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!