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2005 Short Course
Age Group Championship
I’m sure that in looking back on the 2005 Short Course Age Group Swimming Championship, each of you will particularly remember just a few of the 1050+ swimmers and their 5512 swims. Perhaps you will focus on one of the 5 Connecticut and Resident records that fell (by the way, all of them by girls!). But I can’t get past that overall feeling of pride in our swimmers (superb strength, skills, and sportsmanship), our coaches (exemplary expertise, encouragement, enthusiasm and energy), and our volunteers (Barry’s best buddies!).
Congratulations to Overall Team Champions the Wilton Y Wahoos, and to all of the other 44 teams who put points on the scoreboard.
I hope you enjoy our photos, which capture just a few of the great moments of the weekend. If I had snapped one each time a face looked up from the wall to the scoreboard to see a new best time, we’d run out of room on our internet server! As you browse through, remember that each of these fast starts and swims, happy smiles with teammates, moments of intensity before a race, and goofy poses was earned through hundreds of hours of hard work in the practice pool over the long season. My hat is off to each and every one of these dedicated young athletes.
I feel like one of those knucklehead movie actors standing on stage at the Oscars with a long list of people to thank before the music plays. Instead, I’ll give out my own awards:
· Best Supporting Actor/Actress: our friends from Cougar Aquatic and Ridgefield Aquatic led by the tireless LeeAnn German, Jeff Haynosch and Liz Grant. Solid performances from the opening titles through the final credits!
· Achievement in Computer Animation: Marie Blackwood, Laura Costigan, Dean Hatton, Nancy Kingman, Rick LaFrenierre, Ann Levine, Kim Mangan and Ginger McCurdy. These generous souls were animating the pool deck long after everybody else had hit the road.
· Best Actors in a Comedy: Meet Referee Mike Huffman and our cheerful crew of officials, including Admin Referee Carol Feeney. Besides the good humor, nobody beats the quality and professionalism of CT officials!
· Best Picture: “Colorado”, Kevin Carneiro and Mike DiNapoli, Producers
· Achievement in Feeding and Watering Coaches and Officials and Prevention of Grouchiness (a new category): Donna Gayman and all those terrific parents from Cheshire
· Best Documentary Feature: “Awards”, Vinnie Savarese, Director; Chris Hug, Producer, starring the CT Aquatic Club parents ensemble
· Achievement in Set Design: Casey and the other generous staff and management of Wesleyan University
· Achievement in Sound: Bill Loftus, Bill Heyde, Peter Skaperdas, and the rest of the “shock jocks”
· Achievement in Costume Design: Northwest Designs and Metro Swim Shop
· Achievement in Directing: Kaeley Steinnagle for “Zones”- Wendy Jackwin, Bonnie Fisher, Chris Hug, Linda Wolff, Mary Scobee, Joanne McKeown, Randy LaRocca, Producers
· Original Screenplay: Groucho Lucan and Chico Thomann for “A Night at the Wilton Relays”
· Lifetime Achievement Award: Nan Cooper, who each meet contributes what most of us would in a lifetime! Nan, you’re the very best!
Finally, I have to say that in my Championship experience never have the participants been more gracious and respectful to each other and to me. How gratifying it is to work with all of you! See you at Long Course!
Best regards,
Barry Silver
Meet Director
Record-Breakers
Kim Jerome (CDEV): CT and Resident Record, Girls 11/12 100Y Breaststroke, 1:08.80
Elizabeth Pelton (WYW): CT and Resident Record, Girls 11/12 100Y Backstroke, 59.16
Livy Rettstatt (RRST): CT and Resident Record, Girls 10/U 500Y Freestyle, 5:45.18
Lauren Solernou (CDEV): CT and Resident Record, Girls 11/12 50Y Backstroke, 28.11
Wilton Y Wahoos (WYW): CT and Resident Record, Girls 10/U 400Y Medley Relay, 4:46.66; Shannon Ahearn, KC Moss, Jazzi Cooper and Rebecca Craig