ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               05-11-09

 

DESPITE VACATIONS, ATTENDANCE THRU APRIL STRONG; ALL 7 TRAINING GROUPS AVERAGING OVER 74%; SENIOR PREPS LEAD WAY WITH 78.7%!!! ATHLETES RECOGNIZED:

 

          Practice attendance is the foundation of improvement. Starting the season with good attendance (and thus, great work habits and a great aerobic base) is the way to faster swimming. Thru May 10, the Elite Swimmers have continued to show their diligent work ethic by attending practice at a rate of 76% as a team!!! As of yesterday, the Senior Prep Teal training group leads the outstanding Elite attendance race by averaging, as a training group, 78.7% attendance!!! The Senior Preps are followed by the Seniors (77.9%), the Marlin Blacks (77.4%), the Wave Blacks (75.2%), the Wave Golds (75.1%), Marlin Teals (74.7%) and the Wavebuster Teals (74.4%).

 

At the end of the Season Awards Dinner during the Winter Session, Elite swimmers with 85% attendance (or greater) will be presented with the Attendance Award. This award, plus attendance requirements for swimmers who want to be promoted, have positively motivated Elite Swimmers to come to practice. Habits formed during the Spring/Summer Session usually carry forth thru the Winter Season.

 

            Swimmers (56 total - 30% of the team) with 85% attendance rates or higher (* designates perfect attendance!) are listed below:

 

            Marlin Teals:  Grace Botte, Joe Pick, Delaney Smith, Will Stearns* & Sachi Tanwar* 

 

            Marlin Blacks: Megan Balbo*, Carolyn Delaney, Erika Fresen, Tabatha Georget, Rachel Hong, Erica Iizuka, Monica Iizuka & Jessica Kraus

 

Wavebuster Teals:  Andrea Ferrell, Patrick Hong*, Andrew Huang, Jennifer Huo, Brandon Li*, Abir Thakur, Samy Zhong

 

Wavebuster Blacks: Ariel Gelman*, Emma Harris, Alyssa Hartigan*, Isabel LaRaia, Karl Melchior, Charlotte Morrissey, Darragh O’Gorman

 

Wavebuster Golds:  Lindsay Behar, Jess Gorham, Matt Hong, Jess Lowe, Gregory Macchia, Katie McGrath, Caroline Nash, Rebecca Niccolai, Rachael Tortorella, Caroline Watt, Sarah Weinbrom,

 

Senior Preps: Matt Ahlmeyer, Chelsea Allocco, Anthony Don*, Allie Dorneo, Sam Duren, Regan Kology*, Emmie Lai, Karen Miller-Radest*, Katie Ragan, Ryan Sebastian*, Lindsay Stearns*

 

            Seniors: Tad Deatly, Greg Keiser, Michael Li, Brendan Miller-Radest*, Ali Morreale*, Michael Strand, Ryan Wyer* 

 

ENTRIES REVISED FOR TIGER & MEMORIAL DAY:

 

            The meet hosts for both the Tiger Challenge (this weekend) and the Memorial Day Invitational (next weekend) have accepted revised entries from Elite. This includes entries from swimmers new to Elite and several swimmers who’s times at League Championships converted to under the qualifying times for Memorial Day.

 

            All swimmers are requested to revisit the entries on the team website to confirm their entries.

 

ELITE TO TRANSITION PROCEDURE REGARDING TIMING ASSIGNMENTS:

 

            In an attempt to provide the Elite parents timing assignments in a more efficient way (ie-less emailing back and forth), Elite will transition how we will provide timing information starting immediately. The new procedure will be for the list of timing assignments to be posted on the team website adjacent to the meet information and entry information (under the Meet Schedule Page).

See link: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Meet%20Schedule/Homepage.htm. Assignments will be posted as soon as possible after Elite is notified of their timing responsibilities (should be no later than Wednesday prior to the meet). Parents are expected to check the timing assignment page to determine if they have a timing assignment. In addition, a meet timing coordinator will be assigned and posted. Assigned timers are requested to check-in with the timing coordinator prior to the start of the meet. The timing coordinator will station themselves with the swimmers and the coaches at the meet, so they can be easily identified.

 

            For the next two weekend meets, Lisa Allocco and Rachel Tortorella will also email everyone (the prior procedure).

 

END OF SEASON SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE FINALIZED:

 

            New Jersey Swimming has virtually finalized the Summer 2009 Championship Season schedule. The schedule is posted on the team website.

 

            Two major changes to the schedule this summer are:

 

1)      Junior Olympics has been expanded to a 4 day meet and is now a prelim/final format for 13 & Olders. These changes were made for several reasons: 1) NJ Swimming felt that the end of the season championship meet should be a prelims/finals format for 13 & Olders to give these swimmers the best opportunity to qualify for higher level meets 2) this format required an expanded meet schedule. The benefits include buffer (or extra time) on Sunday to hold events eliminated earlier in the meet by lightning.

2)      At the 12 & Under Silver Bronze Championship meet, swimmers with gold times will be able to compete (in a non-award capacity) in their gold time events. This will provide gold level swimmers another opportunity to compete in their event this summer (and late in the season).

 

NEW JERSY SWIMMING’S LCM QUALIFYING TIMES ARE NOW POSTED ON THE TEAM WEBSITE;

 

            New Jersey Swimming has now released the Junior Olympic and Silver time standards for the Summer 2009 season. These standards can be view at http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Time%20Standards/Time%20Standards%202009%20LCM.htm.

 

            Also included on Elite’s website under Time Standards are the Super Sectionals, Eastern Zone and Junior National Standards.

 

            Prior to the 1st Long Course competition this summer, Elite has 22 swimmers qualified in 77 events for Junior Olympics. These times are non-converted times that were accomplished last summer or at the CeraVe Long Course Meet held this past January.

 

8th ANNUAL ELITE-A-THON TO BE SATURDAY, MAY 30:

BILL TO SWIM FOR RICHARD QUICK-CANCER RESEARCH:     

 

The 8th Annual Elite-a-thon fundraiser will be held Saturday, May 30th at Morristown-Beard from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

 

Like all past “Elite-a-thons,” this year’s event will be structured so each individual participating will be raising money for the “charity of their choice.” A suggestion list of charities accompanied information provided by Seniors Tad Deatly & Dani Martinez, the co-fundraiser heads whom are coordinating this year’s efforts. Tad & Dani will provide information directly to swimmers at a Sunday  practice in May. This list is also now posted on the website.

 

In a tradition begun five years ago, Bill will swim approximately 3000 yards to raise money for his yearly charity. This year, Bill will raise money to support Richard Quick’s Cancer Research. Quick is one of the legends of the sport of swimming, who has coached Auburn University, Stanford University and University of Texas NCAA National Champions along with being a 5 time USA Olympic Coach. Quick is currently stricken with an inoperable & cancerous brain tumor. Money raised by Bill will be matched by New Jersey Swimming-up to a total of $3,000.

 

Information will be posted on the website under “Elite-a-thon” later this week. Please follow the directions (do not go out soliciting for money alone!!!) and keep track of your pledge totals!!! 

 

PARKING AN ISSUE AT NEWARK ACADEMY:

 

            As we head into the Spring 2009 Session, parents are reminded that there is a distinct shortage of parking spaces at Newark Academy, especially on weekdays between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm. Parents are welcome to “drop off” or “pick-up” their swimmers by the field house entrance during this time period if the driver remains in the car. If a parent is coming into the building, they are requested to park in the “upper” lot and walk thru the school to reach the pool.  Newark Academy is also now requesting the cars do not idle.

 

            Please remember to drive slowly thru the parking lots and do not park in the fire lanes, as the Livingston Police will ticket improperly parked cars.

           

NOMINATIONS WANTED FOR ESCPO:

 

            Nominations for positions are wanted and needed for the Elite Swim Club Parents Organization. Parents who are interested or who have nominees should email Sandi Niccolai at sandnic@aol.com.

 

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 2009.

When planning the upcoming summer, please consider sending your Elite swimmer (Wave Black level, Wave Teal level, Marlin Black level or Marlin Teal level). Wave Golds and Seniors should remain training with Elite thru the summer months) 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 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!!!

 

Thinking about summer? Think Swim Camps!!

 

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!!!