ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               01-09-06

 

WINTERFEST 2006 LESSON:

HARD WORK = ASTONISHING RESULTS!!!

 

            If any swimmer ever needed proof that there is a correlation between hard work and fast swimming, Elite’s performance this past weekend at Winterfest 2006 can serve as a perfect model of what four months of concentrated and focused hard work can accomplish.

 

Within Elite, attendence records are at an alltime high, concentration during practice is extremely good (and improving) and enthusiasm for racing is fabulous. Thus, what occurred this weekend was not surprising, but it was a lot of fun to watch!!!

 

            1) Chris Dart qualified for his 2nd Sectional cut in the grueling 1000 yard freestyle event, posting a 10:06.94 - fastest in Elite history.

 

            2) #22 different swimmers qualified for Junior Olympics in #36 different events

 

            3) 10 different swimmers qualified their 1st JO event this season, 5 of which are 1st time qualifiers!!!

 

            Elite started its parade of best times right from the start of the meet, as the 1st ten swims were best times (4 of which were JO cuts!) and lasted right thru the end of the meet, as the last two Elite swims were also JO cuts!).

 

Individual highlights included:

 

            1) Ali Morreale posting her 1st JO cut time ever in her 1st swim and then proceeded to follow-up with 4 more JO cut times (her only non-JO cut time was just 4 tenths of a second over the cut & a personal best time by 8 seconds!)

 

2) New to winter club swimming Sarah Weinbrom (50 Fly) and Spencer Fisch (50 Free) qualifying for JO’s

 

3) Training partners Venkatesh Duvvuri (100 & 200 fly) and Tad Deatly (200 back) posting their 1st JO cuts of the season.

 

4) Chris Plunkett (100 Fly) & Sarah McGrath (50 Fly) getting their 1st career JO cuts

 

5) Chris Dart lowering his 100 back time once again to a 53.15 in winning the Senior Open event. If Chris had performed this time last month, it would have been a New Jersey State Record for 13-14 year olds (Chris turned fifteen 10 days ago). Chris has dropped his already blazing 100 back time 2 full seconds since joining Elite 9 months ago

 

6) Cassandra Farnow (100 & 200 back), Alex Gonzalez (100 back), Danielle Martinez (100 back), Sarah McGrath (50 Fly) & Austin Meszaros (50 Free) getting their 1st Elite JO cuts of the season

 

7)  Carolyn DeMeo adding 3 JO swims, expanding her JO roster to 8 swims

 

8)  Greg Keiser qualifying for JO’s in the 200 breast literally 6 minutes (2 heats) after placing 8th in the 50 breast

 

9) Previous Junior Olympic Qualifiers Courtney Brosnan (1), Peter Davey (1), Krishna Duvvuri (1), Priya Duvvuri (2), Michael Li (2), Colleen Mason (2), Brittany Ross (1) and Nick Trojanowski (1) adding Junior Olympic swims to their bulging event schedules

 

There were so many fantastic other swims that it is impossible to highlight them all. However, several must be mentioned:

 

1) Lindsay Scott cruised to an All-Time Elite best time in the 100 breast with a 1.12.87 time.

 

2) In one month, Crissy Condus dropped 22 seconds in her 1650 Free for a 18.56.35 time. In addition, Crissy broke the magical 5:30 barrier in the 500 free for the 1st time.

 

2) Colleen Mason dropped 6 seconds her 200 Fly (2.24.14)

 

3)  Tad Deatly dropped 30 seconds in his 500 Free for a 5.41.90 time

 

4) Despite being plagued with a shoulder injury since May that hampered her training, Julianne Furdyna dropped 6 seconds in her 200 IM time (2.26.66) and posted her best 100 fly time during the front end of her 400 IM!!!

 

5) Lily Thompson broke the magical 27 second barrier in the 50 free (26.84)

 

6) Madison Munoz dropped almost 2 seconds in her 50 Fly, just missing her 1st JO cut by 13 hundredths of a second. Madison’s age group, the 11-12 girls, already has 6 Elite qualifiers in this event!!! 

 

            Swimmers who participated were (# in parathesis is # of best times): Danni Basile (3), Courtney Brosnan (4), Ryan Buckham (2), Crissy Condus (6), Victoria D’Altrui (5), Chris Dart (5), Peter Davey (6), Corey Deatly, Tad Deatly (6), Christian DeFluri (2), Carolyn DeMeo (6), Claire DiGiacomo (1), Shelby Dixon (1), Krishna Duvvuri (3), Priya Duvvuri (2), Venkatesh Duvvuri (6), Mickey Ennis (4), Kevin Estok (1), Brandon Faris, Cassandra Farnow (5), Spencer Fisch (3), Breana Fitzpatrick (1), Julianne Furdyna (1), Audrey Gammel (1), Alex Gonzalez (6), Katie Gorman (4), Alistair Hall (2), Duncan Hall (4), Jerel Ho (2), Katie Inglese (5), Kim Jones (4), Gregory Keiser (6), Victoria Keiser (1), Kirsten Kellstrom (1), Katie Kilcullen (2), Morgan Kiley, David Knaus (2), Regan Kology (2), Emmie Lai (4), Michael Li (4), Robert Maloney (1), Danielle Martinez (3), Colleen Mason (3), Shayla McDonnell, Sarah McGrath (6), Austin Meszaros (5), Ali Morreale (6), Isabelle Morreale (2), Madison Munoz (3), Maggie Nelson (2), Sarah Peay (3), Will Peters (3), Chris Plunkett (5), Matthew Poloniak (1), Katie Ragan (2), Brittany Ross (5), Nicki Ross (1), Lindsay Scott (3), Andrea Shepard (3), Veronica Smith (1), Lindsay Stearns (3), Lexi Tedesco (1), Lily Thompson (4), Nick Trojanowski (5) Sarah Weinbrom (1), Alex Wolfson (2), Kayla Wolonsky (2) & Maggie Woodruff (2).

 

            For a full set of results, see the Elite Website: Meet Results.

 

WAVE BLACKS TO HOLD INTRACLUB DISTANCE MEET FRIDAY, JAN 13:

 

            On Friday, January 13th, the Wave Blacks will hold an intraclub Distance Meet at Newark Academy during its regular practice time. Each swimmer will participate in either a 500 Free or 400 IM swim. This “meet” is rescheduled from the meet previously scheduled in early December that was cancelled due to weather.

 

            Due to the lack of opportunity for swimmers to compete in distance events, the coaches have decided to provide the opportunity during practice. The intraclub meet will be run like a regular Elite meet (with electronic timing and watches-Wave Black parents, we will need your help timing!).

 

Swimmers should discuss with Leighann which event they would like to swim. Swimmers who do not anticipate being at this intraclub meet should email Bill (just like a regular meet).

 

SWIM MEETS ON THE HORIZON:

 

            Elite’s meet schedule will gather momentum again in January. Upcoming meets include:

 

            1) Friday, January 13 thru Sunday, January 15: Burgdorff Invitational at Rutgers. Only qualifying swimmers will attend. Meet information is posted

 

            2) Sunday, January 15: Intraclub Meet at Morristown-Beard School. Meet information is posted.

 

            3) Sunday, January 22: Intraclub Meet at Morristown-Beard School. Meet information is posted.

 

            4) Sunday, January 29: Dual Meet vs. Tidal Wave at Morristown-Beard School

 

            5) Saturday, February 4: Dual Meet vs. Clifton B & G Club at Clifton

 

            6) Saturday, February 4 & Sunday, February 5: Junior State Championships (14 & Under Championships) at Raritan Valley Community College

 

            7) Friday, February 17 to Sunday, February 19: Senior State Championships at Seton Hall University

 

HIGH SCHOOL SWIM MEETS REEK HAVOC ON ELITE SCHEDULE:

 

            For the next 6 weeks, high school swim meets will reek havoc on Elite’s weekday practice schedule. Almost every day in the next two weeks is affected.

 

Please check the website schedule each day for practice changes!!

 

OLYMPIAN TARA KIRK COMING (SOON) TO ELITE; PRICE INCREASE AS OF JANUARY 14:

 

            Charismatic breaststroker Tara Kirk, an Olympic Silver Medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games, will visit Elite on Saturday, January 28, 2006. Elite is now taking reservations for the clinic-and smart swimmers have already signed up. There is a special Tara Kirk webpage on Elite’s website: check out her accomplishments!!

 

            Currently, this event is very much UNDERSCRIBED. If this fundraising event is not well supported, it is unlikely that Elite would provide this very special event in the future. In addition, after January 14, the price for admission will rise from $50 to $65.

 

            Tara will be at Morristown-Beard from 2 pm to 6 pm. Tara will 1) discuss her swimming experiences (including the 2004 Athens Olympics), 2) stretch and warm-up swimmers 3) give stroke instruction and 4) get into the water and swim with Elite swimmers!!!

 

            Tara will be the 6th Olympian who has visited visited Elite for a (4 hour) stroke clinic. Past Olympians to visit Elite are: Dr. Ron Karnaugh, Tom Wilkins, Jenny Thompson, Janet Evans and Neil Walker.

 

            Originally from Washington State, Tara is a graduate of Standford University and an 11 time NCAA Champion!! Also noteworthy is that Tara, and her sister Dana, were the 1st sisters to qualify for the same US Olympic Squad.

 

            Tara is known for her ever present smile and gracious personality. One can check out Tara’s career by going to the USA Swimming website (usaswimming.org) and reading her bio under “swimmers.”

 

THINKING SUMMER? THINK SUMMER SWIM CAMPS!:

 

            Although the hot sun and humid weather seems millions of years away, summer is only 6 months away and top notch swim camps are already taking registrations for the summer of 2006.

 

When planning the upcoming summer, please consider sending your Elite swimmer to one of the numerous swim camps.

 

Each summer, numerous Elite swimmers spend a rewarding week (or two) at a summer swim camp. The benefits of such a camp are: 1) individual attention by reknown swim coaches 2) an increased knowledge of the sport of swimming and 3) personal growth that occurs as a result of “being on one’s own.”

 

The formula that seems to work best is finding an Elite friend to spend the week with at the swim camp.

 

If you are considering sending your swimmer to a swim camp, now is the time to do the research and make decisions (many of these camps are sold out by mid-Spring). On the website, under Swim Camps, there is a list of swim camps. Many of these swim camps close out in late February and early March!!!

 

Thinking about summer? Think Swim Camps!!

 

SICK? COULD BE YOUR LACK OF “AT HOME” SWIMMING DETAILS!!!

 

Are you sick? Got the flu, strep or a bad head cold?  Your sickness is probably caused by your own lack of swimming details!!!

 

Since we are heading towards our championship season (late February/March), this is the most crucial segment of your training season. Each swimmer needs to practice their “at home” swimming details: drinking lots of fluids, eating properly and often, getting enough sleep and dressing properly for winter.

 

There are literally dozens of swimmers that ignore these vital “at home” swimming details, and most of these swimmers end up missing significant training and/or actually missing their meets because they do not live their “at home” swimming details. These swimmers literally shorten their training seasons due to their sickness!!!

 

One new swimmer phenonem that is just plain crazy is the “sandal/no sock look” in zero degree weather. Swimmers who dress like this are literally begging to get sick. One Elite swimmer actually got frostbite last year due to not dressing properly on the way home from swimming on a particularly cold night. Ever tried swimming with frostbite?

 

Be a winner: do your swimming details at home and at school, in addition to at the pool!!!

         

SUMMER LONG COURSE MEET SCHEDULE REVISED:

 

            Adjusting to the increased participation in summer “long course” competition, New Jersey Swimming has announced a restructure of the schedule of its championship meets.

 

            To meet the additional interest in summer competition (last summers meets were terribly overcrowded), NJ Swimming will hold a Bronze Level Meet this summer in addition to “moving back” the Junior Olympic competiton.

 

            Junior Olympics will be held Friday, August 4 thru Sunday, August 6, 2006 at Rutgers University.

 

12 & Under Silvers will be held Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 at Rutgers (same weekend as in the past).

 

13 & Older Silvers will be held Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23 at Rutgers (same weekend as in the past).

 

 Bronze Championships will be held on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 in Bayonne (at an outside venue!).