Athletes of the Meet - Oakton and Patriot

Congratulations to Will Noel and Rachael Holp for being named athletes of the meet for our meet against Oakton. And congratulations to Cole Dyson and Elizabeth Kuhlkin for earning recognition as athletes for our meet against Patriot.

1. Will is being recognized because of his two very strong performances on Friday night. Will's split in the 200 medley relay was one of his best all season. And his time in the 50 freestyle was easily his best performance all season. Will also provides a steady and strong leadership to the team each day in practice.
2. Rachael is being honored because of her strong performances in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Rachael's strong finish in the 200 IM helped her edge out Oakton's swimmer by less than 2-tenths of a second. Rachael continued her strong meet by finishing first in the 100 back with a season-best time.
3. Cole put forth a strong meet on Saturday night - especially in the 500 freestyle. Cole improved his time in the 500 by nearly 10 second. Cole put forth his very best effort in all of his races. And despite the fact that he was not feeling well Cole never complained or made excuses for his times and places. 
4. Elizabeth is one of the steadiest and hardest working athletes on the team. She continues to have great swims week after week. And she does it with a positive attitude and willingness to work and improve. 

There were several other individuals who earned honorable mention for their efforts on behalf of the team:

1. Gracie Feuchter - Gracie earned recognition because of her strong leadership and concern for her team. Friday night was senior night and an opportunity for Gracie to receive the spotlight. But Friday was also the night that the required dive was a reverse, which she has not learned yet. Gracie worked all week (on her own and during practice) but did not feel comfortable with the dive. And so she made a very difficult decision to voluntarily take herself out of the meet so that her team could score more points. Her self-sacrifice took immense character and is an example the kind of young woman Gracie is.
2. Christopher Card - Christopher continued his strong first season with clutch performances in the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay. Chris also does a good job of seeking feedback and looking for ways to continue his improvement.
3. Michael Hynes - Michael set a new personal best in the 200 IM with a sub-2:00 time. He also provided a strong let in the 400 freestyle relay helping keep his team in third place.
4. Anna Sullivan - Anna is a steady performer who gives our team flexibility each week. Against Oakton she provided her best-ever high school 200 freestyle. She also had a very strong let in the 400 freestyle relay.
5. Julia Downing - Julia had a great time in the 50 and 100 freestyles. She is dedicated to improving each week and is never complacent about her performances. Her desire to continually improve provides a positive role model for younger members of the team.
6. Darby Galbraith - Darby continued her strong freshman campaign by posting region cuts in the 100 back and 100 fly. She also serves as an integral member of the 200 medley relay, which posted a time that would have finished fifth in last year's state championship.
7. Garrett Hoyt - Garrett's performance in the 500 freestyle was worthy of recognition not necessarily because of his time (which was good for one of the first times he's ever tried the event) but because of his willingness to try it at all. Garrett accepted his role in the 500 with a positive attitude. His willingness to sacrifice on behalf of his team is certainly noteworthy.
8. Erica Rice - Erica continues to improve her 200 IM over the past two nights. She set a personal-best time in the 200 IM on Friday night and then eclipsed it again on Saturday night. Erica continues to find ways to provide depth to her team and is an important part of our overall success.
9. Owen Murphy - Owen continues to grow and improve in his first season with Madison. He only started diving last year and has already made significant strides as a diver and athlete. Owen made the region cut in the first week and now continues to learn new dives that will make him an even more successful competitor in the future.
10. Hunter Moss - Hunter also began diving last year. And he is already becoming a key contributor to the team. Hunter is also learning new dives and continues to inch closer to reaching the region standard of 200 points.