ELITE NEWS BULLETIN 03-29-10
STRAND WINS 100 BACK AT
SECTIONALS!!!
WINS CONSOLATION FINALS
IN 100 FLY!!!
17 year old Michael Strand became the 1st Elite Swimmer to win an individual event at a Sectionals level competition this past weekend with his magnificent performance in the 100 yard backstroke. Michael’s time was a blistering 50.31!!
The feat, impressive in itself as Michael competed against the very best from Maine thru Virginia, is even more astounding when one considers that 1) Michael was injured 3 weeks ago, tearing ligaments in his left foot-the injury put Michael on crutches for almost two weeks and 2) the Eastern Sectional South Meet Elite attended in Boyds Maryland was a huge and a very competitive meet; Michael beat 138 other Sectional level swimmers in the 100 backstroke (by comparison, the Eastern Sectional North Meet held in Buffalo two weeks ago had just 46 swimmers compete in the 100 back).
A day earlier, Michael won the consolation heat of the 100 butterfly in a career best 50.64 to place 9th overall! There were 146 swimmers in this event. Michael also placed 28th in the 50 free with his 21.87 time.
The foot injury created a situation where Michael needed to taper in an unorthodox manner. Once healthy enough to swim, Michael actually increased his yardage each day as his foot grew stronger. Normally in preparation for a Sectional level meet, one decreases their yardage to “rest.”
16 year old Priya Duvvuri placed 33rd in the 100 back, posting a career best time of 59.44. Priya also dropped time in her 200 back “bonus” swim (swimmers with 1-3 individual qualifying swims are allowed additional swims) and this swim actually “qualified” her for her 4th individual Sectional event (2.11.67)!!!
16 year old Ali Morreale was 44th with her 1.08.06 time in the 100 breast.
The quartet of Strand (back), Michael Li (breast), Venka Duvvuri (fly) and Adam Weinbrom (free) finished 12th overall in the 200 Medley Relay with a 1.38.23 time!
Elite’s 39 points placed them 36th overall in the combined team scoring race. There were 150 teams that participated in the meet. Full meet results can be viewed at: http://www.easternzoneswimming.org/meets.html. Full Elite results are on the team website.
Swimmers who participated (# in parathesis is number of best Elite SCY best times): Priya Duvvuri (2), Venka Duvvuri, Jess Gorham, Michael Li, Alex Mango (2), Ali Morreale, Maggie Nelson (1), Lindsay Stearns, Michael Strand (4), Adam Weinbrom (2), Ryan Wyer
ELITE WELCOMES NEW TALENT; MARCH TRYOUTS YIELD MORE
QUALITY SWIMMERS FOR THE TEAM THIS SPRING SEASON!!
As a result of last week’s tryouts, 14 additional and very talented swimmers have committed to train with Elite this fall.
Those invited to join the team as a result of the March 23,
2010 tryouts are:
Marlin Blacks/Explorers
2: Aislin Black, Katherine Zhang
14 new swimmers will join Elite as of the Spring Session, which practices start April 5th.
GALEA, K. MILLER-RADEST, SEBASTIAN, K.
STEARNS, TORTORELLA SELECTED TO REPRESENT NJ SWIMMING
AT ZONES!!
Five Elite swimmers have
been selected to represent New Jersey Swimming at the 2010 Eastern Zone Short
Course Swimming Championships to be held this week (April 1st thru
April 3rd) in Webster, New York.
“Zones” is an LSC (New Jersey
Swimming is an LSC) competition between the 12 LSC’s (Adirondack, Allegheny,
Connecticut, Maryland, Maine, Metropolitan, Middle Atlantic, New England, New
Jersey, Niagara, Potomac Valley and Virginia).
As previously announced, Elite coaches Michelle DuCharme, who will work with the 10 & Unders and Patty Martin Turkot, who will work with the 11-12s, have been named to the NJ Swimming Zone Coaching staff.
10 year old Michael Tortorella will compete in both the 50 and the 100 breast. 13 year old Kara Miller-Radest will compete in the 100 butterfly.
13 year old Ryan Sebastian will compete in the 100 &
200 back, the 100 & 200 fly and the 200 & 400 IM.
The top 10 all time times per age
group has been updated on the team website. Check it out!!
183 HAVE RSVP’ED; LIST ON WEBSITE:
Preparations are underway for the biggest party of the season: Elite’s 15th annual Winter Swim Team Banquet!!! This year’s party will be held Sunday, April 11th from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
This year, Elite will again be at the Hanover Marriott, located at 1401 Route 10 East, Whippany, New Jersey. This facility can accommodate up to 700 people!!! The last 7 Elite banquets have had an excess of 300 people each!!! The RSVP list is on the website: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Awards%20Dinner/Awards%20Dinner%20reservation%20form%202010.htm
To reserve your dinner reservations, please print out an reservation form from the website (under Awards Dinner), fill it out and mail the form with the appropriate check amount to Bill Deatly, 32 Prospect Street, Summit, New Jersey 07901. Cost per person is $55. All 12 & Under Swimmers must have at least 1 adult accompanying them.
Parents, Bill will do his best to honor your seating arrangement requests. Swimmers will be seated by Bill by training group!!
Reservation
forms must be in by Thursday, March 30, 2010.
REMINDER:
SCHOLAR/ATHLETE AWARDS WILL BE HIGHLIGHT OF AWARDS BANQUET:
56 HAVE ALREADY APPLIED
FOR AWARD; LIST ON WEBSITE; DUE MARCH 31
With the conclusion of the 2nd marking periods, swimmers are reminded that the ultimate award an Elite swimmer can earn at the season ending Awards Banquet (Sunday, April 11, 2010) will once again be the Elite Scholar-Athlete Awards. Great grades, in addition to great swim times, are required for a swimmer to earn one of these awards.
These awards will be broken down into three levels:
1) All-American
Scholar Athlete Award: Swimmer must have a 3.5 grade average and at least 1
Sectional Qualifying time. This award is actually a USA Swimming Award and will
be presented by New Jersey Swimming. Elite will also provide a certificate to
those swimmers who have qualified for this award.
2) The Elite
Scholar-Athlete Gold Award: A swimmer must have all A’s and no more than 1 B
(or the equivalent of all A’s and 1 B) plus at least 1 individual Junior
Olympic Qualify Time
3) The Elite
Scholar-Athlete Teal Award: Swimmer must have all A’s and B’s (of the
equivalent) plus at least 1 individual Silver Qualifying Time
In addition to each swimmer receiving an impressive certificate from Elite acknowledging this achievement, from this season forward Elite will post the names of its scholar athletes on its website-forever acknowledging its most special scholar-athletes.
Parents of grammar school students should remember that Bill will review the grading legend (assuming A’s and B’s are not given) to ascertain if the swimmer has fulfilled the academic requirements to receive the award.
11 Elite
Swimmers have already applied for the award. The list is now posted on the
website:
http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Awards%20Dinner/scholar%20athlete%20awards%202010%203-11-10.pdf
Bill is
now accepting the scholastic information. If your swimmer made a JO or Silver
qualifying time last summer or this winter and then aged up, an applicant must
fill out the application form on the team website that will point Bill to the
swim in question. All scholastic information needs to be to Bill by Wednesday,
March 31. IF A SWIMMER’S 2ND MARKING PERIOD ENDS AFTER MARCH
31, PLEASE PROVIDE BILL WITH THE MOST RECENT REPORT CARD AVAILABLE.
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 2010. When planning the upcoming summer, please consider sending your Elite swimmer (Wave Black level, Wave Teal level, Marlin Black level or Marlin Teal level) to one of the numerous swim camps. Wave Golds and Seniors should remain training with Elite thru the summer months
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 renown 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 at http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Swim Camps/index.html
is information regarding Summer Swim Camps. Many of these swim camps close out
in late February and early March!!! Also check out this month’s Swimming World
Magazine, which lists many of the swim camps.
Thinking about summer? Think Swim
Camps!!
PARENTS: PLEASE BE PROMPT IN PICKING UP SWIMMERS:
Parents are requested to be prompt in picking up their swimmers at the end of practice. Recently, especially after the Wave Golds on weekdays and the Wave Teals on Saturday, swimmers have had to wait 30-45 minutes after practice for their ride.
Bill has asked the coaches to remain at practice until the last child has been picked up (for the obvious safety reasons). Coaches are more than willing to do so occasionally. But Elite coaches have other full time jobs and several are attending school in addition to their primary jobs and coaching. It is unfair to ask the coaches to spend an additional 30-40 minutes waiting for parents to pick up their children virtually every night.
Elite is prompt about ending practice on time. Please help out the coaches by being prompt to pick up your child.
CLOTHING ITEMS PREVIOUSLY
PURCHASED THRU ESCPO NOW IN: CONTACT ALLISON NASH:
The clothing items previously purchased thru ESCPO have arrived. Parents are encouraged to contact Allison Nash to arrange pick-up at Newark Academy. Allison’s email address is ALLISONRNASH@MSN.COM.
WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK THE WEBSITE:
If you have questions about Elite, your first source of information is Elite’s website located at eliteswimclub.org. When in doubt, first check the website!!!