ELITE NEWS BULLETIN              07-23-07

 

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: TWO 5TH PLACES & 6 FINAL SWIMS=DISAPPOINTMENT:  

 

            The old saying about aiming for the moon and missing still leaves you among the stars is true; however being among the stars can be disappointing. Just ask Chris Dart.

 

            Despite “finaling” (within the top 24 swims) in 6 of his 7 swims, Chris returns home from the Eastern Zone Super Sectionals today disappointed in his performance. Based upon his previous success and his hard work this summer, he has the right to be. As most of Elite knows, Chris is within striking distance of an Olympic Trial Qualifying time. Unfortunately, it did not come this weekend.  

 

            What the weekend in St. Mary’s City in Maryland did reveal is just how resilient Chris is, and how good of shape he is in. Interestingly, Chris performed his best once he was tired; 4 times he needed to race with 15 minutes recovery or less; each time he performed better in the 2nd race. In fact, his best swim was his last, when he placed 2nd in the bonus consolation round of the 50 Free (in a sizzling 25.12), just minutes after a disappointing 200 back race in the consolation round.

 

            Despite being off in the backstroke, Chris still managed a 5th place finish in the 100 back. Chris also placed 5th in the 200 IM, his first event. Chris also posted best times in the 50 Free, 100 breast and the 100 fly. He accomplished all this before he beginning his taper (this week) for USA Swimming’s Junior National Championships to be held in Indianapolis in early August.  

 

BACK IN NJ, SIX POST 9 JO CUTS AT 13 & O SILVERS;

FARNOW, MARTIN, P. DUVVURI STAR:

 

           Simultaneously back in New Jersey, 27 Elite swimmers competed at New Jersey Swimming’s 13 & Older LCM Silver Championships at Rutgers University. Six different Elite swimmers added 9 individual Junior Olympic times to Elite’s roster next weekend. Leading the way was Cassandra Farnow, Ricky Martin & Priya Duvvuri.

 

            Farnow, who spend last fall in Switzerland in a prestigious high school study program, has worked her way back into shape this spring and it showed. In her 5 swims, Cassandra dropped significant time from her previous best in each swim. While she qualified for JO’s in the 200 back (2.36.91) by dropping over 4 seconds, Cassandra’s best swims may have been her 200 breast (3.05.78-a 9 second drop) or her 200 fly (2.45.88-almost a 5 second drop).

 

            Martin, who injured his foot last weekend and saw limited practice time this past week, proved that rest is most important during taper as he collected his first three LCM 15 & Older Junior Olympic times in the 100 back (1.07.37), 100 fly (1.03.79) and the 100 free (57.43).

 

            Duvvuri nailed two JO qualifying times in the stud long course events: the 400 IM (5.48.97) and the 200 fly (2.47.42). Just minutes after the fly swim, Priya just missed her third qualifying time by less than..3 tenths in the 100 free (1.06.22).

 

            Before heading off to Colorado on a camping trip, Tad Deatly cranked a JO qualifying time (his first as a 15 & Older) in the grueling 1500 meter swim (19.01.06), proving his perfect attendance this spring/summer was worth the effort.

 

            Rising star Breana Fitzpatrick added a third JO swim to her schedule next week by winning the Girls 13 –14 100 meter breast in the super time of 1.26.90).

 

            Duncan Hall also added to his Junior Olympic schedule (his 4th) by stroking to a 2.39.39 time in the 200 backstroke.

 

             Swimmers who participated (# in parenthesis is number of best SCM best times) were: Lindsay Anderson (1), John Burns (3), Victoria D’Altrui (1), Corey Deatly, Tad Deatly (1), Sam Duren, Priya Duvvuri (4), Venkatesh Duvvuri (3), Cassandra Farnow (5), Spencer Fisch (2), Breana Fitzpatrick (2), Amanda Grywalski (3), Duncan Hall (3), Brent Jones (2), Brandon King (1), Emmie Lai (2), Ricky Martin (4), Danielle Martinez (1), Brendan Miller-Radest (3), Ali Morreale, Maggie Nelson (1), Katie Ragan (1), Collin Reilly, Brittany Ross (2), Nicki Ross, Amanda Scherb (1) & Michael Wang (2). 

 

COACHES CINDY DEATLY ROSS AND LEIGHANN MARCELLIANO PROMOTED;

NEW RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH, PAST PERFORMANCES RECOGNIZED:

 

            Coaches Cindy Deatly Ross and Leighann Marcelliano have been promoted into even more prominent positions within Elite. Each of these promotions will be effective with the start of the Winter 2007-08 Training Season.

 

            Cindy has been named Co-Head Senior/Senior Prep/Head Stroke Technician Coach. While her primary responsibility will be working on stroke technique with each Senior and Senior Prep, she will also significantly contribute to the general planning of the seasonal training (both water and dryland) program. In addition, Cindy will take on all the responsibilities of the Senior/Senior Prep Head Coach when Bill is absent (as Elite evolves into a more competitive program, the likelihood is that Senior coach (s) will need to travel with swimmers to competitions more frequently during the year. While Elite wants it best swimmers to perform fabulous at these competitions, Elite still needs to have consistent coverage for those swimmers back home who are training to reach these new levels. Cindy’s promotion will allow either Bill or Cindy to travel while the other coach can provide consistent coaching at home).  

 

Simultaneously, Leighann has been named Head Age Group Coach at Elite. In this position, Leighann will be primarily responsible for managing the Wavebuster and Marlin training groups. As such, during the Winter 2007-08 Season, Leighann will be the Head Training Group Coach of both the Wave Golds and the Wave Blacks while overseeing the Head Training Group Coaches of the Wavebuster Teals, Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teals and overseeing the Assistant Training Group Coaches of all 5 training groups. Since Elite is set up to consistently teach the same techniques from top to bottom throughout the program, Leighann will also continue to have significant input into the general planning of all the training programs.

 

These promotions are also recognition of the tremendous coaching performances Cindy and Leighann have provided to the swimmers of Elite over the years.

 

            Both Cindy and Leighann will continue to report to Bill, who will remain Head Coach of Elite. Bill will also be the other Co-Head Senior/Senior Prep Coach.             

 

TRYOUTS TUESDAY, JULY 24; VOLUNTEER TIMERS WELCOME:

 

            Tryouts for Elite’s Winter 2007-08 Season will be held Tuesday, July 24 at Morristown-Beard from 4 pm to 6 pm. There will be no pm practices held that day.

 

            Make-up Tryouts will be held Tuesday, September 4 at Newark Academy from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

 

            Elite swimmers and/or Parents are welcome to volunteer their time to help the coaches out at both tryouts!

 

SUMMER WORKOUTS FOR MARLIN BLACKS AND MARLIN TEALS:

 

            For those Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teals who are “Stud-like” rather than “Slug-like,” Elite has posted suggested workouts on Elite’s website (under Summer Marlin WO) for swimmers in these training groups to perform throughout the summer season.

 

            To help motivate these swimmers, Elite will provide certificates of completion for swimmers who complete 20 or more of these workouts (parents are requested to closely monitor the dates the workouts and type of workouts that were performed) during the summer.

 

            While most Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teal swimmers will participate at workouts and meets with their local summer swim clubs, doing an extra workout each day will help keep Elite swimmers practicing their body position drills and building their conditioning. These workouts are designed to remind the swimmers to stay long in the LA (LA= long axis-free & back) strokes and to get their bodies into the SA (SA= short axis-breast & fly) strokes. These workouts should be done routinely to help reminding the swimmers (and their bodies) how to swim properly.

 

            Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teals, let’s see how many awards Elite can present next fall!!!

 

ROWING JACKET NO LONGER JUST A COACH THING; ORDER ONE YOURSELF!!

 

            That very impressive Elite rowing jacket you’ve seen worn by your coaches (it was a gift by ESCPO to the coaches at the awards banquet) can now be yours!!

 

Attached to this memo and posted on the website under “forms” is an order form for this jacket. There will be two separate orderings: 1) if you send back your payment and the form with your registration (or mail separate to Bill at 32 Prospect Street, Summit, NJ 07901) prior to July 14, you will receive your jacket as part of your 2007-08 team uniform or 2) payment can be made at the suit sale in September, 2007 and the order will be filled by late November.

 

Catch the spirit: order your Elite rowing jacket today!!!

             

WINTER 2007-08 PRACTICE SCHEDULE TO CHANGE; MORE TIME SLOTTED FOR MARLINS & WAVE GOLDS; SCHEDULE POSTED UNDER PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

 

            In its never ending pursuit of using the allotted pool time as efficiently as possible, Elite will have a new practice schedule starting September 2008. The practice schedule is now posted on the team website under Practice Schedule. The schedule changes allows Elite to offer significantly more pool time to 3 of the 5 Age Group Training Groups training at Newark Academy. 

 

            The Marlin Blacks and the Marlin Teals will now practice at the same time on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. In keeping with its policy of never having more than 36 swimmers in a training group, the total number of swimmers between the two groups will never exceed 36. By using the pool for both training groups simultaneously, both groups will be offered 4 practices a week for a total of 3.75 hours. In addition, the Marlins will start 15 minutes early from Sept thru November 15 (5:00 pm) so they can get a full hour of practice when the pool is available.

 

            The Wavebuster Gold training group will also gain practice time. Currently, the Wave Golds have 10 hours of practice a week. Under the current schedule, when a swimmer earns a promotion from the Wave Golds to the Senior Preps, the amount of practice time jumps to 17 hours a week. The change in the practice schedule will better prepare the Wave Golds for this expanded practice time as a Senior Prep.