Madison Succeeds at States!!

Congratulations to both the men's and women's teams for a strong finish at this year's AAA Swim and Dive State Championships!! Madison placed 9th for both teams on way to breaking 5 school records. Special recognition goes to the following record breakers from this past weekend:

• Women's 200 Medley Relay (Laura Sullivan, Sami Fletcher, Ali Queen and Sidney Owens)
• Women's 200 Freestyle Relay (Laura Kellan, Ellie Westfall, Sami Fletcher, Sidney Owens)
• Evan Owens (100 Breaststroke)
• Sami Fletcher (100 Breaststroke)
• Laura Kellan (500 Freestyle)

Not only was States a success but so was the whole season. We finished 1st in the district for men, 3rd in the region for men, and 4th in the region for women. Eight school records were set (out of 26 events) and I suspect we'll see several more fall next season. You all did a tremendous job this season and the coaching staff is proud of each and every one of you.

Best of luck to many of you who are competing with your club teams over the next several weeks. Best of luck, too, to our graduating seniors. Thanks for all you've done over the years to make our program a success. We'll see the rest of you in November for another exciting season!!

Going to States? Here's the scoop...

Swimmers and divers going to states will be excused from school after 3rd period. You should go home, rest up, and get your things ready for the meet. We will meet outside the pool at GMU around 12:50 to hand out badges. The badges will allow you access to the pool deck starting at 1:00 pm on Friday. Once we're all inside we'll find a team area and get ourselves settled in advance of warmups.

Parking is available in lots A and C only. There are limited spots so please plan on carpooling or having your parents drop you off.

The meet will start around 4:00 and will end when all the heats are run. The psych sheet is available here and it looks like many of you are seeded to make it back on Saturday. Hopefully you'll all make it back and we'll score well. Either way it's been a great season and you should all be proud of yourselves!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

Congratulations to the men for winning their third consecutive Liberty District Championship last night. You all did an amazing job of turning what was supposed to be a close meet into a comfortable victory. Congratulations also go out to the ladies for a very impressive third-place showing. Each raced seemed to outdo the one before it with so many people dropping time. I cannot remember watching a meet where we had swimmers dropping 2, 3, 16, and even 23 seconds from their previous bests!! Just amazing!!

In a meet like we had this weekend it's nearly impossible to pick swimmers of the meet. And yet there are a few people who really stood out:

1. Laura Kellan -- Laura's performance in the 500 was truly impressive. Not only did Laura shave more than 15 seconds from her seed time but she simply blew away the field. Laura's individual 100 free and her split in the relay were equally impressive. This week was easily Laura's best as a Warhawk and bodes well for regions and states.
2. Jackson Simon -- Jackson has always shined at districts but this year was even more impressive than normal. His 100 free and 100 back both dropped time and qualified him for regions.
3. Andrew Russiello -- Russie did an amazing job for us this weekend both in and out of the pool. As a senior captain Russie did a great job of rallying the men and encouraging them on to victory. In the pool we watched Russie drop 3 seconds in the 100 breast and earning a spot in regions. His performance in the 200 freestyle relay and 50 freestyle were also very strong.
4. Joe Capra -- Joe's return from early-season injury was a long and difficult road. But all his hard work paid off this weekend as he returned to his form from last year. Joe's performance in the 200 freestyle was only overshadowed by is tremendous 100 freestyle time. His leadership on deck and throughout the season were also exemplary.

The list of honorable mentions is too long to put here. Just know that if you swam in this meet you were a vital part of our success. Each one of you did a fantastic job!!

Marshall Results

Congratulations to both the men's and women's teams on their victories tonight against Marshall. The men won their meet 178-136 while the women won 193-119. Senior night went really well and it was an honor to watch our seniors swim their last regular-season meet. We saw a number of really strong times including Peter Kinton's region cut in the 200 free. Now it's off to districts where we will look to defend the men's title and make some noise on the ladies' side.

Athletes of the week include Peter Kinton and Kenzie Williams. Both Peter and Kenzie had very strong times this week. Hard work pays off and it certainly did this week for both of our athletes of the week.

Next Opponent: The entire Liberty District will be looking to knock our program down. Fortunately, you've all been working hard for this coming weekend. You'll be rested and ready to show just how strong our teams are!

Senior Night Meet Sheets...

Senior night is upon us all! Let's make sure to swim hard and fast so that we can send our seniors out in style. You will find a copy of the men's meet sheet and the women's meet sheet available by following the links. Keep in mind a few things as you look through it:

1. We are making sure that all seniors get at least 1 individual event.
2. Anyone not swimming in districts also gets an individual event.
3. Some people are "swimming off" for spots in districts.

So if you're in some odd events or are wondering why you're swimming what you're swimming it's likely because of one or more of those reasons. Embrace it as an opportunity either to try something new or challenge yourself. And then go out and have a good time with it!

One final reminder ... the bus leaves at 5:00 tomorrow so please be on time. See you then!

Athletes of the Week - McLean

The decision for athlete of the week is never easy and this week was no exception. There were no fewer than 4 legitimate candidates from the women's team alone! Here's the case for each:

1. Laura Kellan -- Out-touched the opposition in one of the most entertaining 500 freestyles the coaches have ever witnessed. Laura wasn't feeling all that well physically but you'd never know it from her times. 
2. Ali Queen -- Posted one of her best 100 breaststrokes of the season and a very strong 100 freestyle split in the 4X100 relay. Ali also demonstrated strong leadership qualities in supporting her teammates throughout the meet.
3. Cassidy Humphrey -- Swam strongly in both the 200 IM and 100 fly. Cassidy's determination came through during her close win the 100 fly.
4. Laura Sullivan -- Pulled out a very close 4X100 relay for her teammates as well as dropping significant time in her 500. Laura had one of the most impressive meets -- especially given that she swam in 4 of the final 5 events!

Congratulations to each of these ladies (as well as the rest of the team). The Lauras (Sullivan and Kellan) will have their names submitted to the activities office for athlete of the week honors. 

On the men's side we also had a number of great swims:

1. Connor Simon -- Dropped another several seconds in his 500 freestyle and continued to swim a strong 200, too. Connor continues to mature and improve from week to week.
2. Peter Kinton -- Narrowly missed the region cut in the 200 free. Peter's positive attitude and hard work paid off with strong swims in each of his events.
3. Grayson Smith -- Made the region cut in the 200 IM and performed well in each of his relays. Grayson continues to show that he's ready to take the district and region by storm during championship season.

Congratulations go out to each of these men and their teammates. Connor Simon will have his name submitted to the activities office for athlete of the week honors.

McLean Results

Tremendous meet tonight for both the men and the women. The men won handily by a score of 225-80 while the women swam an incredible meet before falling 140-165. The coaching staff was extremely proud of both teams. The men continue to improve their times and gather strength leading into Districts. The ladies rebounded from a tough meet against Langley with several strong swims. We are definitely moving in the right direction and are poised to make some real noise at Districts, Regions and States. Keep up the great work!

Next Opponent: We celebrate our seniors next week during our final meet against Marshall. Let's send our graduating swimmers and divers out in style by defeating the Statesmen. Make sure you continue working hard, stretching every night and preparing yourselves mentally. The real season starts very soon!!

McLean Meet Sheets

Meet sheets for tomorrow night's meet against McLean are now available (men here and women here). We're still toying with some placement for districts so be patient if you're in an odd event or two. We also have several people shooting for their regions cuts tomorrow so we'll need all the support and team spirit we can get. Rest up tonight and come to school on-time tomorrow. The bus leaves around 7:15 so please be there early. Go Madison, Beat McLean!

Swimmers of the Meet -- Langley

Congratulations to this week's swimmers of the meet: Alex Pennington and Sami Fletcher. Alex earned the award for his strong performance in the 200 IM and in both the medley and 400 free relays. Dropping time in mid-season is a good sign for what's possible when we get to districts. Sami earned recognition for her solid times in the 200 IM and 100 Breast as well as her incredible relay starts. Great job and congratulations to both of you!!

Langley Meet Results

Congratulations to the men's team for their victory tonight against Langley. We had a number of very strong swims that should make the team proud. You're all moving in the right direction and the coaching staff is excited to see how you'll perform at districts and regions!

The ladies gave us everything you had, which is all we can ask for. It didn't turn out the way we wanted but that's not the main point. Many of you faced real challenges with positive attitudes. In the process you are learning how strong you can be. Keep working hard and we'll see how things shake out at districts. Remember also that there are no other teams in the region that any of us would want to work with. We're very proud of each of you so keep your chins up!!

Next Opponent: McLean is next up on the schedule. Their ladies will be looking to avenge a close loss last season so we'll need to be prepared. Hopefully they've learned to deal with disappointment because our goal is to beat them again this season!

Langley Meet Sheets

Meet sheets are ready and posted on the Facebook group. No offense to our friends at Langley but I'm not going to post our line-ups until we get to the pool. Until then you'll all have to live in a state of anxiety and wonder. Good luck! Go Madison!!

TJ Results

Congratulations on a great meet tonight. Regardless of the outcome the coaching staff was thrilled with how well both the men's and women's teams performed. There were a number of strong swims and personal bests tonight that you should all be proud of. In the end the men won by a score of 170.5-144.5 while the women fell 147.5-164.5.

Next Opponent: We have three weeks to prepare ourselves for a match-up against the Langley Saxons. We will have practice Monday-Thursday next week so plan on coming out like any other week. There is practice during the break, too, at our regular time and place. Practices during the break are not required, though you need to be in the pool every day if you're staying at home. Club team practices are fine just be working hard. If you're traveling then try to get in as often as possible so that you stay in swimming shape.

Stonebridge Results

Another great meet from both the men and women. This time the Bull Dogs never stood a chance with a group as talented and as deep as what we have here at Madison. The men won by a score of 227-78 while the women prevailed 185.5-105.5. There is more work to do this weekend but this meet is a great first step!

Next Opponent: TJ comes to our building tomorrow night for a much-anticipated show-down. Make sure you're ready to go tomorrow night. It will take strong swims to see us to victory. So come ready to swim fast and help the Colonials understand a simple fact: We are greater!!

Stonebridge Meet Sheets

It's the beginning of a big weekend starting tomorrow night against Stonebridge. You can find copies of the men's and women's meet sheets online. We put several of you in different events to see what you can do in them. Yes, we're challenging you to try new things. Show us what you've got and how versatile you can be. Rest up tonight and see you tomorrow at school around 4:30!

South Lakes Results

Great job again this week. Both our men's and women's teams pulled out victories against the Seahawks. Several swimmers stepped up to fill in spots left by teammates participating at the Dolan meet. Kudos go out especially to Alyssa Worsham for pulling double duty as both diver and swimmer. Way to go Alyssa! The final score for the men was 216-96 while the women won 166-130.

Next Opponent: Next week is alumni weekend. Make sure to pass word to any swim and dive alumni you know. It's also a double weekend with Stonebridge and TJ on the schedule. Keep working hard so that we can end the first half of the season on a positive note. Let's crush the Bulldogs and then "jump the fence" on our way to winter break!

South Lakes Meet Sheets

Week 2 is here and it's time for us to get ready to take on South Lakes. We're missing several swimmers because of the Dolan meet so we need you all to step up and put forth a strong effort. You can find tentative meet sheets for the men and women by following the links. These may change some depending on who makes finals at Dolan or not. But the general outline will remain the same. Rest up tonight and let's swim hard tomorrow!

Fairfax Meet Results

Great job this week against Fairfax from both the men and the women. We had strong showings on both sides that give us a lot to look forward to this season as we move toward districts. Congratulations particularly to Evan Owens for setting a new record in the 100 Breaststroke. The previous record was set back in 1993 (when I was in high school)!! The men won by a score of 220-94 while the women prevailed 169-140. Keep up the hard work this week and we prepare for South Lakes.

Next Opponent: Make sure you're continuing to push hard in practices this week. We have a lot of training still to come if we want to meet our goals for the season. See me if you're planning on attending the Dolan meet so that the coaches can put together an accurate meet sheet.

Fairfax Meet Sheets ...

The season is finally upon us!! Our first step toward our goal of winning the Liberty District begins against Fairfax. Meet sheets for the men and women are now available. Take a look and come in tomorrow night ready to swim fast and have a good time. We will meet at door #1 around 7:00 and will leave around 7:15. Be sure to be on-time!! Good luck to all of you!

2011-12 Meet Schedule Released

Our preliminary meet schedule was released on Friday. Here are the highlights for those of you that feel the need to fill your calendar already!!

Dec. 2 -- Fairfax @ Oak Marr (8:30 PM start)
Dec. 9 -- South Lakes @ Oak Marr (6:00 PM start) HOME MEET
Dec. 16 -- Stone Bridge @ Oak Marr (6:00 PM start)
Dec. 17 -- TJ @ Oak Marr (6:00 PM start) HOME MEET
Jan. 6 -- Langley @ Spring Hill (6:30 PM start) HOME MEET
Jan. 13 -- McLean @ Audrey Moore (8:30 PM start) HOME MEET
Jan. 20 -- Marshall @ Spring Hill (6:30 PM start) HOME MEET
Jan. 27-28 -- Liberty District Championships @ Audrey Moore
Jan. 31-Feb.4 -- Northern Region Championships @ Oak Marr
Feb. 17-18 -- Virginia AAA State Championships @ GMU (Fairfax)