Bannockburn Swim Team

Dolphin Times

Issue 7 (July 16, 2013)

Please share the Dolphin Times with your swimmers. We email only to the parents, but the fun of the newsletter is for the kids to see their names and their races written up. Pictures and prior editions of the Dolphin Times are available online at http://bannockburnswimteam.blogspot.com.

PICTURES are now added to this edition!

Dolphins Fall to NW Branch in Fun Meet

By Doll Finn,

Senior Swim Correspondent

The Dolphins won the final A Meet of the season.

Unfortunately it was the Northwest Branch Dolphins rather than the Bannockburn Dolphins.

The final score was 447.5 to 343.5, though that masqueraded some very impressive performances.

The caravan crew to Northwest Branch came dressed for the Fiesta theme.

For this correspondent, the highlight of the meet was the second boys open IM relay. Northwest Branch did not even enter a second team, but Head Coach Malena and Assistant Spenser gave several swimmers a chance to compete in the A meet.

The team of Alex Butman, Ali Shafii, Owen Wassiliew and Andrew Ford had a collective 49 years under their belts. The winning Northwest Branch team had a collective 67 years – nearly five years older per swimmer – over this group. By coincidence, the Bannockburn team of Andy Lair-Ferrari, Ryan Chitwood, Nick Hopkins and James Cobau also had 67 years under their belt. By competing, the younger Dolphins picked up valuable points for the team that otherwise would have gone unclaimed. 

That performance – where the boys were outgunned by much older co

mpetitors – epitomizes what is so great about summer swimming. This is a team event and if the team has a chance to get some points then all hands are willing to pitch in and get wet. This reporter was quite impressed.

As for the meet, the team was in trouble in the start as Northwest Branch had two very fast 11/12 boys, That meant Bannockburn was not sweeping every 11/12 boy event as we typically do.

It also did not help that several swimmers were missing.

While Bannockburn was under pressure in the first several events, they picked up needed points in the girls 200 Meter Medley Relay with the team of Elizabeth Fosburgh, Hannah Melrod, Maddie Alagia, and Bryna Steele getting first and the team of Elena Palerm, Danielle Lair-Ferrari, Katya Damskey and Kellan Steele getting second.

In under 8 25 free, Jacob Seiberg finished third and was the only boy to score point. The girls fared better with Ella Scott in second, Darby LeFaivre in third and Anna Cavanagh in fifth.

This pattern kept repeating itself. We’d get close, but not enough points. In 9/10, Andrew O’Brien was third while Shifra Eskin was second for the girls. 

The 13/14 girls kept us in the meet. Kaili Gregory was first in 50 free with Jessie Kline tied for second, Katya Damskey in fourth and Danielle Lair-Ferrari in fifth. For 11/12 boys, Ray Crist was second. Caitlin Ryan and Naomi Seiberg were third and fourth. In 15/18, Andy Lair-Ferrari scored third while Elizabeth Fosburgh won.

Jack Blazes was second in the 13/14 IM while Jessie Kline and Katya Damskey were first and second.

A big pre-meet cheer led by the coaches.

In backstroke, Bannockburn did not have a first place finish until Elizabeth Fosburgh in 15/18. Andy Lair-Ferrari did come close, finishing second. Jessie Kline in 13/14 continued to dominate, winning in back with Priscilla Felten in third.

Elizabeth Fosburgh got another first for 15/18 100 IM.

On to breast stroke where Meyer Eskin won in under 8 while Darby LeFaivre and Maya Lall were second and third. Andrew O’Brien and Cole Wassiliew were second and third in 9/10 with Shifra Eskin winning for the girls.

For 11/12, Jack MacIsaac and owen Wassiliew were second and third with Caitlin Ryan and Alexa Crist second and third as well. Jack Blazes won for 13/14 boys with Kaili Gregory and Katya Damskey in first and second for the girls.

Butterfly was a tough stroke for Bannockburn in this meet, though Katya Damskey and Jessie Kline were first and second in 13/14 girls and Elizabeth Fosburgh and Maddie Alagia were first and second as well in 15/18 girls.

Forget AC/DC; Dolphins Have Thunder

By Flip Turn,

Junior Swim Correspondent

Yeah, yeah yeah Thunderstuck. Yeah yeah yeah Thunderstruck.

It is not just AC/DC that has to deal with thunder. The Bannockburn Dolphins confronted thunder just before the start of breast stroke at our B Meet against Mohican. 

Because of the weather, the meet was called at the half way point. As a result, there are no times for breast or fly. Yet there were some great performances in IM, free and back.

Our list today compares times in the final B meet against times in the Sommerset B meet just a week ago. We flag times with improvements of at least 5%. What’s so impressive is that so many young Dolphins are still improving this late in the season.

• Alexander Austin (12) dropped 7.92 seconds in IM.
• Clara Baisinger-Rosen (7) dropped 2.63 seconds in free.
• Maxwell Burns (9) dropped 7.02 seconds in back.
• Lauren Caddell (8) dropped 7.10 seconds in back.
• Anna-Louise Cobau (9) dropped 1.88 seconds in back.
• Sarah Cobau (12) dropped 3.53 seconds in back.
• Cassidy Eyres (9) dropped 4.64 seconds in back.
• Payton Eyres (7) dropped 4.2 seconds in back.
• Aiden Kaplan (10) dropped 9.16 seconds in free.
• Ryan Kaplan (8) dropped 6.75 seconds in back.
• Aaron Kraus (6) dropped 3.67 seconds in back.
• Zachary Kraus (6) dropped 2.46 seconds in free.
• Max Kroloff (7) dropped 11.41 seconds in back.
• Sarah McAdoo (11) dropped 4.97 seconds in back.
• Sydney Merlo (6) dropped 1.82 seconds in free and 5.02 seconds in back.
• Anthony Noya (7) dropped 3.07 seconds in free.
• Celia Noya (6) dropped 6.38 seconds in free and 7.62 seconds in back.
• Aidan O’Brien (6) dropped 2.36 seconds in back.
• Teresa Romeu (8) dropped 4.61 seconds in back.
• Lucca Scott (11) dropped 3.01 seconds in back and 5.26 seconds in IM.
• James Setty (8) dropped 8.67 seconds in free and 3.34 seconds in back.
• Julie Solonsky (9) dropped 2.15 seconds in back.

Just as the under 8 boys were lining up for breast, the life guards finally pulled the thunder alarm and cleared the pool deck. It was simply no longer possible to dismiss the noise as either airplanes, a motorcycle or the tow truck that was saving a troubled car in the parking lot.

By pool rule, 30 minutes must elapse without more thunder for the pool to reopen. When it became clear that it would be no earlier than 8:30 for the restart, meet officials decided to call it a night. 

As this correspondent saw first hand when the storm last summer knocked out power and forced the team to compete at night in the dark in an A meet, it is real problem when Dolphins cannot see the wall. That makes a flip turn really tough. In addition, there are safety concerns with the ability – or inability – of lifeguards to see if there is anyone in trouble in the water.

And for those saying pool lights could solve this problem, we hear from Dolphins that this is not a panacea. They either blind the swimmer headed to the light or leave other swimmers in dark shadows.

Regardless, this reporter was impressed at how quickly parents can flee the pool when they are at risk of getting soaked in a thunderstorm. That pool deck was empty within five minutes.

Prior Editions on Dolphin Times Online!

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And please let us know of any breaking Dolphin news at haydnthedogseiberg@gmail.com.