ELITE NEWS BULLETIN               8-23-10

 

    “Cultivating Excellence in Academics, Character and Swimming”

           

STRAND PLACES 32ND AT JUNIOR NATIONALS

GORHAM, MANGO, K.STEARNS, L.STEARNS & WEINBROM DROP TIME AT SECTIONALS

GALEA (PLACING 2ND!!), SEBASTIAN (5TH), K. STEARNS (7TH) FINAL AT ZONES!!!

 

            Elite Swimming concluded its Summer 2010 competition with 12 swimmers competing in high level National or Regional competition. Elite Swimmers competed in Junior Nationals (a National Level meet for swimmers 18 & Under), Eastern Zone “Super” Sectionals (Regional competition from Maine thru Virginia) and Eastern Zones (an LSC All-Star Competition from Maine thru Virginia).

           

            17 year old Michael Strand placed 32nd in the 100 meter backstroke (59.40) at United States Swimming’s Junior National Championships in competition held August 9th thru 13th week in Irvine, California. Junior Nationals (or “Jr. Nats”) is the 2nd highest level of competition within United States. Only Senior Nationals (“Senior Nats”) is a higher level competition within the US. Strand achieved this place despite swimming backstroke outside, where he had trouble staying out of the lane lines (presumably, Michael would have swam even faster and placed higher if he had remained in the middle of his lane!).

 

            Strand, continuing his development as a swimmer (last year Michael qualified for Jr. Nats in a single event), participated in 3 other events at Jr. Nats. At Jr. Nats, a swimmer is able to participate in up to 7 events, but must have achieved either the standard qualifying times or bonus qualifying times in an event in order to participate. Both time standards are extremely challenging as only approximately 100-120 swimmers from across the US achieve the times in each event (including the bonus time standards). Strand qualified and competed in the 100 butterfly, where he placed 77th with his 57.56 time.  In the two “bonus” events that Michael qualified for only two weeks ago at Jr. Olympics (the 200 back and the 200 IM), Michael dropped time in each; finishing 81st in the 200 back (2.10.77) and 106th in the 200 IM (2.12.76).

 

            From August 4th thru August 8th, 6 Elite swimmers participated at the Eastern Zone’s “Super” Sectional competition held in Buffalo, New York. The event is called “Super” since during the summer there is only 1 Sectional competition held for the entire Eastern Zone while during the Spring, USA Swimming holds 2 separate Sectional competitions (and thus, the summer Sectional time standards re more challenging).

 

            Elite sent an entirely new squad to Super Sectionals this summer. Last summer, Elite was represented by 3 swimmers: Priya Duvvuri, Scott Groel and Strand. Duvvuri did not train this summer as she chose to attend a New Jersey Governor’s School at Rutgers University in July (only the top students in the state are invited to attend), Groel joined Elite as a spring graduating senior in high school and Strand chose not to participate due to the close proximity of Sectionals to Jr. Nats.

 

            16 year old Alex Mango’s 1.6 second drop in the 200 meter butterfly was Elite’s top performance at Sectionals. Alex blew his heat away, finishing over 2 seconds ahead of his next competitor. Alex’s time placed  him 40th overall. Alex also participated in 4 additional events. Alex placed 41st in the 200 free (2.01.43), 43rd in the 100 free (55.55), 65th in the 100 fly (1.01.35) and 67th in the 100 back (1.05.08).

 

            17 year old Adam Weinbrom chopped .3 off his 100 butterfly time to a 1.01.55 to finish 69th overall and finish his high school career with Elite. Adam will be attending Gettysburg College this fall. Adam also qualified in 4 other events, finishing 40th in the 50 free (25.50), 70th in the 100 back (1.05.65) and 73rd in the 100 free (56.93). Adam did not compete in his last event, the 200 back.

 

            14 year old Lindsay Stearns placed 48th in the 200 fly (2.34.13) and 83rd in the 100 fly (1.08.62). Swimming in a time trials, Lindsay dropped .7 seconds in the 100 meter backstroke (1.11.84).

 

             17 year old Ali Morreale placed 44th in the 100 breast (1.18.86). While performing in a time trial, Ali dropped 3 seconds off her 200 IM time (2.40.83).

 

            12 year old Kaitlin Stearns, competing at both Sectionals and at Zones, clipped .4 off her 50 free time to a 29.56 in a time trial.

 

            14 year old Jess Gorham, also participating in a time trial, dropped under 29 seconds for the first time in the 50 free, with her 28.92 performance.

 

            At the Eastern Zones Long Course All-Star Championship Meet (“Zones”) held in Rockville Maryland, 6 Elite swimmers represented New Jersey Swimming in an All-Star competition between LSCs (New Jersey Swimming is an LSC) from Maine thru Virginia. New Jersey Swimming placed 5th out of 12 LSC teams.

 

            3 Elite swimmers placed in the top 8 during preliminaries, earning the distinction to represent New Jersey Swimming in finals (and to score points for NJ Swimming).

 

            12 year old Andrea Galea finaled in both the 50 back, in which she placed 2nd with a 33.30 time and the 100 back, in which she placed 5th with a 1.12.00 time. Galea, who is nationally ranked as an 11 year old in the 50 back (Andrea aged up in late June), also placed 11th in the 200 back (2.36.75), 38 in the 100 breast (1.26.41), 42nd in the 50 free (30.36) and 49th in the 100 free (1.07.68).

 

            14 year old Ryan Sebastian finaled in the 400 IM, placing 5th with a 4.59.11 time. Ryan was 10th in the 200 back (2.22.52), 11th in the 200 fly (2.21.69-dropping 2.9 seconds), 15th in the 1500 free (17.48.08), 20th in the 800 free (9.22.74), & 36th in the 400 free (4.36.91).

 

            12 year old Kaitlin Stearns finaled in the 200 free, posting a best time of 2.18 by 1.12. Kaitlin touched 13th in the 100 free (1.04.81), 17th in the 400 free (4.56.24), 37th in the 50 free (30.27) and 41st in the 100 back (1.15.45-best time by .46).

 

            12 year old Chris Balbo competed in 6 events (the maximum allowed). Chris’s highest finish was 21st in the 400 free (4.53.19). Chris snagged 25th in the 200 fly (2.45.73), 33rd in the 200 back (2.42.97), 37th in the 200 free (2.22.51), 51st in the 100 fly (1.15.87) and 56th in the 200 IM (2.48.31).

 

            11 year old Alicia Iizuka grabbed 21st in the 50 breast (38.21).

 

            10 year old Evan Ng, competing in his Zone meet, placed 65th in the 50 fly (40.35).

 

            Full Results are posted on the team website.

 

CLEAR THE CALENDAR FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10;

“MIRACLE MAN” JASON LEZAK TO VISIT ELITE!!! 

 

            Absolutely, positively mark your calendar for Sunday, October 10th!!! The Elite Swim Club Parents Organization has tentatively arranged for world class swimmer Jason Lesak, best known for his come from behind anchor leg in the 4 x 100 Free Relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that caught the world’s fastest swimmer and gave the USA a “miracle” win (and finished Michael Phelps quest to win 8 gold medals!!), to visit Elite in an exclusive swim clinic. The event is provided in conjunction with Mutual of Omaha (a USA Swimming sponsor) and Josh Davis, a former Olympian and world record holder in the 200 free, who now coordinates such clinics.

 

            Lezak, whose anchor leg of 46.06 (still the fastest 100 lcm free split time ever), will spend 4 hours (tentatively 11 am to 3 pm) exclusively with Elite swimmers. The cost of the clinic has not yet been set, but ESCPO, with dues collected last year and this year, will offset the cost with a donation towards the total cost of the clinic. Davis, who thoroughly entertained Elite Swimmers in October 2007 when he hosted a similar clinic at Elite with teenage swimming phenom Kate Zieglar, will join Lezak at the clinic.

 

            Lezak is a two time Olympian, representing the USA in both the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, and is one of the titans of USA Swimming. Jason participated this past week at the Pan Pacific Games held in his home pool in Irvine, California (also site of the Jr. Nats meet, which Michael Strand participated in). Jason has won 7 Olympic medals to date and is expected to seriously contend in multiple events for a third Olympic berth in 2012. Information regarding Lezak can be viewed at his website:  http://jasonlezak.com/pages/bio.html.

 

            Thanks to Susan Gorham and Antone Balbo, for coordinating this event.

 

SEPTEMBER 2010 PRACTICE SCHEDULE POSTED ON WEBSITE:

 

            With September just 1 week away, Elite is gearing up for the start of practice. As has been the custom at Elite, practices will phase in with the Seniors and Senior Preps starting first (Monday, August 30 & Tuesday, August 31) and the Wavebuster Golds and Wavebuster Blacks starting Wednesday, September 8th. All groups will be training when the Marlin Blacks and Marlin Teals start Monday, September 13 and the Wavebuster Teals start Tuesday, September 14.

 

            The practice schedule can be viewed at

 

2010-11 SCY TIME STANDARDS NOW POSTED:

 

            New Jersey Swimming has published the new time standards for the Winter 2010-11 Short Course Season. These standards are now posted on the team website under Time Standards at the link: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Time%20Standards/home_page.htm

 

TOP 10 ALL TIME LCM LIST UPDATED:

 

            The Top 10 All-Time LCM list has been updated thru all Summer 2010 competition. Here is the link: http://www.eliteswimclub.org/Top%20Times/top%2010%20all%20time%20lcm%208-10.htm.

 

            Check out the new times from this weekend!!!

             

MORE TALENT ON THE WAY; TRYOUTS YIELD 23 NEW SWIMMERS:

 

            By reason of the July 20 tryouts, 23 new swimmers have committed to training with Elite during the Winter 2010-11 Season.  Joining Elite will be:

 

Wave Golds: Cullen Walsh

 

Wave Blacks: Jason Steinberg, Alexis Tabisz

 

Wave Teals: Sara Bellog, Gauri Deorkar, Jasmine Gulati, Paul Guenther

 

Marlin Blacks: Benjamin Campbell, Benjamin Litrin, Chloe Lawrence, Samantha Siracusa

 

Marlin Teals: Tara Balan, Milind Bangalore, Sheetal Bangalore, Jessica Carchia, Nikhil Deorkar, Katharina Dowlin, Jeffrey Ho, Jonathan Kao

                        Ryan Lam, Sophie Lawrence, Joseph Siracusa & Katharine Slover

 

The Coaching Staff looks forward to working with these new swimmers!!

COMING THIS FALL: PARENT WORKSHOPS: 1st DATE IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND

            In an effort to educate parents about swimming and Elite’s philosophy, Head Coach Bill will conduct a Parent Workshop once a month during the Winter 2010-11 Training Season at Newark Academy. The initial workshop will be Wednesday, September 22.

            The workshops are meant to educate the Age Group Parents as to the sport of swimming. Each workshop will consist of a lecture regarding a specific topic (like nutrition) and will have time set aside for general questions. On the first date, there will also be a 2nd workshop specifically for Marlin parents in introduce them to the sport of swimming.

RISING SENIORS (IN HIGH SCHOOL), JULY AND AUGUST ARE THE “OFFICIAL COLLEGE ESSAY MONTHS!!!:

            All rising Seniors in high school should take advantage of some down-time and prepare your college essay this summer. July and August are “Official College Essay Months!!!

            1st semester Seniors have a tremendous workload in addition to being under a tremendous amount of stress. 1st semester Seniors have: 1) college visits (swimmers may have college recruiting visits that last Friday thru Sunday) 2) SAT preparation 3) preparing college applications 4) keeping up their grades (colleges will want to see the 1st semester grades) and 4) swimming workload (college coaches expect swimmers to be training at their usual full schedule).

            Thus, organizing and writing one’s college essay during the “down” months of July and August is extremely productive and wise.

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!!!