November swimmers of the month

Abby Harter (TYPHOONS 1):

Abby was chosen as swimmer of the month because she has been doing an excellent job so far on the team! She has very good practice attendance and has swam at all the meets available for her age group, except one due to illness. Abby listens very well in practice and has been doing a great job working on her strokes. As a result she swam very well at the Pilgrim Pentathlon meet in November and won a trophy for placing 6th in the girls 7 & under pentathlon category! Not surprisingly, this was Abby's favorite meet because she got to swim all four strokes plus the IM for the first time. Her favorite events to swim are butterfly and backstroke, and she enjoys the IM. At practice, she really likes working on starts and turns. When the season first started, she was scared of doing 50s and 100s because she didn't know how to do turns, but now she loves them. Abby's dad has influenced her as a swimmer and she wants to be as good as he used to be. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is being with her friends and cheering each other on at meets. To get ready for a meet she likes to go to bed early, drink lots of water, and she eats an egg, banana and orange. One of Abby's goals for this year is to improve all her times at every meet, and try as many new events as she can. Her advice for her teammates is to swim fast, kick hard, and don't be scared to try something new! If she were stranded on a desert island, the three things she would want would be her parents, a friend, and a book. When she's not swimming, Abby likes to play soccer and futbol with her all-star soccer team, hang out with friends, and read books. Way to go Abby!

Madison Cooper (GREEN Crest):

Better known as MINI Cooper to those that were on the travel meet, Madison has shone brightly in many areas this year. She has grown greatly as a swimmer and is a total joy to coach. It is very rare to find a swimmer this young that is so mature but acts completely her age... this has allowed her to improve every aspect of her swimming, from her strokes to underwater push offs, racing, and the list goes on. The great thing is she has a blast doing it! Other reasons why she was selected as swimmer of the month are her attendance record (which is almost perfect), attitude during practice and meets, and her willingness to try anything without so much a blink of the eye and stick with it.
Madison's favorite meet this year has been the travel meet to WVA, because she swam well and had fun with her teammates. Her favorite events to swim are the 200 IM, 100 breast, and 100 back. Her favorite set at practice is when they have to count their strokes in a 200 freestyle and try to keep their stroke count under a certain number. Madison has been influenced as a swimmer by her Mom and Coach Mike, because they encourage her to do her best! Her favorite thing about being on BWST is the new friends she made. To get ready for a swim meet, Madison likes to make sure she has practiced hard prior to the meet, and get a good nights sleep the night before. One of her goals for the year is to kick more in freestyle and backstroke. Her advice for her teammates is to achieve your goals! If she were stranded on a desert the three things she would want with her would be food, a blanket and an Ipod. When she's not swimming, Madison likes to play softball. Way to go Madison! As some of you may know, Madison will be leaving the team at the beginning of January, when she and her mom move out of the country to Jordan. We will miss her!

Sean Bergmann (BLUE Crest):

Sean was chosen as swimmer of the month because the coaches are very proud of how Sean has been swimming this year! He moved up to blue crest from green crest 2 after Thanksgiving, and has really been shining in that group and has been meeting all the new challenges with a smile. Sean doesn't complain in practice, always listens to feedback from his coaches, and is open to swimming new events. Sean has very good attendance, and has swam at all the meets so far. His favorite meet was the Turkey Claus meet, because he swam well and had fun. He even made it back to finals in a couple of events! His favorite events to swim are the 50 fly, 200 back, 100 fly and 500 free. His favorite set to do in practice is Ins and Outs, where swimmers get out after each lap and do exercises on deck. Sean has been influenced as a swimmer by Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Aaron Piersol. His favorite thing about being on BWST is that his teammates and coaches are both positive and funny, so he enjoys coming to practice. In order to get ready for a meet, Sean likes to eat a good breakfast, eat snacks during the meet, and listen to his favorite music. One of his goals for this year is to get a JO cut time. His advice for his teammates is to have fun, practice hard, and win races. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want with him would be his Ipod, food/water, and a kayak. When he's not swimming, Sean likes to read, hang out with his friends and play Wii. Keep up the good work Sean!

Sarah Sherman (BLUE Tide):

Sarah Sherman was chosen as swimmer of the month in part because she has made the move from the TIDAL Wave squad to the BLUE Tide squad, which demonstrates her hard work so far this year, and her dedication to swimming with BWST. She was invited to swim with BT because we noticed how she was challenging herself and how motivated she is to improve.  One thing that is great about Sarah is the enthusiasm she brings to practice, we love it when she is asked to pick it up etc…that she answers it with a resounding “OK” or “I’m working on it” no matter where she is while swimming.  She also swims with her high school team at Broad Run and has really enjoyed the high school meets, because her teammates are fun and the relaxed atmosphere. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 free and 100 fly. At practice, she enjoys doing 25 sprints. Sarah feels like she has been influenced by her high school and Blue Wave teammates as well as all of her coaches. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is that she really likes swimming with her friends, and the coaches are nice. To get ready for a meet, she likes to get a good nights sleep and listen to music that pumps her up. One of her goals for this year is to drop two seconds in her 50 free. Her advice for her teammates is to work really hard, because the rewards will be there in the end, and to always have fun. If she was stranded on a desert island, the three things she would like to have with her would be water, music and a boat. When she's not swimming, Sarah likes to sing, play piano, run, and hang out with friends and watch movies. Keep working hard Sarah!

October Swimmers of the Month

Allie MacMillan:

Allie is an incredibly dedicated and motivated individual. She rarely misses a practice and always gives 100%. Her dedication shows in the major improvements in all of her strokes over the past season. She had a great first meet and we look forward to seeing her progress and her times drop throughout this next season! Allie set her sights on moving up to Typhoons 2 this year and given all of her hard work, we are pleased to say she will be joining that group on Saturdays starting next month. Congratulations Allie!
Allie's favorite meet has been the SNOW Pumpkin Invite because she enjoyed swimming the 100 free for the first time. Her favorite events are the 50 free and 100 IM and she also likes swimming freestyle sets at practice. Allie feels like she was influenced by her dad as a swimmer, because he used to swim and can give her advice. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is making new friends, and she likes it when Coach Mike makes jokes at practice. To get ready for a meet, Allie likes to get plenty of sleep the night before, and eat a good breakfast before the meet. Her goals for this year include getting to know more of her teammates, and improving all her strokes and times. Her advice for her teammates is to have fun and if she were stranded on a desert island she would want to have her hamster Cinnamon, a good book, and been nachos. When Allie isn't swimming, she likes to ice skate, read and play with her friends.

Erica Park:

Erica was chosen as swimmer of the month for several reasons. She has shown great improvement in all aspects of her swimming this year and we are very proud of her! She has been leading her lane and pushing herself to complete and excel at difficult sets. On Fridays and Saturdays when her squad combines with the GREEN Tide squad, the coaches can count on Erica to swim up a lane, and always do well. Not to mentions she is always on time to practice and has excellent attendance.
Erica's favorite meet has been the SNOW Pumpkin meet in October because she made many personal bests in her events. One of Erica's goals for this year is to drop about three seconds in her 50 free and make a 31.00. Erica likes to swim the 50 fly, 100 breast, and 100 IM at meets, and she likes sets that involve IM or breaststroke. She enjoys being on BWST because she likes being with friends and teammates and improving her stokes. Erica feels like she has been influenced as a swimmer by Olympian Natalie Coughlin. To get ready for meets, Erica likes to get plenty of sleep the night before, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, stretch, and get advice on what to do to have a great race. Her advice for her teammates is to work hard, go to as many practices as you can, and have fun! If she were stranded on a desert island, she would want to have food, water, and a boat. When she's not swimming, Erica likes to read, draw, listen to music, write, and spend time with her friends.

Brooke Graham:

This is Brooke's second time being chosen by the coaches as one of the Swimmers of the Month (previously she was chosen this past April 2009). One of the reasons why she was chosen is due to her perseverance through difficult times. Keep this in mind "Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain." ~Author Unknown. This trait has allowed her to keep a positive light on things even when the going got tough. With this ability Brooke has the opportunity to go very far as a swimmer and in life. Keep up the great work Brooke!

July swimmers of the month

Stephen Clendenin (summer level 5):

Even though Stephen doesn't swim with us year round, since he is in college, he has been swimming with us this summer (along with coaching) and has been chosen as our swimmer of the month for July. Stephen has done a wonderful job with his long course training, and qualified for the LC Sectionals meet in Buffalo, NY! We enjoy having Stephen swim with us when he's home on school break, because he is a good influence on his teammates, and can share advice with them. Stephen's favorite meet this summer was Senior Champs because it's a fast meet with lots of great competition, and he was able to compete against his brother. His favorite events are 400 IM, 200 IM, 200 fly, 200 back, and 100 fly. During practice Stephen loves doing long sets of butterfly, with lots of pulling and stroke work. He also LOVES relays! Stephen has been influenced by his parents and the other swimmers in the water with him. His favorite thing about being on BWST is that the swimmers and coaches are great! Stephen's advice for his teammates is eat right, get your sleep, go to practice, and always do your best during practice. Find ways that you can make yourself better each practice. To get ready for big meets, Stephen likes to get enough sleep, eat the right foods, bring lots of snacks, visualize his races, and practice what he will do in the meet during warm-up. His goals for this year are to get his best times at Sectionals, and to be ready for a great college swim season in the fall. If he were stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want would be his goggles, a water purifier with pitcher, and his phone. When Stephen is not swimming, he likes to coach other swimmers, sleep, read, write and keep up with other swimming news. Good luck Stephen!

Michael Kopecky (summer level 4):

Michael was chosen as our July swimmer of the month because he has had a great summer season! Michael swam this summer at the LC 14 & under champs meet, where he qualified for Zones and broke several 11-12 boys records! (That meet was his favorite of the year). Michael's favorite events are the 50 fly, 50 back, and 100 back. His favorite set to do in practice is two turn 50's, where you get to work on flip turns and open turns at both walls. Michael has been influenced by his coaches, and likes being on BWST because he gets to be with his friends. One of his goals is to get best times at Zones this summer. To get ready for meets, Michael likes to have a good pasta dinner the night before and get plenty of rest. His advice for his teammates is to keep trying and don't give up. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want would be clean water, food, and shelter. When he's not swimming Michael likes to hang out with his friends and play football (along with the many other sports he does during the year). Good luck Michael!

June Swimmers of the Month

Holly Williams (summer level 3):

Holly was chosen as the June swimmer of the month for the 12 & under age group because we have been seeing Holly work very hard in practice recently and have seen her improve. She is also very positive during practices and listens to advice from her coaches. Holly's favorite swim meet this year was the travel meet to Virginia Tech because she was able to hang out with her friends in the van and the hotel. She also made her first BB time there! Her favorite events to swim are the 50, 100, and 200 Freestyle, plus relays. Hopefully next year Holly will add some longer distance Free events to that list! At practice she enjoys doing a longer warmup, such as a 300 free, so that she can work on her turns. Holly's favorite thing about being on BWST is that she gets to swim with her friends, which makes it more fun. She also enjoys going to practices and meets so that she and her friends can spend more time together. To get ready for those fun meets, Holly likes to eat her favorite meal (butter noodles) the night before, get a good night sleep, and have a healthy breakfast in the morning. This helps her have plenty of energy for her races! One of Holly's goals for this year is to get her first A time. She'll be moving up to a new age group (11-12) so she wants to get B and BB standards, but the A time is the goal! Holly feels like she has been influenced by her parents and coaches, and her advice for her teammates is to have fun. If you have fun (and stay positive) you will do well! If she were stranded on a desert island she would want to have her brother with her, her Ipod, and her favorite pink blanket. When Holly is not swimming she likes to read, listen to her music, and hang out with her neighborhood friends. Great job Holly!

Amber Kerico (summer level 5):

Even though Amber just joined our team in May, we love having her as a BWST member. Amber was chosen as the June swimmer of the month for the 13 & over age group because she has shown so much hard work and dedication already. Amber knows what it takes to be a great swimmer and is willing to work hard to achieve her goals. Even though she wasn't with BW at the time, Amber's favorite meet was Sectionals in 2008 in Indianapolis. She loved that meet because there were so many amazing swimmers, and she felt motivated to do her best. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 Breaststroke, but she has also really started to enjoy the 200 IM because of the variety. At practice, Amber enjoys doing the sets that involve broken 400 IMs because she likes being able to sprint and really push herself. One of her favorite things about being on BWST is that we do things as a team, both in the water and out of the water. To get ready for a big meet, Amber does several things. She makes sure to get a good nights sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast in the morning, she stretches and listens to music, she eats healthy foods, and she has watched Olympic swimmers race on film, to stay motivated. One of her goals for this upcoming year is to make Junior Nationals . Amber's advice for her teammates is "when you are in a slump, work hard to overcome it. Don't get down on yourself and give up; work past it and do anything you can to get better. When you have an opportunity to do better, jump at the chance!" Amber feels like she has been influenced by her parents who have been supportive of her and her coaches along the way who have motivated her. If she were stranded on a desert island, she would want to have her Ipod, her pillow, and her goggles. When Amber is not swimming she likes to take scenic runs to relax. Way to go Amber!

April Swimmers of the Month

Trang Dinh (age group 1):

Trang was chosen as our 8 & under swimmer of the month for April (even though she turned nine at the end of April!) because her coaches are proud of the hard work she has been showing at practice. Trang's favorite meet this year was the Pumpkin Tri Meet in October because it was her first meet and it was exciting! We are hoping for next year that Trang will attend more meets, because she did so well at that one and had a good time! She also really enjoyed the swim-a-thon because it was new and different for her. Trang feels like she has been influenced by her dad, who also likes to swim. Trang's favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming faster and better than she did last year. Her coaches have been very happy with stroke improvements, and her great attitude. One of her goals for next year is to become better at breaststroke and butterfly. Her advice for her teammates is to try and do the best job that they can do at each practice and each swim meet. If she were stranded on a desert island, she would want to have with her food, clothes, and water. When Trang is not swimming she likes to play video games, watch TV, and read. Keep swimming fast Trang!

Lydia Qian (age group 2):

Lydia was chosen as our April swimmer of the month for the 9-10 age group. Lydia has done a fantastic job this year and the coaches felt it was time to honor her for that! Her coaches also know how hard she works at each practice and meets, and how she listens to feedback and really tries to make improvements. Lydia's favorite swim meet this year has been JO's in March, because she had fun competing with faster swimmers. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 and 100 butterfly, and the 200 IM. Her favorite set in practice is doing 8 x25 fly, descend. Lydia feels like she has been influenced by her Mom and Dad, who are always cheering her on at meets. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is having great friends and getting to swim with them. Her advice for her teammates would be to listen to your coaches and work on the drills and specific things they want you to work on! In order to get ready for a meet, Lydia likes to sleep well, eat a healthy and hearty breakfast, and relax. Her goals for next year to get a AAA time in the 50 fly, AA times in the 100 fly and 50 back, and an A time in the 50 free. If she were standed on a desert island, the three things she would want would be water, an umbrella, and books. When Lydia is not swimming, she likes to play the piano, watch TV, read books, and draw. Way to go Lydia!

Jessica Norrlinger (age group 3):

Jessica was chosen as our swimmer of the month for the 11-12 age group because she has been shown significant improvement since being moved to age group 3. She always works had and has a great attitude while putting forth 100% effort with everything, whether it's dryland or in the water. She has also taken on new challenges this year, like running the 5k, and swimming longer distances at meets. We hope to see Jessica continue to swim in more meets and keep on improving next year! Her favorite meet this year has been the Spring Invite because she was introduced to some new events, and she improved her time in the 50 free. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 fly, 100 breast, and 100 IM. Jessica really enjoys doing sets at practice that involve IM's. Jessica feels like she has been influenced by the 2008 Olympic swimmers that she watched last summer. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is the close environment and having coaches that really care about you as a swimmer. To get ready for a meet, Jessica likes to listen to her Ipod, talk with friends, and have healthy snacks. Her goals for next year are to improve her strokes and times (especially in freestyle), qualify for JO's, and break a record. Her advice to her teammates is to try your best, no matter how hard the set is. If she were stranded on a desert island she would want to have a boat, her cellphone, and candy! When she's not swimming, she likes to play the piano, hang out with friends, and play other sports. Way to go Jessica!

Brooke Graham (pre-senior 1):

Brooke was chosen as our April swimmer of the month for the 13 & over age group. Brooke was chosen because the coaches have noticed how hard she has been working and challenging herself at practices. Brooke was also the only 13-14 year old girl to make it to JO's this year. Her favorite swim meet this year has been all the fun and low key meets. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, and 200 IM. At practice, Brooke really enjoys all the sets that involve breaststroke. She feels like she's been influenced by Kate Ziegler, a local Olympian from Fairfax who swims for FISH. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is just swimming, but she also likes having friends on the team. To get ready for a meet, Brooke likes to eat a good dinner the night before, then a good nights sleep followed by a good breakfast the morning of, and have a handshake with her dad before a race. Her goals for next year include improving her strokes and times, making 100% of her practices. Her advice for her teammates is if you really want something, then try your hardest at practice, and be willing to work for it. If she were stranded on a desert island, the three things she'd want to have with her would be her cell phone, endless pecan pie, and her friends. When she's not swimming Brooke likes to eat, sleep, and text on her phone. Keep working hard Brooke!

March Swimmers of the Month

Spencer Perez - 8 & under (age group 1):







Madison Kopecky - 9-10 (age group 2):

Madison was chosen as our swimmer of the month for the 9-10 age group because the coaches are very proud of the progress that she has made this season and for all the hard work that she has shown. Maddy's favorite swim meet this year was JO's because she qualified in 5 events. She also liked that meet because on the Saturday of the meet it was only her and Coach Mike, and they had fun doing cheers. Maddy's favorite events to swim are the 200 Free, 200 IM, 100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Back, 100 Breast, 50 Breast, 100 Free, and 50 Free. Her favorite set to do in practice is a combined IM set. Maddy feels like she has been influenced as a swimmer by Coach Mike, and her favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming and spending time with her friends. To get ready for swim meets Maddy likes to get lots of rest and drink Protein shakes. One of her goals for the year, besides improving in her strokes and times, is to get a AAAA time in the backstroke. Maddy's advice for her teammates is to swim fast and hold a fast, steady kick. Clearly Maddy has been listening to her coaches! If she were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want to have with her would be food, water, and a swim coach. When Maddy is not swimming she likes to read splash magazines, dance, and play soccer with friends. Keep swimming fast Maddy!

Austin Chen - 11-12 (age group 2):

Austin was chosen as our swimmer of the month for the 11-12 age group because the coaches are very proud of Austin's dedication and his work ethic. We know that we can count on Austin to follow directions and give it his all on every set. He is one of the few that will work hard on the little things to improve his races. Austin enjoys every swim meet he swims in because they are all fun and challenging. He also enjoys almost all events, especially the 500 free. Austin feels like his parents have been his biggest influence, because they have motivated him and pushed him along. Austin's favorite thing about being on BWST is the friends he's made, not only for social reasons, but because they can challenge him in the water. To get ready for a swim meet, he likes to eat a large dinner the night before, pancakes in the morning, and drink plenty of Gatorade between races. Austin's goals include getting multiple BB or better times next fall. His advice for his teammates is to enjoy the things you are doing, because doing something you think is boring will cause you to become less motivated. If Austin were stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want to have with him would be a helicopter, watermelons, and a GPS. When he's not swimming, Austin likes to sleep, eat, and spend time with friends. Way to go Austin!

Maria Herrera - 13-14 (pre-senior 1):

Maria was chosen as our 13-14 swimmer of the month for March because the coaches are very proud of the dedication Maria has shown this season, and because of all her hard work. Her strokes and times have improved this year, and she has a great attitude each time she gets in the pool. Maria's favorite swim meet is the Long Course Derby from last year (that we will be participating in again this year) because it was her first long course meet, and it was fun to hear the names that everyone had picked out. Her favorite events to swim are the 200 IM, 200 Breast, and 100 Breast. At swim practice, Maria likes to do IM sets and long freestyle sets. Maria's dad was the first person to influence her as a swimmer, because he got her interested when she was 9 years old, and since then she has looked up to many Olympic swimmers. To get ready for meets, Maria likes to eat light and healthy foods, and she doesn't do to many activities beforehand. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is that everyone is so close to eachother and helps eachother out when needed. One of her goals for this year has to improve all her strokes and times. When she's not swimming, Maria likes to hang out with friends, spend time with family, watch DVD's and go to the movies. If she was stranded on a desert island, the three things she would want with her would be a lifelong supply of food, water, and shelter! Maria's advice for her BWST teammates is to have fun and try your hardest! Way to go Maria!

Alan Horback - 15 & over (pre-senior 2):

February Swimmers of the Month

Madison Gupton – 8 & under – Age Group 1

Madison was chosen as our swimmer of the month for February for the 8 & under age group. She was chosen because she has been working very hard and has greatly improved her strokes. Madison has very good practice attendance and has swam at the mini meets for her age group. Madison’s favorite swim meet so far is the MAKO winter invite because she received a ribbon for backstroke. Her favorite event to swim is the 100 free. Madison has been working hard on her flip turns which has really helped her in this event. At swim practice she really enjoys practicing the 100 IM. Madison enjoys being on BWST because she likes the new team colors (navy blue, dark gray, and lime green) and she has fun doing dryland. Madison feels like she has been influenced by the swimming of Olympic great Michael Phelps, and her goals for this year are to improve all her times, and stay legal in all her strokes and turns (especially that 100 IM). In order to get ready for a swim meet, Madison likes to just relax and think about what she needs to do to swim fast! Her advice for her teammates is to try your best and have fun. If Madison was stranded on a desert island, she would like to have her family, her dog, and her American Girl Dolls to play with! When she is not swimming Madison likes to play with her dog Penny and her sister Mackenzie in their backyard on their swingset. Way to go Madison!

Rachel Mihalic – 9-10 – Age Group 2

Rachel was chosen as the February swimmer of the month for the 9-10 age group because she has been working very hard this season and has made many improvements. One thing in particular that the coaches have seen with Rachel is her interest in learning new techniques and her desire to improve. Rachel will always ask during practice what she can do to improve on something specific, and she enjoys getting feedback. Her favorite swim meet so far this year has been the Turkey Claus meet because she made a JO cut time. But she also really enjoyed the travel meet to Va Tech. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 IM and the 50 and 100 Butterfly. At practice, Rachel enjoys the 5 minute swim set, where swimmers try to swim as many laps as possible in 5 minutes. They usually do this more than once and try to improve the second time around. Rachel’s favorite thing about being on BWST is having such close friends with her on the team. Rachel feels like she has been influenced by all of her coaches throughout the years. To get ready for swim meets Rachel likes to listen to her IPOD, especially the song Burnin’ Up. Rachel has already met her goals of this year to achieve BB times, so her goals for next year include achieving A times and making JOs again as well as Tom Dolan. Rachel’s advice for her teammates is to practice hard and listen to your coaches. If she was stranded on a desert island she would like to have cookies to eat, a bathing suit, and a microphone to sing in. When she is not swimming she likes to do gymnastics, create and perform shows with her friends, watch American Idol, sing, and go to school. Keep working hard Rachel!

Paige Scallion – 11-12 – Pre-Senior 1

Paige was chosen as our February swimmer of the month for the 11-12 age group because the coaches have observed great improvements in Paige’s technique and attitude towards commitment, which has allowed her to consistently improve her times this season. Her infectious personality is always great at practice allowing everyone around to feed off her positive attitude. Paige's favorite meet so far this year has been the Turkey Claus meet because it had prelims and finals. She loves to compete in the IM events and 50 fly. Paige’s favorite types of practices are when they split into lanes by favorite stroke and work on drills of that stroke. Some of the things she likes best about being on BWST are her coaches, her friends, and the fun practices they do! Paige feels that she was influeced by one of her first coaches when she was younger because he really sparked her interest in swimming. One of her goals for this year was to make JO’s, which she accomplished this March! Paige will be swimming the 50 Fly, 100 IM, and 50 Back. To get ready for swim meets she likes to get plenty of sleep the night before so that she is well rested. Paige’s advice for her fellow BWST teammates is to have a good balance between swimming and other activities to stay well rounded! If Paige were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want to have with her would be her Ipod, her dog, and a laptop. When she is not swimming Paige likes to hang out with her friends and go shopping. Keep working hard Paige!

Eric Yang – 13-14 – Pre-Senior 1

Eric was chosen as our February swimmer of the month for the 13-14 age group because of the great improvements he has achieved this season. He is not the same swimmer he was when he first started in September. This is mainly due to his undying willingness to work hard at changing bad habits into good ones. Each
practice he gives his all which has improved every aspect of his swimming. Eric has taken to heart the little quote "Work, works." Eric's favorite swim meet this year has been the FISH Qualifier because he dropped time in many of his events. His favorite events to swim are the 200 IM, 200 Free, 100 IM, 100 Backstroke and 50 Free. His favorite sets to do at practice is 4x (50, 25, 50, 25, kick/drill, then 25, 50, 25, 50 drill/kick) followed by 200 IM's. Eric feels like he has been influenced as a swimmer by his mom and dad, and his favorite thing about being on BWST this year has been making new friends and swimming hard. Eric's goals for this year have been to drop at least one second in each event that he swims at meets. When he is not swimming, Eric enjoys playing basketball and hanging out with friends. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want would be water (fresh), a swimsuit, and food. Eric's advice to his teammates it to swim hard! Keep working hard Eric!

Abby Pasztor – 15 & over – Pre-Senior 2

Abby was chosen as our February swimmer of the month for the 15 & over age group because of her many accomplishments thus far this season and how she has gone about making the necessary changes to achieve them. She is the true embodiment of the saying "Actions speak louder than words." I state this because through her actions she has become a team leader which everyone at Blue Wave can look up to. Her actions have also allowed her to achieve both Senior Champs and Southern Zone Sectional qualifying times as well as placing 8th in the 100 fly at her High Schools state meet! The competition she enjoyed most this season has been the VA Tech travel meet because it was fun for her to swim in a different location and to have a feeling of independence. Her favorite event to swim is the 100 Butterfly, but she also enjoys the 50 Free because you can just give it your all in a short distance. One set she enjoys to swim at practice are sprint 25’s on a medium interval, because it allows you to sprint and go fast, but get enough rest to hold your technique until the end. Her major influences as a swimmer come from the people around her. The best thing about being on BWST is the small team aspect where everyone can bond and experience the same things. When preparing for a meet, Abby likes to listen to relaxing music leading up to the meet, then at the meet she will listen to motivating music to get pumped up. One of her main goals for this year was to work on the mental aspect of training and swimming because athletics can be just as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging! Abby’s advice for her teammates is that “it all starts with the little things.” This means that once you do the little things right, and without thought, you can focus on the next step! If Abby were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want with her would be a guitar, pictures of important people and things in her life (for motivation), and Les Stroud, Survivorman! When she is not swimming, Abby likes to relax and go hiking. We are very proud of you, Abby keep working hard!

January swimmers of the month

Campbell Lucas – age group 1 - 8 & under:

Campbell Lucas was chosen as our swimmer of the month for January for the 8 & under age group. Campbell She has had very good practice attendance so far, and has swum at the Pumpkin tri-meet in October, the Pilgrim Pentathlon in November, and the MAKO Winter swim meet in January. At the Pilgrim Pentathlon Campbell placed 11^th overall in her age group (girls 7 and under). Her favorite meet so far, though, has been the MAKO winter swim meet in January. This is because it was her first time swimming at a college pool (GMU), and it was also special because her parents attended that college. In order to get ready for meets, Campbell likes to try and get to bed early the night before so that she is well rested. Hopefully that will help her achieve her goal of continuing to improve her strokes and times! Campbell’s favorite event to swim at meets is the 100 IM and her favorite fun thing to do in practice is corkscrews. What she enjoys most about being a part of the Blue Wave Swim Team is having good friends and nice coaches. She also likes the fact that her brother swims as well, and feels like he has been a big influence on her as a swimmer. The three things that Campbell would like to have with her if she was stranded on a desert island would be goggles, her Nintendo DS to keep from getting bored, and a soft towel. When she is not swimming she likes to watch TV, play outside, ride her bike, and read books. According to Campbell we should all keep smiling and having fun! Keep up the hard work Campbell! has been swimming very well in practice and at meets this year!

Kaitlyn Pollock – age group 2 – 9-10:

Kaitlyn Pollock was chosen as our swimmer of the month for January for the 9-10 age group. Earlier in the season Kaitlyn broke her leg and was in a cast for many weeks. If you were at the Halloween party you might remember seeing her in a wheelchair! However her cast came off right around Christmas and she has been back in the water working hard! We are proud of her for not giving up and trying her best after a difficult injury. Her goals are currently to get the strength back in her legs and improve her times. Kaitlyn’s favorite swim meet so far has been the MAKO Winter swim meet in January, because that was her first meet after getting her cast off. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 free, 100 IM, 50 butterfly, 50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke, and 50 backstroke. In order to get ready to swim fast in meets, Kaitlyn likes to eat a good dinner, go to bed early, and make sure she has her special goggles packed. In practice she likes to do the set of 9 x 50 free then 3 x 100 free on fast intervals. She also likes doing legburnerz (swimming freestyle then kicking at the wall for several seconds before doing a flip turn). Her favorite things about being on BWST are having fun with her friends and having helpful coaches. Kaitlyn has been influenced as a swimmer by her dad, Coach Tom, because he went to Va Tech on a swimming scholarship. If Kaitlyn was stranded on a desert island she would want to have friends with her, food, and music. When she’s not swimming she likes to keep busy by playing basketball and dancing. Kaitlyn’s advice to her teammates is to work hard and have a positive attitude, because with a positive attitude you can achieve your goals. Way to go Kaitlyn!

Caroline Haines – age group 3 – 11-12:

Caroline Haines was chosen as our swimmer of the month for January for the 11-12 age group. Caroline is new to BWST this year and so far is doing very well. She has very good attendance, a positive attitude, and listens well to her coaches. Caroline, like Kaitlyn, suffered an injury (fractured wrist) early in the year that kept her out of the water for several weeks. She has only swum in two meets this year, the Harvest Moon meet in October, and the MAKO Winter swim meet in January. The January meet was her favorite because she got three B times. Even though she has only done two meets so far, she should be getting an IMX score after the next meet because she will have already finished the required events! She should definitely be able to achieve her goal of getting B and BB times in several strokes. In order to get ready for meets, Caroline likes to eat pasta, and drink chocolate milk. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 IM, 50 free, and 100 back. In practice Caroline likes to do kick sets using the red bands. Caroline feels that she has been influenced as a swimmer by her parents, since they got her started in swimming. What Caroline likes most about being on BWST is having nice friends and coaches. When she’s not swimming she likes to play volleyball, and the three things she’d like to have with her on a desert island are water, food, and clothes. Caroline’s advice to her fellow teammates is to not give up at something you are willing to take a chance on and have fun with it! Keep working hard Caroline!

Javi Mery – pre-senior 2 – 13-14:

Javi Mery was chosen as our swimmer of the month for January for the 13-14 age group because the coaches wanted to recognize all the hard work Javi does at practice. He works hard each day and doesn’t give up. Javi also has excellent attendance and attends all the swim meets. His favorite meet is the swim & rock meet (even though BW did not attend that meet this year), because it is fun and involves music. His favorite events to swim at meets are 200 IM, 50 Free, and 100 Free. Javi’s favorite set we do at practice is 4x (4 x 200 FRIM – freestyle/IM set combination). Javi enjoys being on BWST because the coaches and team have a positive outlook on things. Javi feels influenced by a local swimmer who graduated from his high school, Andy Mears, who is now a college swimmer. To get ready for meets, Javi likes to go to bed early, listen to classical music, and stretch before his races. His goals for this year are to get BB times in all of his events. When Javi is not swimming he likes to be involved in all things music related, such as writing songs, playing the guitar, and playing the piano. Javi’s advice for his teammates is to have fun at meet! Keep working hard Javi!

Zac Wojahn – pre-senior 2 – 15 & over:

Zac Wojahn was chosen as our swimmer of the month for January for the 15 & over age group. Zac has been doing very well this year and working extremely hard in pre-senior 2. One of the reasons Zac was chosen as our swimmer of the month is because of his consistency. Zac has very good attendance, has swum at all the meets for his age group, and is very consistent in practice. He works hard and does what it takes to finish a hard set. Zac’s favorite event to swim in meets is the 100 butterfly, and he has really enjoyed his high school meets so far this year because they are fast, fun and full of energy. To get ready for meets, Zac likes to focus on his practice, so that he knows he’ll be ready to compete. When he’s at practice, Zac really enjoys using the cords, where the swimmers are hooked up to stretch cords which add resistance and help them improve their stroke technique. Zac’s favorite thing about being on BWST is that it’s a small team, where everyone knows each other, and the coaches are great. Zac’s teammates have had a big influence on him as a swimmer, and have helped him reach his goals of improving all his strokes, especially his breaststroke! This is Zac’s last year here, as his family will be moving to Texas this summer, so Zac really wants to show his teammates and coaches what he is made of. When Zac is not swimming, he likes to hang out with friends, and if he was stranded on a desert island the three things he’d want to have with him would be a boat, a radio, and a battery. Zac’s advice for his teammates is to listen to Coach Mike, because he knows what he’s doing! Keep up the hard work Zac!

December swimmers of the month

Elise Nguyen – age group 1

Elise (age 7) was chosen as the 8 & under swimmer of the month for December. Elise has been having a wonderful year so far with BWST! She is always one of the leaders in age group 1 and has made a lot of progress so far. Elise has been enjoying swimming in the mini meets for her age group this year. In fact, her favorite meet has been the Reindeer Mini meet because she won 1^st place in the 50 fly! Elise also won 1^st place for 7 year old girls in the pentathlon competition at the Pilgrim Pentathlon meet in November this year! Her favorite events to swim at meets are the butterfly events, and she enjoys working on breaststroke in practices with Coach Mike. To get ready for meets, Elise simply likes to sleep and feel rested so that she can do her best. One of her goals this year is to break a new record for her age group. One of the things she likes about being on BWST (compared to summer league) is being inside and not needing sunscreen! Like many others Elise has been influenced by the great swimmers, Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. When she is not swimming, Elise likes to draw, play computer games, and read stories. If she was stranded on a desert island, Elise would very smartly like to have food, water, and a boat to get off the island! Her advice for her fellow teammates is to swim fast and win trophies!

Tori Webb – age group 3

Tori Webb (age 10) was chosen as the 9-10 year old swimmer of the month for the month of December. Tori has had a fun year with BWST so far! As a swimmer in the prep program last year, Tori has made a huge amount of progress this year in age group 3. This was shown in December when Tori was the only BWST swimmer to swim at the Tom Dolan Championship meet at George Mason! She swam in 7 events at this meet and did a great job. In fact, she says it was her favorite meet so far this year because she accomplished her goal of breaking the 9-10 girls 50 free record! Two things Tori likes to do to get ready for a meet, is to drink Propel water and eat Tic-Tacs. Tori’s favorite events to swim are the 50 free, 200 IM, 100 breaststroke, and 50 fly. At practice she enjoys doing sets that involve the 500 free. Like many of our swimmers, Tori feels influenced by the 2008 Olympic swimmers. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is spending time with her friends that she has made on the team. Now that Tori has one record under her belt, her goal for this year is to break an 11-12 girls record, as she has recently aged up. If Tori was stranded on a desert island the three items she would like to have with her would be an Ipod, peppermint patties, and a TiVo! When she’s not swimming, Tori likes to go shopping, watch football, and play her Wii. Her advice for her fellow teammates is simple: Eat, Sleep, Swim!

Sarah Ashley – Pre-Senior 1

Sarah Ashley (age 12) was chosen as the swimmer of the month for 11-12 year olds for the month of December. She has had a great season so far with BWST and has shown great improvements in her stroke techniques. Sarah also has a great attitude when it comes to practices and meets, and gives 100%. She also listens to her coaches well and follows directions. Sarah’s favorite swim meet so far this year has been the Turkey Claus meet in December because she made best times in every event she swam, and she made it back to finals for several events. Along the same lines, one of her goals for this year is to make it to finals at JO’s in March. Sarah’s favorite events to swim are the 200 IM, 200 breast, and 100 breast. Her favorite set to do in practice is 20 x 25, then 2 x 500 freestyle. Sarah feels that she has been greatly influenced by Coach Mike this year. Her favorite thing about BWST is that it’s a small team which allows her to know all her teammates and make friends. To get ready for swim meets, Sarah likes to eat pasta to give her energy and listen to her Ipod to get pumped up! Her advice for her fellow teammates is to work hard in practice. This is very good advice and should help Sarah reach her goals at JO’s! If Sarah was stranded on an island, the three things she’d like to have would be a phone, a signal for that phone, and a sailboat! When Sarah is not swimming, you can most likely find her hanging out with her friends.

Matt Ashley – Pre-Senior 2

Matt Ashley (age 13) was chosen as the swimmer of the month for December for the 13 & over age group. Matt has been doing very well in Pre-Senior 2 this year and his coaches have been impressed with his improvements in stroke technique and time. Matt always gives his all in practice, and has shown a lot of dedication to the sport. Like his sister, Matt’s favorite meet so far this year has been the Turkey Claus meet in December because he swam very well and made finals in several events. Matt’s favorite events to swim are the 200 breast and 200 back. One of his goals for this year is to make the long course zones champs meet in August. To get ready for the meets he swims in, Matt likes to eat noodles and sleep so that he’s rested and ready to go! Matt has been influenced as a swimmer by Coach Mike, and one of his favorite sets to do in practice is the 3-2-1 set; 3 x 100 IM on 1:40, 2 x 100 IM on 1:35, 1 x 100 IM on 1:30. What Matt likes about being on BWST is that it is a small team, and swimmers can get lots of attention from the coaches. If Matt was stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want would be golf clubs, an Ipod, and an airplane! When Matt isn’t swimming, he likes to keep busy by playing golf with his Dad and playing basketball with his friends. Matt’s advice to fellow teammates is to work hard and do your best!