ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               6-02-08

 

ELITE SWIMMERS EXCEL AT HEAT MADNESS;

M. HONG QUALIFIES FOR JO’S; SILVER TIMES & HEAT WINNERS REWARDED;

 

            Proving that training hard and being in good shape translates to good times in any venue, Elite Swimmers sparkled at Heat Madness this past weekend at Rutgers University. This meet was a single day long course meet for those swimmers who had not participated in Memorial Day Invitational last weekend.

 

 Deviating from the normal reward system of medals for 1st thru 3rd place, Heat Madness rewards each heat winner with a pick of a prize (gag gifts, candy, etc). Elite swimmers won more than their share of heats.

 

11 year old Matthew Hong took advantage of his opportunity and qualified for Junior Olympics in the 50 fly, with a 35.92 time (Elite now has 32 individual qualifiers for LCM JO’s in 145 events). Hong also added 2 Silver times (200 free-2.45.01 & 200 IM-3.07.93) to his resume.

 

Showing that hard work truly does pay off, Elite swimmers posted 10 second improvements over last year’s lcm times 20 different times!!!

 

11 year old Juliet Felson, 12 year old Katie McGrath and 11 year old Gabrielle Pick all added 3 Silver times (in 3 swims) to their collection. Felson went Silver in the 200 free (2.38.50), the 50 fly (36.89) and the 200 IM (3.02.22); McGrath went Silver in the 200 free (2.45.62), the 50 back (40.22) and the 50 fly (38.38) and Pick went Silver in the 100 breast (1.39.01), the 50 Fly (36.96) and the 200 IM (3.12.86). All 3 of Pick’s times were 10 second or more improvements!!!

 

13 year old Matt Ahlmeyer placed 7th in a silver time for the 200 fly (2.49.03). Matt als swam Silver in the 200 IM-2.53.43. 16 year old Tad Deatly had two Silver times: 200 back (2.35.01) and 4.58.96 in the 400 Free. 11 year old Kara Miller-Radest hit Silver in the 200 free (2.39.40) and in the 200 IM (3.05.09).

 

13 year old Dan Muro put up two Silver times (200 IM-2.56.30 & 100 breast-1.38.75) while Michelle Pick also added two Silver swims (50 back-42.37 & 50 fly-38.79). Michael Wang also added two Silver times (200 IM-2.55.01 & 200 back-2.57.21).

 

Victoria D’Altrui (200 fly-2.52.59), Brent Jones (200 IM-2.43.86), Patrick Lai (100 breast-1.45.30), Maggie Nelson (200 back-2.46.47), Dara O’Gorman (50 fly-39.62), Taylor Savarese (50 back-40.94),  Rachel Tortorella (200 free-2.44.96), Caroline Watt (200 free-2.45.04) Sarah Weinbrom (200 fly-3.16.19), Maggie Woodruff (200 free-2.35.51) & Richard Yu (100 breast-1.29.27) all added a Silver time.

 

 Swimmers who participated in the Heat Madness were (# in parenthesis is # of best LCM times):  Matt Ahlmeyer (3), Lindsay Anderson (3), Lindsay Behar (3), Nicole Blum (3), Victoria D’Altrui (2), Tad Deatly (2), Maya Epelbaum (2), Juliet Felson (3), Breana Fitzpatrick (1), Ariel Gelman (3), Matthew Hong (3), Brent Jones (1), Brandon King (2), Patrick Lai (3), Jessie Lowe (3), Katie McGrath (3), Kara Miller-Radest (3), Dan Muro (3), Maggie Nelson (1), Rebecca Niccolai (3), Dara O’Gorman (3), Nick Pachiolo (2), Gabrielle Pick (3), Michelle Pick (2), Katie Ragan (2), Taylor Savarese (3), Amanda Scherb (1), Jonathan Scott (2), Jonas Singer (1), Erica Takahashi (1), Lexi Tedesco (3), Rachel Tortorella (2), Michael Wang (3), Caroline Watt (3), Sarah Weinbrom, Maggie Woodruff (1) & Richard Yu (3).

 

JUNE PRACTICE SCHEDULE (FROM JUNE 7 THRU JUNE 22);

NO DOUBLES, NO MAKE-UPS, DO NOT MISS SCHOOL FOR PRACTICE:

 

          Because of the reduction of pool availability during June, the Elite practice schedule is significantly altered. Swimmers and parents are requested to check the schedule daily to insure they are headed to the right pool at the right time. Because of this situation, several Elite procedures need to be altered to accommodate the lack of pool space.

 

In all instances, Elite is NOT promoting missing school to attend morning practice!!!! Academics first, practice second!!!

 

            In addition to the normal chaotic pool situation, Elite was notified on Friday (May 30th) that the Morristown Beard School pool will be unavailable from June 4 thru possibility June 15 due to electrical issues involving the new building and the gymnasium. It appears Newark Academy will allow Elite to practice at Newark Academy one additional week (June 7th thru June 13th) of training. The schedule posted today contemplates this but this situation is still fluid-please continue to check the schedule!!!

 

             Taking all this into consideration, Elite is imposing the following changes to our normal procedures:

 

1)      When there are 2 practices offered to the same training group on the same day (am & pm), swimmers are NOT to swim at both (no doubles). Providing the two practices is meant to ease the expected crowding situation at the evening practice, when most swimmers are expected. All swimmers are invited to the morning practices if it does not interfere with school.

2)      From June 7th thru June 22, there are to be no make-ups. We simply can’t accommodate the additional swimmers when there are already 3 or 4 different training groups using the pool simultaneously.

 

NJ SWIMMING SUPERSTAR & ACADEMIC (PRINCETON BOUND) CHARLIE WANG ASKS FOR YOUR HELP FOR CHINESE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS:

 

          Dear Friends,

            My name is Charley Wang and I am a senior at Mountain Lakes High School. I will be attending Princeton this fall and I swim competitively year round. Some of you may know me from the Mountain Lakes community, whereas some of you may have seen me at high school or club swim meets. A portion of you may not know me at all. Either way, I am only asking you to leave your life for five minutes, so I can tell you a story of 50,000 lives that have already been lived.

            I’m sure many of you have heard of the Wenchuan earthquake that has recently devastated China. This earthquake, which struck on May 12th of this year, was recorded as an 8.0 on the earthquake magnitude scale and has already claimed 65,080 lives (as of May 26, 10:00 CST).  In addition, there are 360,058 injured, 23,150 missing, and over 5 million homeless. These numbers will continue to rise. 

            The Wenchuan earthquake has hit an area that has been largely neglected and untouched by China’s economic rise. The general lack of prosperity in the largely rural areas afflicted by the earthquake has also caused other catastrophic ramifications. Officials and rescue teams have yet to reach some of the hardest hit areas near the epicenter due to roadways that are completely blocked off or destroyed by landslides. Once on site, troops and supports are often forced to redirect their resources towards reinforcing infrastructures of dams to prevent floods, rather than providing aid to the homeless and injured survivors. On top of all this, 52 major after-shocks (ranging between 4.4 and 6.0), persistent rain, and continuing landslides have been claiming more lives and impeding rescue efforts. The Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang told reporters last Thursday that the “public health care system in China is insufficient,” also stating that many of the families hit hardest by the quake have little or no insurance.

            Facts and statistics can hardly represent the full extent of human suffering and anguish caused by this natural disaster. Here in America, it is very easy for us to take things for granted or to lose perspective of the outside world. Think about your families. Try to put yourself in these peoples’ positions. As you know, families are only permitted to have one child in China. A mother, a father, and one child. Thousands of parents have lost their only child, and thousands of children have lost their parents, with no older siblings or family to take care of them. Many of these peoples’ lives are at the mercy of other peoples’ charity.

There are many different ways of helping:

The easiest and most effective way is to be informed. Watch the news. Read newspapers. Read articles online. Don’t take my word for the statistics; research the situation from different sources and vantage points.

Next, spread the word. This can vary from something as simple as talking about current events with your friends and family to something as large scale as e-mailing your mailing list, passing this letter on to co-workers, teachers, students, people with connections, anybody who can help. You don’t even have to write your own letter. You can photocopy this one, or access a copy online at the attached URL and mail it with a couple of clicks.

Finally, you can donate. This option is not for everybody, but it is a method of help with very tangible results. When donating money, it is important to be smart about what charities you donate to. You want to make sure that your money is being used efficiently. I have personally researched and organized for you two charities you can donate to. If you wish, please write your check out to either charity and send the check to my address. Make sure to include your address and phone number so that you can receive a receipt by mail. Should you decide to donate to a different charity of your choice, please indicate Wenchuan earthquake relief as your objective.

 

United Moms Charity Association                            Red Cross Society of China

6 Hardley Drive, Cranbury, NJ 08512, U.S.A  http://202.108.59.10/english/index.htm

Tax-exempt Permit Number: 22-3463401

www.njumca.org

Mail Checks to: Charley Wang

3 Hillside Terrace, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046

 

United Moms Charity Association (UMCA)

History & Relevant Facts:        

-         Founded in 1992; became an NPO in NJ and received federal tax-exempt status in 1996 (Tax-exempt Permit Number: 22-3463401).

-         Started by Chinese American Chun-Hwa Cheng who was an orphan herself at a young age. She grew up in HuaXin Orphanage in Taiwan. She has dedicated her life to helping children orphaned by earthquakes, AIDS, drug abuse and leprosy in China for sixteen years. Please see the article “Amazing Grace” in New York Times about her: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E2DC1039F935A15752C1A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3

-         Primary focus of UMCA is to aid children orphaned by earthquakes, AIDS, and leprosy in remote, rural area of China. To provide stable living conditions, create quality education and job opportunities, and sponsor college education for orphans.

-         All volunteers work without salary, and pay their own expenses when traveling overseas.

-         Organization’s overhead is paid privately by board members and donors who specify that their donations to be used for overhead.

Specific Goals &Accomplishments in 2007 Alone:                    

-         Built Chunhui Qiaoxin Primary School for orphans from AIDS villages in 2007. (200,000 yuan)

-         Built LiangHe Children’s Home which boards orphans and children from families with drug addiction problems. (50,000 yuan)

-         Donated 982,500 yuan worth of school equipment to 14 middle schools, 3 elementary schools, and one substance abuse rehab facility in remote mountain areas of China.

-         Established the Xishang Orphanage in YunNan Province

-         Provided 770,000 yuan of scholarships to over 900 orphans and 100 college students every year.

-         Financed 10,000-yuan medical bill for a life saving surgery for a 12-year-old orphan.          

The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC):  

-         Founded on March 10th, 1904; joined the International Federation in 1919 and was one of the first members.

-         Only national Red Cross society in China.

-         Money to be used immediately on tents, medical supplies, drinking water and food for disaster areas. Future plans include permanent housing and infrastructure recovery.

-         In 2007, the RCSC received 165 million yuan, the equivalent of about US $23 million, in donations.

 

Should you have further questions about the above charities, please do not hesitate to contact myself or my mother (April Wang) at bzhuapril@yahoo.com, 201-602-8170.

 

Please remember, no amount is too little. Don’t rely on first hand disaster to put things into perspective. Every human life is precious, and these people desperately need every ounce of help they can get to save and rebuild theirs. 
                                                                        Humbly,

                                                                             Charley Wang

                                                                             (973) 879-6447
                                                                             chawang90@gmail.com

 

PS. Before you put these thoughts away, please click on the link to the Youtube video below. It’s only 5 minutes long and has a lot of accurate photos illustrating the destruction and agony in China.

 

Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19hLW5iXbTo

 

PHASE 1 OF “OPERATION THRIVAL”: NEW ELITE WEBSITE PAGE FOR INTERESTED SWIMMERS;  PHASE 2: SUMMER TEAM CLINICS:

  

            In order to help swimmers and parents who are interested in Elite, the team has added a separate “Interested Swimmer” homepage to help provide information an Interested Swimmer would need in making a choice to train at Elite.

 

            With the need to draw new and beginner level swimmers into the program (so we can develop them like we have with our current 9-12 year olds), Bill has dubbed this effort “Operation Thrival.” Combining the words thrive and survival aptly gives the effort the right label; for Elite to survive but also to continue to thrive, the club needs new blood at the lowest levels of the program.

 

            In addition to the new webpage, Bill will be providing clinics to local swim clubs this summer. Many parents have reached out to Bill regarding this, and Bill will be in touch shortly in coordinating these clinics.

 

23 MEMBERS SWIM FOR CHARITY IN  TEAM’S 7th ANNUAL ELITE-A-THON,

MANY RAISE $ FOR CROHN’S IN THANKS TO LEIGHANN;

           

Twenty-one Elite swimmers swam up to 2 hours last Saturday in the 7th Annual Elite-a-thon fundraiser. 

 

Like all past “Elite-a-thons,” this year’s event was structured so each individual participating will be raising money for the “charity of their choice.”

 

Those who participated were: Chris Balbo, Megan Balbo, Tad Deatly, Andy Fresen, Andrea Ferrell, Erika Fresen, Andrea Galea, Clio Galea, Alyssa Hartigan,  Greg Keiser, Emmie Lai, Jesse Lowe, Sarah Lowe, Daniela Manzi, Marisa Manzi, Dan Muro, Darragh O’Gorman, Mikala Quinn, Brittany Ross, Kaitlin Stearns, Lindsay Stearns, Will Stearns, Michael Strand, Michael Tortorella, Rachel Tortorella . 

 

In a tradition begun four years ago, Bill swim 2000 yards (40 x 50 on 2:00) to raise money for his yearly charity. This year, Bill raised money to help research on Crohn’s Disease, the illness inflicting Coach Leighann Marcelliano. All of Bill’s money will be pledged to Maya Epelbaum, who is also raising money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America by participating in a walk-a-thon on May 18, 2008 at College of St. Elizabeth’s in New Jersey (Elite swimmers who also wish to walk with Maya should contact her at swimster633@yahoo.com ).

 

Tad Deatly, this year’s event coordinator, will compile information regarding how much money was raised and to what charities the money helped. That information will be in the next few memos.

 

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!!! If you do not see what you need, email Bill at eliteswimclubnj@comcast.net