Blue Wave Swimmers of the Month

December Swimmers of the Month

2012-01-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

Zack Mitarotonda (TYPHOON 1)

Zack was chosen as swimmer of the month for displaying a competitive attitude and eagerness to learn at both practice and at meets. Zack is attentive towards the coaches and encourages his team mates to always have fun and try their best. He loved competing in the Polar Pentathlon swimming all four strokes like his role model Michael Phelps, however he enjoys the 50 breaststroke as his favorite event. He is working hard to reach his goal of achieving “B” times in his events and is excited to continue competing through the winter months. Outside of the pool Zack loves to be outdoors with his friends and going to Karate class. He is a great part of the Blue Wave family and a role model for everyone he practices with. Congratulations Zack!

Natalie Smithers (GREEN Crest 2)

Natalie was a coaches decision for December’s swimmer of the month for her work ethic in practice, and competitiveness in meets. Her favorite meet was December’s Turkey Claus where she had the great experience of returning to the finals sessions each night for most all of her events. She too is influenced by Michael Phelps in her aspirations to improve in each stroke to become better in her favorite event, the Individual Medley. In doing this she motivates herself and her team mates to create a great practice atmosphere that is competitive, motivational, and fun! She enjoys being a part of the Blue Wave family traveling around the state to different meets with supportive coaches and good friends.

Outside of the pool she enjoys Hip Hop Class, writing stories, playing with her puppies, and just hanging out with her friends. She claims that if stranded on a desert islands she would want a phone, a unicorn, and a pair of goggles in hopes to use all of them to get back to safety! In the coming months she aspires to be a more confident swimmer, and set higher goals for herself as she comes across new challenges down the road. Good luck Natalie and congratulations on swimmer of the month!

Trang Dinh (BLUE Crest)

Trang received swimmer of the month as a reward for a daily dedication to both her team and herself. A soft spoken role model, she consistently sets an example by the effort that she puts into practice. She enjoys training mostly freestyle, however her favorite event to compete in is the 200 IM. Her favorite competition was the H2Okie Thanksgiving Invitational where she got to share a room with her friends, and enjoy a great experience with the Blue Wave family. She draws much influence from Simon Jackson, who insists that if you are serious about wanting something you are going to have to work for it, and not just dream about it. This is also a reason why she enjoys being part of Blue Wave, where she can work for her goals with her nice coaches, great friends, and challenging practices.

Apart from swimming Trang enjoys reading, drawing, and going to the mall with her friends. She also claims that if she were stranded on an island, she would want her best friend, some matches, and her ipod to make the most of her time there. Always moving forwards with a positive mindset, Trang hopes to make a JO cut this upcoming spring. Good luck moving forwards and congratulations Trang!

Kayla Snider (GREEN Tide)

Kayla is a new addition to the Blue Wave family and has alread y demonstrated an unprecedented work ethic, positive attitude, and love for the sport. She exemplifies a passion for swimming that she claims she draws from her team and great coaches. She looks to Coach Gabe and Coach Mike as role models that she says “...help me realize what I can do and help me push myself farther that I thought possible.” With much success in recent meets, she claims the Blue Wave Distance Meet was her favorite because she got to experience a new event that allowed her to push herself and strategize in a new way. This was also the meet where she set the new Blue Wave team record in the 1000 yard freestyle!

When she’s not swimming Kayla likes to read, volunteer at the library, and cook. She says that if she were stuck on a deserted island, she would want her Hunger Games book trilogy, a bathing suit, and some sunscreen so she could relax and take it all in! She is persistent in her goal of getting a JO cut in the 100 Breaststroke, and looks to do so by this spring. Kayla says she is very grateful for her supportive team mates and coaches, and the Blue Wave family is happy to have her as a part of it as well. For inspiration for both herself and her team mates she draws from the Emerson quote,

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Good luck in the coming months before JO’s and congratulations Kayla!

November Swimmers of the Month

2011-12-12T12:21:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-08T13:07:00.001-08:00

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

2011-06-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

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

2011-04-06T15:01:00.001-07:00

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

2011-03-09T14:35:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-20T14:38:00.001-08:00

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!

November Swimmers of the Month

2010-12-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Delaney McCummings (Typhoons 1)

Delaney was chosen as a swimmer of the month because her coaches feel she has been listening very well in practices and working hard, and her strokes have greatly improved! We are also proud of the way Delaney has taken on new challenges by swimming new events at meets. Delaney's favorite meet was the Reindeer Mini Meet in December because it was fun and she won some events. Her favorite events to swim are 25's of free, fly and back. At that meet as well Delaney did 50's of strokes and even a 100 free. During practice she really enjoys working on butterfly to improve that stroke. Delaney feels like she's been influenced as a swimmer by her summer league team, the Belmont Sharks. Her favorite things about being on BWST are getting to swim each week and having great coaches! To get ready for a meet she likes to pack her bag ahead of time and get her suit on. One of her goals for this year is to continue working on her butterfly technique so that she can improve that stroke. Delaney's advice for her teammates is to Swim Fast! If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want would be water, food, and her DS. When she's not swimming she likes to watch TV with her family. Way to go Delaney!

Sarah Akins (Green Crest 1)

Sarah was chosen as a swimmer of the month for November because her coaches have noticed how well she has been doing at practices. She has been working hard and has improved her strokes and times! She has been putting forth a lot of effort at practice and her attitude has been great. Sarah's favorite meet this year was the November Open, because she feels she improved a lot of her times at that meet, and she had a lot of fun. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 free, 100 back, and 100 IM. During practice she likes working on pyramids (where the distance continues to go up and then goes back down). Sarah feels like she's been influenced by the Olympic athletes that were at the Breakout Swim Clinic last summer, Josh Davis and Lacey Nymeyer, because they gave great tips and advice about becoming great athletes. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is that her coaches and teammates are all really nice and fun, and her coaches have helped her improve her swimming overall. To get ready for a meet Sarah likes to get more rest than usual and work harder in practices. One of her goals for this year is to improver her 50 fly time. Her advice for her teammates is to push it and improve your strokes as best as you can. If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want would be a bathing suit, an Ipod, and a book with instructions on how to get off the island! When she's not swimming Sarah likes to listen to music (Taylor Swift), read books, and ride books with her friends. Great job Sarah!

Danny Marron (Blue Tide)

Danny was chosen as a swimmer of the month because he has been showing great dedication to the team and he has had a great attitude towards swimming! Danny is also doing his high school swim team, yet he manages to still make his BWST practices, even if that means coming extra mornings. His strokes have also been improving and he has been doing very well at meets this year. We are proud of all the progress he's made! Danny's favorite meet this year has been the Hokie travel meet to Virginia Tech, because it was a new experience for him and he enjoyed staying with the team. He was able to learn new things about his teammates by doing this meet. His favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 breaststroke, the 200 and 500 free, and the 200 IM. At practice he likes doing IM sets where they go through the set more than once, but they can change it up the second time around. Danny feels like he has been influenced as a swimmer by his sister, because she was the one who got him into swimming and doing breaststroke. He also feels influenced by his teammates. His favorite thing about being on BWST is that the squads are smaller, so he's gotten to develop a better bond with coaches and teammates. To get ready for a meet, Danny likes to pack his bag ahead of time and just relax. He tries not to over think before meets! One of Danny's goals for this year is to learn how to race and be more motivated at meets. His advice for his teammates is to learn to enjoy the workout and your teammates so that you don't end up resenting the sport. If he were stranded on a desert island the three items that he would want with him would be food, water and a friend. When he's not swimming Danny likes to snowboard and play guitar. Great job Danny!

October Swimmers of the Month

2010-11-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

Dillon Haberland (Typhoon 2)

Dillon was chosen as a swimmer of the month because of all the hard work he has been doing in practice. His attendance at both meets and practice is very good, and he always gives 100%. His strokes have also been improving nicely. Dillon's favorite meet was the SNOW Pumpkin meet this year in October because he got all new best times in his events. His favorite event to swim is the 50 free, and that's also what he likes working on at practices. Dillon feels like he's been influenced as a swimmer by Olympian Michael Phelps. Dillon's favorite thing about being on BWST is that his coaches are really nice and always encourage him to do his best. To get ready for a meet he likes to get a lot of rest the night before, eat healthy, listen to his Ipod at the meet, and also make sure he works his hardest at practices. One of his goals for this year is to get all "B" times, make it into the Green Crest squad by the end of the year, and also get straight "A"s in school. Dillon's advice for his teammates is to always try your best and never give up. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would like to have would be food, water and shelter. When Dillon isn't swimming he likes to play football, basketball and Tae Kwon Do. He also likes to spend time with his friends and family. Great job Dillon!

Jordan Wenner (Green Crest 1)

Jordan was chosen as a swimmer of the month because her coaches are very happy with how Jordan has been swimming in practice and at meets, and with how well her strokes have been improving! Jordan's favorite meet was the Pilgrim Pentathlon that she did last year, because she swam the 100 IM for the first time. Jordan has been swimming some longer events and different strokes at meets, and her coaches are very happy that she has been up for the challenge! Her favorite events are the 100 free and 100 breast. At practice she likes to swim IM sets and breaststroke sets. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is that she really enjoys practicing with her teammates, and she really likes the team logo and colors. To get ready for a swim meet she likes to eat pasta for dinner and go to bed early. One of her goals for this year is to improve her flip turns and improve her times at each meet. Her advice for her teammates is to swim for fun, and enjoy what you're doing! If she were stranded on a desert island the three items she would want with her would be her sleeping bag,k pasta, and stuff animals. When she's not swimming Jordan likes to play outside, go camping, and sing with her chorus. Awesome job Jordan!

Chris Davidson (Blue Crest)

Chris was chosen as an October swimmer of the month because he has been working very hard this season to continue to improve his strokes and times. Chris has great practice and meet attendance and always has a great attitude. His favorite meet so far has been the SNOW Pumpkin meet in October. He liked this meet because he dropped time in all of his events. His favorite events to swim are the butterfly and backstroke events. He feels like he has really improved his technique in both of those in the last two years since he's been on BWST and he's gotten much better times since then. During practice, he really likes it when his squad does relays because they are fun and he likes to compete against his friends! Chris feels like he has been influenced by a lot of people, including his first summer team coach when he was 8. His favorite thing about being on BWST is that he has faster times and better strokes than when he was on his previous team. To get ready for a swim meet, Chris likes to make sure he eats a good dinner and then bring snacks to the meet. One of his goal for this meet is to get faster times in breaststroke, and keep working on his strokes. His advice for his teammates is to learn to swim all four strokes well so that you can excel in the IM. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want to have is a working TV, xbox, and lots of food. When he's not swimming he likes to watch TV. Keep working hard Chris!

Bailey Rember (Rip Tide)

Bailey is new to BWST as of this past summer, but she was chosen as a swimmer of the month because of her hard work ethic and dedication to the sport. Bailey has aspirations of swimming in college next year (she is a high school senior) so she understands that she needs to work hard and focus on swimming. Bailey's favorite meet was when she swam in Sectionals in Fort Lauderdale a few years ago. She got to meet Ryan Lochte and Elizabeth Biesel and swim outside in the sun for four days! Her favorite events to swim are the 200 IM and the 100 fly. At practice she enjoys doing longer IM sets. Bailey feels she has been influenced by her first coach, who encouraged her to keep swimming when she wanted to quit. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is the new friends that she's making! To get ready for a swim meet, she likes to eat a lot of pasta for dinner and get plenty of rest the night before. She listens to music like Lil Wayne and Kesha to get pumped up. One of her goals for this year is to make it to Sectionals again. Her advice for her teammates is to never give up, even is something goes wrong. Always keep your head up. If she were stranded on an island the three things she would want to have with her would be her Ipod, her pillow and her puppy. When Bailey's not swimming she likes to scuba dive and travel to different cities and countries. She also likes hanging out with her friends and going shopping. Great job Bailey!

June/July Swimmers of the Month

2010-07-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Megan Patterson - Summer level 4

Megan was chosen as a summer swimmer of the month because she has been excelling this long course season! The coaches have been very proud of how far Megan has come this year, swimming with Green Crest 2, doing some Blue Crest practices as well, and summer level 4. Megan is always enthusiastic at practice and tries very hard. She also listens well to feedback from her coaches and strives to improve her strokes. Megan's favorite meet this year was the summer 14 & Under Long Course Champs meet because it was her first champs level meet. Her favorite events to swim are the 100 fly, 50 fly, and 100 back. Megan enjoys doing the "ping pong" set for butterfly that Coach Gabe has done this summer (that is where they go back and forth doing butterfly, trying to get across the pool in the fewest number of strokes). Megan has been influenced by her family and her coaches (her mom also swims with BWST masters!) Her family is always supportive of her interest in swimming and makes sure she gets to her practices and meets. Megan's favorite thing about being on BWST is being part of the team and just getting to swim! To get ready for a meet she likes to listen to music and sit with her balancing stone to focus on the race ahead. One of her goals for the year was to make it to LC champs this summer, which she did! Her advice for her teammates is to stay focused and work hard. If she were stranded on a desert island the three things that she would want are a survival kit, a parent, and a life's supply of food. When she's not swimming Megan likes to watch TV. Great job Megan!

Anthony Paz - Summer level 3

Anthony was chosen as a summer swimmer of the month because he has had an excellent year. Early on in the year he moved from breakers into green crest, which was a great move for him. He was able to develop his strokes and endurance further and compete in the PVS meets. For next year he will be in green crest 2, and we will expect him to do even better! Anthony listens very well at practice and always works hard. His favorite meet this year was the Spring Champs meet because he personally swam well. His favorite event this year was the swim-a-thon because of it's challenging nature. Anthony enjoys doing sets at practice that involve swimming IM and he feels like he's been influenced by Olympian Michael Phelps. His favorite thing about being on BWST is being given challenging practices, and having end of the year parties and social activities! To get ready for a meet Anthony likes to practice extra hard at the pool for the meet. One of his goals for next year is to set a team record in at least one event. His advice for his teammates is to always try your best and don't give up. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want would be food, water and shelter. When he's not swimming he likes to read, play board games, and watch TV. Way to go Anthony!

Izzy Castorena- Summer level 2

Izzy was chosen as a summer swimmer of the month because he has shown so much improvement and dedication to the team this year. When Izzy started with BW S T, he couldn't do all four strokes legally and had a hard time with dives and flip turns. He worke d hard all year on his weaknesses, and made great improvements. He has also always had great attendance, participated in the meets, and had a positive and fun attitude during practice. He has been a fun swimmer to have around, and we will miss him next year when he's at the College of William and Mary! Izzy's favorite meet was the Spring Champs meet in March, because he got personal best times in all his events, and he was seeded in the top half or third for his events. His favorite events to swim are the 50, 100, and 200 free. At practice Izzy likes to work hard with sprint sets (he also likes sets that are freestyle, and not IM or breaststroke!) Izzy feels like he has been influenced by Olympian Ryan Lochte, and his favorite thing about being on BWST is that everyone gets along so well, it feels like one giant family. One of his goals for th e year was to further improve his times in the 50, 100 and 200 free events. To get ready for swim meets, Izzy likes to eat lots of pasta the day before, and listen to his favorite m usic on the ride to the meet. Izzy's advice to his teammates is to never think you've reached your limits...always push yourself a little more, and you will find you have no limits. If he were stranded on a desert island, the three things he would want would be his I-touch, a good book, and a comfy bed. When he's not swimming Izzy likes to hang out with friends and watch a good baseball game. Good job this year Izzy and we'll miss you next year!

May Swimmers of the Month

2010-06-09T12:54:00.001-07:00

Peyton Webb - Typhoon 2

Peyton was chosen as a May swimmer of the month because her coaches have been impressed with her willingness to try new events at meets, and how hard she has been working in practice! She also has great practice and meet attendance and has be able to get all B and BB times in each stroke. Peyton's favorite meet this year was the SNOW Spring Invite because that is where she qualified for Long Course Age Group Champs in the 200 IM. She also has two other qualifying times for that meet this summer. Her favorite events to swim are the 50 breast, 200 IM, 200 breast, 50 free, 100 free, 50 fly and 100 fly. In practice she likes doing pyramids. Peyton feels like she has been influenced by her older sister, Tori. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is having nice coaches and having fun at practices and meets. To get ready for a meet Peyton likes to eat a good meal ahead of time, get plenty of sleep the night before, drink lots of fluids, and stretch before her races. One of her goals this year is to swim the 500 free. She has done the 400 free long course already so she's well on her way! Her advice for her teammates is to try your best and work hard and remember there will always be another chance. If she were stranded on a desert island the three things that she would like to have with her would be her Ipod, food, and company. When she's not swimming Peyton likes to hang out with friends, shop, and play other sports. Way to go Peyton!

Megan Marshall - Green Crest 2

Megan was chosen as a May swimmer of the month because she has really been excelling this year in practice and meets. Megan works very hard at practice to improve her strokes and listens to feedback very well from her coaches. Megan has also shown an interest in the IMX program and has made the Bronze level for Club Tsunami! Her coaches are proud of the way that she has opened herself up to challenges and has swam different events this year. Her favorite meet this year has been the travel meet to WVA because she liked the pool there and she enjoyed the travel experience. Her favorite events to swim at meets are the 400 free and 50 back long course. Her favorite sets that she does in practice are kicking sets because she has a very strong kick! Megan feels like she has been influenced by Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin and also her mom. Megan's favorite thing about being on BWST is being part of a team with great coaches and racing other swimmers in practice. One of her goals for this year was to go to the Long Course Age Group Champs in more than one event, and she has actually made it in 9 events already! To get ready for meets Megan likes to know her times and compare them to the motivational time standards and make some goals for the meet. Her advice for her teammates is to challenge yourself and to work on your underwater dolphin kicks off the wall! If Megan was stranded on a desert island the three things she would want to have with her would be her DSI, some great books, and her journal to write in. When Megan isn't swimming she likes to read and play Wii. Great job Megan!

Javi Mery - Blue Tide

March Swimmers of the month

2010-04-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Justin Lee (Typhoons 2):

Justin Lee was chosen as a swimmer of the month because he has shown tremendous growth this year with his strokes and times. He was able to move into Typhoons 2 early on in the season and he also has broken a team record (7-8 male 50 fly)! Justin listens well in practice and always tries his hardest, and he has very good practice and meet attendance. His favorite meet this year was the Snow Pumpkin Invite in October because after that meet he moved into Ty2. His favorite event to swim is the 50 fly and he enjoys working on swimming the 100 IM in practice. Justin feels influenced by his coaches and his favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming in relays! To get ready for a meet Justin likes to get a good night's sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast that morning. One of his goals for this year is to achieve more B time standards (he has one so far in the 50 back). Justin's advice for his teammates is to always be on time for practice and meets. If he were stranded on a desert island he would want water, food, and a bed. When he is not swimming Justin likes to play Wii. Awesome job Justin!

Drew Scherer (Green Crest 1):

Drew was chosen as a swimmer of the month because he has come a long way since September! His coaches have been very happy with his improvements in all his strokes and times. He has really stepped it up the last few months, and usually leads his lane. He has also learned to not rush his strokes, pay attention to his technique, and listen to feedback from his coaches. He also always has a great attitude at practice and meets. Drew's favorite meet so far this year has been Spring Champs in March because he achieved all but one of his best times. His favorite events to swim are the 50 back and 100 IM. His favorite set was something we did at the Swim-A-Thon....500 free with every 4th lap backstroke. Drew feels like his parents have been a big influence on him, because of all their support (and help getting him to practice and meets on time!) His favorite thing about being on BWST is the use of motivational times standards and patches, and going along with that, his goals for this year include getting a BB in free and a B in butterfly. In order to get ready for a meet Drew likes to visualize his race and think about what he needs to do in order to swim well. His advice for his teammates is to come to practice regularly and always try your best! If he were stranded on a desert island, he would want food, his swimming gear, and a TV. When Drew isn't swimming, he likes to play and watch ALL sports....he is a huge Redskins and Caps fan! Way to go Drew!

Sammy Wahl (Green Tide):

Sammy was chosen as a swimmer of the month for March because her coaches have really noticed overall improvement in Sammy's strokes, times, and attitude. She has been doing well at practices....she's learning how to push herself and motivate others. She enjoys coming to all her practices, along with the meets. Sammy's favorite meet this year was JOs in March. She swam in two relays and both the relay teams were excited to be a part of the meet and swam great. Sammy's favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 free, and she enjoys doing longer distance swim sets, kicking sets, and using the tow balls at practice. To get herself ready for a meet, Sammy likes to listen to her Ipod on the car ride over to the meet, and during the meet because the music pumps her up. Sammy feels like she is most influenced by her coaches and her favorite thing about being on BWST is her teammates...she has fun swimming with people she has become friends with and has a lot in common with. Sammy's goals for this year have been to improve on her breaststroke and IM. Her advice for her teammates is "Even when you don’t think you can swim another lap during practice, you can. You shouldn’t let yourself give into getting out of the water because the more you push through it, the stronger you will get. But if you do give into it, your brain will tell you that it’s okay to get out again the next time you feel the same way and you will never learn to push through it." If Sammy were stuck on a desert island, the three things she would want with her would be Arizona Green Tea, her guitar and her phone. When Sammy isn't swimming she likes to play guitar, play tennis and lacrosse, and spend time with her friends and family. Great job Sammy!

February Swimmers of the Month

2010-03-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

Reagan Mihalic (Typhoon 1)

Reagan is one of our youngest Typhoon swimmers (age 6) and was chosen as a swimmer of the month for a couple of reasons. She has been showing a lot of improvement both in practice and at meets, and we have also seen her attitude change and she now has fun at practices and meets. She also broke the 6 & under 25 free record at her last meet! The Winter Gator Mini meet this February was her favorite meet because of that record. Her favorite strokes to swim are breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke. She likes to swim 100's of freestyle in practice, and has been working hard on her flip turns. Reagan feels like she has been influenced by her sister Rachel, who swims in blue crest. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is making new friends with swimmers in her group and hanging out with her sister and the older girls. To get ready for a swim meet Reagan likes to eat a big breakfast. Before she gets to the pool she likes to have her suit, goggles and cap on, so that she's ready to go! One of her goals for this year is to swim really fast and the March Mini Champs meet and get some ribbons. If she were stranded on a desert island, the three things she would want with her would be candy, her DS and her mom. When she's not swimming, Reagan likes to rollerskate, ride her bike, and play outside in her clubhouse. Way to go Reagan!

Nick Crabb (Typhoon 1)

This month we chose two typhoon swimmers of the month because we felt they were both deserving. Nick has shown tremendous improvements this year with us. When Nick first started in September, he would often not want to get in the water and didn't seem to have fun, but now Nick loves getting in and has a great time during practice. He also has become legal in his breaststroke and swam the breast events at his last meet! This has become one of his favorite strokes along with freestyle. We also chose Nick because at meets he is very willing to try new events and always swims his hardest. His favorite meet this year has been the February Winter Gator Mini meet because he got multiple ribbons. His favorite thing to work on at practice are flip turns - another thing that he just learned how to do this year. Nick feels like he has been influenced as a swimmer by his dad, and his favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming with new friends. To get ready for a swim meet he likes to eat his favorite foods. One of his goals for this year was to learn flip turns. If he was stranded on a desert island the three things he would want with him would be food, water and clothes. When Nick isn't swimming he likes to play basketball and Wii. Keep working hard Nick!

Rachel Mihalic (Blue Crest)

Rachel was chosen as swimmer of the month because she has really stepped it up at practices in her group and has been working hard to take the initiative to lead her lane. Rachel also made qualifying times for 14 & Under Age Group Champs in almost every event possible in her age group. She listens very well to feedback and has been making a big effort to improve her times. She also has fun at practice with her friends, but at the same time listens to her coaches. Her favorite meet was swimming at JO's last year, because you have to qualify which makes it special. She is very excited to go again this year and hopes to get her best times! Her favorite events to swim are the 100 and 50 fly, and 200 IM. Rachel likes working on IM sets during practice to work on all the strokes. Rachel has been influenced by her mom because she always cheers the loudest. She's also been influenced by her coaches because they encourage her to work hard and swim new events. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming with her friends, and meeting new people. To get ready for a meet, she likes to download new songs to her IPod to get her pumped up. One of her goals for this year is to get an A time in butterfly, and also to make it to silver level in Club Tsunami. Her advice for her teammates is to listen to your coaches and work hard. If she were stranded on a desert island the three things she would want with her would be pasta, a TV and her IPod. When Rachel isn't swimming she likes to do gymnastics, watch American Idol, perform with KidTeam at her church, and write and perform plays with her friends. Great job Rachel!

Brennan Maxwell (Green Tide)

Brennan was chosen as swimmer of the month because his coaches have seen a lot of improvements in practice and meets. He swam really well at his last meet in February, and made two JO qualifying times, and was very close in a couple others. He's also started taking things a bit more seriously at practice and realized that he needs to work hard in practice in order for it to pay off at meets. His favorite meet so far this year was the PVS 18 & Under champs meet in February because he made JO cut times. His favorite events to swim are anything with Free, Back and Fly. At practice he likes working on FRIMs (a free/IM combo) because he gets to swim all the strokes. He has been influenced by Olympian Michael Phelps. Brennan's favorite thing about being on BWST is that because we are a smaller team, things are more personal and his squad only has about 15 kids in it, so his coaches are able to watch everyone. To get ready for a meet Brennan finds ways to calm himself down if he is getting too nervous, and he gives himself a mental pep talk. One of his goals for this year was to make JOs, and since he has done that, he really wants to do his best there. His advice for his teammates is that if you practice really hard and don't get overly worked up at meets, you can swim really fast. If he were stranded on a desert island the three things he would want with him would be lots of food, his Xbox and a book. When he's not swimming Brennan likes to read, play Xbox, play basketball and go to school. Swim fast Brennan!

December/January Swimmers of the Month

2010-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Nicole Winklosky (Typhoons 1):

Nicole was chosen as our swimmer of the month for several reasons. As a six year old, Nicole has shown a lot of improvement in her strokes and dedication to swimming. She has very good attendance and comes to every mini meet. She also does very well during dryland, and is often used to demonstrate exercises! Nicole's favorite swim meet this year has been the Reindeer mini-meet because she got to swim in two relays and had a lot of fun. Her favorite events to swim is the 25 freestyle, and she enjoys working on diving, flip turns and dryland during practice. Her sister has influenced her as a swimmer, because Nicole looks up to her sister and wants to do the same activities. Swimming with her friends and sister is one of her favorite things about being on BWST. To get ready for a meet she likes to prepare by getting snacks and clothes together. One of her goals for this year is to get better times and improve her strokes. Her advice for her teammates is to cheer for everyone! If she was stranded on a desert island, she would want to have her mom, dad, and a book. When she's not swimming she likes to eat! Keep up the good work Nicole!

Holly Williams (Blue Crest):

Holly was chosen as our swimmer of the month because her coaches have seen a lot of improvement in not only her times and strokes, but in her motivation and dedication at practice. She works hard to lead her lane and improve during practice. Holly's favorite meet was the January Open because she got best times in each event and made time standards in her new age group (11-12). Her favorite events to swim are the 50, 100, and 200 freestyle. She enjoys working on starts and turns during practice. Holly has been influenced by her parents, her cousin Megan who also swims year round, and Coach Gabe. Holly took swim lessons from Gabe when she was 4 years old, so she enjoys being coached by him again. Her favorite thing about being on BWST is getting to spend time and swim with her friends. They cheer eachother on at the meets, and also compete against eachother. To get ready for a meet, Holly likes to drink one of her dad's special smoothies, and then chill out and listen to her Ipod, while cheering for her friends . One of her goals for this year is to get B and BB times as an 11 year old. She also would like to make JO cut times. Her advice for her teammates is to listen to your coaches and have fun! If Holly were stranded on a desert island she would want a pillow, blanket and food. When she's not swimming Holly likes to play basket-ball and play outside with her friends. Great job Holly!

Rex Larrabee (Rip Tide):

Rex was chosen as our swimmer of the month because Rex has stepped up as both a squad leader and swimmer. He moved from Blue Tide to Rip Tide and has been working hard on his strokes to improve his times. His favorite meet this year has been the Turkey Claus meet in December, because he made it back to finals. His favorite events to swim are the 100 and 200 back, 200 breast, and 100 free. His favorite set during practice is Ins & Outs (where swimmers get out and do exercises after each lap). His favorite thing about being on BWST is swimming with his friends. To get ready for a meet Rex likes to listen to up-tempo music and drink Gatorade. One of his goals for this year's Broad Run high school season is to make States. His advice for his teammates is to work hard and have fun. If he were stranded on a desert island he would want his cell phone, Ipod, and a bed. When he's not swimming Rex likes to sleep, eat, and spend time with friends. Way to go Rex!

November swimmers of the month

2009-12-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-20T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

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!

October/November

2008-12-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Taylor Harper – age group 2 (8 & Under) has shown great enthusiasm in learning and challenging herself at Blue Wave. This, combined with her great attendance at practices, team outings and meets, has earned her a spot on the Swimmer of the Month podium. Taylor loves to race in practice whenever she can, and because of her competitive spirit and her attention to detail while practicing, she has earned best times in just about all of her swims so far this season! We know that Taylor loves to work hard, because her favorite set to do in practice is AG2’s challenge set of 11x50 free then 1x100 free. Each time we do this set we take off one 50 and add in a 100 free, so that by the time we reach the end of the challenge set, we will be doing 12x100’s free! Besides that set, her favorite events are the 100 breast and IM. Taylor says she looks up to her coaches to help her be a better swimmer, and she is happy that swim team is so fun this year and that she has so many good friends on the team with her. If she were stuck on a desert island, the three things she would want are something to eat and drink, a friend to play with, and her soccer ball! Great job Taylor, keep up the good work!

Lizzy Mandrgoc - age group 2 (9-10) has really started to embrace this season with great enthusiasm for the sport. She has gotten some best times, including a BB time in the 100 IM, which earned her a chance to travel to Virginia Tech to compete at the H2Okie Thanksgiving Classic. Lizzy stated that “the VT travel meet was awesome!” and that travel meets are one of her favorite things about swimming. Her favorite events are the 100 breast, 200 IM, 100 back and 100 fly. Lizzy has been having fun during dryland doing some of her favorite exercises like frog jumps, lizard walk and crab walk. I (Coach Mike) am honored to be Lizzy’s most influential person in swimming. Great job Lizzy keep up the great work!!

Megan Thiede - age group 3 (age 11) has had a great swim season thus far with BWST! Megan was chosen as swimmer of the month for November for several reasons. She has attended all the swim meets available for her age group so far, including being invited to, and swimming in, the Travel Meet to Virginia Tech. Megan has a great attitude when it comes to practice and is known for always giving 100% both at practice and meets. Her hard work and dedication has paid off, as she now has numerous BB times! Some of Megan’s favorite events to swim are the 100 back, 200 back, 100 IM and 200 IM. Megan enjoys swimming all strokes and is always eager to try something new. Megan does not have any favorite sets in particular, but she enjoys the ones that involve diving and swimming all strokes. She also says that she has learned a lot from her many different coaches throughout the years! Her favorite things about swim team are going to the meets with her friends, and making JO’s last year for the first time. One of her goals is to make it again this year! If Megan was stuck on a desert island, the three things she would like to have would be play-doh, a swimsuit and candy! Megan’s advice for her teammates is to swim AFAP (as fast as possible!)

Jack Morrisroe - Pre-senior 1 (age 13) has had a great season thus far with BWST and has been swimming very well! Jack was chosen as a swimmer of the month for several reasons. The coaches have been impressed with Jack’s consistency during practice and meets, and his dedication to the sport. His attendance is very good and he always gives 100% at practices. He listens when given advice, and tries to incorporate the things he’s learned into his strokes. Jack has attended all the swim meets available for his age group so far, including the Travel Meet to Virginia Tech and the January Distance Meet. Jack has already gotten BB and A times this year, and has broken multiple team records. Some of his favorite events to swim are the 100 back, 100 fly, 200 back, and 200 IM. His favorite set to do in practice is In’s & Out’s (hopping out after each 25 and doing a dryland exercise) while swimming 100 IMs. Jack considers the most influential people in his swim life to be his parents, and all the coaches he’s had over the years. His favorite thing about swim team is being at the pool for more than half of every week! If Jack was stuck on a desert island he would like to have friends, food, and fresh water with him. To his fellow team mates, Jack would like to say that he is proud of the progress the team has made so far!

Erik Romano - Pre-Senior 2 (age 15) has had a great season thus far with BWST! Erik was chosen as a swimmer of the month for several reasons. His attendance is very good, and he has attended all meets available for his age group, including the Travel Meet to Virginia Tech. The coaches have been impressed with the change we’ve seen in Erik’s attitude towards swimming and practices. He has really grown to love the sport and see the benefit in working hard. Erik has gotten numerous BB times so far. His favorite events to swim are the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 breaststroke. A set that he enjoys doing in practice is a challenging one: 600 free, 6 x 100, 400, 4 x 100, 200, and 2 x 100. Erik has been influenced by Olympians Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. If Erik was stuck on a desert island the three things he would like to have would be a cell-phone, food and water, and matches. Erik is so enthusiastic about this sport that he loves everything about swimming! To his fellow team mates he would like to say, Swim Fast!!