A big part of the fun (for me) of going to away meets is visiting new communities in Michigan. This was our first trip to the EGRA meet, which is located in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. We don't normally swim on the western side of the state, so I was really looking forward to it. Lexy was looking forward to seeing snow! It's been such a warm autumn, that we haven't had any significant snowfall yet. We had heard that the west side of the state was getting lake effect snow off of Lake Michigan, but they only had three or four inches -- definitely not significant by a Michiganders standards.
East Grand Rapids is a suburb of Grand Rapids, one of Michigan's largest cities. Even in the pre-dawn early morning, we could see the beautiful homes and the delightful shopping area known as Gaslight Village. They had real, working gaslights, heated, ice-free sidewalks, and Christmas carols playing on outdoor speakers to add to the holiday ambiance. I want to go back when I can enjoy the little village.
If it feels like I'm taking a long time getting to a summary of the meet, there's a good reason for that -- which I tried to hint at in the title of this post. We expect a rough meet every once in a while, and boy, was this one rough! There were no best times this weekend. In fact, Lexy was a good measure slower than she has been. We're not sure what to attribute this to, but we're just going to chalk it up to being tired.
Instead of talking about her best events, this time I'm going to focus on her worst. Lexy's not a big fan of the 100 Fly, but she swims it without complaining. There are not too many kids who want to put themselves through the rigor of this event. Consider the following evidence. On Saturday morning, the first event was the 100 Freestyle. This is a very popular event, so popular in fact there were 119 girls age 10 & under who entered to swim it. In addition to that, there were 45 entries from 10 & under boys. Factoring in swimmers who didn't show up, and the fact that the pool was configured for 8 lanes, there were 21 heats of this event.
Compare this to the entries for the 100 Fly: 14 girls and 5 boys. There were three heats. Of these 19 kids, five have Q1 (state qualifying times) and Lexy is one of them.
The event, consisting of four lengths of butterfly, started well, but at the end of the first length, the fire alarms went off. I found out later that the T-shirt purveyor in the lobby was using a silk screen machine that was so hot it was giving off smoke, which set off the alarms. Imagine the concern of the parents of several hundred kids who wondered, for about a minute, how we were going to evacuate all those wet kids who didn't have ready access to shoes in freezing temps! The meet hosts confirmed quickly that it was a false alarm and the kids in the pool (Lexy included) just kept on swimming.
The results showed that Lexy finished her 100 Fly 15 seconds slower than her best time. I immediately attributed this to the fire alarm distraction, but Lexy later confirmed that she never heard the fire alarm -- she was just tired! So much for the distraction theory.
In the end, Lexy had a couple of decent events, but as I said, no best times. The camera angles at this meet were such that I didn't bother taking video -- it was always hard to tell where she was.
What I did learn is that Lexy has two Q1 times and four Q2's. The Q2s mean that she can swim those events at the Junior Olympics in March. This is really great, and it will be the first time that Lexy can participate in that meet.
We've got one more meet before the holidays, the Dolphin Invitational right here in Midland. Then we don't swim again until after the first of the year. Overall, Lex is having a great year and this one anomaly can be forgotten.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
PCC Autumn Cruise, November 7-8, 2009
This weekend I was the marathon driving mom! I had already done a round trip to Detroit on Friday -- two hours each way. Then I added on the driving to and from the swim meet-- also two hours each way. Since Lexy's swim meet this weekend was in Saline (near Ypsilanti) and, since her sessions were in the afternoon, we chose to drive back and forth rather than stay in a hotel. All told, I think it added up to more than 600 miles.
It's hard enough to believe that it's November already. We've already had mornings with temps in the 20s. How were we to know we were headed into a beautiful, sunny weekend, with temps getting up into the mid 60s? Saturday dawned bright and sunny, but Sunday started out with a thick blanket of fog. I'd rather drive in snow and ice than fog! Luckily, it burned off by 10:30 and we were on our way.
We've been to Saline High School before, and it is one of the nicer venues out there. It was great to see so many CUDAs swimming this weekend. The ranks have grown in the past couple of years, adding both boys and girls.
(I forgot my video camera on Saturday. Then it occurred to me that my new phone had a video feature! But, it wasn't that great. . so I decided not to use the files.)
Lexy had four events on Saturday, and four more on Sunday. Her first event Saturday was the 100 I.M., which she finished three seconds faster than her best time, at 1:23.60. This also put her into the "A" category, which will help improve her seeding at the next meet. While she got off to a great start, the rest of the meet was good, but not great.
Her performance in the 100 Freestyle was about six seconds slower than her best time, and her 50 Fly time was about the same. However, in the 50 Breaststroke, she finished one second faster, at 44.28, and slid up to the "A" category as well. She received a first place finish in the "B" division, but at the next meet she will rank in the "A"s.
On Sunday, Lexy's four events were the 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Fly and 50 Free. Her time in the 200 Free was slower than her best, but since she already had an "A" time, she finished third overall! In the 100 Breaststroke, she was also slower, but finished fifth overall. Two great finishes.
Lexy has never swum a 100 Fly in a meet before, so her finish with a "B" time at 1:43.33 was very respectable. She'll have to work on that one. Her 50 Free -- let's just say she was getting tired!
We had a long weekend, and sometimes it's hard to say whether it's better to drive two hours each way to sleep in your own bed instead of staying put and hanging out in a dry hotel room. To me, it's a wash.
It's hard enough to believe that it's November already. We've already had mornings with temps in the 20s. How were we to know we were headed into a beautiful, sunny weekend, with temps getting up into the mid 60s? Saturday dawned bright and sunny, but Sunday started out with a thick blanket of fog. I'd rather drive in snow and ice than fog! Luckily, it burned off by 10:30 and we were on our way.
We've been to Saline High School before, and it is one of the nicer venues out there. It was great to see so many CUDAs swimming this weekend. The ranks have grown in the past couple of years, adding both boys and girls.
(I forgot my video camera on Saturday. Then it occurred to me that my new phone had a video feature! But, it wasn't that great. . so I decided not to use the files.)
Lexy had four events on Saturday, and four more on Sunday. Her first event Saturday was the 100 I.M., which she finished three seconds faster than her best time, at 1:23.60. This also put her into the "A" category, which will help improve her seeding at the next meet. While she got off to a great start, the rest of the meet was good, but not great.
Her performance in the 100 Freestyle was about six seconds slower than her best time, and her 50 Fly time was about the same. However, in the 50 Breaststroke, she finished one second faster, at 44.28, and slid up to the "A" category as well. She received a first place finish in the "B" division, but at the next meet she will rank in the "A"s.
On Sunday, Lexy's four events were the 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Fly and 50 Free. Her time in the 200 Free was slower than her best, but since she already had an "A" time, she finished third overall! In the 100 Breaststroke, she was also slower, but finished fifth overall. Two great finishes.
Lexy has never swum a 100 Fly in a meet before, so her finish with a "B" time at 1:43.33 was very respectable. She'll have to work on that one. Her 50 Free -- let's just say she was getting tired!
We had a long weekend, and sometimes it's hard to say whether it's better to drive two hours each way to sleep in your own bed instead of staying put and hanging out in a dry hotel room. To me, it's a wash.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
OLY Fall Classic - October 17, 2009
This weekend's swim meet in summary -- four events, four best times!
What was different about this meet? Just about everything. First, it was in the evening. The kids started warming up at 4:30 pm. We are used to swimming in the morning, and early mornings at that. Sometimes we're in the pool as early as 7 am!
With such a late start, we were, of course, worried about what time it would end. But we shouldn't have worried -- this meet was very well run, and we were done by 8 pm. With such a wonderful facility at Oakland University, the club had 12 lanes to work with, and they ran a very efficient meet.
This was also a special meet because it was the first meet that Sydney's boyfriend Julius was able to join us at an away meet. It was his 18th birthday, and Sydney had plans to take him to dinner in Midland. She was a little upset when she found out our swim meet was in Auburn Hills, nearly 90 minutes away. But when I told her, "There are restaurants in Auburn Hills!" she got excited and looked forward to taking Julius to Rainforest Cafe to celebrate. They had a fun time.
While they were off having dinner, Lexy had one of the best meets of her young swimming career. She swam four events -- the 100 Free, the 100 Breast, the 100 I.M. and the 200 Freestyle. When I think about where she was last year at this time, and how difficult swimming in the 9-10 age group was for her, it didn't seem like we would ever see a day like today.
Lexy's first event was the 100 Freestyle, and she was going into it with a 1:18.10. She finished 8 seconds faster, with a 1:10.71! Watch Lexy swim the 100 Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql5iLgCHtk0
I should mention now, that I had a very difficult time uploading all Lexy's videos to YouTube, so I will try again tomorrow. . .
In the 100 Breast, she was seeded in the final heat, because she had such a great summer swimming breaststroke. She was able to better her time by about three seconds, finished at 1:32.29. She needed a 1:32.49 to qualify for the state meet, so she achieved that tonight!
In the 100 I.M., we weren't sure how she would do, since she was starting to report fatigue. Also, since the 100 I.M. includes all four strokes, Lexy's backstroke isn't strong, and she finished about three seconds slower last weekend, we weren't looking for any major victories. We got a nice surprise, with Lexy finishing about one second faster than her best time!
Last but certainly not least, the final event for the night, the 200 Freestyle. At 8 lengths, this is still pretty demanding for the 9-10 age group. Last year, Lexy had clocked this event under 3 minutes, which made us very proud. The qualifying time for the event at this level is 2:31, and Lexy finished in 2:35, nearly 22 seconds faster than her best time! We were just thrilled and amazed to see her do so well, so late in the day, and at the end of a meet.
This finish positions her well for the rest of the season, which will likely see her seeded in the faster heats, giving her better competitors and a better chance to further improve her times.
Great job this weekend Lexy!
What was different about this meet? Just about everything. First, it was in the evening. The kids started warming up at 4:30 pm. We are used to swimming in the morning, and early mornings at that. Sometimes we're in the pool as early as 7 am!
With such a late start, we were, of course, worried about what time it would end. But we shouldn't have worried -- this meet was very well run, and we were done by 8 pm. With such a wonderful facility at Oakland University, the club had 12 lanes to work with, and they ran a very efficient meet.
This was also a special meet because it was the first meet that Sydney's boyfriend Julius was able to join us at an away meet. It was his 18th birthday, and Sydney had plans to take him to dinner in Midland. She was a little upset when she found out our swim meet was in Auburn Hills, nearly 90 minutes away. But when I told her, "There are restaurants in Auburn Hills!" she got excited and looked forward to taking Julius to Rainforest Cafe to celebrate. They had a fun time.
While they were off having dinner, Lexy had one of the best meets of her young swimming career. She swam four events -- the 100 Free, the 100 Breast, the 100 I.M. and the 200 Freestyle. When I think about where she was last year at this time, and how difficult swimming in the 9-10 age group was for her, it didn't seem like we would ever see a day like today.
Lexy's first event was the 100 Freestyle, and she was going into it with a 1:18.10. She finished 8 seconds faster, with a 1:10.71! Watch Lexy swim the 100 Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql5iLgCHtk0
I should mention now, that I had a very difficult time uploading all Lexy's videos to YouTube, so I will try again tomorrow. . .
In the 100 Breast, she was seeded in the final heat, because she had such a great summer swimming breaststroke. She was able to better her time by about three seconds, finished at 1:32.29. She needed a 1:32.49 to qualify for the state meet, so she achieved that tonight!
In the 100 I.M., we weren't sure how she would do, since she was starting to report fatigue. Also, since the 100 I.M. includes all four strokes, Lexy's backstroke isn't strong, and she finished about three seconds slower last weekend, we weren't looking for any major victories. We got a nice surprise, with Lexy finishing about one second faster than her best time!
Last but certainly not least, the final event for the night, the 200 Freestyle. At 8 lengths, this is still pretty demanding for the 9-10 age group. Last year, Lexy had clocked this event under 3 minutes, which made us very proud. The qualifying time for the event at this level is 2:31, and Lexy finished in 2:35, nearly 22 seconds faster than her best time! We were just thrilled and amazed to see her do so well, so late in the day, and at the end of a meet.
This finish positions her well for the rest of the season, which will likely see her seeded in the faster heats, giving her better competitors and a better chance to further improve her times.
Great job this weekend Lexy!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
BAYS Pentathlon, Oct. 10, 2009
The big question today -- to cheer or not to cheer. I LOVE to cheer. I LOVE to urge my swimmer on and give her support from the bleacher seats.
Three problems with cheering:
1. Lexy says she can't hear me with her head under water. Can this be true?
2. If I cheer when I'm videotaping, my video viewers can hear me. . .
3. When Lexy watches my videos, she says "Mom! Stop!"
I guess this is a "development opportunity" for me. But when my swimmer is swimming, my spidey senses start tingling and I've got to cheer! GO LEX GO!
Today's meet was organized as a pentathlon, which is a great idea for a swim meet. In essence, every swimmer who signs up will swim each of the four main strokes at the prescribed length for his or her age group, and an I.M. While not everyone will want to swim every stroke, this makes for an efficient meet.
Our session concluded in about 90 minutes. It doesn't give the kids a lot of time between events which, in some cases, can be a good thing, so they don't get bored and start asking for snacks! It also can result in the kids not getting enough time to recover between events.
Lexy's pentathlon consisted of the 50 Fly, 50 Back, 50 Breast and 50 Free, and the 100 I.M. She had a great morning, dropping time in the first three events. She added a couple of seconds in the 50 Free and 100 I.M., but she was still within the qualifying times, so I'm confident she'll pare those back down to where she was last spring or perhaps better them further.
In the 50 Fly, Lexy dropped from 44.69 to 43.58 and made the qualifying time for the Michigan Team Swim League (44.00). Her kick vs. arms timing is really showing improvement. Watch the 50 Fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB99oZDCZqw
Lexy has been struggling with her backstroke, but we were encouraged today when she dropped about two seconds, from 45.12 to 43.10, just about one second shy of the MTSL cut (42.00). Lexy is in Lane 1; her teammate Jenny Yu is in Lane 2. Jenny is a rocket at backstroke! Watch the 50 Back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf2mHXzInLk
Breaststroke has been Lexy's best stroke lately, and we were confident she would do well in this event. She didn't disappoint, dropping more than two seconds from her best time, from a 47.87 to a 45.56, and surpassing the MTSL cut (47.00). We were impressed with her start. Watch the 50 Breast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOdr2OmeLw
In the 50 Free, she went 36.33, about two seconds slower, but these events were moving pretty quickly. She'll get back there. The MTSL cut is 36.00, so she already has that event. Lexy is in Lane 5, Jenny Yu is in Lane 6. Watch the 50 Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3XOXhcHkuI
The cut for the 100 I.M. is 1:31.00, and she got this cut last year, going a 1:27.60. Today she went 1:30.14, but again, I think this is a matter of having the meet go so quickly and being tired. Lexy is in Lane 5 and Jenny Yu is in Lane 6. You can see where Lexy falls behind in the backstroke but catches up in the breast. Watch the 100 I.M.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvdcQjtWLc
Next week: OLY (Oakland Live "Y"ers) at Oakland University, one of our favorite "away" pools. This will be our first USS meet for the Fall and it will NOT be over in 90 minutes!
Three problems with cheering:
1. Lexy says she can't hear me with her head under water. Can this be true?
2. If I cheer when I'm videotaping, my video viewers can hear me. . .
3. When Lexy watches my videos, she says "Mom! Stop!"
I guess this is a "development opportunity" for me. But when my swimmer is swimming, my spidey senses start tingling and I've got to cheer! GO LEX GO!
Today's meet was organized as a pentathlon, which is a great idea for a swim meet. In essence, every swimmer who signs up will swim each of the four main strokes at the prescribed length for his or her age group, and an I.M. While not everyone will want to swim every stroke, this makes for an efficient meet.
Our session concluded in about 90 minutes. It doesn't give the kids a lot of time between events which, in some cases, can be a good thing, so they don't get bored and start asking for snacks! It also can result in the kids not getting enough time to recover between events.
Lexy's pentathlon consisted of the 50 Fly, 50 Back, 50 Breast and 50 Free, and the 100 I.M. She had a great morning, dropping time in the first three events. She added a couple of seconds in the 50 Free and 100 I.M., but she was still within the qualifying times, so I'm confident she'll pare those back down to where she was last spring or perhaps better them further.
In the 50 Fly, Lexy dropped from 44.69 to 43.58 and made the qualifying time for the Michigan Team Swim League (44.00). Her kick vs. arms timing is really showing improvement. Watch the 50 Fly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB99oZDCZqw
Lexy has been struggling with her backstroke, but we were encouraged today when she dropped about two seconds, from 45.12 to 43.10, just about one second shy of the MTSL cut (42.00). Lexy is in Lane 1; her teammate Jenny Yu is in Lane 2. Jenny is a rocket at backstroke! Watch the 50 Back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf2mHXzInLk
Breaststroke has been Lexy's best stroke lately, and we were confident she would do well in this event. She didn't disappoint, dropping more than two seconds from her best time, from a 47.87 to a 45.56, and surpassing the MTSL cut (47.00). We were impressed with her start. Watch the 50 Breast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOdr2OmeLw
In the 50 Free, she went 36.33, about two seconds slower, but these events were moving pretty quickly. She'll get back there. The MTSL cut is 36.00, so she already has that event. Lexy is in Lane 5, Jenny Yu is in Lane 6. Watch the 50 Free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3XOXhcHkuI
The cut for the 100 I.M. is 1:31.00, and she got this cut last year, going a 1:27.60. Today she went 1:30.14, but again, I think this is a matter of having the meet go so quickly and being tired. Lexy is in Lane 5 and Jenny Yu is in Lane 6. You can see where Lexy falls behind in the backstroke but catches up in the breast. Watch the 100 I.M.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZvdcQjtWLc
Next week: OLY (Oakland Live "Y"ers) at Oakland University, one of our favorite "away" pools. This will be our first USS meet for the Fall and it will NOT be over in 90 minutes!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Swimming with the Olympians!
Today we had the pleasure to meet and spend the afternoon with three American heroes. Unlike other "professional" athletes, whom kids decide to idolize without ever meeting them, today's interaction with three of the U.S.'s most outstanding swimmers will be a day we won't soon forget.
Here are three people in their mid-20's -- Peter Vanderkaay, 25, a two-time Olympian with two gold medals; his brother Alex Vanderkaay, 23, a two-time NCAA champion; and Megan Jendrick, 25, who won two gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Peter just happened to have his name up on the wall at the Oakland University pool, holding three pool records there: the 100, 200 and 500 free. Peter and Alex are natives of Rochester, Michigan, and U of Michigan alums. How sad that their alma mater lost today (to STATE! hee hee). Ahem.
These are three well-spoken, genuinely nice people, who understand the importance of getting kids excited and keeping them motivated about their chosen sport of swimming. As they tell it, they weren't superstars the moment someone threw them in the pool. They each had their challenges and had to work hard to achieve their moments on the medal stands.
Here also, were 96 well behaved members of USA swimming or other Michigan swim leagues, who listened, did as the champions told, and just had fun with the afternoon. There was no heckling from the bleachers, nothing being thrown, no parents fighting. Nothing happened that would make headlines, or, refreshingly, the Auburn Hills police blotter. Well-behaved kids, supportive parents, smart, well-spoken champions, sharing their sport during a rainy October afternoon.
When we first signed up, I thought this would be a good way to get Lexy charged up for the Fall swim season. After it was over, I realized how much differently these athletes present themselves than those we're used to seeing. I think the pendulum needs to swing in the other direction. Outstanding role models for kids are out there -- we just have to look hard to find them.
During the introductions, all three swimmers took questions about their background, training regimens, and shared funny and personal stories. Then the swimmers suited up and joined the kids in the pool. They each spent time on their best stroke (Peter, freestyle; Megan, breaststroke; Alex, butterfly) and then they all did a backstroke session. After each instructional session, the kids got to race the champions in a one-length heat. How fun it was to watch 6'4" Peter Vanderkaay give the kids nearly a 3/4 length headstart and still beat them!
Lexy races Peter Vanderkaay -- freestyle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr1TrTb24fA
I missed the start of this race, but caught it in the middle. Lexy is on the left, in the back.
Lexy races Megan Jendrick -- breaststroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PcBUPKyyFY
It was so fun to find out that another CUDA family, the Bollands, were there too. In this race against Alex Vanderkaay, Lexy is on the left and Thomas Bolland is on the right. It's a CUDA double-team!
Lexy races Alex Vanderkaay -- butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBzOO1MMvcc
Lexy races Alex Vanderkaay -- backstroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTy0oAd5oU
Afterward, the champions were so gracious about autographing everything in sight! Don't they all have beautiful smiles?
Megan Jendrick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaGLIA0oZ4
Alex and Peter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4xhC9OTqdA
I would highly recommend this athlete interaction with anyone who is on the fence about it. It was definitely worth the registration fee and the trip.
Here are three people in their mid-20's -- Peter Vanderkaay, 25, a two-time Olympian with two gold medals; his brother Alex Vanderkaay, 23, a two-time NCAA champion; and Megan Jendrick, 25, who won two gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Peter just happened to have his name up on the wall at the Oakland University pool, holding three pool records there: the 100, 200 and 500 free. Peter and Alex are natives of Rochester, Michigan, and U of Michigan alums. How sad that their alma mater lost today (to STATE! hee hee). Ahem.
These are three well-spoken, genuinely nice people, who understand the importance of getting kids excited and keeping them motivated about their chosen sport of swimming. As they tell it, they weren't superstars the moment someone threw them in the pool. They each had their challenges and had to work hard to achieve their moments on the medal stands.
Here also, were 96 well behaved members of USA swimming or other Michigan swim leagues, who listened, did as the champions told, and just had fun with the afternoon. There was no heckling from the bleachers, nothing being thrown, no parents fighting. Nothing happened that would make headlines, or, refreshingly, the Auburn Hills police blotter. Well-behaved kids, supportive parents, smart, well-spoken champions, sharing their sport during a rainy October afternoon.
When we first signed up, I thought this would be a good way to get Lexy charged up for the Fall swim season. After it was over, I realized how much differently these athletes present themselves than those we're used to seeing. I think the pendulum needs to swing in the other direction. Outstanding role models for kids are out there -- we just have to look hard to find them.
During the introductions, all three swimmers took questions about their background, training regimens, and shared funny and personal stories. Then the swimmers suited up and joined the kids in the pool. They each spent time on their best stroke (Peter, freestyle; Megan, breaststroke; Alex, butterfly) and then they all did a backstroke session. After each instructional session, the kids got to race the champions in a one-length heat. How fun it was to watch 6'4" Peter Vanderkaay give the kids nearly a 3/4 length headstart and still beat them!
Lexy races Peter Vanderkaay -- freestyle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr1TrTb24fA
I missed the start of this race, but caught it in the middle. Lexy is on the left, in the back.
Lexy races Megan Jendrick -- breaststroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PcBUPKyyFY
It was so fun to find out that another CUDA family, the Bollands, were there too. In this race against Alex Vanderkaay, Lexy is on the left and Thomas Bolland is on the right. It's a CUDA double-team!
Lexy races Alex Vanderkaay -- butterfly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBzOO1MMvcc
Lexy races Alex Vanderkaay -- backstroke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTy0oAd5oU
Afterward, the champions were so gracious about autographing everything in sight! Don't they all have beautiful smiles?
Megan Jendrick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qaGLIA0oZ4
Alex and Peter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4xhC9OTqdA
I would highly recommend this athlete interaction with anyone who is on the fence about it. It was definitely worth the registration fee and the trip.
Monday, August 3, 2009
States -- Day 3 August 2, 2009
Sunday, Day 3 for Lexy, and her last day to improve her performance at her first appearance at a State meet. Lexy was scheduled to swim two events: the 50 breaststroke and the 400 freestyle relay.
In the 50 Breast, Lexy dropped almost an entire second, to finish 29th in the state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpjCZlACXBU
The girls got ready for their 400 freestyle relay and were really pumped up. They had perfect exchanges and swam a great event, breaking the existing CUDA record and coming in fifth, but eventually finishing fourth in the state, after another team DQ'd. Coach Hall timed each of the girls and Lexy swam a 1:22.00 for her 100 Free, about 2.5 seconds faster than her fastest time this season. This would mean she was only a fraction of a second short of the qualifying time. She'll get it for next year's state finals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5YsAi__wBc
We were so excited about their win and their moment on the medal stand!
Later, after the events were over, I was on the team that was in charge of sorting and handing out the medals. We had to award medals to kids and relay teams who placed 1st through 8th, for the 22 events that had just taken place. So you do the math -- 8 times 18 (for the individual events) and 4 times 4 for the relays. OK, I'm no math genius, but I think that's about 176 kids in a space the size of my kitchen, jostling and milling about trying to line up for their respective medal awards ceremonies. I missed Lexy getting her medal, but Coach Hall assured me she got photos of the team and of Lexy. I got a shot of Lexy in her medal afterward.
Overall, it was great to be qualified to swim at the State meet this year, and it was a great experience with both high and low points. We enjoyed our weekend away. Now it's time for a short break and time to get ready to go back to school.
In the 50 Breast, Lexy dropped almost an entire second, to finish 29th in the state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpjCZlACXBU
The girls got ready for their 400 freestyle relay and were really pumped up. They had perfect exchanges and swam a great event, breaking the existing CUDA record and coming in fifth, but eventually finishing fourth in the state, after another team DQ'd. Coach Hall timed each of the girls and Lexy swam a 1:22.00 for her 100 Free, about 2.5 seconds faster than her fastest time this season. This would mean she was only a fraction of a second short of the qualifying time. She'll get it for next year's state finals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5YsAi__wBc
We were so excited about their win and their moment on the medal stand!
Later, after the events were over, I was on the team that was in charge of sorting and handing out the medals. We had to award medals to kids and relay teams who placed 1st through 8th, for the 22 events that had just taken place. So you do the math -- 8 times 18 (for the individual events) and 4 times 4 for the relays. OK, I'm no math genius, but I think that's about 176 kids in a space the size of my kitchen, jostling and milling about trying to line up for their respective medal awards ceremonies. I missed Lexy getting her medal, but Coach Hall assured me she got photos of the team and of Lexy. I got a shot of Lexy in her medal afterward.
Overall, it was great to be qualified to swim at the State meet this year, and it was a great experience with both high and low points. We enjoyed our weekend away. Now it's time for a short break and time to get ready to go back to school.
States -- Day 2 August 1, 2009
Today was what we affectionately call a "learning experience." It's too bad we have to have a learning experience at States, but it won't be easily forgotten.
But before we get to the bad news, see if you can guess what my favorite time is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmxHnrGVD6o This is a triple whammy video, because not only do you get to see my favorite time, but you also get to see what a warm up looks like at States -- steer clear of all those flailing elbows! And, hanging from the diving platforms, you'll see a CUDA banner prominently displayed, as CUDA and Plymouth-Canton Cruisers are the co-hosts of the 2009 State Meet. Go CUDA!
Lexy's first event today was the 400 Meter Medley relay, with each team member swimming a different stroke for 100 Meters. Lexy's leg was the breaststroke. Since I was on deck timing, I couldn't see how they finished, but I looked over to their lane and saw Coach Hall explaining something. Next thing I knew, Lexy was walking past me without saying anything. The red tint under her eyebrows gave it away--they had been disqualified. With only eight teams competing, they were guaranteed a medal as long as they swam a legal event. Later, we learned the reasons for the DQ -- Lexy false started and, when she did, she dove too deep. To get back up to the surface, she took an extra -- and illegal -- stroke under water. What a heartbreaker.
When you watch this video, Jenny Yu is the first swimmer - backstroke. Lexy is second -- you can see here adjusting her goggles, and then after she dives in you can see the first and second stroke clearly, and then the Marshall's arm FLIES up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaIK303mHxE
We hoped that the effect of the DQ would wear off by the time she swam her individual 100 breaststroke event, but no such luck. Lexy swam about 2 seconds slower than her qualifying time, and finished last. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWgGEoF0zoA
We had dinner reservations at a great restaurant in Ann Arbor -- the Gandy Dancer. The restaurant is in a restored historic train depot (on Depot Street, how original). A Gandy Dancer is a type of train car. We had a wonderful table overlooking the rails, and an Amtrak passenger train went by when we were enjoying our dinner. And dinner itself was a wonderful experience: from the Sicilian Calamari to the Martha's Vineyard salads to the seafood entrees and dessert, we didn't have one complaint. The service was great, too. This is one restaurant we know we will visit again. And, it took Lexy's mind off her less-than-stellar day in the pool.
When we got back to our hotel, some of the other CUDA parents invited us out to the patio to enjoy some conversation and a few beers. The mosquitos were biting so I turned in early, but Ed got to get to know some of the other parents, and it was overall a good end to a disappointing day.
But before we get to the bad news, see if you can guess what my favorite time is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmxHnrGVD6o This is a triple whammy video, because not only do you get to see my favorite time, but you also get to see what a warm up looks like at States -- steer clear of all those flailing elbows! And, hanging from the diving platforms, you'll see a CUDA banner prominently displayed, as CUDA and Plymouth-Canton Cruisers are the co-hosts of the 2009 State Meet. Go CUDA!
Lexy's first event today was the 400 Meter Medley relay, with each team member swimming a different stroke for 100 Meters. Lexy's leg was the breaststroke. Since I was on deck timing, I couldn't see how they finished, but I looked over to their lane and saw Coach Hall explaining something. Next thing I knew, Lexy was walking past me without saying anything. The red tint under her eyebrows gave it away--they had been disqualified. With only eight teams competing, they were guaranteed a medal as long as they swam a legal event. Later, we learned the reasons for the DQ -- Lexy false started and, when she did, she dove too deep. To get back up to the surface, she took an extra -- and illegal -- stroke under water. What a heartbreaker.
When you watch this video, Jenny Yu is the first swimmer - backstroke. Lexy is second -- you can see here adjusting her goggles, and then after she dives in you can see the first and second stroke clearly, and then the Marshall's arm FLIES up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaIK303mHxE
We hoped that the effect of the DQ would wear off by the time she swam her individual 100 breaststroke event, but no such luck. Lexy swam about 2 seconds slower than her qualifying time, and finished last. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWgGEoF0zoA
We had dinner reservations at a great restaurant in Ann Arbor -- the Gandy Dancer. The restaurant is in a restored historic train depot (on Depot Street, how original). A Gandy Dancer is a type of train car. We had a wonderful table overlooking the rails, and an Amtrak passenger train went by when we were enjoying our dinner. And dinner itself was a wonderful experience: from the Sicilian Calamari to the Martha's Vineyard salads to the seafood entrees and dessert, we didn't have one complaint. The service was great, too. This is one restaurant we know we will visit again. And, it took Lexy's mind off her less-than-stellar day in the pool.
When we got back to our hotel, some of the other CUDA parents invited us out to the patio to enjoy some conversation and a few beers. The mosquitos were biting so I turned in early, but Ed got to get to know some of the other parents, and it was overall a good end to a disappointing day.
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