVS4McF_6oub7x6/s320/D71_9463.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Am I the only one who thinks he wore that t-shirt just to get in the blog?<br />Well, it worked. </td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Of course, there are lots of good things about "B" meets, too. We get to compete against friends and neighbors at the other local pools. The swimmers get to work on their strokes and try to improve their times to get into the "A" meets or other competitions. Lots of great opportunities for parents to volunteer, hone their craft for the "A" meets, and then relax and socialize with everyone after the meet ends. For example, the starter had to announce an event called the "double-hop, double somersault, freestyle noodle swim"... now that's professional development. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsrtvB8dJAJP37NGuYJrF-93bhU2XSukhy6W0yrAdki-ml3ajy2l2Jvp9VApXl8zvgSFPNQOx-702NfFfhXCDPsYH-6nF5m7iaIJVkK4UgWb7dnEzquYAyr66CRu-8LwGW9D4f4EFw4Wv/s1600/D71_9961.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsrtvB8dJAJP37NGuYJrF-93bhU2XSukhy6W0yrAdki-ml3ajy2l2Jvp9VApXl8zvgSFPNQOx-702NfFfhXCDPsYH-6nF5m7iaIJVkK4UgWb7dnEzquYAyr66CRu-8LwGW9D4f4EFw4Wv/s320/D71_9961.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noodles and Company</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And to be honest, one of my coolest memories as a volunteer was at a "B" meet when I was part of a timing crew that yielded 21 doubles and 2 triples in one lane. It was magical. I wish you could have been there. (Of course, you can revel in the majesty by reading about it <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2017/07/breaching-space-time-continuum-b-meet.html" target="_blank">in the blog</a>. There's even photo evidence.) </p><p>So, yes, a lot of fun and important stuff happens at "B" meets, but still... I don't love them. But I did love this one on Monday. Why? It was relatively short. It wasn't too crowded. And it seemed that everyone had fun. This was a unique "B" meet for several reasons. First, it was just IM (that's Individual Medley, in case you are new here) for most of the team and butterfly only for the 8 & unders. And then we threw in a few fun non-standard relays which got people laughing and trying some new things out. Also, this one was a "one-team" meet. We swam against ourselves. Kids were having fun and goofing around on deck, goofing around during races, and really goofing around during the relays. It felt like what a summer swim event would feel like in a Normal Rockwell painting. Summer fun at the pool. We've got our Fourth of July celebration coming up this weekend, and that always makes me feel like we're living in that Rockwell Americana world, too. Just like this meet. This is the stuff summer time at the pool is meant to be and the memories we want to have. And did I mention that it was short? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUEmxLvrKMiJ-cWP1I2u0TuJ-Gs9O5WGfWsHlwagKUtO4djHOb2XnaNLpdwcfPt7h4g0fCUEtCyqTCP7CrxgQBChNSRGqcTSEXQqFzq0LIxvQWWAK2-44o8gxFE6z2QWBYZqOiKMrOGDJ/s1600/D71_9460.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUEmxLvrKMiJ-cWP1I2u0TuJ-Gs9O5WGfWsHlwagKUtO4djHOb2XnaNLpdwcfPt7h4g0fCUEtCyqTCP7CrxgQBChNSRGqcTSEXQqFzq0LIxvQWWAK2-44o8gxFE6z2QWBYZqOiKMrOGDJ/s320/D71_9460.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to be more Americana than having a former Gator, now coach, <br />singing the National Anthem. O' say can you Gator...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm not trying to stop us from having "B" meets. But... I am here to say that I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing when we have meets just amongst ourselves. Like this one. And like the Green & White meet coming up next week. And like the Romp in the Swamp coming up at the end of the season. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltdfq8y7W-gRpRG786vlMKE8css14hMigdK269Rgybp-_PL1eM1I81RIh1gssfGLm5poLTalspY7DU8-xoC7g4nVJzv1H1VQpfFh_v9XfyGgS2ThfHs9jLvkv8Mgqd9usCafywnnu9zJc/s1600/D71_9578.jpg" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: auto; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbGJ4JIYYWDGL5M1_L2daVvbE30bXAfKVqbmWyMYjuXPWr-dssPzVoynN5TCbHB4qIY_NnX_JvZv2CqrN56M6OV_DqgxR__LKjrffHzHIWI83zej7XkY2nqzkRxqCWRcREMIJwJPPSQq4/s1600/D71_9511.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbGJ4JIYYWDGL5M1_L2daVvbE30bXAfKVqbmWyMYjuXPWr-dssPzVoynN5TCbHB4qIY_NnX_JvZv2CqrN56M6OV_DqgxR__LKjrffHzHIWI83zej7XkY2nqzkRxqCWRcREMIJwJPPSQq4/s320/D71_9511.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting time with a chainsaw. (He cut a lot.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So, how about the Gator IM Meet? The swimmers swam and had fun. Elizabeth Miller dropped her Fly time in the 25m 8&under event by over FIVE seconds. A relaxed atmosphere can have that type of positive impact. Andrew Wiggers cut nearly EIGHT seconds off his IM in the 9-10 Boys event. Also, relaxed. Kate Barber relaxed her way to a 3.39 second drop off her IM for the 9-10 Girls. And 11-12 Boys Evan Pribble, Anthony Sarro, and Noah Litonjua chilled out dropping 1, 2, and 3 seconds respectively off their 100 IMs. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltdfq8y7W-gRpRG786vlMKE8css14hMigdK269Rgybp-_PL1eM1I81RIh1gssfGLm5poLTalspY7DU8-xoC7g4nVJzv1H1VQpfFh_v9XfyGgS2ThfHs9jLvkv8Mgqd9usCafywnnu9zJc/s1600/D71_9578.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltdfq8y7W-gRpRG786vlMKE8css14hMigdK269Rgybp-_PL1eM1I81RIh1gssfGLm5poLTalspY7DU8-xoC7g4nVJzv1H1VQpfFh_v9XfyGgS2ThfHs9jLvkv8Mgqd9usCafywnnu9zJc/s320/D71_9578.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course she "cut" time (insert Barber pun here). <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While we do have the complete results from the Fly and IMs (<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V6-Dpw4VfkfHfqFFLNq0dGFbE_ktX20v/view" target="_blank">posted here</a>), regretfully, we don't have all the stats on the evening's relays. And really, we're not completely sure what happened. We do know that there were a few events required the use of swim noodles in one capacity or another. And there really was a "double-hop, double somersault, freestyle noodle swim" that the starter had to announce, AND the swimmers had to relay. Though we don't have times, we do have pictures, so in addition to the ones here in the blog, be sure to check out the lot of them on the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-photos-1" target="_blank">Gator site here. </a> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh8wdD82JKs3geMWeAPFj5RqOK3uccFS8Z3Q-6vwzn3fhtxBb13vxmOavXIAi42BMHU2puSB35VefNetPUN3GffsrXRkJOBzjne00P387NIti9YmeP55sxx9N8KtAprSnAAt47pIOj2kC/s1600/D71_9930.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh8wdD82JKs3geMWeAPFj5RqOK3uccFS8Z3Q-6vwzn3fhtxBb13vxmOavXIAi42BMHU2puSB35VefNetPUN3GffsrXRkJOBzjne00P387NIti9YmeP55sxx9N8KtAprSnAAt47pIOj2kC/s320/D71_9930.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if this is a hop or a somersault...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoDxsnwra68SBTFL9bShzCxFQ1v12BkqPhOChc-IiQPqNA_CP9wQ0ikz3IKxiFQqh4jEM5n8nNZappEAXVvkxYZEw7wAElNsabBLRaq5quYCfYp_B2mJyuXjpP23QEIFpWHpg8yCP2_LD/s1600/D71_0046.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoDxsnwra68SBTFL9bShzCxFQ1v12BkqPhOChc-IiQPqNA_CP9wQ0ikz3IKxiFQqh4jEM5n8nNZappEAXVvkxYZEw7wAElNsabBLRaq5quYCfYp_B2mJyuXjpP23QEIFpWHpg8yCP2_LD/s320/D71_0046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but this is definitely a somersault. <br />The relays resulted in a few angles we don't normally see in the pool. </td></tr></tbody></table><br />I mentioned before, as I'm sure everyone knows, Fourth of July weekend is upon us and is always one of the best times of the summer at MVP. Be sure to come check it out, relax, and have some good old fashion fun Americana-style. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSigM9NB3Glx4LbJ7_jornHvenWh7RqBhShSKS6URtqC5puN1Fd7ELeZttOFAB7CBrBB_SqiSGKCQllPChgxNR_JPkq4IuksGyUQ6QGBOd8ABqygZ38Vi-08hC4OwWTxwDBPaG-nyW1lXx/s1600/D71_9587.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSigM9NB3Glx4LbJ7_jornHvenWh7RqBhShSKS6URtqC5puN1Fd7ELeZttOFAB7CBrBB_SqiSGKCQllPChgxNR_JPkq4IuksGyUQ6QGBOd8ABqygZ38Vi-08hC4OwWTxwDBPaG-nyW1lXx/s320/D71_9587.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notably, she did not DQ! Apparently this is the legal, but underutilized <br />fifth stroke of the IM, the "Glamour Stroke."</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our "A" meet this week is away at the Wakefield Chapel "Wahoos." It is likely going to be a close matchup against a team we haven't swam against in quite a few years. Be sure to check back here later for the results and rundown on the blog. </p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_YLUfUEkczWbkO9sM81bVZFLtCcLi2F6d2q_XZzj5qONWz03h0c8T8WeW5AHFokcngWWMdL_uwrHCVtyq8j4JzPixLawgoUq71y-SIzfxFT3877Ud7zJbbS8HRPZHYGFy1hu-2VsbDS7/s1600/D71_0059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_YLUfUEkczWbkO9sM81bVZFLtCcLi2F6d2q_XZzj5qONWz03h0c8T8WeW5AHFokcngWWMdL_uwrHCVtyq8j4JzPixLawgoUq71y-SIzfxFT3877Ud7zJbbS8HRPZHYGFy1hu-2VsbDS7/s320/D71_0059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McKayla Maroney does not approve of blog humor. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-70569123665878821972021-06-28T13:14:00.004-04:002021-06-28T13:53:01.237-04:00The Marlins and Other Mascots of D1 Lite<p>I probably should have put an asterisk in the title of this blog, but asterisks behave strangely in the URL since its a reserved character, and the title goes in the URL. So, I left it out. But I'll put it here: ... Mascots of D1 Lite*. And apparently we're starting out the blog with a technical discussion this week. You are welcome. ;-) </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHrS67dzd-28wFG7XmJFUdajvOtLXLC236t4miifZZudm9fmkvrmYoSYY3pBNJOmp3YUoCU1S_sZFcRP2i0UJoCFLQUdDHp2ISxVJ97hszgYIsqajnLIlqqIYRO9B1V5jjTy2PFc1LiGr/s5973/D71_8197.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2675" data-original-width="5973" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHrS67dzd-28wFG7XmJFUdajvOtLXLC236t4miifZZudm9fmkvrmYoSYY3pBNJOmp3YUoCU1S_sZFcRP2i0UJoCFLQUdDHp2ISxVJ97hszgYIsqajnLIlqqIYRO9B1V5jjTy2PFc1LiGr/w400-h179/D71_8197.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aloha. Everybody loves Hawaiian day.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>But anyway, about that asterisk *... My reason for bringing it into the discussion is the characterization of our division this year (D2) as "D1 Lite." In case you haven't noticed through the first two weeks, we are stacked up against some pretty stiff competition. As a matter of fact, nearly every team (other than MVP and Crosspointe) has spent significant time in D1 lately. This is a normal part of the promotion and relegation system of the NVSL. It just so happens that this season, MVP, who is normally strongly anchored in D3 is "meeting in the middle" versus a number of teams that are normally anchored in D1. And so goes D2 (D1 Lite*) this year. And with that as the background, it sets up for a few long shot challenges in our dual meets this year. That doesn't mean we can't or won't win. It just means we are coming into each of these meets as the underdogs. </p><p>Our opponent this week, McLean, is very much one of those "usually D1" teams. As a matter of fact, this is the first time McLean has not been in D1 since 2010. </p><p>So, that's the background on the "D1 Lite*" thing. But we do have more important things to talk about here. Namely, (1) the AWESOME group of mascots in D2 this year (Unlike 2017, when we battled against three different versions of Dolphins, this year we see a very eclectic mix of mascots... try saying that three times fast), and (2) the results of that swim meet in McLean on Saturday. </p><p>First up, the mascots. McLean is the Marlins. Admittedly, it is not the most unique of names, but it is a very appropriate one. Marlins are considered to be one of the fastest fish in the sea (if not the fastest of all...). And based on the meet results, these Marlins are pretty fast. But more on that later. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGv6UejjhGLwvIbYF8CNBKZBrtfbJtXkyaWp98wy_syPXCDeuYQJ7chKpDLPf366GVgyzWCQ2ZCNSnlmgXACcvtaM5Om4-IoozbTwT11iIpB78IL8wYeTxJJDr0J86L0rRPeG-oUxoTKt/s6000/D71_8258.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGv6UejjhGLwvIbYF8CNBKZBrtfbJtXkyaWp98wy_syPXCDeuYQJ7chKpDLPf366GVgyzWCQ2ZCNSnlmgXACcvtaM5Om4-IoozbTwT11iIpB78IL8wYeTxJJDr0J86L0rRPeG-oUxoTKt/s320/D71_8258.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We already discussed the mascot of last week's opponent briefly in that blog. The "Green Feet" of Hamlet is definitely one of my favorite names in all of the NVSL. It makes for a fun logo and lots of interesting stories and lore surround the name. </p><p>Our opponent next weekend is the Wakefield Chapel Wahoos. Another fun name. Yes, it is the unofficial mascot of UVA, and at one point in time the unofficial name of the Cleveland Indians mascot, but nonetheless it is relatively unique and a fun one to use in cheers and such. </p><p>While the Green Feet are one of my favs in NVSL, the Langley Wild Things have the best mascot of the lot in my very unofficial opinion. The mascot is derived from the classic Maurice Sendak children's book and gets points for both cool appearance AND literary reference. And in an amazing alignment of anecdotes in the blog, Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn was the lead character in the old movie Major League, which was based on the Cleveland Indians, whose mascot used to be Chief Wahoo (as described above). Spooky how these things are connected. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teamunify.com/recnvsllcst/_images/teamlogo_1544_1336869049946.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="230" src="https://www.teamunify.com/recnvsllcst/_images/teamlogo_1544_1336869049946.jpg" /></a></div><p>Our final opponent of the season will be the Crosspointe Cruisers. I'll be honest, it doesn't carry the promise of speed like the Marlins, nor playfulness of the Wahoos, Green Feet, or Wild Things... but it is definitely a unique name and bonus points for the alliteration. And don't be fooled by the laid back connotation of the "Cruisers" name... we're sure to see plenty of speed from this team when we travel to their pool in a few weeks. </p><p>I would be remiss if I didn't give the old shout out to our own MVP Gators. A pretty cool mascot in its own right, and on top of that the whole package works together very nicely: we have a pond, we swim in the swamp, and using the MVP initials of Mount Vernon Park is cool on so many levels... cheers, logos, casual reference. And the alliteration of "Go Gators" just adds to the fun. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9nEE2buCH324hZ9MSdBIXuekEzj7xDegO_aEfCjTp5gLFxW5mZu6OW4Kk5YmQd5PYpJyvaSn9taEC9GjfNg7RL-flhCDtDhyifbnahs2h1lcF4LQcaMuFvXUiF-ot-DSfFF8KxwPFmRY/s4857/D71_8300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3238" data-original-width="4857" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9nEE2buCH324hZ9MSdBIXuekEzj7xDegO_aEfCjTp5gLFxW5mZu6OW4Kk5YmQd5PYpJyvaSn9taEC9GjfNg7RL-flhCDtDhyifbnahs2h1lcF4LQcaMuFvXUiF-ot-DSfFF8KxwPFmRY/s320/D71_8300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Gators!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And that's all the teams and mascots of D1 Lite. Definitely a fun assortment of characters. </p><p>On to this week's meet itself! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjAfXHpH-hKKA7gyJLsDWLwZS-hBG5XlTfhsAr24MG1nBmtXWVKj-DmSACv98zw4bFTSHJwxoZNHZAsP_VVnC6vzboIXgQUghTsgoZUsF07QSdrekqmZ7o7A3ruD4TgOvvhs4oidB9FbW/s6000/D71_8593.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjAfXHpH-hKKA7gyJLsDWLwZS-hBG5XlTfhsAr24MG1nBmtXWVKj-DmSACv98zw4bFTSHJwxoZNHZAsP_VVnC6vzboIXgQUghTsgoZUsF07QSdrekqmZ7o7A3ruD4TgOvvhs4oidB9FbW/s320/D71_8593.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Six years old. Legal Breaststroke in the "A" meet. <br />That's a blog-worthy accomplishment.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>As previously mentioned, this is McLean's first time NOT being in D1 in over 10 years. Those Marlins are pretty fast. But notably, if you weren't paying attention last week, MVP likes to "announce our presence with authority!" And once again we took the early lead in the meet as Owen Prible earned the victory in the 8 & under Free. </p><p>While the early lead was short-lived, and McLean ultimately was able to win every stroke and the meet, we definitely had some great performances in there. Two of our age groups were locked-on and had stellar weeks. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuGx2cF7D6tarpGt5fYN5tkwNGutEQ9vef1B3_1QyJn0qOMsnoGKjWznEou_eWWBcMB4Zf3aOOEpZ134apsD-cMZ0L7IHt7VB-qPegC7C02iO2Om5LObQqd9TOPG8QiHfh96cg5Jn7i9n/s6000/D71_8262.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuGx2cF7D6tarpGt5fYN5tkwNGutEQ9vef1B3_1QyJn0qOMsnoGKjWznEou_eWWBcMB4Zf3aOOEpZ134apsD-cMZ0L7IHt7VB-qPegC7C02iO2Om5LObQqd9TOPG8QiHfh96cg5Jn7i9n/s320/D71_8262.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rally time. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The 9-10 Boys won 3 out of 4 events, took their relay, finished 2-3 in the one event that they didn't win, and had the Gators' only "clean sweep" of the week with Jackson Saloom, Andrew Wiggers, and Jacob Milito going 1-2-3 in the Fly. While I usually wait until the end of the blog to announce the weekly group and stroke winners, I'm just going to deliver those accolades right here, right now. With that great set of races, the 9-10 boys earned the "Age Group of the Week" and Lincoln Jetton was our swimmer of the week winning both the Free and Breast. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LTyc3pNsMloSSikw-9FfYbCmxSu5YS0_cL_VSzCCfAW5daYoJ92jT3OFN58crjINmtKdq2PNej9xoBGUZvnSFeU_41pCZOz4ZrHGomdQiedrEsjj4c1ozT870BPoIGr7B5F0XekIveLt/s6000/D71_8614.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LTyc3pNsMloSSikw-9FfYbCmxSu5YS0_cL_VSzCCfAW5daYoJ92jT3OFN58crjINmtKdq2PNej9xoBGUZvnSFeU_41pCZOz4ZrHGomdQiedrEsjj4c1ozT870BPoIGr7B5F0XekIveLt/s320/D71_8614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Lincoln" together a couple of victories on the day. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Having a similarly excellent week, and finishing as runners up in the "AGOTW" contest, were the 13-14 Boys. Alex North won the Free, George Schulte took the back, and Matthew Makin touched the wall first in the Breast. And then that trio, joined by Jack Alzona, won their Medley Relay, too. In most weeks, that probably would have earned them the AGOTW title, but the 9-10 Boys just barely squeezed them out this week. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV7YgOd1fJyFGgFcZ5mkhvTun8bzgcQaIDnz911WwUB-Q_AAzxeZc5yFVz09HL5g1pF4Gdc7AD9sm1njgkJOrO_eGMeSJlgLg6oePGmOhEPUm699uJjD5YNJtFbXLOIG3V8prN6_Q3OVq/s6000/D71_8510.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyV7YgOd1fJyFGgFcZ5mkhvTun8bzgcQaIDnz911WwUB-Q_AAzxeZc5yFVz09HL5g1pF4Gdc7AD9sm1njgkJOrO_eGMeSJlgLg6oePGmOhEPUm699uJjD5YNJtFbXLOIG3V8prN6_Q3OVq/s320/D71_8510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good, he won the race swimming backwards.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Over on the girls side of the event, there were several quality victories, too. Elizabeth Miller won the 8 & under Backstroke by fingertips and Alex Kellogg earned the victory in the Fly in a great race. Emily Makin took care of business and won the 15-18 Breaststroke. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQvzACbL1htth47zS3SuatNqi9SkUpmFT2FlCWFAIsNGF4mxl1MPCCa5WY0o2_sSUK-c_HPlYBOIc1LRQIhPvo-NMiCbFQj3nzwsklWbjXq5dkr9D9teiLPGyf7h29OXB0nQuthwcVdCD/s6000/D71_8558.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQvzACbL1htth47zS3SuatNqi9SkUpmFT2FlCWFAIsNGF4mxl1MPCCa5WY0o2_sSUK-c_HPlYBOIc1LRQIhPvo-NMiCbFQj3nzwsklWbjXq5dkr9D9teiLPGyf7h29OXB0nQuthwcVdCD/s320/D71_8558.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That photo finish...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>And following up on her outstanding debut performance in the 15-18 Backstroke last week, Lily Palmerino provided an encore by winning the event again this week with what ended up as the Race of the Week! In a tight battle from start to finish, Lily found the wall first and came away with the blue ribbon with a 0.05 second margin. Adding even more drama to that particular race, the difference between 1st and 3rd place (Olivia Blondin) was only 0.11 seconds! Three swimmers all finishing together in the blink of an eye. Whew. That was a close one. (If you want to appreciate how close of a three-way finish that race was, just try to start and stop a watch in that amount of time... you probably can't.) </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlUxiIgxvYsbIj5jDtMlw4VEDKjukxPRA3dQ35HmupnTD1xbZT1lgeEGZNZ2hQRazi0akUTY24StZjaf_GmY3-QCQg_H-e2vZ5HQglRqRMiPXx8Sf6kTsq0jlmO-ZTSCgCYPNy_mXx91a/s6000/D71_8816.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlUxiIgxvYsbIj5jDtMlw4VEDKjukxPRA3dQ35HmupnTD1xbZT1lgeEGZNZ2hQRazi0akUTY24StZjaf_GmY3-QCQg_H-e2vZ5HQglRqRMiPXx8Sf6kTsq0jlmO-ZTSCgCYPNy_mXx91a/s320/D71_8816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's lesson in "life isn't fair"... you win the 8u Fly but <br />your sister gets the picture in the blog because it is such a great fly photo. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>McLean proved to be gracious hosts, and it was a fun meet all around, even if the Gators came up a little short when the final score was tallied. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkPxgnaOGOLuvpMOlAi1ygtqCXWwSj7vT_ogjJwTCBRdU8MOpS99q7xf080TFW4JnAGBtrbGmWU7icxY-8-51dDK74RpqWOTzpK-2JZ_Bivs5Ou6BeHY04Ht4CsZAFVKjZWe31xB15Vcu/s4898/D71_9443.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkPxgnaOGOLuvpMOlAi1ygtqCXWwSj7vT_ogjJwTCBRdU8MOpS99q7xf080TFW4JnAGBtrbGmWU7icxY-8-51dDK74RpqWOTzpK-2JZ_Bivs5Ou6BeHY04Ht4CsZAFVKjZWe31xB15Vcu/s320/D71_9443.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good meet. Good sportsmanship. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next up on the "A" meet schedule is a trip to Wakefield Chapel. The last time we met head-to-head was an epic battle for the D3 title in the Swamp back in 2013. I'm looking forward to the matchup and I'm sure we'll see some similar excitement in the races on Saturday. </p><p>Go Gators! </p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YSM5ioARNh_yoVoe5TriRtMtig2qIxxV/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Full Results</a>. </p><p><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2021-photos-1" target="_blank">All the Pictures</a>. </p>Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-30755122202885241922021-06-20T14:09:00.004-04:002021-06-20T14:25:01.349-04:00Green Feet and a Return to Dominance<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxNUv8i_IHO9-mP4JBkE7Yer0J0eBIKQsBa_oibweopGbEwJd9bf2yC95cd5HZv2V9Lx8EKlbX28OkJoQsMTbazbFhCVzZw5BCh9jqzU03v9363jW9yitsQ7cVzx_0SqWTmReC7bDlLvq/s245/81e.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxNUv8i_IHO9-mP4JBkE7Yer0J0eBIKQsBa_oibweopGbEwJd9bf2yC95cd5HZv2V9Lx8EKlbX28OkJoQsMTbazbFhCVzZw5BCh9jqzU03v9363jW9yitsQ7cVzx_0SqWTmReC7bDlLvq/s245/81e.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxNUv8i_IHO9-mP4JBkE7Yer0J0eBIKQsBa_oibweopGbEwJd9bf2yC95cd5HZv2V9Lx8EKlbX28OkJoQsMTbazbFhCVzZw5BCh9jqzU03v9363jW9yitsQ7cVzx_0SqWTmReC7bDlLvq/s0/81e.gif" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Okay, admittedly, this feels weird. Good, but weird. It's been so long since we had an "A" Meet that I forgot where I kept my analysis sheets and had to print some new ones off the computer. It has been a minute as they say. But, to paraphrase the Minister of Magic in "The Order of the Phoenix"... We're Back! </div></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX0GdylBsK2MGbU2EJhdtJgPWjO6bemQMa4M6h0m05WgbnbIwkDH05yKS7cXsGdANXED5ux9g09x_KHoCw_hKwUk6tp8o0UAE3MKRPxXvy7_zDMxB2IDHbrSn5zRkvcAiRD6USPL9iwBl/s6000/D71_6692.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDX0GdylBsK2MGbU2EJhdtJgPWjO6bemQMa4M6h0m05WgbnbIwkDH05yKS7cXsGdANXED5ux9g09x_KHoCw_hKwUk6tp8o0UAE3MKRPxXvy7_zDMxB2IDHbrSn5zRkvcAiRD6USPL9iwBl/w200-h133/D71_6692.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />First up on the docket, the Green Feet of Hamlet, and fittingly the theme for the day was "Green." Let me begin with some respect and a show of my appreciation for cool team names. I love the name Green Feet. The story is that the grass/dirt around the pool has a unique composition that makes everyone's feet turn noticeably green after walking around barefoot. Cool name and a cool story. You will find the theme of interesting team names recurring a lot this season as we have a great combination of teams with some really cool names alongside us in Division 2 this season. I know I usually get the pre-season blog out before the first meet to cover those types of things, but I blame the pandemic... or something like that. We'll review the division competition in an upcoming post. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBgZl02zf3JMfcCJntTRyc-POAXjk8GinEmyKytstcH-gi0TC8_c7Rv6p1HT-_il6vgsqS4jHpfea7q1Qta16YNQtMsu09jqgqkxAt_yla2bCpBfOO1UiRrlSkZo4eV8jQ7NFQbo4DcTR/s512/unnamed-3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBgZl02zf3JMfcCJntTRyc-POAXjk8GinEmyKytstcH-gi0TC8_c7Rv6p1HT-_il6vgsqS4jHpfea7q1Qta16YNQtMsu09jqgqkxAt_yla2bCpBfOO1UiRrlSkZo4eV8jQ7NFQbo4DcTR/s320/unnamed-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>On to the performances in the pool. Week One. Hamlet Green Feet visiting the Mount Vernon Park Gators in the Swamp. Our first defense of last year's undefeated championship season in Division 2*. (Yeah, that probably deserves an asterisk, but it's on the t-shirts, and technically true, so we've got that going for us.) This was our first actual swim meet in Division 2 since 2016... and we won the first stroke! That's what I call announcing your presence with authority. <p></p><p>The first races, as always, were Freestyle. And in the first race of the day, the 8 & under boys finished 1st (Owen Pribble) and 2nd (Gray Bauerlein), and just like that we were leading the meet 8-1. And the good showings continued through the Freestyle events, highlighted by the "Clean Sweep" of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place (and all nine points) in the 11-12 Girls race. Triple Gator Grunt to Helen Milito, Karly Whitehead, and Alexandra Myers. A few more solid Freestyle races by the older swimmers, highlighted by Juliana Skopp-Cardillo's win in the 15-18's, and boom... the Gators were leading the meet 48-42 after Free. This D2 thing doesn't seem so overwhelming after all. Go Gators! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMo9yxo2umqNLc3u_zuMtc4-tcxBtRxaQrgIrFtKu42490Es0wLaIIUinYHPj7oZXlTlQXb1587VpUjVHF5ZjsUokPgwSMCk1lQePta-9eF4mPB_McWSacwL487GKj3yDU2qZXHl3klyr/s3456/DSC06667.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMo9yxo2umqNLc3u_zuMtc4-tcxBtRxaQrgIrFtKu42490Es0wLaIIUinYHPj7oZXlTlQXb1587VpUjVHF5ZjsUokPgwSMCk1lQePta-9eF4mPB_McWSacwL487GKj3yDU2qZXHl3klyr/w320-h240/DSC06667.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are you all here for the show?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next up was Backstroke. Another solid showing, if not quite as strong as the first. Lincoln Jetton got the blue ribbon for the 9-10 boys, Karly Whitehead did the same for the 11-12 girls, and Lily Palmerino... in her first ever event in the "bigger, faster, stronger" 15-18 age group, earned the W with a PR time of 34.29... Announcing her presence with authority (see video above). When the Backstroke events where complete, the Green Feet erased the Gator lead by taking 50 of the 90 points and bringing the overall score to 88-92 at the halfway point through individual events. Close and competitive, that's the way we like them. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HhJ8tAqUl5Id19MzNoLR59m-EyQ8rNH7dHGliUVHBVf-dhLAsg3mqQVYSijz9gqeir8x26O53fmz0uU3j2wRSJVn_DHPtG_F0_r5wYbOxsCE01vD_b0_kDiOiOUQyg6bMz77d3dNAFrY/s3456/DSC06515.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HhJ8tAqUl5Id19MzNoLR59m-EyQ8rNH7dHGliUVHBVf-dhLAsg3mqQVYSijz9gqeir8x26O53fmz0uU3j2wRSJVn_DHPtG_F0_r5wYbOxsCE01vD_b0_kDiOiOUQyg6bMz77d3dNAFrY/s320/DSC06515.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">En route to his 2nd victory of the day. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The third stroke of the day was Breaststroke, and Arleigh McQueen touched the wall first in a time of 28.40 in the 8 & under boys race retaking the overall lead for the Gators! Hamlet used those Green Feet to leap over us in the next race, before Lincoln Jetton and Oliver Anderson went 1-2 in the 9-10 race to put the Gators back up 102-101. And history will show that to be the final Gator lead of the day. The Gators continued to swim well, but Hamlet picked up momentum. Matthew and Emily Makin each won their events in Breast, but it wasn't enough to trip up the Green Feet as they opened up a 10 point overall lead by winning Breast 42-48. </p><p>The Gator boys were held without a win in Fly, while Kate Barber (9-10) and Emily Makin (15-18) each won their events in the girls races. There were a couple notable items in those girls races. First Kate Barber won in the Race of Week with her time of 19.01 besting her opponent by only .05 seconds... whew, that was a tight one. There is so much to say about an exciting race like that. First off, its the Fly, which is inherently cool, and a .05 margin is not even visible to the naked eye. Great race! </p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoho-km1yKvS8SmJMt3B5nFJgf5kxULyD_9btiMOiZnGmxOBCwOkavNpwSDuGvHYtqbXVLyvnzBUATO9CnJm9godIYtvqTuhhKhy-lS_h8AlLOkIz4lWgnNLQh7UQEHw_vhpcIH0IHKdRF/s1600/D71_7271.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoho-km1yKvS8SmJMt3B5nFJgf5kxULyD_9btiMOiZnGmxOBCwOkavNpwSDuGvHYtqbXVLyvnzBUATO9CnJm9godIYtvqTuhhKhy-lS_h8AlLOkIz4lWgnNLQh7UQEHw_vhpcIH0IHKdRF/s320/D71_7271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race of the Week... and token Fly photo. <br />Gotta have at least one.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I mentioned above that there were a couple of notable items in the girls fly races. The other thing I want to mention is Emily Makin's win in the event made it a clean sweep of the age group for the 15-18 girls (Juliana, Lily, and Emily x2). They won every event (AND earned 2nd place in three of four). In the ongoing and fun rivalry between the Gator boys and girls, the boys have been getting the edge for the past few years, which was a major shift in that the girls had been the stalwarts at MVP for the better part of the last decade. There was a time when the 15-18 girls were amongst the most dominate in all of NVSL. Does the clean sweep of the age group and 34 (of 41 possible) points portend a return to dominance for the girls and the age group? I'm not sure yet, but it definitely looks promising and earned them the title of "Age Group of the Week." Great swimming, ladies. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__R9iYC_bcjdEy_p6VsBFanv6l3-Et1938stU9AEjc7rDv3sjjn0tIjyWhQHSmMHnBm4w2o2jVJtvbU6fNZsTJtNlcfoXxIX9Apxr3tHCs1f923slXMPB9-W0QG7sdMdVcV_MeLHcZzz1/s3456/DSC06410.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh__R9iYC_bcjdEy_p6VsBFanv6l3-Et1938stU9AEjc7rDv3sjjn0tIjyWhQHSmMHnBm4w2o2jVJtvbU6fNZsTJtNlcfoXxIX9Apxr3tHCs1f923slXMPB9-W0QG7sdMdVcV_MeLHcZzz1/s320/DSC06410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a very Green Day. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Tallying the points after the fly, a 59-31 total in the events put Hamlet up 199-161 heading into the Relays. </p><p>The Gators took four out of the 12 relays with wins by the Boys 8 & under Free, 13-14 Medley, and Girls 11-12 Medley and 15-18 Medley. That put the final meet scores at 191-239 with a season opening victory for the Green Feet. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzdWc-e9xFEwJKrkY6Bn4xhXZGP-RbynZhnfF312CLCPIHF__wYzJp6thfu6U90UxHUJix_KP-_cd2xTpeAG0qSlJG400S0Gl0bwoFdjJMO7qB9Om0sJWi32avdv8I8axdnxFVWTxp-d7/s6000/D71_7259.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzdWc-e9xFEwJKrkY6Bn4xhXZGP-RbynZhnfF312CLCPIHF__wYzJp6thfu6U90UxHUJix_KP-_cd2xTpeAG0qSlJG400S0Gl0bwoFdjJMO7qB9Om0sJWi32avdv8I8axdnxFVWTxp-d7/s320/D71_7259.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"There is so much good info in the meet sheet... <br />and I can't wait to read all about it in the Blog."</td></tr></tbody></table><p>All in all, it was a great, competitive meet. It is good to be back in the pool in an NVSL meet. It has definitely been a minute. You can view all of the results of every race on the Gator website <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EnUIn0Rl-IxdBXT1vDkNLYCcWtpaxGsb/view" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p>We usually highlight a Swimmer of the Week for each "A" Meet, and as always, it was a tough choice this week with so many great performances. We had two swimmers win both of their individual events: Emily Makin who won both the Breast and Fly leading the dominant 15-18 girls, and also Lincoln Jetton who won the Back and Breast for the 9-10 Boys. But for the racer that really jumped out this week was Lily Palmerino, with that aforementioned introductory win in the 15-18 Girls Backstroke. Winning her first event as a 15 year old in the 15-18 age group is something special. And to throw another Harry Potter quote in here, I am reminded of Olivander talking to Harry as Coach Paul must be talking to Lily now, "I think we can expect great things from you..." Congrats to Lily, our first Swimmer of the Week for 2021. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K9Hkw2mt2yjokJUTvPUffpnkKrAaR4ldgJVxZl12R-2ooGdXvBfaa4hXtghJYdxuLxz3M1aIVtoKegjHslTxWgtnAB085oa6Q9zx5owSVJa_PtbFpWPjeQd1T4K_1LiUn3R5uNRn3bU2/s3456/DSC06405.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3K9Hkw2mt2yjokJUTvPUffpnkKrAaR4ldgJVxZl12R-2ooGdXvBfaa4hXtghJYdxuLxz3M1aIVtoKegjHslTxWgtnAB085oa6Q9zx5owSVJa_PtbFpWPjeQd1T4K_1LiUn3R5uNRn3bU2/s320/DSC06405.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your Age Group and Swimmer of the Week.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>We've got four more "A" meets coming up over the next four weeks: at McLean, at Wakefield Chapel, at MVP vs Langley, and at Crosspointe. And of course we have all the "B" meets, invitationals, and other events for which you can see on the full schedule <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/meet-information-1" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt0bL0mUegNXgwfVFgvYcu9niFtTmtO64w2wZLAn8oNUmWQDC92DTEJg7EbtxyrUMdboxvj0z8pXa9h3PLLc9Zmo8jRlnwKlX5mONctCob0CWcZp2nlJsQw7XMnXZzQVepMF_cEbaHuih/s6000/D71_7211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt0bL0mUegNXgwfVFgvYcu9niFtTmtO64w2wZLAn8oNUmWQDC92DTEJg7EbtxyrUMdboxvj0z8pXa9h3PLLc9Zmo8jRlnwKlX5mONctCob0CWcZp2nlJsQw7XMnXZzQVepMF_cEbaHuih/w200-h133/D71_7211.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a somewhat surreal turn of events...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw7Fp8xqSHAmNRj5iwzg2CvmIXJFGNGoYUek14IaL_o80fxEyDlUSKl5QP4Yzw-UIHAsFI6YQ5aG7DSOtbl8cIC9fR-gKoJuweZFAGC0u8xzBqlvGAmHBxiyAAlkoHqLU4nOGRByj3rfB/s3456/DSC06596.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2592" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjw7Fp8xqSHAmNRj5iwzg2CvmIXJFGNGoYUek14IaL_o80fxEyDlUSKl5QP4Yzw-UIHAsFI6YQ5aG7DSOtbl8cIC9fR-gKoJuweZFAGC0u8xzBqlvGAmHBxiyAAlkoHqLU4nOGRByj3rfB/w150-h200/DSC06596.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...we have pictures <u>OF</u> our photographers?<br />Who took those? </td></tr></tbody></table> <div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Want to see more pictures? Thanks to our great photographers (pictured above), we've got a lot of them, and there will be more for every meet <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/home/gator-photos">here</a>. <div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoK1njFBs-rHFIZKAeWjM3umR90ZL6BFMhrvLYSTk1qXv_bEI5RfMYSmWDeqFTIpLri3xv662AZdvJyTtkLlDTeR6ngaQWOXn_vPvUuCOCxprjQTewRyBNN8ntgbAWVJo9m2Hl3Bn1E64/s6000/D71_7388.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoK1njFBs-rHFIZKAeWjM3umR90ZL6BFMhrvLYSTk1qXv_bEI5RfMYSmWDeqFTIpLri3xv662AZdvJyTtkLlDTeR6ngaQWOXn_vPvUuCOCxprjQTewRyBNN8ntgbAWVJo9m2Hl3Bn1E64/w320-h213/D71_7388.JPG" title="Swim season. Just jump right in." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to swim season. Just jump right in. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-59087503426162911732020-07-26T19:36:00.001-04:002020-07-26T19:36:53.441-04:00Reflections of a Gator - by Sheridan Phalen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBNjCOZi856IR3h2OzOaNE2H8A4m0a-mVPjpKKgADbJpA-dxEKZ4TTmrIZeV6dE-pweA6ULAI3lLF35xLWNWyp12iLhl-4Ql0S2ZsSY6Sn1IfeJ1HfMYudJZYcaijHFKwEAeSJ-kkfHb3/s1600/G09_0026+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBNjCOZi856IR3h2OzOaNE2H8A4m0a-mVPjpKKgADbJpA-dxEKZ4TTmrIZeV6dE-pweA6ULAI3lLF35xLWNWyp12iLhl-4Ql0S2ZsSY6Sn1IfeJ1HfMYudJZYcaijHFKwEAeSJ-kkfHb3/s320/G09_0026+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have spent 13 summers of my life as a Gator. During those years, I have set records. I have been on relays to help set records. I have gone to all-stars. I have won all-stars. But before all of those things, I was just another six and under with no ability to swim. In fact, I was a six and under with no desire to swim. At practices, I would shiver until the coaches would let me get out early and dry off. At meets, I would make it as far as the clerk of course before I started to sob and scream, until my parents had to pick me up before my race because I was so afraid of swimming. Then, when I turned seven -- for some reason -- I swam.</div>
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I tell this memory as my favorite one because, before the trophies, the medals, and ribbons, I was just like many kids who start swimming, scared and unsure. While swimming might not be where some kids end up finding their passion, it is where I ended up finding mine. After my seven-year-old debut, I was swimming year-round, not because I loved swimming, but because I loved the MVP Gator summer swim team. I loved racing down the pool as fast as I could because I loved winning, but mostly I loved being a part of the team, which is what makes summer swim so different and special. </div>
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Summer swim is about the race, not just the time, but the race. From this, we learn victory and loss, good sportsmanship, and the importance of collaborating and supporting one another; how to lift each other up for the good and success of the team. Summer swim is also unique in the fact that kids from age 5 to age 18 are on the same team, year after year. From this, we learn tradition and patience. We learn to be able to work and communicate with different people regardless of age or perspective.</div>
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As I continue my journey beyond the Gator Community, I would like to note that it is the love of my sport that pushed me to become a college athlete, and to study nutritional science and biological sciences at Michigan State. In addition, it is my love of coaching that has driven me to want to work towards becoming a secondary education teacher. Both my love of swimming and coaching would not have been possible without the support and guidance that came from my coaches and from my teammates in my Gator family. </div>
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Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-20947102811117869802020-07-24T09:08:00.000-04:002020-07-24T09:26:42.226-04:00Reflections of a Gator - by Brian McNamara<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wow, this is hard to write.
Once upon a time, my parents made the decision to become members at a local pool around the corner which had a beautiful pond, a colorful playground, a field, three pools, and tennis courts for their two children to explore. Little did three year old me know that it would become a home away from home for the next fifteen years.
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgcVSSbyQjuj79y3KHt5_QxdnG3gzT-FoMKsThEqMqvoWrTTYWPE2mMMjfav-g2ihxxL4K-bFNhCzWwZzpxDN2x8NeW27FmeXo45efamKm4ur_4QY-2zdhY5zXrZOF6pn22DKNHQTAZ78/s1600/SOR10_0361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="900" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgcVSSbyQjuj79y3KHt5_QxdnG3gzT-FoMKsThEqMqvoWrTTYWPE2mMMjfav-g2ihxxL4K-bFNhCzWwZzpxDN2x8NeW27FmeXo45efamKm4ur_4QY-2zdhY5zXrZOF6pn22DKNHQTAZ78/s320/SOR10_0361.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">When I was five years old I joined the Mount Vernon Park swim team which had practices in the morning and meets with hundreds of kids all swimming on Monday nights. Every morning I would wake up early and eagerly await the time that my mom would drive me to MVP. The big kids were there waiting for us so that we could start the fun activities on the hill to warm up while the other practice ended. The first day I immediately felt like I belonged. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout the years, I grew as a swimmer and as a person with the help of my teammates, coaches, and family. I learned how to reach for goals and to persevere through my failures. And, even during the bad times, I had a loving environment to cheer me on and help me through them. I was able to swim at A meets where I worked for the good of the team scoring points, to attend the divisionals and All-Stars to represent our team, and to swim my heart out all season long. Some of my favorite memories are the cheers that we would belt before the meet, the comradery in and out of the pool, and the rewarding meal after all was said and done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although many of my favorite memories were in the pool, Mount Vernon Park as a community gave me so much more. Cookouts with family and friends, fishing, fun obstacle courses and dunk tanks on the 4th of July, a little shack to grab a snack or a drink when I took a break from my shenanigans, a job, a place to make s’ mores and stay up until the sunrise during campouts, a support system, and a love for swimming. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s funny because during this pandemic I wasn’t able to have a regular High School graduation experience and although I was upset, the pain from that was nothing compared to the pain I felt when I realized that I won't have a regular senior year on the MVP swim team. I had been looking forward to the costumes and swim meets, my senior night, the coaches’ retreat, a final camp out, and a slide show to finish off the season.
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although these things may not be possible this summer, I will always keep the memories that were made as I move on to the next chapter in my life. I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you to MVP and all of its members for being there to teach, love, and support me for the last fifteen years. I promise to make you proud.
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some of my favorite memories:</span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Campouts</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Water polo</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The IM invitational</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">All-stars</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pancakes</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throwing pies in the coaches’ faces</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Synchronized swimming</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coaching and coaches’ retreat</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Team lunches</span></li>
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Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-46345942720792160142020-07-23T10:30:00.000-04:002020-07-23T13:03:10.347-04:00Reflections of a Gator - by Taylor Makin<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here you have it all, the first Makin child to graduate out of the gator swim team. I found out while trying to write this it is very hard to express the impact that my years on the gator swim team had on my life. Being part of the gators shaped my personality. All the fun costumes, pies flying in coaches faces, jumping around screaming and dancing… all the dancing contributed to my fun, goofy personality. I still remember when I was around 9, coach Bob ( who was really coach Julia) hanging Bea over the pond by her ankles telling her she was gonna drop her in and let the gator eat her. And I will never forget all the fun pizza dinners at primos waiting to find out what relays made it to allstar relays. I could go on and on about all the memories I have from basically living at the pool as a kid.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the biggest memories I have of when I was younger was making my first all stars. Swimming always came so easily to both of my siblings. Everyone knew their names. No one really knew mine. Sometimes it felt as if I wasn't holding up the family name. Making my first allstars on my own really gave me so much self confidence. So what if I wasn’t my sister, I was me and that was enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing that the gators gave to me that will live on forever is my love for teaching kids. Since I was 12, I have helped coaching the kids however I could. The look on the kids faces when they finally got something they wanted to do so badly. It made my heart smile. I somehow just knew teaching and coaching was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I have the gators to thank for that. Gators was way more than a summer job. This was my family. They have seen me at my highest and at my lowest, and supported me through both. There are no words in the english dictionary that can describe the impact gators made on my life. Though my time as a swimmer may be over, you have yet to see the last of me. Someone's gotta be my dad's right hand man, am I right?<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My memories:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winning my heat at allstars in 50 breaststroke</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost getting my tooth knocked out playing water polo with the olders kids for the first time at 13</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Smacking my back on the water trying to touch the flags with my foot</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teaching the 8& unders the “Im a little gator” cheer each year</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Getting to dress up in my gator onesie and dancing around like a fool</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Painting the little girls nails before the green and white meet</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One time someone brought bagels and cream cheese to practice and we decided to sit around and eat bagels and talk for the first 45 minutes of practice instead of practicing</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beating the team relay record with Sheridan, Cassidy, and Parker</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br /></div>
Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-4751958517493578002020-07-10T20:10:00.003-04:002020-07-10T20:10:38.217-04:00Fact versus Fiction<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoag4mFoCMQlSupiVisDxh7YsjizXBTeBE_hgqMLbpVhOvVI6_oOmhpma6RbcHgHzp3Hjj_KCyIhyRFO4C8DWuC7cr0xKL-7-7SUlkduGyhwPR1Bd9K8PBEVNp056GhXndXkLu9vUf0BV/s4898/DSC_0212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoag4mFoCMQlSupiVisDxh7YsjizXBTeBE_hgqMLbpVhOvVI6_oOmhpma6RbcHgHzp3Hjj_KCyIhyRFO4C8DWuC7cr0xKL-7-7SUlkduGyhwPR1Bd9K8PBEVNp056GhXndXkLu9vUf0BV/s320/DSC_0212.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everybody Safety Dance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sigh.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One thing I have always hated about swim season is the way we handle DQ of little kids for false starts. The older swimmers get it. But those 8 & unders... sometimes I think we're giving them PTSD. They false start, and then we make the kid get out of the pool, totally embarrassed, often in tears, and march away in front of everyone back to the team area in shame. I've always thought that there is no real harm in letting the kid swim. A DQ is a DQ, we get that.... but no matter how bad things are, we all just want to participate. And right now I feel like we are all that kid, and 2020 is that mean old NVSL official kicking us out of the pool with no opportunity to participate.<br />
</div>
<div>
Sigh. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've struggled with kicking off the blog this year. I have been challenged to find my motivation. Generally, when I get out out onto the pool deck and see all the swimmers, parents, coaches, and other friends around the pool the energy and excitement of summer swim builds. I think it is that energy that serves as my muse for the blog articles. So, without the swimming, the muse seems to have stayed in hibernation.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sF70aGIASdvflMb_50vCgCwIJdofte0sHIrUWxr3dtlUjuRo9Zi5FPDWLji_IWHV-FWqJ4MnErlNQFhLf2l_VLlBXrZhfraMNJ0CX-aWen39L5WzgPsAgzQLxpW6-BBblNGZR6hrjsWJ/s4898/DSC_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6sF70aGIASdvflMb_50vCgCwIJdofte0sHIrUWxr3dtlUjuRo9Zi5FPDWLji_IWHV-FWqJ4MnErlNQFhLf2l_VLlBXrZhfraMNJ0CX-aWen39L5WzgPsAgzQLxpW6-BBblNGZR6hrjsWJ/s320/DSC_0014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting is the hard part. You just gotta jump in. <br />Yes, this is a blogging metaphor. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCnjGCxyRDGIYdTCFBuk_TtIeTuoANnrF9vu_EeB84JCcALjn_zD_SonVBtb71SG1f5K4NmACoDob5Jj7pwvfq8Iv1x8TAL5djBbThvopm3SQYcKKTPNGR6LmvbgYXZ4WszFe4a5mVtJT/s4898/DSC_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCnjGCxyRDGIYdTCFBuk_TtIeTuoANnrF9vu_EeB84JCcALjn_zD_SonVBtb71SG1f5K4NmACoDob5Jj7pwvfq8Iv1x8TAL5djBbThvopm3SQYcKKTPNGR6LmvbgYXZ4WszFe4a5mVtJT/s320/DSC_0147.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">The teens are doing great, but don't necessarily love <br />all the social distance stuff... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In case you haven't noticed, we have a global pandemic going on. So, not only are we lacking the excitement of summer swim, but we are anchored down by the malaise brought upon us by social distancing and self-isolation. That's where the fact versus fiction comes in. (No, this blog is not about any particular politicians or news networks... I'm going to really try to keep it apolitical. There's enough of that fact vs fiction debate on the cable news.) This is about fictional swim meets. When we first started isolating, I thought about writing a fictional blog that went through a lot of the pre-season and pre-meet analysis that I normally do and then expounding upon the "virtual" meets and results. (Spoiler Alert: we were going to do a LOT better in D2 this year than most people think... yeah, we would have been back next year.) But, the problem was my muse. I couldn't bring myself to start typing away without getting out there on deck and being part of it. So the digital printing press remained quiet. No clicking-clack of the keyboard and no fly photos to post at the end of the blog.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AypWPjbjyDWpdUdDYf6853rbJcen6Syz6EoQpHzWqKTFkHDjpV4N6xihv1AfkZY9gPxHP3kBQw9msDWOdZ9s_DFGJcyG2yFPQqK-Qz4m6146sse3VHmlf2NE7yOoQSzKf10mKyWXJs3r/s4898/DSC_0210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AypWPjbjyDWpdUdDYf6853rbJcen6Syz6EoQpHzWqKTFkHDjpV4N6xihv1AfkZY9gPxHP3kBQw9msDWOdZ9s_DFGJcyG2yFPQqK-Qz4m6146sse3VHmlf2NE7yOoQSzKf10mKyWXJs3r/s320/DSC_0210.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">...but I've heard the dad's are all generally fine with it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div>
But then... we emerged from the darkest days of swim isolation and made it to Phase 3 of the COVID-19 reopening plan in Virginia. And that meant we could swim! And time. And DQ. But no cheering (because airborne particles). And actually, no spectators at all. (Which is probably good, because if spectators were there, the announcer would have been heckled pretty badly for mispronouncing just about every swimmer's name. He even whiffed on his grandkids, I think. To be fair, the mask should probably take the blame.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECr9cMLcmcO0k4yZllk7bDNtfbXcCcFWYko7V6YLwBNop6gUFqQdaK3rwSNBoZ9zWCc72PI4fbELEj3WDmkVJ0Dxz7WDyI4sH_CEiKOAmjMGISDz3O7iiKprG-ie2Dk-mcw5H6565F6K3/s4898/DSC_0156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECr9cMLcmcO0k4yZllk7bDNtfbXcCcFWYko7V6YLwBNop6gUFqQdaK3rwSNBoZ9zWCc72PI4fbELEj3WDmkVJ0Dxz7WDyI4sH_CEiKOAmjMGISDz3O7iiKprG-ie2Dk-mcw5H6565F6K3/s320/DSC_0156.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Really taking that "wear your mask" thing to heart!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
So, our unofficial time trials kicked off the swim season. An actual, non-fictional, event with Gator swimmers in the pool racing. Monday. July 6th. 8am. I love the smell of chlorine in the morning. Let's do this! </div>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlxLrsJCR_iEoNXKVTUpfDrhHTMKLAegxZLsWQN3eWuoEKEBTu9xbWhepGeS9BbMq8sAXKSk2uZ3sgPwmKlowPHAlcJXlg3evOR6TlOzz2c72LnOsaAaW2Do6zpUW-ZDHQN2lI5UvZ_nk/s6000/D71_5358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlxLrsJCR_iEoNXKVTUpfDrhHTMKLAegxZLsWQN3eWuoEKEBTu9xbWhepGeS9BbMq8sAXKSk2uZ3sgPwmKlowPHAlcJXlg3evOR6TlOzz2c72LnOsaAaW2Do6zpUW-ZDHQN2lI5UvZ_nk/s320/D71_5358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've missed a few weeks worth of swim blogs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have the luxury of our huge park with space for all the swimmers to spread out and keep good social distance while awaiting the events. We had a very temperate day. It almost felt like a normal MVP summer day. Almost. We did still all wear masks. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX9Y5JZ7Whfj5fa8d5r_Hkux_qZgY4qCxTyYe0sG2BHpvq0Isx8W7VwoOKpzEuf5oTpHZo892Pb389GwsE1S2C4_mUbP1VX1qKZjS0TUYQ0zXQ6PCbgmxJtllPlSo9Ugom41Scawf4ZX-/s6000/D71_5346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX9Y5JZ7Whfj5fa8d5r_Hkux_qZgY4qCxTyYe0sG2BHpvq0Isx8W7VwoOKpzEuf5oTpHZo892Pb389GwsE1S2C4_mUbP1VX1qKZjS0TUYQ0zXQ6PCbgmxJtllPlSo9Ugom41Scawf4ZX-/s320/D71_5346.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">And that means we've been robbed of all those Fly photos.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
While not a full team, we had all the age groups represented, with lots of good swims taking place. All of the times were technically unofficial for this meet, since we only had one timer per lane and kept a few official positions vacant to help with social distancing requirements. But all in all it was a good event. It was a swim meet. Not the greatest one we ever had. Not the climactic, drama-laced final meet of the year <a href="http://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/hollywood-endings-meet-vs-high-point.html" target="_blank">versus High Point that</a> elevated us into 2nd place in the division last season (and landed us in D2). But yes, it was a meet. Fact.<br />
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<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTigRrhoB3kPEi9Yqx8AGw8YfTcI28Zx_r6lSkPcZSPoO45oHcmWTxaO21uoUenkp4JjPM47vJVkAbZ9k9k4zHFj5ICIBcb9xFhEW6yjd9DhgdV1uZzBwqfZv09a-4-20e95BN9KF23eT2/s6000/D71_5371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTigRrhoB3kPEi9Yqx8AGw8YfTcI28Zx_r6lSkPcZSPoO45oHcmWTxaO21uoUenkp4JjPM47vJVkAbZ9k9k4zHFj5ICIBcb9xFhEW6yjd9DhgdV1uZzBwqfZv09a-4-20e95BN9KF23eT2/s320/D71_5371.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">And we all know that Fly photos are the best swim photos.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br />
There were even results (unofficial) which you can <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14R2rOQFZ8J655HTvo99nWttz2IFGGIzU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">check out here</a>. And lots of pictures that you can see <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMLr6vkQn9qqFI8xnbetTGZV19tnIEH7ooYwVkgXmHlbsf2dIEq8q5REovn8T5Wow?key=RUpyWWV1R0JERHlWdDBIQnZhVmQzVi1TbHU0c1V3" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhqGf7gsGt0vFZ7weL7d4Vo0JLgN5IZaY6xi6yg0s61k4wuALfZuoIdUUKUa45cTgsjGLJ0LxLEkWaTnzMepXJ8jp8IinaQfZ2ArwhAAj4HLQgo83TXgVNsBaVVdntgRSDFDNm_QXLJvW/s6000/D71_5334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhqGf7gsGt0vFZ7weL7d4Vo0JLgN5IZaY6xi6yg0s61k4wuALfZuoIdUUKUa45cTgsjGLJ0LxLEkWaTnzMepXJ8jp8IinaQfZ2ArwhAAj4HLQgo83TXgVNsBaVVdntgRSDFDNm_QXLJvW/s320/D71_5334.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">So, since we're blogging again...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was a good, and needed, spark to the swim season. It's good to belong to a pool where the leaders have worked hard to take the necessary safety steps to enable us to have this little bit of competition and fun in an otherwise challenged summer. (Thanks leaders... you are officially the Gator's of the Week!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBxsZCtstb5Gt0hMVuK6nPGXQknpRrk9fx0AjOajFDU0bVS7NduKkTrXVnCtvkoAMDjEG-wflzs0wli4AG1RE6x8UWamLrrElwkd0xjUumSisnlABmFJzOq4puOmixilNPXBS972z5gGq/s6000/D71_5369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBxsZCtstb5Gt0hMVuK6nPGXQknpRrk9fx0AjOajFDU0bVS7NduKkTrXVnCtvkoAMDjEG-wflzs0wli4AG1RE6x8UWamLrrElwkd0xjUumSisnlABmFJzOq4puOmixilNPXBS972z5gGq/s320/D71_5369.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">And since we've missed those weeks... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
And it was a needed spark to the summer blog. I think my muse has returned. So, check back for some more blogs in the days and weeks to come. We've got a couple more events planned (a virtual meet and a Green and White B meet coming up... and maybe more). Whatever may come, I'll put together a few of those fictional meet entries, too... just to show you how the season would have likely played out. And to be clear, my plan for these blog entries is not fantasy-fiction, its historical fiction (i.e. based on facts that actually occurred, posed in a realistic scenario, that didn't actually happen). </div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnjIDYyrcWqDJvSRgsPSoj4gkmanj1bIaTK7xjbVPxkHh6pMw_uXLFLFj-k8dUTGkJAKTSc7Imduu24rSZA6_GMwcvjFVJ9YGyxSDxHSbxdjZfPeef1f5lYSBryVa-UJHARydyThJ1Fey/s4898/DSC_0261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnjIDYyrcWqDJvSRgsPSoj4gkmanj1bIaTK7xjbVPxkHh6pMw_uXLFLFj-k8dUTGkJAKTSc7Imduu24rSZA6_GMwcvjFVJ9YGyxSDxHSbxdjZfPeef1f5lYSBryVa-UJHARydyThJ1Fey/s320/DSC_0261.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">We might as well catch up a bit... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
Go Gators. </div>
<div>
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<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEpaI_HHRUd5ZGQDY-VF3eD9HYccX6BncZL3jmXkb6hQ7VDJObzA_gYOTI19qBlo4FxLV7CZ76yMkIVarjMQuSQBcezXmWG3d8FaUTr4TrUqcwtxwKkKnClykttaP34J3EQfSuo1H_f4r/s6000/D71_5391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEpaI_HHRUd5ZGQDY-VF3eD9HYccX6BncZL3jmXkb6hQ7VDJObzA_gYOTI19qBlo4FxLV7CZ76yMkIVarjMQuSQBcezXmWG3d8FaUTr4TrUqcwtxwKkKnClykttaP34J3EQfSuo1H_f4r/s320/D71_5391.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And see more of those great Fly photos. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-81686916844423355002019-08-04T21:16:00.003-04:002019-08-04T21:19:14.653-04:00They Are Who We Thought They WereDennis Green, the former NFL coach, had an epic meltdown/quote after his team blew a lead in a game that they had dominated, and ended up losing. When one of the reporters asked him about how they could lose when their defense had been so dominant, he set off on his rant. The other team was better, and even though his team had played well for much of the game, the other team still found a way to win. He repeated the quote multiple times at the post-game presser, in a much more animated fashion than his normally stoic demeanor. "They are who we thought they were," he said, referring to their opponents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DiOf087gCM6lfRKcUPvokj7IXopjX3dgZIaO3L-iT79bcwxfD7yumyVyJSNH5qBiAnhRI86iSMoa585HfBz-d2YW7y-saDvej4IGwlspf0YkjkQQ39OlpzgKXwoDXxk0xRU5-BvgBmqB/s1600/IMG_8763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DiOf087gCM6lfRKcUPvokj7IXopjX3dgZIaO3L-iT79bcwxfD7yumyVyJSNH5qBiAnhRI86iSMoa585HfBz-d2YW7y-saDvej4IGwlspf0YkjkQQ39OlpzgKXwoDXxk0xRU5-BvgBmqB/s320/IMG_8763.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beware. Hungry Gator.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To be clear, I'm not channeling Denny Green here on any type of rant. But the words fit. We thought our swimmers were All-Stars and they performed that way. In fact, just about everyone pretty much hit the mark on their seeds within a place or two either way on Saturday. Hitting their seeds means that they finished in the place they were seeded. They performed as expected, and "They are who we thought they were."<br />
<br />
That said, we did have a couple of our swimmers outperform a bit, which is worthy of special recognition. First, Clark Bayer, who was initially entered as an alternate for the 15-18 Free a week ago, then was moved up all the way to his final spot as the 10th seed after some scratches, and ultimately took 5th place in the event! That's quite a climb to glory. Natalie Crowther also kicked it into a higher gear in the 8 & under Fly. She cut 0.77 seconds off her time and jumped up two spots to finish 6th and come away with one of the coveted top-6 medals. And the BIG MOVER of the weekend was Sam Bruce. Sam crushed it in the 9-10 Fly, cutting 0.64 off his own team record to finish the race in 15.95 and jumped up 6 places to finish in 4th and earned himself one of those shiny top-6 medals, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje43edTvZk5uaMP3CeKWHqujA8TIvXMhSK6CYH4lUF03MD-p7TYy84srmVSa9jpRdZZHPgIcusxCXiTlBa2RvQniQviyrQdWMs6_7_P3WXMBZME-GnH3zk3_b9VYqj8v9xe1c-7bUckhw1/s1600/IMG_8936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje43edTvZk5uaMP3CeKWHqujA8TIvXMhSK6CYH4lUF03MD-p7TYy84srmVSa9jpRdZZHPgIcusxCXiTlBa2RvQniQviyrQdWMs6_7_P3WXMBZME-GnH3zk3_b9VYqj8v9xe1c-7bUckhw1/s320/IMG_8936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam says, "I'll beat you with one leg behind my back."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Rounding out our other top-6 finishers were:<br />
Donovan Kovalsky, 3rd place in 13-14 Free<br />
Alex North, 4th place in 11-12 Free<br />
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Sheridan Phalen, 6th place in 15-18 Free</div>
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For those who like the stats, seven out of our 19 Gators swims were in Freestyle, and four out of our six top-6 finishers were Freestyle. We then had a tie with four swimmers each in Breaststroke and Fly, and then we had three in Back, and one IMer.<br />
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And in case you didn't read the last blog post, I'll mention it again... 19 swims at All-Stars is an all-time high for the Gators. And you want to know something else? Every one of those swimmers is coming back next summer. And... five of those 12 swimmers will be in the same age group again next year. Something tells me well be reading about them again in about 12 months.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPQ-YmppCSYMPHJevivLLch3KFwIH-U-JHrPG3UUj5nB9WD1ShI0kKFTienEkTMMRfXuvOA39TIsuTyP6H-HcdvLPPyvVfrbpsOA2_vlmWM0wkVR_OJVVser1uKdvVfyOjf3Os_W90X2E/s1600/IMG_8912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPQ-YmppCSYMPHJevivLLch3KFwIH-U-JHrPG3UUj5nB9WD1ShI0kKFTienEkTMMRfXuvOA39TIsuTyP6H-HcdvLPPyvVfrbpsOA2_vlmWM0wkVR_OJVVser1uKdvVfyOjf3Os_W90X2E/s320/IMG_8912.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Who me?" Yeah, you know it. </td></tr>
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Five out of 12 coming back in the same age group next year? Maybe they aren't who we thought they were after all. Maybe they are even better. And that's saying something.... 'cause we already thought they were pretty darn awesome.<br />
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I only highlight the returning to the same age group thing because those swimmers are basically already below the All-Star cut for next year. In all likelihood, they will get even faster. And so will the other swimmers who are moving up an age. There's going to be a lot of fast swims to write about. I like the way next year's Gator summer season is stacking up already.<br />
<br />
Full <a href="https://www.mynvsl.com/results/21035?back=dt" target="_blank">results are here</a> and <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMrjn0kYcI-TA8ol-ns6ZhHuHZKBaxbFQIlmbLQ46aAkJeua8K4aTBHmZxaj71wVw?key=SEpsWXh2ZkZYOHlzUDhKek53bm9JV0NMZ3Bha2p3" target="_blank">pictures are here</a>.<br />
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Go Gators!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqNsGNYiKj7IV8b2lOGYZXNz6XII2oi-SQ2-4aKkNLMATE4Y8qDvVbNnGPmEOd2qmMGGhQxqBQg7y9mXy4u4jdaygwtw8avr7Z3f10pvk_knl6RG-xuCuIZyJw-ldiH8AqVD_kAxKbeJv/s1600/IMG_8981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqNsGNYiKj7IV8b2lOGYZXNz6XII2oi-SQ2-4aKkNLMATE4Y8qDvVbNnGPmEOd2qmMGGhQxqBQg7y9mXy4u4jdaygwtw8avr7Z3f10pvk_knl6RG-xuCuIZyJw-ldiH8AqVD_kAxKbeJv/s320/IMG_8981.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last one. Cue the music. </td></tr>
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<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-14910029294805782982019-08-02T19:26:00.000-04:002019-08-02T19:31:13.172-04:00All-Business for the All-Stars<br />
Ok, it's All-Star time. Since <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/divisional-championship-and-those-squad.html" target="_blank">the last update</a>, we've added some firm entries to the Gator All-Star squad. Gabby Greszler has moved up and is now seeded and will swim the 15-18 Free. And Cole Miller is now an Alternate in both 15-18 Free and Fly.<br />
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That puts us at a firm entry total of 12 swimmers in 19 events, with a 13th swimmer possible for a 20th and maybe even 21st event. That's a historical high for MVP. We've had more individuals attend the meet in the past (15 different swimmers in 2013), but we have never had Gators swim in 19 events. The highest number of Gator swims was in that 2013 season when we raced in 18 different events. So, we're going to break that by at least one this year, and maybe two or three. Pretty impressive, eh? </div>
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In fact, there were so many Gators at the pool familiarization Friday morning that we couldn't fit them all in the photo: </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHiFGoJLX8CVHmKDgF8k9HG7k3nYGCr3GP8y7QEeDONa6R21ItrhLtyxTXVgdVCajjIJsiu0XzbKTS6YmQv9H2lPdtD77_QfHXoNFsqki6s_MYubcdst7NdPp2Jhsu4TG2NHcQoUBCfFS/s1600/TooManyStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHiFGoJLX8CVHmKDgF8k9HG7k3nYGCr3GP8y7QEeDONa6R21ItrhLtyxTXVgdVCajjIJsiu0XzbKTS6YmQv9H2lPdtD77_QfHXoNFsqki6s_MYubcdst7NdPp2Jhsu4TG2NHcQoUBCfFS/s320/TooManyStars.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, we need one of those real estate camera lenses to get <br />
so many Gator All-Stars to all fit in one photo! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you are interested in watching any portion of the All-Stars, it will be streamed online by SwimNinja.com here: https://swimninja.com/2019/08/02/2019-nvsl-all-stars-livestream/<br />
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The schedule will follow these "No Earlier Than" times, meaning that even if the meet is going quickly, they will not start subsequent strokes earlier than the published times below. Each stroke will begin with the 8 & unders, then 9-10s, 11-12s, 13-14s, and then conclude with the 15-18s. </div>
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NET "No Earlier Than" times (Swimmers are listed in the order of their events): </div>
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<b>9am Freestyle </b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Margaret Driscoll</li>
<li>Sam Bruce</li>
<li>Alex North</li>
<li>Donovan Kovalsky</li>
<li>Cole Miller (TBD/Alternate)</li>
<li>Clark Bayer</li>
<li>Gabby Greszler</li>
<li>Sheridan Phalen</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<b>10am Backstroke</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Lincoln Jetton</li>
<li>Elizabeth Kellogg</li>
<li>Alex North</li>
</ul>
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<b>11am Breaststroke</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Lincoln Jetton</li>
<li>Natalie Crowther</li>
<li>Jack Klopson</li>
<li>Donovan Kovalsky</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>12pm Fly</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Natalie Crowther</li>
<li>Sam Bruce</li>
<li>Matt Makin</li>
<li>Cole Miller (TBD/Alternate)</li>
<li>Sheridan Phalen</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>1pm Individual Medley</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Matt Makin</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
That's a lot of Gators! The full <a href="https://www.mynvsl.com/file/31342/psych_sheet_after_batch_6_pdf" target="_blank">Psych sheet is posted here</a>. </div>
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<div>
Ok, I was just kidding about not being able to fit all the Gators in the photo... I was able to back up a little and get the rest of them in there, even without the fish-eye lens. Yes, I said that this blog was going to be All-Business, but I had to get some levity in here. Here's the real photo. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9J0PYA4e-iAGoQaseBN3hzK-MWWMqSewJyORtANuhrTnM1zDYJngsE5P5x1q5Eowf4YNZSRXAJactQPoSaDlGGEMgHd0dIPTOUwrK_Uj54c0uoY8KODzU810ozQt7NVHcXpZ4zu_A8_Q/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9J0PYA4e-iAGoQaseBN3hzK-MWWMqSewJyORtANuhrTnM1zDYJngsE5P5x1q5Eowf4YNZSRXAJactQPoSaDlGGEMgHd0dIPTOUwrK_Uj54c0uoY8KODzU810ozQt7NVHcXpZ4zu_A8_Q/s320/IMG_1422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gator All-Stars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Enjoy the show. Go Gators!<br />
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Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-16392218105399628682019-07-30T11:52:00.001-04:002019-07-30T14:38:46.557-04:00Divisional Championship and Those Squad Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ifVrBpVdmukf8-3mm-fssYOi7tvYheOl3TbcOaU7e-4Z0VBoRRtJ6Gk3ZYnHz06hChZJpFEzhdSf_4PG_nDvNunmXnqB8hLx04ILqCHECQQRHi5fmxraKNhdPme-Y3ffmlS0nhKhQzHD/s1600/D71_2447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ifVrBpVdmukf8-3mm-fssYOi7tvYheOl3TbcOaU7e-4Z0VBoRRtJ6Gk3ZYnHz06hChZJpFEzhdSf_4PG_nDvNunmXnqB8hLx04ILqCHECQQRHi5fmxraKNhdPme-Y3ffmlS0nhKhQzHD/s320/D71_2447.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MVP wins the Sportsmanship Award... two years in a row! </td></tr>
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With the conclusion of the final "A" meet of the season last week, I mentioned that the "team" aspect of the season had ended. And it ended famously with an amazing win capped by several come-from-behind victories in the relays which gave the Gators a winning record on the season and moved us into 2nd place in the division (<a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/hollywood-endings-meet-vs-high-point.html" target="_blank">read about it here</a>). Now we move on from the regular season into the "post-season" meets. The Individual Divisional Championship and the Individual All-Stars are both (as the name implies) focused on the individual. There is no team score. The outcomes are individual times. The Divisional Championships pit the top two swimmers in each stroke against each other for Divisional glory (and as we've covered here quite a few times, Division 3 is absolutely stacked). The top performing swimmers at Divisional then have the chance to advance on to All-Stars if their times fall within the top-18 in all of the NVSL (which quite a few Gators did... more on that later).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6u4GnjbXcqJOUjUxNQ1xRlX1fTElyNrdAR-p8Gyx8ycPx19C7gGWCNqJBFaAUvhqSXo8xN8CC8y2pifTAWkBLGm7geRBOjWVOTSMVySIUJrBp71g9If81izDmJwZ8C0XdvPia6xYoSWs/s1600/D71_2465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6u4GnjbXcqJOUjUxNQ1xRlX1fTElyNrdAR-p8Gyx8ycPx19C7gGWCNqJBFaAUvhqSXo8xN8CC8y2pifTAWkBLGm7geRBOjWVOTSMVySIUJrBp71g9If81izDmJwZ8C0XdvPia6xYoSWs/s320/D71_2465.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">New MVP Record. Awesome Fly Photo. 2 for 1. </td></tr>
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As a team, we don't really have any explicit goals for Divisionals or All-Stars. We just want all of our swimmers to do the very best they can. Of course, we like it when our team earns those coveted 1st place medals at Divisionals or berths into the All-Star meet. We keep track of that stuff (and, of course, I'm going to talk about it in this blog), but as a team, we don't set specific goals for team performance. That said, lots of people hope that we'll have more champions than in previous years and get more swimmers into All-Stars than before. Similarly, we don't have explicit team goals for the regular season, but everybody prefers winning more than losing (and finishing 3-2 is pretty nice in that regard). I'm sure some folks want to see a 5-0, but I also know others who think 3-2 is the sweet spot, since it normally keeps us put in D3, with a lesser chance of moving up next season (but, not a zero chance).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hnrDTUZsaqetVpnHd7jDq9Ltt66FXjMzBZcSj9vrKHSK6bILGXiwrp1XmW2tgWL1yoQU1M7dZ1crb96wuD6zDMjExil6rq9IqW1wDl4x8CiwLjXbTugrRxcDnmx8paUReFy-j14L6GmM/s1600/D71_2315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hnrDTUZsaqetVpnHd7jDq9Ltt66FXjMzBZcSj9vrKHSK6bILGXiwrp1XmW2tgWL1yoQU1M7dZ1crb96wuD6zDMjExil6rq9IqW1wDl4x8CiwLjXbTugrRxcDnmx8paUReFy-j14L6GmM/s320/D71_2315.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Pardon me sir, is that a 1st Place Jetton?<br />
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So, while the team goals are limited and generally not a driving force during the season, the individual goals of the swimmers are another thing altogether. Success doesn't just happen. Success is something that comes from hard work, focused in the right areas. There is a lot of research on goal-setting and it all tends to point at the same thing: setting very specific and challenging goals has a greater effect on performance improvement than easy or vague goals. That's right. If you set specific goals, you will improve more than if you set general goals.<br />
<br />
There is a good acronym for goal-setting know as "SMART" goals. The mnemonic helps guide goal-setters in how to craft a goal so that it will be valuable in making those performance improvements. SMART stands for:<br />
<b>Specific</b>: A general thought of "I want to do better" is not a goal. Specific targets that are actionable are what we need to improve performance.<br />
<b>Measureable</b>: Finding a measure to track progress helps evaluate progress.<br />
<b>Achievable</b>: It's got to be something realistic. That doesn't mean you can't have a goal of going to the Olympics from a young age... but there need to be intermediate goals that help get you there for the short and mid-term.<br />
<b>Relevant</b>: This is where the "why" part comes in. The goal must be something you buy into. It must means something to you.<br />
<b>Time-Bound</b>: Goals have dates on them. Weekly? Seasonal? Annual? Olympic cycle? Set a date.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YuUuMNwOs9ckuBExk34HwqRs7NQ3JSO68qPD0Z7geyDoxoWwHwMQTZ_6BZbn4lO_lrTdi7goZfELhGOKXcJu4lsWkAL8WtlzWmNxU4AHNVH5nn4qK7jh4_oiQ4Xsry8pxUercMHJbUVq/s1600/PearlsGoals.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="900" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YuUuMNwOs9ckuBExk34HwqRs7NQ3JSO68qPD0Z7geyDoxoWwHwMQTZ_6BZbn4lO_lrTdi7goZfELhGOKXcJu4lsWkAL8WtlzWmNxU4AHNVH5nn4qK7jh4_oiQ4Xsry8pxUercMHJbUVq/s400/PearlsGoals.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearls published a comic about goals on the day I blogged about goals...<br />
the universe is connected. And, mmmm.... donuts. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of our swimmers dream of success. Setting SMART goals and developing an action-plan for achieving them is the recipe for fulfilling those dreams. Here's the confusing part... saying "just go do your best" is a common refrain around the swim pool, and it is a wonderful concept but that is most-definitely NOT a good goal-setting strategy. That "just do your best" is good advice on game day. But when we are trying to get better, we need those specific goals and targets to work towards. Once we have those goals, then we set up action plans to get us there. When swimmers are waking up before 4am all winter long, "just do your best" isn't going to keep getting them out of bed (or get them to go to sleep early the night before). But having that goal to cut 4 seconds off their time in Fly by next summer in order to make All-Stars will help. (Can you identify all the components of a SMART goal in there?) Once that goal is set, then the action plan helps define the steps necessary to get there: (1) Enroll in winter swim, (2) establish a set bedtime routine, (3) get up early and get to swim practice consistently, (4) do your best every day at those practices (see, that's where the "do your best" part comes in... in the action, not the goal), (5) measure progress, and (6) reflect.<br />
<br />
That reflection part is an important and often overlooked piece of goal-setting. Did we achieve the goal? If so, awesome! If not, did we come close? One of the great benefits of setting high, challenging goals is that even if we miss them, we generally move pretty far along the continuum towards greater performance. Maybe that swimmer who wanted to cut four seconds to make All-Stars only cut three. That three-second cut is still pretty good... it probably moved the swimmer up the ladder both at MVP and got them a higher place at Divisionals. The reflective part of goal setting lets us evaluate if the goal is still valid and if the action-plan did the things needed to get there. Do we need to make modifications or changes?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNXJKjLxt18P5h0bUhnCApiBicW1B6drdjSct4xZ5GJt4Y8m0CD3gQ38WvTLZFHcxq9aIMqcfqxkiwvdFDf2mJmJf2rAjUw9JqhJOmRiRttXPryNyoZhXsnG6BoeBmtM_vaZmcFtaxhnr/s1600/D71_2325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNXJKjLxt18P5h0bUhnCApiBicW1B6drdjSct4xZ5GJt4Y8m0CD3gQ38WvTLZFHcxq9aIMqcfqxkiwvdFDf2mJmJf2rAjUw9JqhJOmRiRttXPryNyoZhXsnG6BoeBmtM_vaZmcFtaxhnr/s320/D71_2325.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">In the "identifying the swimmer" category... Breast<br />
photos definitely win the contest, even above Fly. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One thing for sure, is that many of our Gator swimmers had goals involving Divisionals and All-Stars. Many of those goals were probably achieved, and they should be celebrated. But some may not have been. Now is the time to reflect on those goals and start setting new goals for next year (and then putting in place the action plans to achieve them).<br />
<br />
One of my goals is to be able to blog about all the awesome stuff the Gators do all summer long, and these swimmers make that easy. It's ten weeks from Memorial Day when practices begin until All-Stars and the conclusion of the summer season... and what an enjoyable ride it has been this year! That aforementioned 3-2 record with some super exciting meets was a big part, especially that final <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/hollywood-endings-meet-vs-high-point.html" target="_blank">Hollywood Ending</a> last week. The <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/fish-in-pond-divisional-relay-breakdown.html" target="_blank">Relay Carnival</a> and <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/storm-damage-at-all-star-relays.html" target="_blank">All-Star Relays</a> were both amazing. And now that we find our Gators competing in the Divisional Championships, the performances did not disappoint.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RzqPX2LEQ5gAcTIlV1QcResOsRF2MhtF409w0m5ckEAUIXYVdPJQB3Woe6wb8wBYmkRVoelqFsTk19lw2MRTec0Cob1rrHLJCIu0jlSeXWfheHYdfL0ub77IWfAPwOVuidzXk9CPMQqM/s1600/D71_2373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RzqPX2LEQ5gAcTIlV1QcResOsRF2MhtF409w0m5ckEAUIXYVdPJQB3Woe6wb8wBYmkRVoelqFsTk19lw2MRTec0Cob1rrHLJCIu0jlSeXWfheHYdfL0ub77IWfAPwOVuidzXk9CPMQqM/s320/D71_2373.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">The inspirational pose for the new Gator team trophies...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At Divisionals, there are five events across all of the age groups: Free, Back, Breast, Fly, and IM. (Note: there is no specific IM for 8 & unders, but they can compete as 10 & under if they qualify.) Each team sends two swimmers for each of the 48 events. MVP swimmers brought home eight of the championship medals. Event winners were:<br />
<br />
Donovan Kovalsky (2): 13-14 Free and Breast<br />
Elizabeth Kellogg: 8 & under Back<br />
Alexander North: 11-12 Back<br />
Lincoln Jetton: 8 & under Breast<br />
Natalie Crowther: 8 & under Fly<br />
Sam Bruce: 9-10 Fly<br />
Matthew Makin: 11-12 Fly<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the breakdown of champions was pretty even... as has been the case with everything else in D3. Donaldson Run, the D3 champs, also took home the most individual crowns with 11. Hunter Mill had 9, MVP and Crosspointe 8, Vienna Woods 7 and High Point 6. If you are doing the math, you'll notice that adds up to 49, not 48. There was one tie for 1st place.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MXFF4CIbSBBHB8phhf86L4vsfMDD0qBvjV_6ekUgD6VmxjLUNATEJjI63kJjQVjEFqVz5JD5WoQ7NlL3plC8Iz-1L9yNeBTnAltQyl0dCTnhH-kOwb8K7EmthUmxZIOKkjzS7NYl95E_/s1600/D71_2394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MXFF4CIbSBBHB8phhf86L4vsfMDD0qBvjV_6ekUgD6VmxjLUNATEJjI63kJjQVjEFqVz5JD5WoQ7NlL3plC8Iz-1L9yNeBTnAltQyl0dCTnhH-kOwb8K7EmthUmxZIOKkjzS7NYl95E_/s320/D71_2394.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">MVP giving 'em the old 1-2 in Breast. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Silver medal winners were:<br />
Margaret Driscoll: 8 & under Free<br />
Sam Bruce: 9-10 Free<br />
Alex North: 11-12 Free<br />
Clark Bayer: 15-18 Free<br />
Abigail Litonjua: 11-12 Breast<br />
Jack Klopson: 13-14 Breast<br />
James Piland: 13-14 Fly<br />
<br />
And Gators finishing third:<br />
Kate Barber: 8 & under Free<br />
Sheridan Phalen: 15-18 Free<br />
Lincoln Jetton: 8 & under Back<br />
Natalie Crowther: 8 & under Breast<br />
Jack Alzona: 11-12 Breast<br />
Cole Miller: 15-18 Fly<br />
Sheridan Phalen: 15-18 Fly<br />
Anthony Sarro: 9-10 IM<br />
Matthew Makin: 11-12 IM<br />
James Piland: 13-14 IM<br />
<br />
Whew. That's a lot of Gator D3 medalists in there. The complete results for <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uMlbOmfV8luL5LzwUV6YYt3YWegkvZew" target="_blank">all the swimmers is online here</a>. <span id="goog_1445373966"></span><span id="goog_1445373967"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<br />
There were some other major accomplishments, too. Record breaking? Of course.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTpZYxBeENrUtuVG1pg6WwaZcFwz7K5cEc7ZtZ9T2zJu9Wh-lBVNBmaEmYST59dL2WGu_GccIc2ZxsSXYX55adxQAG6v_D-7yqbc0td4RBM1ieYfNpXM95R9WEUVQm6IGtlHZO-u2Nto/s1600/D71_2095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lTpZYxBeENrUtuVG1pg6WwaZcFwz7K5cEc7ZtZ9T2zJu9Wh-lBVNBmaEmYST59dL2WGu_GccIc2ZxsSXYX55adxQAG6v_D-7yqbc0td4RBM1ieYfNpXM95R9WEUVQm6IGtlHZO-u2Nto/s320/D71_2095.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strong finish for the record. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Donovan Kovalsky swam in two events and broke two MVP records (what is this 2018 again?). Donovan lowered his own 13-14 Boys 50 Free mark to 25.50. He also set a new mark in the Breast with a time of 34.51, shaving about 0.2 seconds off Charlie Ruppe's record from last year.<br />
<br />
Sheridan Phalen broke Cassidy Bayer's 2015 MVP record in the 15-18 Freestyle by swimming a blistering 26.58. Despite that record breaking time, which was faster than her first place time last year at All-Stars... she finished 3rd. Have I mentioned how strong D3 is lately?<br />
<br />
Sam Bruce lowered his own record in the 9-10 25m Fly finishing in an amazing first place tie in a time of 16.59.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7b5F8AwfD_jFppm2KyhoVd0PY_I6NcGpF7kVphR-ETVGppWneiyitdTzdS8NA4ByN8c4e7Z-_1Af6S33_GgpLzL1TU8oXz2IdOS7jUCfJKNsDYQ4mZkcxes1eAjSfyT-0H3kNXibp28w/s1600/D71_2168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7b5F8AwfD_jFppm2KyhoVd0PY_I6NcGpF7kVphR-ETVGppWneiyitdTzdS8NA4ByN8c4e7Z-_1Af6S33_GgpLzL1TU8oXz2IdOS7jUCfJKNsDYQ4mZkcxes1eAjSfyT-0H3kNXibp28w/s320/D71_2168.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheaties? More like Special K. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And while not a record, Elizabeth Kellogg's personal best in the 8 & under Back is noteworthy as she dropped 2 seconds off of her seed time for the upset win in 22.51. I would say she must have ate her Wheaties, but we all know those are from General Mills, not Kellogg's (Ba-dum-tss).<br />
<br />
And, let's not forget about the All-Stars. As I mentioned, one of the other major functions of the Divisional Championships is to serve as the qualifying meet for All-Stars. We had 10 Gators initially make the cut for All-Stars in 16 events, and those All-Stars are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Alex North (Free and Back)</li>
<li>Donovan Kovalsky (Free and Breast)</li>
<li>Elizabeth Kellogg (Back)</li>
<li>Jack Klopson (Breast)</li>
<li>Lincoln Jetton (Back and Breast)</li>
<li>Margaret Driscoll (Free) </li>
<li>Matt Makin (Fly and IM)</li>
<li>Natalie Crowther (Breast and Fly)</li>
<li>Sam Bruce (Free and Fly)</li>
<li>Sheridan Phalen (Free)</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET-qL-yGRN_H0HaaFgBymeVM-TBdJP_ZhzYv1xkg1yq7moMN1gdqgMu_ftwOy9ApxuVbBFoiyiaA9R2ajFM0ZlJnQ4XI5Ig8vXXUt2NyftMVihxF410_eb8wPYd0nEGdNIT43YromMGzW/s1600/D71_2222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET-qL-yGRN_H0HaaFgBymeVM-TBdJP_ZhzYv1xkg1yq7moMN1gdqgMu_ftwOy9ApxuVbBFoiyiaA9R2ajFM0ZlJnQ4XI5Ig8vXXUt2NyftMVihxF410_eb8wPYd0nEGdNIT43YromMGzW/s320/D71_2222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely didn't "Back" into that victory. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And that's not the end of the story. Several other Gator swimmers who originally made the alternate list have been moved up to the firm swim list in the past 24 hours. Clark Bayer has been added to Freestyle and Sheridan Phalen has made the cut for second event in Fly (putting her in both Free and Fly now). That brings the MVP firm entry total up to 11 swimmers in 18 events... which (if they all actually swim Saturday, as expected) would tie the MOST EVER actual swims by MVP Gators at All-Stars. We also had swimmers in 18 events back in 2013.<br />
<br />
But wait... there is more. Adding a final element of drama to the 2019 season, both Cole Miller and Gabby Greszler are currently first alternates for their respective 15-18 Freestyle events... check back later this week to see if any other scratches get them in. If either of them gets into the meet, it will set an MVP all-time high by having swimmers in 19 events!<br />
<br />
Something tells me lots of these Gators are good at goal setting. I can't wait too see what goals they set for next year. But first... let's wait and see how this All-Star thing turns out. We'll keep you updated this week with any more movement on the qualifying list and then send out a meet summary over the weekend after the meet. Be sure to come back and read about how it all turns out.<br />
<br />
Interested in attending All-Stars? The <a href="https://www.mynvsl.com/file/31319/2019_IAS_Guide_for_the_Public_pdf" target="_blank">info is here</a>. Interesting in watching from home on your couch? Well you can do that, too... you just have to cheer extra loud if you want them to hear you. The meet is scheduled to be live streamed on <a href="https://swimninja.com/" target="_blank">Swim Ninja</a>.<br />
<br />
Want to see more pictures? <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2019-photos" target="_blank">Look here</a>. Want to see the end of year videos from the campout? <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2019-gator-videos" target="_blank">Here</a>.<br />
<br />
Go Gators!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWH7WPYNcQSvlKq3nVEnHvep2UqbMd-hCYofvuxR27O_xnP_3rwoCrst9jIRRj5I22RcGrwRSh2d7NlmgJ6k0OjFwTOszPNFo529M_-f1uFiggB0TrTaQCST_VEJH-PTQAfpHvuYIrEb2/s1600/D71_2501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWH7WPYNcQSvlKq3nVEnHvep2UqbMd-hCYofvuxR27O_xnP_3rwoCrst9jIRRj5I22RcGrwRSh2d7NlmgJ6k0OjFwTOszPNFo529M_-f1uFiggB0TrTaQCST_VEJH-PTQAfpHvuYIrEb2/s320/D71_2501.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">That's some high quality H2O. And a high quality Fly pic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-43395898748870976792019-07-26T21:00:00.000-04:002019-07-27T07:02:25.854-04:00The Annual IMI: Is MVP Invincible? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasrHjWqxdSn53-EnIbCtSDAbsB9hXiDb5GgTLqufntDJJ1ZFrdXCAcSKgat8EM0RfvpwVLRDSPEERNPHaUoEem1RsYP-ejCHOlFVQy-O1vdy98a-BuAuHRZghRYzCa55G7kECipk9Ttyk/s1600/D71_1509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasrHjWqxdSn53-EnIbCtSDAbsB9hXiDb5GgTLqufntDJJ1ZFrdXCAcSKgat8EM0RfvpwVLRDSPEERNPHaUoEem1RsYP-ejCHOlFVQy-O1vdy98a-BuAuHRZghRYzCa55G7kECipk9Ttyk/s320/D71_1509.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All joy, no Sarro. (Ok, maybe not my best pun ever there.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can read my thought in the title of this blog post. Technically, the IMI is an acronym for the Individual Medley Invitational meet. But if we want to be honest, we can just start making it an acronym for "Is MVP Invincible?" Another gaggle of speedy IM swims by your Gators makes this 10 years in a row on top of this meet.<br />
<br />
If you haven't read <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2018/07/fastest-in-fort-im-invitational.html" target="_blank">last year's blog</a> on the topic, you should. Just click the link and review it. There is some background on the event and how it is scored as well as some situational set-up to understand the history of the event, and MVP's place (and dominance) within that history. Last year we officially pulled even with Waynewood for the all-time lead in IMI victories. And if you are even remotely good at math, you can see that this year's win puts us atop the heap alone as the all-time winningest IMI pool. Damn it feels good to be a gangster.<br />
<br />
We had three swimmers win the overall title for their events:<br />
<br />
Natalie Crowther, Girls 8 & Under Fly: 19.93 (8 & unders swim Fly instead of IM at this meet)<br />
Helen Milito, Girls 9-10: 1:35.56<br />
Alex North, Boys 11-12: 1:14.71<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxmWozkliQ8H-tK0G0uXW-UhycgViqodENyU9qu0cfTABDxaDgvwrpXvKE7Q7JtuC5jvWJGv_Qm7TY9Ms3xq1XP-5HP31t0YsGe7jmmiEiHUnVRwMmaJRiaXFy8HbXCTn3rP99Qm-Pp0G/s1600/D71_1579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxmWozkliQ8H-tK0G0uXW-UhycgViqodENyU9qu0cfTABDxaDgvwrpXvKE7Q7JtuC5jvWJGv_Qm7TY9Ms3xq1XP-5HP31t0YsGe7jmmiEiHUnVRwMmaJRiaXFy8HbXCTn3rP99Qm-Pp0G/s320/D71_1579.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the Fly photo isn't last...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also had a bunch of seconds, thirds, etc. Check out the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rtSaHRSh0pEex-M_TcZewbwR9xPO4Rp7/view" target="_blank">full results from the meet here</a>. But, to be honest, with all of the age groups and different division breakdowns in the results sheet, it's a little bit too much information (did I just say that?) So, if you just want the simplified Gator-only results, you can <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aC5u7_4lrgL-xAstF37ARoJv7MTJ1Ksd/view" target="_blank">see those here</a>. All the IMI photos are <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y5rYLgcE13kKeYKh7" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Final scores of all the teams (broken down by division) <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17ubvOcAKXULysK1ghSoanWu1FhJs1-12/view" target="_blank">are here</a>.<br />
<br />
With the rainout of the Gator Romp in the Swamp on Wednesday, that makes the IMI the final regular team meet of the season. The team is now moving into the post-season playoffs. Next up is the Individual Divisional Championships, in which the top two swimmers in every stroke from each D3 team vie for superiority and berths into next week's individual All-Star Championship.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7ARx4dZsuJJixZkLVyRvdq9hQ0panU0HosrIOqwhATF2uSIAqH3nmFK__SI3EXj2892f4YDSCdLo7lvL7zepABy_hUChdnbCeFwrEzj3TkGZHNn5shlBY1p5Shmns7jllfRvWlGzrAxv/s1600/D71_2048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7ARx4dZsuJJixZkLVyRvdq9hQ0panU0HosrIOqwhATF2uSIAqH3nmFK__SI3EXj2892f4YDSCdLo7lvL7zepABy_hUChdnbCeFwrEzj3TkGZHNn5shlBY1p5Shmns7jllfRvWlGzrAxv/s320/D71_2048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... especially if there is a trophy photo! Champions! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-88736788586649597232019-07-22T16:33:00.001-04:002019-07-22T21:23:07.020-04:00Hollywood Endings - A Meet vs High Point PoolHollywood has perfected its formula. Most stories are told in three acts: (1) Start with some set-up of the characters and situation, (2) Make some progress towards an objective, then have some complications arise, and then (3) Following a major set-back, make a heroic push and get to the climax, with our heroes normally emerging victorious. That's pretty much the whole enchilada. For all the stories out there. We become emotionally connected to the characters in Act 1, we follow their trials through Act 2, and then we celebrate their victory in Act 3.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApepWcvXzdc5A3N74qjYsjqX78Vq666GJVEik7J7L1vJYtfueOdu-QR2Yi2JH2keXHu3zAhf9vQqEhwpXwV4bwOK11B8PBB27T46xvlDg0LubXQYRtCXbR6dlfy7QU-lxPenURW7HP6kv/s1600/D71_1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApepWcvXzdc5A3N74qjYsjqX78Vq666GJVEik7J7L1vJYtfueOdu-QR2Yi2JH2keXHu3zAhf9vQqEhwpXwV4bwOK11B8PBB27T46xvlDg0LubXQYRtCXbR6dlfy7QU-lxPenURW7HP6kv/s320/D71_1111.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gator Relays Rule! (Foreshadowing...)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Take the classic movie "Rocky" for example. We learn about this hard luck boxer from Philly who works for the mob to get by, then he gets an opportunity! An injury to Apollo Creed's opponent creates the chance for Rocky to fight for the heavyweight title. In Act 2, he trains, has a few minor setbacks, and then the major set-back when he has a crisis of confidence. Then, in Act 3, he is rejuvenated in his training and ultimately goes the distance with Apollo, something no one had ever done before.<br />
<br />
It is a proven successful formula for storytelling. Now, I'm going to tell you about the final "A" Meet of the season: matching the MVP Gators versus the High Point Pool Hippos. You're going to think someone wrote this story following the standard Hollywood 3-act script. But, not true! Everything you read here is part of an actual true story, but I submit no writer in Hollywood could have done any better to create such a terrific tale.<br />
<br />
Where do we begin? Well, Act 1, I suppose. Our heroes are the Gators of MVP. We find them having a strong swim season, coming off a stellar performance at the All-Star relays and sitting upon a win-loss record of 2-2 in the NVSL's 3rd Division. With a win, MVP would finish above .500 and in second place, but a loss would drop down to fourth place in the standings and give them a losing record. The antagonists of this story are the High Point Pool Hippos. They sit above the Gators in the standings at 3-1, and come to the MVP pool for the second year in a row, having stunned the Gators last year in the opening meet of the season, 235-185. (You can <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-often-underestimated-hippo-tale-of.html" target="_blank">read about that here</a>.) Last year, we learned the hard way about the deadly nature of Hippos... the most lethal animal in Africa, in fact.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Su7GkqwxG08" width="480"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
So, with last year's 50-point whooping in the back of everyone's mind... and the knowledge of the threat of those Hippos, the stage was set for this year's meet- the final one of the 2019 season. The Gators had a battle on their hands seeking both redemption from last year, and a higher level of success for this year. To add to the tension, it was <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/mvpgatorswimteam/2019-seniors" target="_blank">Senior Day</a> to boot. And of course everyone wants to send the Seniors off with a final victory. However, the simulations and forecast showed that the Gators were likely to come up short again this year... in an extremely tight battle.... but short, nonetheless. Act 1 has begun.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYHWBJ_Ns9cbpROumMtB890DGsq3lsDoi19itsgVkVpx6Aa0HyFsfA6LpK6kP2pnp5YbHltgazJDlL7upt1d7OJmcpWGVWN9U-f5lMa1ipXw-5-C65Dzs_HeREXjHR1P-YKUEvv8YcQlM/s1600/D71_0902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYHWBJ_Ns9cbpROumMtB890DGsq3lsDoi19itsgVkVpx6Aa0HyFsfA6LpK6kP2pnp5YbHltgazJDlL7upt1d7OJmcpWGVWN9U-f5lMa1ipXw-5-C65Dzs_HeREXjHR1P-YKUEvv8YcQlM/s320/D71_0902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first Clean Sweep of the day begins...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the meet begins, our heroes seize on the some early opportunities in the Freestyle heats. First, Margaret Driscoll puts up a personal best in the 8 & under event to win the race and get two unexpected points in the second event of the day. Then, Gavin Fore outraced his opponent in the 11-12 race, coming away with an unexpected third place. Cassidy Crowther also found a personal best to earn another upset win for the 11-12 Girls. And then Jack Klopson hit a personal best in the 13-14 race to steal third place and give the Gators a clean-sweep in that event.<br />
<br />
As Act 1 draws to a close, we have new opportunity. After Freestyle, the score was expected to be even, but thanks to those clutch performances, the Gators led 50-40. Momentum had shifted strongly towards the Gators side... victory seemed achievable. <br />
<br />
The Gators initially kept pace through the Backstroke events, but then an unexpected DQ robbed the Gators of critical points- taking away a second place finish. But while that DQ gave the Hippos 2nd place, interestingly, it created a tie for third place. When there is a tie, the swimmers split the points. Ella Pribble moved up into 3rd place in the event and earned a half point, along with her Hippo counterpart. Remember this half point for later in the story (that's called foreshadowing in movie lingo).<br />
<br />
Following that DQ, more trouble arose for our heroes as the complications mounted. The Gators were upset by the Hippos in a couple of Back and Breast events. Then in the 9-10 Fly, Sam Bruce and Liam Fore each swam great races only to be edged out by 0.03 and 0.02 for 1st and 3rd respectively. I mention those results because races that are that close fall within the margin of error for manually timed events... so, in reality, it was just unlucky for the Gators to come up short in both of those finishes which were basically statistical ties. (i.e. manual timers aren't good enough to clearly determine the result within 0.02 or 0.03)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-c8LcpdgoizqUc-6vELBNKpFAN3wD5cBcCUmHQWQMMMDqbf-yavmKWki44RQfnogA5rCq40NmxYaoF0yQa-yUsH27R0BKPvJvyQ63zhuG0odfi2ffqstNcIrk6dySGyc6jyTHXBcZYko/s1600/D71_0782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-c8LcpdgoizqUc-6vELBNKpFAN3wD5cBcCUmHQWQMMMDqbf-yavmKWki44RQfnogA5rCq40NmxYaoF0yQa-yUsH27R0BKPvJvyQ63zhuG0odfi2ffqstNcIrk6dySGyc6jyTHXBcZYko/s320/D71_0782.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">"And you, young ones. We will watch your careers with<br />
great interest." -Senator Palpatine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Hippos fully stole the momentum through both the Back (38-52) and Breast (41-49), to not only even things up, but take over a commanding lead. Finally, the Gators were able to stop the bleeding by winning Fly 46-44, led by a clean sweep in the 8 & under Girls event. Thanks and congrats to Natalie Crowther, Tess McCall and Evelyn Milito for that accomplishment.<br />
<br />
That said, the damage was done. The strong Hippo Back and Breast performances had wounded the Gators chances. Like Rocky Balboa, the team was staggered and bruised... trailing 175.5 to 184.5 heading into the Relays. The major set-back had happened. The teams were very evenly matched in Relays, and seeing any upsets at this point seemed unlikely. Act 2 drew to a close with the foreboding of a probable losing season, despite such valiant efforts by the team.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5viaDl73rS8IZlwF-M6z-U0gKUnzgMlfrdn-GEk-Brmjg5RrLoGP7rFIMkildesFU55i__lM84VNf-MxQqHfL2fc5GVAZ03fSIjtacq0b_TDLYvZZJPpbQank6Y_AuhGWiWexwr5CyFNq/s1600/D71_1217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5viaDl73rS8IZlwF-M6z-U0gKUnzgMlfrdn-GEk-Brmjg5RrLoGP7rFIMkildesFU55i__lM84VNf-MxQqHfL2fc5GVAZ03fSIjtacq0b_TDLYvZZJPpbQank6Y_AuhGWiWexwr5CyFNq/s320/D71_1217.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look closely at those fingers... Evan is 0.05 seconds ahead. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As Act 3 begins, the tension was high, but no one had surrendered the day. There was still fight left in our heroes. In the first two relays, the results were split as expected. Then a new hope emerged as the 9-10 Boys dug down deep and pulled off an amazing upset victory, anchored by a HUGE final come-from-behind leg by Evan Pribble. They cut over THREE seconds off their time from only 10 days prior at the Divisional Relays, and leapt over the High Point team who themselves went nearly two seconds faster than their own winning time from Divisionals. The final result- 1:15.15 to 1:15.20. That's right, they beat the Division Champion relay team by 0.05 to steal a crucial 5-points. A final Gator victory was still distant, but this was the upset we needed to get moving in that direction.<br />
<br />
Then, another twist of the plot came as High Point responded in the next race to upset MVP in similar fashion and take back those five points, winning by only 0.2 seconds in the 9-10 Girls relay. Could there be any more drama? Yes. Yes, there could.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxp10aKMUSq0dCcmH5_bnGQ8MaNRx9x4_vKSJ1meEm1OmY7GsUE5XbWOzXZF29PGPf_H97jbqmrkrQcoCMvaSdyCWbdp4gP3YPWfD1COBW85OC3Kp9jQSco3Mgp_boM8A51bZ5loG9NnE/s1600/D71_1090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxp10aKMUSq0dCcmH5_bnGQ8MaNRx9x4_vKSJ1meEm1OmY7GsUE5XbWOzXZF29PGPf_H97jbqmrkrQcoCMvaSdyCWbdp4gP3YPWfD1COBW85OC3Kp9jQSco3Mgp_boM8A51bZ5loG9NnE/s320/D71_1090.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Flying high.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next four relays continued to alternate between Gator wins and Hippo wins. The deadlock in the relays continued, and it didn't look like the Gators were going to be able to find another needed victory to put them over the top. Despite the strong final push, it seemed as if they would fall just a bit short.<br />
<br />
But this is where the climax of our story begins. With four events remaining, the Gators trailed 195.5-204.5. Two of the remaining Gator relay teams were amongst the very best in all of the NVSL: the Girls 15-18 Medley and Boys Mixed-Age Freestyle teams were virtually unbeatable. But those two races would not be enough... the Gators had to find one more win and were running out of opportunities. In fact, the Hippos were strong favorites in the final heat, which was basically out of reach.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf9xDzhLYUYtJ6zyTc-j4wp-RlUABs_89y-tVb8do1OjnZzHLsJTqIUU5JvZc4Uvjwohz4u5h1k8oNE2egSy3Fk8JVe8_9DZYIHG9RqZsyeoaQVfW3TyQ16REZcw73h8ZsSDfFCQZsPKi/s1600/D71_1352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf9xDzhLYUYtJ6zyTc-j4wp-RlUABs_89y-tVb8do1OjnZzHLsJTqIUU5JvZc4Uvjwohz4u5h1k8oNE2egSy3Fk8JVe8_9DZYIHG9RqZsyeoaQVfW3TyQ16REZcw73h8ZsSDfFCQZsPKi/s320/D71_1352.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's one heck of an anchor leg in those frothy bubbles. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, it all came down to the Boys 15-18 Medley as the decisive event. The team that won this one was likely going to win the meet. Back at those Divisional Relays on July 10th, the HPP team finished ahead of the Gators even though the Gators had set a team record in that race! You read that right. Despite the Gators giving the all-time best 15-18 Gator Medley Relay performance, their best just wasn't good enough to beat the Hippos. Could they flip the story in this final dramatic meet of the year? The Gator Boys jumped out to an early lead, but the top High Point swimmers charged back in the middle legs and pulled ahead prior to the final Freestyle leg. The Gator anchor, Clark Bayer, was about a full body length behind when he left the wall. He then showed us some Gator magic for the ages and gave his best 50 yards of the season... coming all the way back to win the race in a new MVP record time of 1:55.34. This time the team's best got even better, and earned the victory... for their relay and the entire Gator Nation.<br />
<br />
What a climax! The Gator cheering section erupted with the amazing victory. High fives were abundant. There may have even been some hugging amongst the celebrating Gator dads up top. Following the upset victory and record-breaking performance by the Boys, the 15-18 Girls and Mixed-Age Boys "held serve" as expected and cruised to victory in their respective events.<br />
<br />
The final score? Gators 210.5, Hippos 209.5.<br />
Closest meet of the year.<br />
Closest meet in forever.<br />
Victory achieved. 3-2 in the standings, tied for 2nd place in D3.<br />
The third winning season in a row for the Gators, and seventh out of the past eight years.<br />
(Note: remember that 0.5 points earned for the 3rd place tie I mentioned in the foreshadowing earlier? That sure mattered. As did every single point by every single swimmer in every single race.)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrnMdktp1MS2xhc_BeXRZKBqEZMi2tInEsec1m7pnxiwaxrgIieSYo23JlAlnO8bjSPbkllupMhsOhcsj7NFGFOA_7H2Tyc6y5SCqAkbuLNt9jArcSRcKinOA5K7lm21l_WWFJz_WBF-l/s1600/D71_1398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrnMdktp1MS2xhc_BeXRZKBqEZMi2tInEsec1m7pnxiwaxrgIieSYo23JlAlnO8bjSPbkllupMhsOhcsj7NFGFOA_7H2Tyc6y5SCqAkbuLNt9jArcSRcKinOA5K7lm21l_WWFJz_WBF-l/s320/D71_1398.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seniors leading their final Gator cheers... to victory! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And remember when I <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/06/minor-differences-meet-vs-donaldson-run.html" target="_blank">mentioned a couple weeks ago</a> that it would feel much better going 3-2 by rattling off three straight wins at the end as compared to losing a few down the stretch... how do you like me now? The Gators were able to get those three wins, and I know I'm pretty pumped after this one. What a finish to the meet. What a finish to the season. What a great movie. I'm already looking forward to the sequel.<br />
<br />
And how about those weekly honors? This week's Race of the Week has got to be a tie. The 9-10 Boys (Sam Bruce, Anthony Sarro, Liam Fore, and Evan Pribble) and 15-18 Boys (John French, TJ Heck, Cole Miller, and Clark Bayer) Medley relay upsets earned us the key 10 points we needed to snatch this victory from the jaws of the Hippos. Those races were awesome.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_qBrEpXNiOfM8A6iRfaX5Hdw_r4uHpfl1prDcPNH5QiVlmiSUvcTAI7e2VxrX6Caqxzj3aDq3H3sDdKyZDcyIwKdxzmy5at-cWiPyn9eche4zQy6tvUMA3nWukMS5_oeTzhYhVQGhsC4/s1600/D71_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_qBrEpXNiOfM8A6iRfaX5Hdw_r4uHpfl1prDcPNH5QiVlmiSUvcTAI7e2VxrX6Caqxzj3aDq3H3sDdKyZDcyIwKdxzmy5at-cWiPyn9eche4zQy6tvUMA3nWukMS5_oeTzhYhVQGhsC4/s320/D71_1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm just going to say it... some of these NVSL Officials<br />
are real nit-pickers. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Age Group of the Week? Well, that's a tough one, as usual. The 13-14 Boys once again put on a clinic and earned the most points (33) with one clean sweep and a victory in every race. The 8 & under Girls were right on their heels. The 11-12 Boys also won each of their races. One of the things about this blog is I tend to focus on the close races, upsets and interesting matchups. Doing that often results in glazing over some of the "Rock of Gibraltar" performances by some of our swimmers and age-groups who just keep winning all the time: the 8 & under Girls, 9-10 Boys, 11-12 Boys, 13-14 Boys, and 15-18 Girls have been consistently excellent all season. Any of those groups really could have been the AGOTW just about any week. But this week... I'm giving the title to the 15-18 Boys. The order of events put them in that crucial spot at the end, and I just can't unsee that awesome relay victory and amazing final leg by Clark.<br />
<br />
And for Swimmers of the Week? I'm going off script for this one. Normally I pick an individual, but this meet was ultimately decided by the relays... and so it is with the relays we will stay for this honor. I know I already gave the ROTW to the relays, but they deserve even more this time around. Instead of an individual, I'm giving Swimmer of the Week to the Boys Relay teams en masse. They earned 25 out of a possible 30 relay points...including those two crucial upsets. That's some relay power and rightfully earned this week's SOTW.<br />
<br />
Hold on a second.... I almost forgot something. The main attraction (the "A" meet season) may be over, but there is another critical element that has become a staple for movies these days: the mid-credits scene and the after-credits scene. Coming up next week is the Individual Divisional Championships (mid-credits) and then the Individual All-Stars follows that on August 3rd. Don't get out of your seats. Be sure to keep watching and see what happens in these awesome additions to our movie (or rather... season).<br />
<br />
Go Gators!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWr2-YN6tyMyKWKJMMsP5DMHAQSNomtdg5CQXmgjT028nhljZSqABq5B2r4ekvIRafx3HyFWLanv7e0R3QtYja4E6VikjbvQw8c0p9GWdipqKOTOi3N6_Tf99534vrIOEPJbS5g5FQvqBF/s1600/D71_0831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWr2-YN6tyMyKWKJMMsP5DMHAQSNomtdg5CQXmgjT028nhljZSqABq5B2r4ekvIRafx3HyFWLanv7e0R3QtYja4E6VikjbvQw8c0p9GWdipqKOTOi3N6_Tf99534vrIOEPJbS5g5FQvqBF/s320/D71_0831.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome Senior banners are equal to the best Fly pics!<br />
Congrats Seniors!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-9564276547574971012019-07-20T16:07:00.000-04:002019-07-20T16:09:39.281-04:00Storm Damage at the All-Star Relays<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cmmikUiig_mnPWDB3mOGVV8ucBr0Wt3nD9_O6azuq6kPP-MmQLgeNER_aECl7tOUfkbs4AS_4WQSSXVLDRkEe_4jZucj1zSv1Dd4v9YIS8JBt7_uuDhjdhH7fhcFDHb2_HfbBVeqg6XP/s1600/D71_0773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cmmikUiig_mnPWDB3mOGVV8ucBr0Wt3nD9_O6azuq6kPP-MmQLgeNER_aECl7tOUfkbs4AS_4WQSSXVLDRkEe_4jZucj1zSv1Dd4v9YIS8JBt7_uuDhjdhH7fhcFDHb2_HfbBVeqg6XP/s320/D71_0773.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worst part about the rain delay is<br />
that the after-party had to be shortened...<br />
but still fun, of course. <br />
Mmmm. District Taco.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you've read this blog for any length of time, then you'll know that the series of relay meets (Divisional Relay Carnival and All-Star Relays) are highly valued. I'm pretty sure that sentiment is shared by many of the swimmers, parents, and coaches, too. There is just something special about four swimmers working together as a team in a high level challenge against many others from around the NVSL. The mutual support and encouragement, as well as the team competitiveness, are palpable.<br />
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It's not an overstatement to say this is my favorite meet of the year.... normally. But I am human. And circumstances can change things. There was a 2-hour rain delay. That did put a little damper on things. I was wet, and not in that fun "getting splashed by the 15-18 Boys while timing" kind of wet. And I was muddy. With all the foot traffic, some big mud puddles developed around the viewing areas... so, maybe, just maybe, this particular iteration of the All-Star relays wasn't my favorite meet this year. But its still up there near the top, muddy shoes and all. </div>
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The storm did more than just make things muddy and wet. There were also internet problems. Adding to the negative karma from the rain delay was the temporary outage sustained by the livestream team at SwimNinja. A large segment of the events after the restart were not captured on the livestream, so quite a few grandparents, friends, and parents who couldn't make it to the Lincolnia pool weren't able to watch the live feed on SwimNinja for over half of the meet because of technical/operational issues. Bummer. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ11Y5AJsyDbkvlcaGvMLCkvuQXU6rzW3MIepr5iRVPu2-uJkzwTAhtVu4yg8WOHLlbihhoAm4VwiOqYVvgshAfO-PuUpdAABeC-8POp_sz7h45b2alMjYLBmSg8c-kxeWhcQ7fwlYttcr/s1600/D71_0739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ11Y5AJsyDbkvlcaGvMLCkvuQXU6rzW3MIepr5iRVPu2-uJkzwTAhtVu4yg8WOHLlbihhoAm4VwiOqYVvgshAfO-PuUpdAABeC-8POp_sz7h45b2alMjYLBmSg8c-kxeWhcQ7fwlYttcr/s320/D71_0739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goggles? Check. Fingers? Check. </td></tr>
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On a side note, I find it awkward that I feel so entitled to the <a href="https://swimninja.com/2019/07/16/2019-nvsl-all-star-relays-livestream/" target="_blank">SwimNinja livestream</a> even though it is a completely free service and I have contributed nothing to its success or operation. I suppose that is just the state of things in today's connected world that we come to expect things probably a bit too much. We do need to appreciate the awesomeness of the the live video feed for swim events like this, as it is a wondrous technical marvel. I catch myself feeling upset that even though we are getting something for nothing, it still is disappointing when it is taken away. But things do happen. I understand it intellectually. But I still get a little emotionally disturbed. Thank goodness for the lessons I've learned through my years of watching Seinfeld... I can use my little mantra to get my emotions back in check, "SERENITY NOW." </div>
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On another side note... my house lost power during the storm, and then when it came back up, the internet was still gone! Ugh. As the blogger, it is a pretty catastrophic blow to lose the internet. I enjoy the blogging... but not enough to try to do it on my phone. I'm definitely a full size keyboard kind of blogger. So, the no power/no internet thing put some delays in the blog schedule, which never makes me happy. So that's why you are probably reading this on Saturday instead of Thursday. "SERENITY NOW!" </div>
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Anyway, I wouldn't say the cards weren't necessarily stacked against us on Wednesday, but once the "game" began, it sure seemed like someone was dealing from the bottom of the deck: thunder, lightning, rain, mud, darkness... But we're Gators and we'll overcome. And overcome all the troubles is precisely what our swimmers did. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic4UkwtRZxqM9pWhdC34R8cj1L2g6guwNuboxI7h6qbKprL9Oqpwg8Bu63aJlYhwhk_OdkLLkQvWgpB5aOszN5sglS0qK2fn71fqOn2X25WjHi_ywa-BCBqlSeqO-ofOufQYPZhSdsza1/s1600/D71_0714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic4UkwtRZxqM9pWhdC34R8cj1L2g6guwNuboxI7h6qbKprL9Oqpwg8Bu63aJlYhwhk_OdkLLkQvWgpB5aOszN5sglS0qK2fn71fqOn2X25WjHi_ywa-BCBqlSeqO-ofOufQYPZhSdsza1/s320/D71_0714.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">That's a record-breaking transition right there. </td></tr>
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In fact, when the team was in the pool, this year's All-Star Relay meet was pretty glorious and started out with a bang for the Gators. In event #2, the boys mixed-age relay team (Alexander North, Sam Bruce, Donovan Kovalsky, and Clark Bayer) broke their own MVP record and placed 4th in the race, finishing with a blistering time of 1:52.98. Hot start? Check. </div>
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Then, following that lead, the rest of the teams rattled off a nice string of races, which included seven top-10 finishes, and five top-6s: </div>
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Girls 8u Medley, 6th place: Elizabeth Kellogg, Hayden Ward, Natalie Crowther, & Margaret Driscoll</div>
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Boys 11-12 Medley, 5th place: George Schulte, Alexander North, Matthew Makin, & Gavin Fore</div>
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Boys 13-14 Medley 4th. Joe Humphreys, Jack Klopson, James Piland, and Donovan Kovalsky</div>
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Girls 15-18 Medley, 15th: Emily Makin, Taylor Makin, Gabby Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen</div>
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Boys 11-12 Free, 4th: Matthew Makin, Gavin Fore, Jack Alzona, and Alexander North<br />
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Girls 8u Free, 9th: Margaret Driscoll, Kate Barber, Andrea Morales, and Natalie Crowther<br />
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Boys 13-14 Free, 8th: James Piland, Jack Klopson, Jack Dupuis, and Donovan Kovalsky<br />
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Boys 15-18 Free, 15th: Cole Miller, Andrew Baker, John French, and Clark Bayer<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2bVEHT634Jy3Z5fOIpgvqDye4jeb57ztDRc0qGLHZ0EbqBwvD7ADfxtSSElNsP6w9uoFX5owiIU7TY8QWR02fGb76Rbs75sGAD4EsQACNDtE1ix7iiv03Y6SDzVTISyoDAXpMWhhA3OU/s1600/D71_0721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2bVEHT634Jy3Z5fOIpgvqDye4jeb57ztDRc0qGLHZ0EbqBwvD7ADfxtSSElNsP6w9uoFX5owiIU7TY8QWR02fGb76Rbs75sGAD4EsQACNDtE1ix7iiv03Y6SDzVTISyoDAXpMWhhA3OU/s320/D71_0721.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">That's pretty good suit coordination there...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Girls 15-18 Free, DQ: What? Yeah, you read that right- DQ. Apparently our final heat qualifying, record-holding team of super swimmers got DQ'ed. Admittedly, it happens to everyone, but I'm going to chalk this one up to another casualty of the storm. The fact is that by the time the Girls 15-18 Free event (the last one of the day) rolled around after the storm delay, it was basically total darkness at the pool. There were lights around the pool, but I was there on deck watching and couldn't tell who the swimmers were at that point because of the darkness. But, even through that darkness, one of the officials found enough wrong to DQ our girls for an inappropriate take-off? Really? I'm not normally one to question the officials (I don't want any fines coming down NFL-style from the management...) but this one does seem a little fishy. I mean Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Emily Makin, Gabby Greszler, and Sheridan Phalen are pretty accomplished. They are stalwart performers on their HS swims teams, NCAP, and for the Gators. But somehow they DQ'ed in this one? Things happen, of course, but it seems a little fishy to me. (Don't get me wrong... not questioning the official, don't want any fines... but... fishy. Very fishy.)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hyhZdj9QmIPI9W27DNqIfG6620ZwD1Pwa0GGjCYWlOXYxKcrnoOTNxlC5ikPqqCEcgWNftUzO0FdbKZVoCQXvriKjUVvkNhJIsT9hG03L9G7iKzFbB35iUaVe9EFrLCk9mIVL5Lk77j9/s1600/D71_0762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hyhZdj9QmIPI9W27DNqIfG6620ZwD1Pwa0GGjCYWlOXYxKcrnoOTNxlC5ikPqqCEcgWNftUzO0FdbKZVoCQXvriKjUVvkNhJIsT9hG03L9G7iKzFbB35iUaVe9EFrLCk9mIVL5Lk77j9/s320/D71_0762.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IDK who that guy in the back is, but A+ on the photobomb.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anyway, in summary, the lightning and thunder brought about a delay to the meet and the rain brought some mud to the fields. A four-hour meet turned into six. Darkness became an issue, but eventually, we were able to finish all the events. And the Gators did great. How great, well, if you take all those race results and add up the points, the Gators finished in 8th place overall. EIGHTH! That's a pretty big deal. It ties for the highest position we've ever finished at All-Star Relays. (Note: we also finished eighth in 2013, but we sent 12 teams that year. This year's accomplishment was done with only 10 teams, meaning each team had to earn more points with relatively higher finishes per team.) </div>
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And for just a little comparative analysis, and to toot our horn a little, if you will: </div>
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<li>The Gators finished ahead of two D1 teams. </li>
<li>And the Gators finished ahead of every D2 team, except one. </li>
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And how about the other local teams in the Fort Hunt area? Little Hunting Park came away with 68 points (which is a pretty impressive result from D11), Hollin Meadows finished with 20 points, Mansion House had 14, and Waynewood 12. The three remaining local pools didn't have any teams in the event this year... just showing how hard it is and what an honor just to make it!<br />
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And totaling up those scores in the "Tiger Woods versus the Field" category, you'll note that's 114 points for the Field (all the rest of Fort Hunt combined), and 230 for the Gators. That's full-on double up territory this year. Bragging rights sustained. Check.<br />
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The <a href="https://mynvsl.com/results/20966?back=dt" target="_blank">full results are here</a>. And the <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMwWseGy8rQVNoSfzYffwuFb5qkCYPUQEH0In78rB1__6eyAGL8XuwpmwGf3b4l7A?key=QmRCWWFZOWRtV2FZc2tBOHdmZ3l5VWpVZmwwdHVB" target="_blank">pictures are here</a>.<br />
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Great swimming. Go Gator All-Star Relays! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLp6b1ekg7b1k2Cs9AIgFw4KcMyLcVvB-nlGuxSSvbeLoL0jn_3VDioUMcU-B9nkVdNJPDWHmz5ihl6g8gsER-TnJN5UrWh68ruja-eRtnUJ-oBVJC64mVXIUpscsf85qXi8CeHHeXIFXt/s1600/D71_0759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLp6b1ekg7b1k2Cs9AIgFw4KcMyLcVvB-nlGuxSSvbeLoL0jn_3VDioUMcU-B9nkVdNJPDWHmz5ihl6g8gsER-TnJN5UrWh68ruja-eRtnUJ-oBVJC64mVXIUpscsf85qXi8CeHHeXIFXt/s320/D71_0759.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly pics. Best pics. </td></tr>
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Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-83969415944091364002019-07-19T20:38:00.000-04:002019-07-19T20:51:38.473-04:00Memories of a Gator by Cole MillerI showed up to my first day of swim with a pair of snorkel fins. I spent the majority of practice retrieving them when they fell off, all while trying to figure out what to do. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but then I entered my first meet. Oh. My. Gator. (haha puns!)<br />
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For the newer members of the gators, or those who haven’t known me as long, I’m actually an introvert. I know you’re thinking, “aren’t you the guy who dresses up in a onesie and does the Cotton-Eye Joe?” Well, yes, but I wasn’t always like that stylish devil. When I was young, I was the kid who stood in the back and just mouthed along to the cheers, and didn’t participate in spirit days because I always felt like I was going to embarrass myself (irony at its finest). I was a very introverted kid in an extroverted activity. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVED to swim, but I didn’t understand the importance of team spirit.<br />
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It took me a while to warm-up to the team (pun absolutely intended), and thankfully I had some great friends to bolster me up. I can remember almost every relay I did with Colin Sunstead, Nick Dupuis, and Sean Jansen--full of energy and intensity. Not to mention all the wicked themes we had for Divisionals and All-Stars. The three of them helped me see how important teamwork and being a part of a team was. I had all my individual swims, but I felt that the relays really helped me put myself out there and get excited to race in meets.<br />
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However, most memories of those first five or so years have all blended together in a general recollection of time on the pool deck and traveling to meets. Most of my clearest and best memories are from the past four years when I was a teen coach—watching the Little Gators enjoy swimming (yes, 8&Unders, they are a magical experience), the teen nights, and even some of the more mundane practices. The biggest influence on the swimmer you see today (and why I wear a onesie) is my career as a coach because it forced me to put myself out there and be a leader for the kids in my lanes. I was inspired by the determination and heart in the swimmers to be the coach (or mascot) the team needed. It can even say it has helped me grow, I feel like I can take on almost any swimming (or social) challenge that 7-year old me would have dreaded. I can even now confidently strut around in a gator onesie.<br />
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So, from my heart, thank you to my fellow coaches, the Little Gators, Paul, and Laurel for helping craft the person I am today.<br />
<br />Gator Blogger!http://www.blogger.com/profile/08029556344266783510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-52350941180905261282019-07-18T07:13:00.000-04:002019-07-20T16:58:38.140-04:00That Neighbor With All The Cool Stuff - B Meet vs RSG<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsthlKNCw1ApIIziTafcP88QT9vG15an0tiOBYzgLDgdN7Pzr8_k6xZBRLLChJcdObsuNnm98Mz6TCT4qjWR-8KpDmOWf-O1YJNP5gQM_iZAUuBCTLUcPJjT4xBxpPSWElTuEGYJoOCD85/s1600/D71_0401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsthlKNCw1ApIIziTafcP88QT9vG15an0tiOBYzgLDgdN7Pzr8_k6xZBRLLChJcdObsuNnm98Mz6TCT4qjWR-8KpDmOWf-O1YJNP5gQM_iZAUuBCTLUcPJjT4xBxpPSWElTuEGYJoOCD85/s320/D71_0401.jpg" width="320" /></a>I overheard a funny conversation on Monday night between a Riverside Gardens parent and coach that I'd like to share. </div>
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Coach: "Your son did really well tonight."<br />
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Parent: "He missed his backstroke event."<br />
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Coach: "I meant that he behaved well."<br />
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Parent: "Well, thanks. It's just so distracting when he comes here to swim. There is so much stuff around and so many friends."<br />
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Coach: "Oh, and he did good swimming the Fly, too."<br />
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I laughed about this one on a couple fronts.<br />
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First, the differing expectations of coach and parent: parent thinking about swim, coach thinking about behavior. (This reminds me a lot of school, too, where good behavior seems to be more highly regarded than good performance these days... not sure what that says about our kids behavior in general, but that's another blog post.)<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AlScV993fzPLjWB9T3XviXHaASonTq4ymTtIS6Kx60smjldZeaRIi3g2aAGXs_TwQ28pliPhmVHspRaY7cTrUXPEkp8nUDmPUYdqqC8KdpMQKzLLfs5V8XuIPRw1b4_X-bxaydA-HOzm/s1600/D71_0226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AlScV993fzPLjWB9T3XviXHaASonTq4ymTtIS6Kx60smjldZeaRIi3g2aAGXs_TwQ28pliPhmVHspRaY7cTrUXPEkp8nUDmPUYdqqC8KdpMQKzLLfs5V8XuIPRw1b4_X-bxaydA-HOzm/s320/D71_0226.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The natural beauty of the park really can be distracting...</td></tr>
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Second, just like that famous internet meme, I catch myself all the time peeking over my shoulder and checking out the other pools and the cool stuff that they have or do that I wish we had here. It's always nice to see that reverse side of that when the other pools come to the Swamp and comment on how different and enjoyable it is. Even to the level of distraction and missing events.<br />
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I think the lesson in this is that there are some solid behavior traits our kids are gaining by swimming here... and making sure they work through all the distractions to show up and swim their events.<br />
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Sometimes it's the little things.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X-nyo6WwFiWU2mcoSf565yxsOln1TtmfXRocpP5hUqRG3txd0IUGTohNkaWrqIWmQnX3lXYYHwKt-CU3pbIrdT_q7BLWayYwA8FavzYS6iGhdFLk9ulf8Tf68MlQeXVwyC2jdN3y1l6M/s1600/D71_0607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3X-nyo6WwFiWU2mcoSf565yxsOln1TtmfXRocpP5hUqRG3txd0IUGTohNkaWrqIWmQnX3lXYYHwKt-CU3pbIrdT_q7BLWayYwA8FavzYS6iGhdFLk9ulf8Tf68MlQeXVwyC2jdN3y1l6M/s320/D71_0607.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goggles? Goggles? We don't need no stinking goggles. </td></tr>
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Anyway, the RSG "B" Meet went off without a hitch. No thunder, no rain, and done before dark. I think that may be a first in my time here. Kudos to the officials and meet management team for getting through this one so efficiently.<br />
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There was a lot of good swimming (for those who showed up to their races). Check out <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nEa8YYQN56ZApmXyA8EPSnUQLy7l4PaK/view" target="_blank">the results here</a>. And <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNubm7TCL1rTMNbWXARvBB8bN_YnVr9p_68BTBzbH_m7uyvv7j1cnfJ7JvC2m46TQ?key=bU1WanpCbjZVUUFCS3JmZktUNDQ2c3RRc1VWLTZB" target="_blank">pictures here</a>.<br />
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Go Gators!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDL8rN7FQIjyhYM0wfCYgyknnpEm4FDYBShX-pspk2JUq0aCxuWTV_OoG2sjZ5EWhfBZ_ssDoy-RVkEIvfzdZOrcWZzl0BRkvWJHD_R5Rsb1IZ3ktqFttf4HHmpxap52d9hzai5z8HtmJ/s1600/D71_0650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDL8rN7FQIjyhYM0wfCYgyknnpEm4FDYBShX-pspk2JUq0aCxuWTV_OoG2sjZ5EWhfBZ_ssDoy-RVkEIvfzdZOrcWZzl0BRkvWJHD_R5Rsb1IZ3ktqFttf4HHmpxap52d9hzai5z8HtmJ/s320/D71_0650.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly pics = best pics. </td></tr>
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<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-1978696597002700602019-07-15T09:59:00.000-04:002019-07-15T10:00:10.011-04:00Spirit Animal - Gator Swimmer of the Week #4<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1TKN3ErXZh4BxZ9INOjcWm9rk7eFiMpFNQNkWUQSx0AYhbdxKRvYhgCB8iGiSkxo-hQ6HWvjYEQhcgTOWWy6KIYtxgdTtnTrn1GWPwlVHl6KUNlP-fuoEG4xNepdMdIYqmxasyEgoODl/s1600/D71_9520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1TKN3ErXZh4BxZ9INOjcWm9rk7eFiMpFNQNkWUQSx0AYhbdxKRvYhgCB8iGiSkxo-hQ6HWvjYEQhcgTOWWy6KIYtxgdTtnTrn1GWPwlVHl6KUNlP-fuoEG4xNepdMdIYqmxasyEgoODl/s320/D71_9520.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's clearly their hero. </td></tr>
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As always seems to be the case, the selection of the SOTW is not easy this week. If SOTW stood for "Sisters of the Week," then I'm pretty sure the winners would be clear: Natalie and Cassidy Crowther demonstrated some super sister power loud and clear this week. Both girls won each of their events (11-12 Free/Back for Cassidy and 8u Breast/Fly for Natalie) and helped to win their respective relays. However, that's not the right acronym. As we know, it actually stands for "Swimmers of the Week" which makes the choice quite a bit tougher. We have a lot of stellar swimmers this week and every week. Donovan Kovalsky won the 13-14 Free and Back, as well as the contributing to the Medley Relay and Mixed Age Relay wins. And once again, Sheridan Phalen took the 15-18 Free and Fly, and anchored her Medley Relay win.<br />
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Do you see how tough this selection is? Every week it goes like this. <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/trophies-for-everybody-gator-swimmers.html" target="_blank">Last week</a> I had to use "largest margin of victory" as the determining factor in bestowing the honor upon Lincoln Jetton.<br />
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This week, instead of looking to the largest margin of victory, the criteria is shifting out of the pool. We've got another swimmer and leader who won both his races (Free and Fly) and the anchored the Mixed Age Relay, all while demonstrating exceptional team leadership throughout the meet. Cole Miller has led the team all season with the pre-game cheers, rallying the swimmers throughout the course of the meets. He really stepped up his game this week in true Superhero fashion and got everyone extremely pumped up for the races! It's that great Spirit Leadership that pushed Cole to the top of the SOTW category this week.<br />
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Week in and week out, we can count on Cole taking the role of team leader. We routinely see him patrolling the deck wearing the Gator costume, or this week, his Superhero costume. Cole's rally cries and cheer leadership help the team get the adrenaline flowing and keep performances high.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiNTVi1ZZdDncLvpYMpEuYjHWPHCKH9OHall2ptlyyzMfLyYUVjihFJRbV30qMpjHXUkjKklUjidOPfG_gPcaSEm9RPUUAvTu_SuSQLK60O4wlm7Z0dHhxeC6sfJhHfhRRTV0H0AiRS8n/s1600/D71_9561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiNTVi1ZZdDncLvpYMpEuYjHWPHCKH9OHall2ptlyyzMfLyYUVjihFJRbV30qMpjHXUkjKklUjidOPfG_gPcaSEm9RPUUAvTu_SuSQLK60O4wlm7Z0dHhxeC6sfJhHfhRRTV0H0AiRS8n/s320/D71_9561.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The MVP of MVP. </td></tr>
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As a matter of fact, if you <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-hard-days-work-in-smallville-meet-vs.html" target="_blank">read the weekly summary yesterday</a>, you'll note that Cole's first win of the day ended up being the Race of the Week (the 15-18 Free). It is certainly no coincidence that Cole was leading the team in the rally cheers prior to the start of the meet and then pulling off an upset victory a few minutes later. There is a saying in academics, "If you want to learn a subject well, teach it." I think that applies here similarly, "If you want to pump yourself up, pump up the team!"<br />
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Congrats Cole for pulling off the rare double honor of being in the ROTW and being the SOTW.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsSFX61Gnpi3X6iEarwfrxkUtz-40ZnNXiycWxoIgJ6UFDTGqK3maVQhIvf9GjdhrAoqty8oVNSGVCK_gSN4LN41PVCZHkgQrp3W0T6HLbEHO0bMFgvYnmLQU_wgT-L6PI_KikSgVi0H1/s1600/D71_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsSFX61Gnpi3X6iEarwfrxkUtz-40ZnNXiycWxoIgJ6UFDTGqK3maVQhIvf9GjdhrAoqty8oVNSGVCK_gSN4LN41PVCZHkgQrp3W0T6HLbEHO0bMFgvYnmLQU_wgT-L6PI_KikSgVi0H1/s320/D71_0071.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOTW Fly pics are the very best swim pics. </td></tr>
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Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-18919149369624797322019-07-14T20:01:00.000-04:002019-07-14T20:04:47.491-04:00A Hard Day's Work in Smallville - "A" Meet vs Hunter Mill<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV3nE9dkA-Q1BIyVN3qLXxhhvET30OZslfNM1Q1y3M8O7AHcL3GTV-e6A8zzYtxMYlB-L6o-nRBSFcUWW2U1vNFaQoPKVPd1osxn4QmsYFrsgdrfwfuXpfyUUKyoXruJzC_3LPw5SlLQP/s1600/20190713_072129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV3nE9dkA-Q1BIyVN3qLXxhhvET30OZslfNM1Q1y3M8O7AHcL3GTV-e6A8zzYtxMYlB-L6o-nRBSFcUWW2U1vNFaQoPKVPd1osxn4QmsYFrsgdrfwfuXpfyUUKyoXruJzC_3LPw5SlLQP/s320/20190713_072129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avengers, who? This is the team we want on our side.</td></tr>
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This week's Gator theme for the "A" Meet was Superheroes. For the meet, we travelled out to Hunter Mill in the western part of the county on territory that used to be lots of farm land... not anymore really, but the old barn and silo still stand as the club house and storage areas for the Hunter Mill Swim Club. The old barn and silo certainly add a unique character to the swim club, making it a little more interesting than the average clubhouse in the NVSL. Why do I mention the theme and the old farm together here? Well, the combination made me think of Superman and some of the things we may take for granted that helped shape his character.<br />
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When Superman landed on Earth as a baby, he landed on farmland in Kansas. The Kents were a hard-working farming couple who had no children of their own, so having the "superbaby" fall into their lives was literally a gift from the heavens. A big part of Superbaby/boy/man's life was shaped by that life on the farm. His adoptive father instilled a strong work ethic in him: get up early, do your chores, meet all your obligations, help where needed, be kind, repeat. Would Superman be any different if he hadn't landed with the Kents? If that rocket crashed in Beverly Hills, would Clark Kardashian have been the same hero that we all know and love? Probably not. An overly-entitled superhero just would't have the same selfless commitment. That country upbringing is a pretty strong foundation of success. I recall one of my old football coaches who had voiced an opinion that he would generally prefer a "country boy" to a "city slicker" when it came to getting players for his teams. The good work ethic was part and parcel to the life of those "country boys." He wasn't denouncing the "city slickers" en masse, but rather just saying that the odds of getting a kid who was going to work hard in sports (and life) was high with the country kids (I'm a city boy myself, so I definitely don't think that the characterization was meant to be exclusive). The bottom line was that they understood the value of work, and he felt that would translate well to the sports field.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6nagXw3RkRP_bAaFImmezZzslIPFS0iJIftrpI17sUXbq18DmJRGh2sdnx1zzJ4H2Zdeoz1r6UKX9nbzVoYakL0CCcF_glDAEkpFWBl457S9P-R45VkKFfLQRfT_UDc0OCt_RtlRsWwB/s1600/20190713_095732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6nagXw3RkRP_bAaFImmezZzslIPFS0iJIftrpI17sUXbq18DmJRGh2sdnx1zzJ4H2Zdeoz1r6UKX9nbzVoYakL0CCcF_glDAEkpFWBl457S9P-R45VkKFfLQRfT_UDc0OCt_RtlRsWwB/s320/20190713_095732.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonder-ful. </td></tr>
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I see a lot of similarities in that farm-raised work ethic to that of our dedicated swimmers in Gator nation. They are tired, busy, and often over-committed, but continue down the path of doing the things that need to be done, putting in work... many waking up at 3:30am daily and hitting the pool all year long. The resulting habits have broad impact as they learn that hard work pays off: in school, activities, as well as sports... they find success.<br />
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That hard work paid off on the farm this week as the Gators swam to a dominating win over the Sharks. Seven out of 10 age groups won their match-ups and the Gators won three out of four strokes, and tied the fourth. In the relays, the Gator teams were able to win eight out of 12, sealing the most substantial victory of the season for the team.<br />
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The Gators were able to earn "clean sweeps" on six races: two by the 8 & under girls (Free and Breast), one by the 15-19 Girls (Free), and THREE by the 13-14 Boys (Free, Breast, and Fly).<br />
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8U Girls Free: Kate Barber 1st, Margaret Driscoll 2nd, Andrea Morales 3rd<br />
8U Girls Breast: Natalie Crowther, Hayden Ward, Evelyn Milito<br />
15-18 Girls Free: Sheridan Phalen, Gabby Greszler, Juliana Skopp-Cardillo<br />
13-14 Boys Free: Donovan Kovalsky, James Piland, Jack Dupuis<br />
13-14 Boys Breast: Jack Klopson, Jack Dupuis, Dylan Moore<br />
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13-14 Boys Fly: James Piland, Jack Klopson, Joe Humphreys<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ymg-BDO0_6YUuDTey4Gw3kcFZFP3cOIQOMd_Sx1vmb6xmZE92UBRTrEGR1A68Z8xjvR0ad2hqC0xBOeQs-3aPXJEbKThFrTSAzWue7b_7FveawjiX-SOSgPg-EFou51reJkC9YvxsD_F/s1600/D71_9528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ymg-BDO0_6YUuDTey4Gw3kcFZFP3cOIQOMd_Sx1vmb6xmZE92UBRTrEGR1A68Z8xjvR0ad2hqC0xBOeQs-3aPXJEbKThFrTSAzWue7b_7FveawjiX-SOSgPg-EFou51reJkC9YvxsD_F/s320/D71_9528.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our heroes. Powerful.</td></tr>
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If it isn't clear, those 13-14 Boys turned it up a notch this week. First, they had a great Relay Carnival performance (<a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/fish-in-pond-divisional-relay-breakdown.html" target="_blank">read about that here</a>) and then this meet... three clean sweeps is amazing. In the other race, they still won 1st and 2nd to take eight points in that race, too. And they won the relay. In "A" meet math, that adds up to 40 out of 41 points... that's unprecedented in my time with the team. We've had a couple 37's and 38's, and even one 39... but this is the first 40. That's 1st and 2nd in everything, plus 3rd in three out of the four races. That's the result of putting in work. Needless to say, these guys earned the Age Group of the Week trophy (again) as they continue their strong season. Congrats to the 13-14 Boys!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAgDqb3USpKVcH5yaiOm-GkdwykS2iMEoE4IIDViFiNfhCop5OUQWSLbprz6CyPdqAxseiPHt4kBCDetrhBVZT04SB-hSLW5p2v8MisdOZOLrp1zqp3kQxSk6cUt9JArDZ4eHfY__P1Jw/s1600/D71_9522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAgDqb3USpKVcH5yaiOm-GkdwykS2iMEoE4IIDViFiNfhCop5OUQWSLbprz6CyPdqAxseiPHt4kBCDetrhBVZT04SB-hSLW5p2v8MisdOZOLrp1zqp3kQxSk6cUt9JArDZ4eHfY__P1Jw/s320/D71_9522.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Princesses. </td></tr>
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In other notable results, the 8 & under Girls also won every race. In addition to the two sweeps mentioned above, Margaret Driscoll earned the blue ribbon in Back and Nat Crowther took the Fly. And their relay team of Margaret, Andrea, Kate, and Natalie completed their stellar day with a win in that race.<br />
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This week's Race of the Week was an amazing one to watch. All six boys in the 15-18 Boys Freestyle race finished within 1.7 seconds of each other, first to last. That's what I call a tight grouping. On top of that, the top three finishers all touched the wall within 0.17 seconds of each other! Can you say photo finish? As I stood there on the deck watching the swimmers come in towards the wall it was amazing to see six boys all in a near dead heat approaching simultaneously. Ultimately, the race was won by Cole Miller in 26.27 as he came on strong from Lane 2 to defeat Hunter Mill's top swimmer in a minor upset. I think the Superhero theme must have helped in that final finish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzXhl0-0rn1Xb_XrOV-DyWXc7HCAXS0JRONfWEg8heXi_4TEvAJReUK5DtXTHsdYgMFFtiHDZ9FQeSw4jkNBB0Ymmvp6umPj23AR37HfSPzHVrfXJXJu2yg8m5ScTp4_37BowmZlkC7lO/s1600/D71_9689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzXhl0-0rn1Xb_XrOV-DyWXc7HCAXS0JRONfWEg8heXi_4TEvAJReUK5DtXTHsdYgMFFtiHDZ9FQeSw4jkNBB0Ymmvp6umPj23AR37HfSPzHVrfXJXJu2yg8m5ScTp4_37BowmZlkC7lO/s320/D71_9689.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well-deserved moment of relaxation after the ROTW.</td></tr>
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Delayed gratification is a learned behavior. It is clear that lots of these superheroes on the MVP team have learned to work hard, and now we are all seeing the results. When it was all said and done, the Gators found themselves on top of this one with a final score of 248-172.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhxoXi_oMVYmbkWJtaUvyRvdtSYfh49uwtwB8WP06VKIH2MBx2qc8lKD6EOVSYpghFTDqU2H8qIkvgj6J6uBcrzwsTdK1bRe1uIhwzJ46JADHa2qP9nkBDZ9hOEujoFLFgFTJBhWM5zWG/s1600/D71_9850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhxoXi_oMVYmbkWJtaUvyRvdtSYfh49uwtwB8WP06VKIH2MBx2qc8lKD6EOVSYpghFTDqU2H8qIkvgj6J6uBcrzwsTdK1bRe1uIhwzJ46JADHa2qP9nkBDZ9hOEujoFLFgFTJBhWM5zWG/s320/D71_9850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure it would be criminal to not include a photo<br />
with this much cuteness.</td></tr>
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With this week's win, our team record moves to 2-2. That's a two-week winning streak, with one more "A" meet to go. The standings have tightened up in the past few weeks, and while the championship is all but locked up by Donaldson Run, the other places are still in play. Our opponent next week is High Point Pool at home, and we'll be battling with a lot on the line. Twice this season the Hippos have had meets decided in the final races of the day... and this week may be another as we match up very evenly. A Gator victory would have us finish at 3-2 and in 2nd place in the division. Be sure to come out to the Swamp on Saturday and root the Gators on in what is sure to be very close and exciting final meet of the season.<br />
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Go Gators!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgKJk4YOOEBWyxsHaIC9KU5qvQ6Ck9mZ-_l8W-PaaIQAem7CK7cy9bwnQFpe2oNMCt6ALtBlIOrQwykACcUNtCQdcpz58CMR2sdg5B7V171ffl_NhkysHSM3VoEa6Qtp-G8WEaq3mYOo3/s1600/D71_9786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgKJk4YOOEBWyxsHaIC9KU5qvQ6Ck9mZ-_l8W-PaaIQAem7CK7cy9bwnQFpe2oNMCt6ALtBlIOrQwykACcUNtCQdcpz58CMR2sdg5B7V171ffl_NhkysHSM3VoEa6Qtp-G8WEaq3mYOo3/s320/D71_9786.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey there Fly photo... I see you. </td></tr>
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<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8614030071254006721.post-26194867713951164342019-07-14T09:00:00.003-04:002019-07-14T20:13:41.247-04:00Fish in a Pond - Divisional Relay BreakdownThis is Part Two of the annual two-part Divisional Relay Blog... the meet that is SO AWESOME it takes two blog entries to capture it all. If you haven't read Part One yet, you should do that first. <a href="https://mvpgators.blogspot.com/2019/07/plagiarism-and-divisional-relays.html" target="_blank">Here it is</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfDUGIjBbAanhsqv1MTs4OQhpUbzP2fgDIvPEqlg4XLnIVkNjVknepG30WzWga1KrLvL3yYGuPN_KBuwjvY7r6t0kc5-W1o5YQA0TWIQslkVJ_kAgl6kzDzjBZQHemDOiARSBA1YicEcV/s1600/20190710_174956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfDUGIjBbAanhsqv1MTs4OQhpUbzP2fgDIvPEqlg4XLnIVkNjVknepG30WzWga1KrLvL3yYGuPN_KBuwjvY7r6t0kc5-W1o5YQA0TWIQslkVJ_kAgl6kzDzjBZQHemDOiARSBA1YicEcV/s320/20190710_174956.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that blue sky. What... no thunderstorms? </td></tr>
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We've all heard the age-old question of whether it is better to be a Big Fish in a Small Pond or a Small Fish in a Big Pond. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The situation matters. The fish matter. In academics, there is a study that shows student self-confidence is higher when they are Big Fish in a Small Pond (which makes sense). There is a lot of value in that self-confidence in both academics and athletics (and life). One difference to that situation is when participants in the system (i.e. the fish in the pond) get to watch other fish grow from small fish to big fish. There is a very valuable lesson to be learned when you see others rise from the same levels as you and then achieve higher levels. Simply, it lets you see that you can do that too.<br />
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Part of being a Small Fish in a Big Pond is that you get exposed to lots of other fish. And lots of those fish become idols, or role models, or even mentors. I threw up a hash tag in Thursday's blog "#Gators4Life" to make light of the two pictures of our 13-14 Boys showing their growth over the past four years. But that whole #Gators4Life thing is real. The MVP swim team (and the NVSL) is most definitely a Big Pond. And being in the Big Pond only amplifies the number of connections all these Gators have in their summer swim experience... and in life. Most swimmers start out as small fish, but can watch the team leaders and learn their habits, and follow along in their footsteps. Thankfully, the MVP Gators have lots of great footsteps to follow in. We have had All-Star Champions, NVSL Record Holders, and even US National Team members within our ranks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlrqByQQf_o6t8tlzTtD7LaGEubnKZ6fMcVhdUthMAfMNJMfVUOwLoOT0EnWi0rs87naP7GOOmnjry7rF0WeaxaVclK5JqNmMydrS0nTLMhL2hPv-bZnRbWqWAPQFLwnwlhYUpfHSZkLF/s1600/IMG_7390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlrqByQQf_o6t8tlzTtD7LaGEubnKZ6fMcVhdUthMAfMNJMfVUOwLoOT0EnWi0rs87naP7GOOmnjry7rF0WeaxaVclK5JqNmMydrS0nTLMhL2hPv-bZnRbWqWAPQFLwnwlhYUpfHSZkLF/s320/IMG_7390.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gator Grads. #Gators4Life</td></tr>
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To borrow a phrase from West Point, the Gators have a "Long Green Line" of leaders who have helped shape the program. Take, for example the graduated Gators who came to watch their friends and family in the relays on Wednesday. Sitting up on the hill at Donaldson Run, those Gators watched their records get broken by their friends/family/former teammates. But they know, as we all do too, that the reason the younger Gators are where they are now... capable of breaking those records, is because of the Gators who came before them. Who inspired them. Coached them. Mentored them. It's because leaders like Elaina and Parker that we have younger Gators today able to break their records. There are many reasons that we keep seeing so many records getting broken week after week, season after season. One of those reasons is that we swim in a Big Pond and have deep talent. Another reason is that we have Big Footprints to follow and our swimmers do a great job following in them. When you learn from the best, you become the best.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3ZVq1VBH5sp9X7gwlqAl0N9agsLh4o8TnjAEBdfgRyX6AKFVv6l3uI_wdqIM5PTvuabBdyliwl8t5ukX19yzFegqo73ZdDg2XhwsNYOXtJPz2fLx5pT1-mHpdmzZdoaUV_yqyo3Qz82B/s1600/IMG_7593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3ZVq1VBH5sp9X7gwlqAl0N9agsLh4o8TnjAEBdfgRyX6AKFVv6l3uI_wdqIM5PTvuabBdyliwl8t5ukX19yzFegqo73ZdDg2XhwsNYOXtJPz2fLx5pT1-mHpdmzZdoaUV_yqyo3Qz82B/s320/IMG_7593.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Growing Gators. #Gators4Life</td></tr>
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So how did things turn out on Wednesday? Pretty darn good for the Gators. Ten relay teams qualified for All-Stars (as noted by the asterisks below). Six Gator records were broken (as indicated below). Here's the list:<br />
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<b>First Place Relay Teams </b>(Every 1st place team made All-Stars)<br />
*Boys Mixed Age Free: Alexander North, Sam Bruce, Donovan Kovalsky, Clark Bayer (Record)<br />
*Boys 11-12 Medley: George Schulte, Alexander North, Matthew Makin, Gavin Fore<br />
*Boys 11-12 Free: Matthew Makin, Gavin Fore, Jack Alzona, Alexander North<br />
*Boys 13-14 Medley: Joe Humphreys, Jack Klopson, James Piland, Donovan Kovalsky (Record)<br />
*Girls 15-18 Free: Juliana Skopp-Cardillo, Emily Makin, Gabby Greszler, Sheridan Phalen (Record)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg791D3cME9YJg2DGLRiHqmbjUZn4FN1ulwsSUN0sUT5EeQ0HwDD4zmzvXrf3xZf4B6dNqoFwcoJCylvjdjgKYIORnkNHu1kB-XYlf6TX3s6rqrhwycOAT5CnT64Yk3nuhqeeXJsQ4tbk3j/s1600/IMG_7848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg791D3cME9YJg2DGLRiHqmbjUZn4FN1ulwsSUN0sUT5EeQ0HwDD4zmzvXrf3xZf4B6dNqoFwcoJCylvjdjgKYIORnkNHu1kB-XYlf6TX3s6rqrhwycOAT5CnT64Yk3nuhqeeXJsQ4tbk3j/s320/IMG_7848.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another day, another record.</td></tr>
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<b>Second Place Teams</b><br />
*Girls 8&U Medley: Elizabeth Kellogg, Hayden Ward, Natalie Crowther, Margaret Driscoll<br />
*Girls 8&U Free: Margaret Driscoll, Kate Barber, Andrea Morales, Natalie Crowther<br />
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*Boys 13-14 Free: James Piland, Jack Klopson, Jack Dupuis, Donovan Kovalsky<br />
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Boys 9-10 Free: Liam Fore, Noah Litonjua, Anthony Sarro, Samuel Bruce</div>
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<b>Third Place Teams</b><br />
*Girls 15-18 Medley: Emily Makin, Taylor Makin, Gabby Greszler, Sheridan Phalen (Record)<br />
Boys 9-10 Medley: Samuel Bruce, Anthony Sarro, Liam Fore, Noah Litonjua<br />
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<b>The OMG Category</b><br />
How deep is Division 3? The 15-18 Boys set MVP records in BOTH of their swims on Wednesday, yet still placed 4th and 5th in those two races.<br />
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*4th Place... 15-18 Free: Cole Miller, Andrew Baker, John French, Clark Bayer (Record)<br />
5th Place... 15-18 Medley: John French, T.J. Heck, Cole Miller, Clark Bayer (Record)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumqHJBiMc_-SJxezlAclrav5VE0UXpD6j6D2OWmnaDJ6Wf608gwQvGd7SecHXDKmti1jy7L0ZG_B8hNL0TL5Mt8G6SGnJFY7FPpusyJNqr2aDd97UFKLqcK98cLBD7zVIPgfM54X8e1jH/s1600/IMG_8420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumqHJBiMc_-SJxezlAclrav5VE0UXpD6j6D2OWmnaDJ6Wf608gwQvGd7SecHXDKmti1jy7L0ZG_B8hNL0TL5Mt8G6SGnJFY7FPpusyJNqr2aDd97UFKLqcK98cLBD7zVIPgfM54X8e1jH/s320/IMG_8420.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boom Boys.</td></tr>
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There were five races at the D3 Carnival that produced All-Star teams from 4th place (including our own 15-18 Boys Free). That's 4 out of 6 teams making the All-Star cut... in five different events. D3 is deep.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BidUfEx0Dvo-wAd8DH9TJXSZqsq2uKBQDVi2jN4acben8BCIJkTNM911hwRq0QbmLvFVNzZQpty4QRpmyFyeTtlgskc_WWi6bQeARTlyZCFeHP1cnfiHA9bO0twAtUPi9U9xh7kQ8ZtC/s1600/IMG_7458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BidUfEx0Dvo-wAd8DH9TJXSZqsq2uKBQDVi2jN4acben8BCIJkTNM911hwRq0QbmLvFVNzZQpty4QRpmyFyeTtlgskc_WWi6bQeARTlyZCFeHP1cnfiHA9bO0twAtUPi9U9xh7kQ8ZtC/s320/IMG_7458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your Mixed-Age Free Champions.</td></tr>
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In other Division 3 round-up notes, there were 22 total races: Donaldson Run won the Carnival and had the most 1st place finishes with six. MVP finished second and had five wins. High Point and Crosspointe each won four races, while Vienna Woods took two and Hunter Mill won one.<br />
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Of special note, all four 15-18 races broke records: Boys and Girls, Free and Medley. That's some special stuff going on at the top level of the team. Nice work big Gators! I think we may need a new cheer, "Big Hands, Big Feet, Our Biggest Gators Can't Be Beat! Catchy.<br />
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Another interesting note, last year's 13-14 Boys broke a 27 year old record, then this group upped the ante this year and broke it again. It's a little crazy when that stuff happens, but again... it's a sign of those footsteps, when little Gators grow up watching big Gators do great things, they want to do those things too. And then when they successfully adopt those habits and training regimens, it increases the overall team performance and you see those records fall.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8kowFjokS59WZTG0AC432Vj2AOoI03Ww6o4I3sqYFGTd2gEPuvcH5pGe7kehH0XXoGuN6rnr-THbODQP74aKEjfe0mCq-2tbnM9xyls0yQNUILLCQef-NTFa2BOzXZZ1VJPEw6mqoLJS/s1600/IMG_8135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd8kowFjokS59WZTG0AC432Vj2AOoI03Ww6o4I3sqYFGTd2gEPuvcH5pGe7kehH0XXoGuN6rnr-THbODQP74aKEjfe0mCq-2tbnM9xyls0yQNUILLCQef-NTFa2BOzXZZ1VJPEw6mqoLJS/s320/IMG_8135.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">Wondertwin powers, activate! </td></tr>
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Getting 10 teams into All-Stars is among the all-time highs for the Gators, and something to be proud of. But even more remarkable is that of those 10 relay teams, SEVEN of them are going to be in the final heats at All-Stars (meaning top six). That is an all-time high for the Gators. We have had 10-12 teams in All-Stars before, but never have we put so many in the elite final heats. Seven teams of Big Fish swimming with those other Big Fish from around the NVSL. It's going to be fun to watch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18i1krCRP-FrqwubsoB9WDHnjDcpjJR5QDl-sd3q6mBSdzdlX23xGItxfa8REVZqef70i4z-u8nH_BJNSGSftiNeqMlckY4KKygJp1HvGrrvlM2cNFUj08GCex2sTd6Amb65NksoePIIw/s1600/IMG_7679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18i1krCRP-FrqwubsoB9WDHnjDcpjJR5QDl-sd3q6mBSdzdlX23xGItxfa8REVZqef70i4z-u8nH_BJNSGSftiNeqMlckY4KKygJp1HvGrrvlM2cNFUj08GCex2sTd6Amb65NksoePIIw/s320/IMG_7679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheering makes 'em swim faster! Go G...ators! </td></tr>
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If you haven't been to All-Stars, EVERYONE is invited. The D1 teams ALWAYS have the biggest crowds because members come cheer even when they aren't swimming in the races. We could use some of that cheering support, too! (Those D1 pools are pretty loud, but we could challenge with our cheers if enough people show up!) It all starts at <a href="https://www.mynvsl.com/file/31267/NVSL_ASR_2019_Guide_for_Public_pdf" target="_blank">4pm on Wednesday</a>- details at the link. Hope to see everyone there.<br />
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Congratulations, Gators, on another terrific Relay Carnival.<br />
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Go Gators! #Gators4Life<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS9GmG92EMYW_UX6MmX7ARSgfkoK0VEkqA24TOyS-Uh7xTNLrne9uXN5Kc5ByYWNNZs1b28HRo-_xk1P8nzr50nzx58jhPy56zh32sFgf10Fg4n-DpcMZBmmEcMB4w4Xx8xhv4PTp4ZF4/s1600/IMG_7828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTS9GmG92EMYW_UX6MmX7ARSgfkoK0VEkqA24TOyS-Uh7xTNLrne9uXN5Kc5ByYWNNZs1b28HRo-_xk1P8nzr50nzx58jhPy56zh32sFgf10Fg4n-DpcMZBmmEcMB4w4Xx8xhv4PTp4ZF4/s320/IMG_7828.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly photos are still the best Relay photos. </td></tr>
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<br />Jadon Klopsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17175852778380670858noreply@blogger.com0