November Swimmers of the Month

Isabella Van Ess (Typhoon 1)

Isabella was chosen as a swimmer of the month for November because her coaches are very happy with the progress she has made with all her strokes, and because she always has a great attitude at practice and meets.  She is enthusiastic to learn new things and not afraid to try them at meets, and she has great attendance for both practice and meets.  Isabella only swam once a week last year with us, so she has made a great transition this year to the competitive team.  Isabella’s favorite meet this year was the Reindeer mini meet because she won two heat winner ribbons and caps.  Her favorite event to swim is the 100 IM because she gets to swim all the strokes.  During practice she likes it when we work on flip turns in freestyle and backstroke.  Isabella feels influenced as a swimmer by all her coaches at BWST, LCDS, and her summer team the Barracudas.  Her three favorite things about being on BWST are going to the swim meets, her nice swim coaches, and being able to make new friends.  To get ready for a meet, she likes to get a good nights sleep and make sure she has all her swim gear ready.  One of her goals for this year is to break an individual team record, and she hopes to do this by coming to every practice and trying her best.  Her advice for her teammates is to listen to your coaches!  If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want with her would be a fishing rod, her dog Sandy, and music.  When Isabella isn’t swimming she likes to draw, sing, and play with her dog Sandy.  Way to go Isabella!

Jack Zapp (Green Crest 1)

Jack was chosen as a November swimmer of the month because he has shown great improvement this year in green crest, and always has a great attitude at practice and meets.  He listens well and works hard to implement the feedback he gets from coaches to improve.  Jack’s favorite meet this year was the Hokie travel meet because it was a fun traveling experience for him!  His favorite events to swim at meets are the 100 fly because he’s good at it, 100 IM because it’s fun to swim every stroke, and 100 free because he’s good at that stroke.  During practice his favorite set to work on is “Ins and Outs” where they swim IM’s but get out after each lap to do dryland exercises.  Jack has been influenced as a swimmer by his parents, because they encourage and support him.  The three things that Jack likes about being on BWST is having supportive coaches, nice teammates, and he likes being on a team.  To get ready for meets he likes to drink plenty of water, make sure his cap and goggles are ready to go, and not think about anything but his strokes.  One of his goals for this year is to make it to JOs (which he has already achieved in 100 fly) and continue to work on his stroke technique.  His advice for his teammates is “if you say you are not good at an event, you never will be.”  If he were stranded on a desert island the three items he would want would be a bottomless cup of water, a bottomless plate of food and a universal telephone.  When Jack isn’t swimming he likes to stay active by running, biking, playing football, reading and eating ice cream.  Great job Jack!

Kate Donati (Green Tide)

Kate Donati was picked as a swimmer of the month for November for several reasons.  Even though Kate broke her arm earlier this year, she still came to practice to do dryland and still stayed as involved as she could.  When she got the cast off she swam at a meet, and even though she wasn’t 100% she gave it her all and got best times.  At the VA Tech travel meet she attended even though she wasn’t able to swim, and she helped out the coaches by video taping the other swimmers.  Kate always has a great attitude at practices and meets and always works hard to improve her strokes and times.  We will miss her when she and her mother move in January!!  Her favorite meet this year was the Tech travel meet, because she loves to see new things with her team.  Her favorite events to swim are the 500 free, the 1000 free and the 200 backstroke, because since these are longer events there is some strategy involved with doing them well.  During practice Kate likes to work on distance freestyle sets.  She feels like she’s been influenced by Bethany Hamilton (the surfer who continued to surf after losing her arm), because she didn’t give up what she loved to do after facing adversity.  The three things she likes about being on BWST are her friends, her coaches, and her swim family (green tide).  To get ready for a meet Kate makes sure to get a good nights sleep, eat pasta the night before, drink lots of water, and psych herself up for the next days meet.  One of her goals for this year is to get an A time.  To do this she plans on working hard at every practice and staying healthy!  Her advice for her teammates is to never stop doing what you love, and make sure you truly love to do it.  If she were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want with her would be her dog, a genie in a bottle, and a personal chef to make her good foods using the tropical island fruits.  When she’s not swimming Kate likes to read, play with her dog, cook and write stories.  Awesome job Kate!

October Swimmers of the Month

Caroline Atkins (Typhoons 1)

Caroline was chosen as a swimmer of the month for October because she has come very far this season all ready, and has been working very hard in practices.  When she’s at practice her coaches can see her focusing and trying her best at each thing we do.  She also has a good attitude and enthusiasm for swimming!  Caroline’s favorite meet so far was the SNOW Pumpkin meet in October, because she swam her first 50 at this meet, and did a flip turn, even though that was something she had been scared about.  Her favorite stroke is freestyle, so she likes the freestyle events.  This is her favorite stroke because it’s her fastest so far.  During practice, her favorite sets involve kicking with the kickboard and she also likes doing dryland.  Caroline has been influenced as a swimmer by Lizzy Thornton because Lizzy loves her and supports her at meets.  The three things Caroline likes about being on BWST are the friends she’s made, the meets we go to, and she likes her great coaches.  To get ready for a swim meet she makes sure to get lots of sleep the night before and bring plenty of snacks in her swim bag.  One of her goals for this year is to break another record (she broke the 6 & under 25 breast record at the SNOW meet).  She plans to achieve this goal by working hard in practices each day.  Her advice for her teammates is to have fun swimming!  If she was stranded on a desert island the three items she would want would be water, food, and her family.  When Caroline isn’t swimming she likes to play soccer and play with her friends.  Great job Caroline!

Teddy Wenner – Green Crest 1

Teddy was chosen as a swimmer of the month for October because his coaches have been impressed with how hard he has been working at practices this season!  He moved into green crest from typhoons last year and has done such a great job.  He listens well to his coaches and follows their feedback, and works hard to improve his strokes.  Teddy’s favorite meet so far this year was the October SNOW meet because he improved all of his times.  His favorite events to swim are the 50 breast and 50 fly because they are his fastest strokes.  During practices, he likes it when they work on IM sets, especially 50’s of back and breast.  Teddy feels influenced as a swimmer by his sister Jordan, because she is a fast swimmer and he wants to be like her.  The three things Teddy likes about being on BWST are nice coaches, doing fun things in practice, and going to fun meets.  To get ready for a swim meet Teddy likes to make sure that he stretches his muscles beforehand, eat a good breakfast the morning of the meet, and do the team cheer.  One of his goals for this year is to get additional time standard patches, and he plans to work hard in practice and swim faster to achieve that.  His advice for his teammates is don’t say you can’t do something, because you can if you try!  If he were stranded on a desert island the three items he would want with him would be fresh water, a golf driving range, and an apartment with a gym.  When he’s not swimming Teddy likes to play lacrosse, play golf, and eat.  Awesome job Teddy!

 

Jake Schroth – Blue Tide

Jake was chosen as a swimmer of the month for many reasons.  He has great attendance, he has swam at all the meets available to him, and he has a great attitude at practice.  He’s also motivational to his teammates.  Jake has goals for himself and has been working hard to try and achieve them.  He knows he needs to focus at practice in order to become a better swimmer.  Jake’s favorite meet so far was the training trip/travel meet to Waynesboro, VA this past summer.  He liked this meet because it was a fun experience – swimmers in blue tide got to stay with a family for the week from the Waynesboro team.   Jake’s favorite events to swim are the 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1500 freestyle events, and he also likes any IM event.  He likes the longer distance freestyle events because they allow you to sprint but also get into a rhythm while swimming them.  His favorite set during practice that they do would be the freestyle sets on Mondays.  He likes doing build ups 25-200 on a descending interval, because you have to sprint the whole time.  Jake feels like he’s been influenced by Olympic swimmer Aaron Peirsol because he’s always liked to watch him swim.  Jake likes being on BWST because he likes being part of a team; it feels like a family and lets him be a part of something bigger than himself.  To get ready for a swim meet he makes sure to eat healthy foods with protein and drink lots of water ahead of the meet.  One of his goals for this year is to make a few Sectional cuts, with an even larger goal of making Nationals in a few years.  To achieve these goals he knows he needs to work hard in practices and always listen to his coaches.  Jake’s advice for his teammates is to never let anyone tell you you are too small or weak or not cut out for the job; work hard and prove them wrong.  If he were stranded on a desert island, the three items he would want would be candy, water, and an airplane.  When Jake is not swimming he likes to eat, hang out with friends, and go on Facebook.  Keep working hard Jake!

May Swimmers of the Month

Ellie Desmond (Typhoon 2)

Ellie was chosen as a swimmer of the month because her coaches are proud of the way she has improved this season and learned how to focus on swimming more.  Ellie has a great attitude and always works hard and likes to challenge her self.  She’s also a lot of fun to have at practice!  Her favorite meet this year was the long course meet in June because she swam well and made an Age Group Champs qualifying time.  Her favorite events to swim are the freestyle and backstroke events because they are her best.  At practice she likes working on IM sets the best, because you get to work on every stroke.  Ellie feels like she’s been influenced by her good friend Morgan Myers, because she is good competition and she is encouraging.  Ellie likes being on BWST because the coaches are fun and nice, and she likes working on swimming faster in practice.  To get ready for a meet, she likes to pack her bag ahead of time and think about how fast she’s going to swim.  One of her goals for this year is to become the fastest swimmer in her practice group.  If she were stranded on a desert island, the three items she would want to have would be food, water, and a knife.  When she’s not swimming, Ellie likes to draw, shop, and play with friends.  Way to go Ellie!

Arya Saravanan (Green Crest 1)

Arya was chosen as a swimmer of the month because he has shown great improvement this season, and he has been working very hard.  He has great practice and meet attendance and always pushes himself hard in practice.  He also always has a great attitude when he’s at the pool and listens well to the coaches feedback about his strokes.  His favorite meet this year was the first long course meet in May, because he qualified for long course Age Group champs in the 50 back.   50 back is also his favorite event to swim because it’s his favorite stroke, and he also likes the 200 IM because it’s challenging.  At practice Arya likes it when we do a set where you cut your time in half and try to achieve that time (for example, 200 free, then 100 free, then 50 free, then 25 free, each time cutting your time in half).  Arya feels like he was influenced early on by his first swim instructor, Ms. Sandra, because she first got in interested and encouraged him a lot.  He’s also influenced by his BWST coaches who continue to make swimming fun for him.  Three things he likes about being on BWST is that you get to do hard, challenging sets in practice, you learn new things each week, and you have fun while swimming.  To get ready for a meet Arya likes to eat healthy and practice hard.  One of his goals for this year was to qualify for JOs, which he has for the summer.  His advice for his teammates is to work on dives, glide longer, have faster dolphin kicks and tighter streamlines, and have fun while doing it.  If he were stranded on a desert island, Arya would like to have a knife, a lighter, and a DS for entertainment.  When he’s not swimming Arya likes to play tennis, tap dance, and play his electric guitar.  Great job Arya!

Nick Kost (Blue Tide)

Nick was chosen as a swimmer of the month for May because even though he has only been on the team a short while, he has been working really hard, has great practice and meet attendance, and has a great attitude during practice.  He has been working on improving his strokes and does his best to incorporate feedback from his coaches.  His favorite swim meet was the June long course meet because it allowed him to see how much faster he’s gotten.  His favorite events to swim are the freestyle events.  During practice he likes it when they work on butterfly and do stations, so that he can work on individual aspects of his stroke.  Nick feels influenced by his coaches because they know what they are talking about.  The three things he likes about being on BWST is that his teammates are always fun, there are fun things to do at practice, and he likes the time of practices.  To get ready for a swim meet he likes to relax and stretch the day before and get a good nights sleep.  One of his goals for the year is to work on and improve his rhythm in breaststroke and butterfly.  His advice for his fellow teammates is to always listen to the coaches because they will help you get faster.  If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want would be a suit, goggles and a cooler full of water and food.  When he’s not swimming Nick likes to relax with friends and play airsoft or watch TV.  Keep swimming fast Nick!

April Swimmers of the Month

Emma Vannell (Typhoon 1)

Emma was chosen as an April swimmer of the month because she has shown her coaches that she knows how to work hard to improve, and is always listening and smiling at practice.  Her coaches were also really proud of the great meet performance she had at the April Gator mini meet.  That meet was actually her favorite of the year, because she did the 100 IM for the first time.  Emma’s favorite events to swim are the free and breaststroke events, because she’s good at those strokes.  Her favorite set at practice is when we work on breaststroke drills.  Emma feels like she’s been influenced as a swimmer by Caleigh Hensley because she works hard, is helpful, and is a great swimmer.  The three things Emma likes best about being on BWST is her coaches, her teammates, and learning new things.  To get ready for a swim meet Emma likes to make sure she goes to bed early to get a good nights sleep.  Her advice for her teammates is to always kick really hard!  If she were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want with her would be a horse, her DSI, and a TV.  When she’s not swimming Emma likes to play board games, play with her friends and ride her bike.  Way to go Emma!

Hunter Prisbrey (Green Crest 1)

Hunter was chosen as an April swimmer of the month because his coaches are very happy with all the progress he has made this season!  His strokes have developed very nicely and he always has a great attitude at practice and tries his hardest.  He has great attendance, and he’s been willing to learn and try new things; he even swam in the first long course meet of the season, which turned out to be his favorite meet so far this year because it was a new challenge.  His favorite events to swim are the 50 and 100 backstroke, because it was the first stroke he learned how to do, and he likes that you are always breathing during it.  His favorite set at practice is when they do a set that involves 50 back, 25 free and 25 breast.  Hunter has been influenced as a swimmer by his father, who swims everyday and encourages him to keep going.  The three things Hunter likes about being on BWST is the other swimmers, his coaches, and the facility we use.  To get ready for a meet, he likes to get a good nights sleep, eat a good breakfast, and get plenty of rest.  Hunters goal for this year was to swim faster and stronger at each meet.  His advice for his teammates is to swim hard and strong.  If he were stranded on a desert island, the three items he would want with him would be a giant dream house on the beach (that has robotic butlers), a grass/forest grower, and a small space center where he could launch a rocket that leads to his giant space station.   When he’s not swimming he likes to play video games, play with his dog and friends, play Nerf, watch movies, and build Legos.  Great job Hunter!

Jack Morton – Blue Crest

Jack was chosen as a swimmer of the month for Blue Crest because his coaches have noticed that his strokes have really improved this year, and he has been swimming more aggressively.  He also has a great attitude at every practice and meet, and his attendance is almost perfect.  Jack’s favorite meet this year was the travel meet to VA Tech, because he liked being able to hang out with his teammates in a non swimming setting.  His favorite event to swim is the 100 backstroke, because that is his favorite stroke, plus the 100 isn’t long distance, but it’s still challenging.  His favorite set to work on during practice is 10x25 breaststroke kick.  Jack feels influenced by Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, because he went to the Olympics with Michael Phelps, and he swam at Jack’s favorite college.  The three things that Jack likes about being on BWST are his friends, the fun, and the coaches.  To get ready for meets he likes to make sure his bag is all ready to go, with two towels, cap and goggles, and water bottle.  He also likes to stretch and listen to music.  One of his goals for this year was to improve his butterfly times.  To do this he will work hard in every practice and attend all the meets he can.  His advice for his teammates is to focus on one goal at a time and never give up.  If he were stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want would be a house (with water and food), clothes, and a surfboard.  When Jack isn’t swimming he likes to read and hang out with friends.  He also enjoys being in Boy Scouts.  Awesome job Jack!

Emily Sheehan – Green Tide

March Swimmers of the Month

Allie Gilliam (Typhoon 1)

Allie was chosen as a swimmer of the month for March because her coaches have been very happy to see how hard she has been working recently and how much she has improved.  She has been stepping it up at practice and now leads her lane, and she’s  a lot of fun to have at practice.  Allie’s favorite meet this year was the Reindeer mini meet in December because she won a special cap as a heat winner.  Her favorite event to swim is 50 free, and at practice she likes it when we work a lot on freestyle.  Allie feels influenced as a swimmer by her friends and family, because she knows they are there cheering for her and will be there for her win or lose.  She likes being on BWST because she gets to swim with and against her friends and teammates.  To get ready for a swim meet she likes to pack the night before and pack things that will keep her entertained at the meet.  One of her goals for the year was to improve her 50 and 100 freestyle times.  Her advice for her teammates is to always keep trying, even if you feel like giving up!  Also if you have someone or something that is special to you, pretend they are at the end of the lane waiting for you.  If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want with her would be her dog Kerby, her swimsuit and her favorite outfit.  When she’s not swimming Allie likes to play with her dog, her sister and her American Girls dolls.  Awesome job Allie!

Jimmy Gill (Blue Crest)  

Jimmy was chosen as a swimmer of the month for March because his coaches have seen some really positive changes in Jimmy. He has been willing to try new events at meets and has been working really hard this season to work on his technique and improve his times. He even recently moved from Green Crest 1 into Blue Crest and is doing really well in that squad. His favorite meet this year was the January Open at Fairland because that's where he made his JO cut time in the 50 backstroke. His favorite events are the 50 and 100 back, 50 and 100 free, 50 fly, and 100 and 200 IM, because he likes doing all the strokes. During practice Jimmy likes it when they work on improving their underwater kicking. Jimmy feels influenced as a swimmer by his sister, because he became interested in swimming when she started, and also by his parents because they encourage him to try new things. Some things that Jimmy likes about being on BWST is that he is given lots of new opportunities to try newer and longer events and work hard, and he likes doing dryland. To get ready for a swim meet, he likes to eat 5 way chili (has spaghetti, beans, Cincinnati chili, shredded cheese and diced onions). One of his goals for this year is to make all-stars for his summer league team. His advice for his teammates is to not slack off at practice, because you won't improve that way. If he were stranded on a desert island the three items he would want with him would be food that he likes to eat, a fishing net and a hut. When he's not swimming Jimmy likes to play on his Ipod and hang out with his friends. Way to go Jimmy!

Kyra Meister (Green Tide)  

Kyra was chosen as a swimmer of the month for March because her coaches are happy with the way she has been improving this season, working hard, and challenging herself. She also has great attendance and a great attitude. Kyra's favorite meet this year was Spring Champs in March, because she swam the 200 fly for the first time. It was challenging but good. Her favorite event is the 100 back, because she likes backstroke and likes to sprint. Her favorite set at practice is when we work on IM's because she likes practicing and improving all the strokes. Kyra feels influenced by Michael Phelps because he's one of the greatest swimmers in the world and never gives up. The three things Kyra likes about being on BWST is getting to hang out and have fun with her friends at practice, having friends and coaches that are very supportive at practices/meets, and having coaches who work with her to improve her strokes. To get ready for meets Kyra likes to eat a good dinner the night before, get to bed early, and listen to music at the meet to get pumped up. One of her goals for this year was to swim the 2oo fly before the season ends, which she did at Spring Champs. Her advice for her teammates is don't tell yourself that you can't achieve something - you would be surprised at how much you can do it you believe you can do it. If she were stranded on a desert island, the three items she would want with her would be an endless supply of chocolate covered strawberries, her Zune to listen to music, and a stack of her favorite books. When she's not swimming Kyra likes to hang out with her friends and family, cook, read and sing. Great job Kyra!

February Swimmers of the Month

George McCabe (Typhoon 2)

George was chosen as a February swimmer of the month because he is a hard worker who has been doing a great job this season! He has great attendance and has been at all the mini meets, and has really been working hard to improve his strokes and times. George's favorite meet this year was mini champs, in March, because he swam really well and got best times. His favorite event was the 25 fly because it was his fastest. In fact one of his goals for this year was to break that record. During practice he likes to do sets where they kick a 25 of flutter kick followed by a 50 of freestyle swim. George feels influenced by Michael Phelps, because he saw him swim in Beijing. The three things George likes about being on BWST is having competition, the practices, and getting faster as a swimmer. To get ready for a swim meet he likes to eat a good breakfast before the meet. His advice for his teammates is to try your hardest. If he were stranded on a desert island, the three items he would want with him would be a basketball, a basketball hoop, and goggles. When he's not swimming, George likes to play basketball and guitar. Awesome job George!

Grace Boyles (Green Crest 2)

Grace was chosen as a February swimmer of the month because her coaches have seen some positive changes in her these last few months…she has been working very hard and has become a leader in her practice squad. Her attitude at practices is great also! Grace’s favorite meet was when she swam at JO’s last year, because she had friends there and it was a great meet. Her favorite event to swim is the 100 fly because it’s challenging. During practice she likes when they work on leg burnerz (this involves a lot of kicking!) because when they do that set they are always moving. Grace feels influenced by Olympian Jason Lezak, because he had a lot of inspirational things to say at the clinic that we held with him. The three things that she likes about being on BWST is the coaches, the dry land workouts, and the sets during practice. To get ready for a meet Grace likes to make sure she is working hard during practice, and she pumps herself up at the meet! One of her goals for this year was to make it into Blue Crest, which she was able to do. Starting March 28 she will be joining that squad! Grace’s advice for her teammates is to believe in yourself. If you believe you can do anything. If she were stranded on a desert island, the three items she would want with her would be sunscreen, her swimsuit, and goggles to go swimming. When Grace isn’t swimming she likes to hang out with her friends. Keep working hard Grace!

Emily Jimenez (Tidal Wave)

Emily was chosen as a February swimmer of the month because she has been a dedicated swimmer, despite also being a part of her high school swim team and having to attend their daily practices. Emily has still been attending her Tidal Wave practices and often times was the only swimmer there! Because of this she has been able to get a lot of great coaching and technique work and has been able to improve her times. Emily’s favorite meet this year was the Turkey Claus meet in December, because it was her first meet of the season with us. Her favorite events are the 50 free and 100 free because she likes to sprint. Her favorite set that we do at practice is the FRIM sets (combo of free-IM). Emily feels like she has been influenced by swimmer Kate Zeigler, because she persevered when she wanted to quit and never gave up. The three things Emily likes about being on BWST is having Coach Gabe as her coach, her swim team friends, and the social events that we do as a team. To get ready for a swim meet Emily likes to eat healthy, make sure she’s been attending practices, and get songs on her Ipod that will pump her up! One of her goals for this year is to go under 1:00 in her 100 free time. She knows she can do it because she’s done it in a relay. Her advice for her teammates is to never give up and stay focused, also do what’s best for you and swim for yourself. If she were stranded on a desert island, the three items she would want with her would be clean water, matches, and her Ipod. When Emily is not swimming she likes to cheer for her high school football team, and hang out with her friends. Great job Emily!

January Swimmers of the Month

Dana Korotovskikh (Typhoon 2)

Dana was chosen as a swimmer of the month for January because she works very hard at practice and listens very well to her coaches. She takes the time to work on specific things with her stroke, and because of that her strokes and times have improved a lot this season. Since turning 9 she has also accepted the challenge to swim at the bigger meets (instead of the mini meets) so she has been able to try some new events like 200 IM and 100's of stroke. Dana also has a great attitude and is fun to have at practice. Dana's favorite meet this season has been the January Open because she got her first BB time in breast and back. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 fly and 100 free because she really enjoys those strokes. At practice she likes it when we work on doing 50's where the goal is to not breathe on your first stroke off the walls. She likes this because it helps her to focus on her breathing techniques. Dana feels like she has been influenced by her friend Natalie because she watched Natalie swim and compete and saw how good she was, so Dana was inspired to try the same thing. Dana likes being on BWST because she likes being around her friends and making new friends, and she likes swimming at meets and learning how to improve. To get ready for a meet she likes to concentrate and visualize her strokes and races ahead of time. One of her goals for this year is to improve her stroke and time in breaststroke. Dana's advice for her teammates is to have a good streamline off the walls! If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would like to have would be a knife, because it's a good tool, a blanket for cold nights, and a magnifying glass to start fires. When she is not swimming Dana likes to draw and play outside with her friends. Way to go Dana!

Cassie Holstein (Green Crest 1)

Cassie was chosen as a swimmer of the month for January because she has been working very hard in practice. She's been making sure to pay attention and work on her stroke technique, and because of that all her strokes and times have been improving. She has great attendance as well at practices and meets. Cassie also has a great attitude during practice. Her favorite meet this year has been the Hokie Travel meet because it was the first time she got to travel with the team. Her favorite events to swim are backstroke events because it's her best stroke. During practice she likes to do FRIM sets (FRIM is a freestyle/IM combination). She feels influenced by her parents, because they encourage her to do well in meets and practice. Cassie likes being on BWST because she enjoys her friends on the team, she likes the gummies that Coach Mike gives out at meets, and she likes that she can see her improvement when she works hard in practices. To get ready for a meet, Cassie likes to get a lot of sleep and eat healthier food. One of her goals for this year was to beat all her times from last year, and so far she has. She achieved this by working harder each practice and listening and following the advice of her coaches. Her advice for her teammates is to always believe in yourself! If she were stranded on a desert island, the three items she would want with her would be her swimsuit, extra underwear, and enough chocolate and ice cream sundaes as she wanted! When she's not swimming Cassie likes to read and hang out with her friends and family. Great job Cassie!

Lizzy Thornton (Green Crest 1)

Lizzy was chosen as a swimmer of the month because she works very hard at practice and has a great attitude. Lizzy puts a lot effort into making her strokes better, and takes feedback from her coaches very well. She also has a great streamline and understands that the little things are going to make her a better swimmer! Her favorite meet this year was the Virginia Tech meet because it was her first travel meet with the team. Her favorite events are the 200 free, 200 IM or any backstroke race. She likes to challenge herself with longer events and really enjoys the backstroke. During practice Lizzy likes to do a set where they go 4 x25, 3x50, 2x75, 1x100 all freestyle. Lizzy feels like she's been influenced by Olympian Michael Phelps because he's the best swimmer, and her mom because she taught her to love the water. Lizzy likes being on BWST because she likes her teammates and friends, she likes her coaches, and she likes having a Big Wave. To get ready for a meet she likes to pack her bag the night before with Gatorade and beef jerky and fruit, and make sure that she is plenty hydrated. One of Lizzy's goals for this year is to make an "A" time on 100 back and try more long distance events. She plans on attaining these goals by practicing and working hard, and concentrating on her flipturns. Lizzy's advice for her teammates is to work hard, have patience, and listen to your coaches. If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want would be her swimsuit, water, and her friend Karleigh Pollock. When she's not swimming Lizzy likes to read, shop, hang out with friends, talk on the phone, and have lunch dates with her mom. Keep working hard Lizzy!

Justin Allen (Blue Tide)

Justin was chosen as a swimmer of the month for January because he has been working really hard this season and his coaches have been impressed with his improvement. Justin’s favorite meet was the VT travel meet in November, because he liked the pool facility and traveling with his friends. His favorite events to swim are the 100 breast because he feels its a hard stroke to swim well, and the 500 freestyle because he likes to work on pacing himself in longer distance events. His favorite sets at practice are the whistle and challenge freestyle sets. As a swimmer Justine feels influenced by everyone from his teammates to his coaches to his parents. Justin likes being on BWST because he likes his coaches, the small team size and camaraderie among teammates. To get ready for a swim meet he likes to stay hydrated and make sure he gets enough sleep the night before. One of his goals for this year is to work on his walls/underwaters. To achieve this he needs to work on it every practice. His advice for his teammates is to listen to the coaches. If he were stranded on a desert island the three items he would want would be string cheese, a mandolin and chocolate milk. When Justin is not swimming he likes to play guitar and hang out with his friends. Way to go Justin!

December Swimmers of the Month

Morgan Myers (Typhoon 2)

Morgan was chosen as a December swimmer of the month because she has been doing such a great job so far this season. Morgan is new to the team this year, and she has really improved her strokes and her coaches have been impressed with how well she listens and picks up on things. The coaches often ask Morgan to demonstrate her technique during practice so that others can see how it should be done. Because she listens so well and really makes an effort to work on her technique and try new things that the coaches suggest, she has had a great season so far. Morgan's favorite meet so far this year has been the Snowball Splash because she got to swim in the freestyle relay, which was a lot of fun for her. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 IM because she gets to do all the strokes, and the 100 free because she gets to do 3 flipturns. During practice she likes to do a set where they alternate between 50's of freestyle and backstroke, and they work on flipturns. Morgan feels like she has been influenced bu her parents because they got her into swimming and bring her to practices. Her favorite things about being on BWST are doing the Blue Wave cheer, getting motivational patches, and swimming in our pool at the Pavilion. To get ready for a meet she likes to pack her bag the night before, get a good nights sleep, and eat a good breakfast or lunch. Her goals for this year are to get an A time in the 50 back, and she plans on doing that by not missing practice. Her advice for her teammates is to swim fast and streamline off every wall. If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want to have would be her dolphin pillow pet, her toothbrush, and lots of apples. When she's not swimming Morgan likes to ride her bike and play with her friends. Keep up the hard work Morgan! 

Grayson Albers (Green Crest 2)

Grayson was chosen as a December swimmer of the month because he has been working very hard this year, so hard in fact that he was recently moved into Green Crest 2. The coaches felt he was deserving of this because his strokes and times continue to improve and he has been an eager and determined learner/swimmer this year. His attitude has been great, along with his practice and meet attendance. He wanted to know what he needed to do to improve and move up into GC2, and he made sure to do those things. Grayson's favorite meet this year was the Travel Meet to Virginia Tech, because he earned his chance to go early this season and was very excited about traveling with the team. His favorite event to swim is the 50 breaststroke, because that is his favorite stroke, and it was the first event he qualified for in summer all-stars. During practice Grayson likes working on sets where the goal is to negative split (where the second half is faster than the first half) because it is very challenging. Grayson feels like he's been influenced by his parents because they come to his meets and encourage him to do his best. The things that he likes the best about being on BWST is the friends he has made, becoming a better swimmer, and having fun. To get ready for a meet Grayson likes to eat carrots and protein and get plenty of rest. One of his goals for this year is to achieve more B times and improve his butterfly time. His advice for his teammates is to keep working towards your goals. If Grayson were stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want with him would be allergy medicine, a board game, and swim gear. When he's not swimming he likes to play on the computer, dance and play outside. Way to go Grayson!