Name:  

Sarah Bouchard

High School:

Severn School

Years on SPY:

Two

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Bates College

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

After school, when I am not swimming, I am most likely running. I am on the Severn cross-country team, and I am team captain. Unlike most people, I LOVE to run. In the past year I have run the Baltimore Marathon and the Annapolis ten-mile race, along with several 5k’s. I also love graphic design, and enjoy creating designs and illustrations on my computer. I have to say, my biggest guilty pleasure is keeping up with my favorite TV shows. I cannot miss Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, 30 Rock or The Office. I also love to go to the movies and to hang out with my friends.

Most memorable swim:

My most memorable swim was my 100-breaststroke swim at Wilton last year. I swam the 100 breast in prelims, not even knowing I was even close to the Raleigh cut and ended up just a few tenths of a second away from making my first time cut for Raleigh. I was so excited when Jim told me I had one more chance to swim it at finals that night, but was a little worried when he advised me to go back to the hotel and rest. I had a scheduled college visit at Yale University, and there was no way I was getting out of it. I cannot remember much about the campus, because I am pretty sure I was asleep as we were driving through it. I made it back to finals, rested and ready to swim. Before I got up on the block, I looked over and saw Rachel and Maggie cheering for me on the side of the pool. I was so excited, and the race seemed to go by in a blur. Looking up at my time on the board, I simply smiled as my friends rushed over to congratulate me on making the time cut. Even though I never really got a change to see Yale in depth, I did get to visit other colleges in North Carolina when I went to Raleigh!

Most memorable/
funny moment:

My most memorable moment was most definitely when Kaili Owens and I were demonstrating our “elementary butterfly and breaststroke” after completing a station at Peter’s practice. I was literally drowning in the pool from laughing so hard at Kaili doing her worst possible breaststroke. Her performance was definitely worthy of a video and we filmed her doing a twenty-five after practice.

Best event:

100 Breast, 200 Free, 500 Free, 1000 Free

Favorite set:

Anything involving distance freestyle or breaststroke.

Least favorite set:

KICK! I have no idea why, but I am absolutely horrible at kicking! It does not make any sense, considering that I am a runner, but I honestly feel like I go backwards when I kick. I am also not a fan of IM sets and I usually would prefer swimming double the yards in freestyle rather than any IM set.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

My mom always makes me a pasta dinner the night before a meet, and I usually eat a bagel in the morning to load up on carbs. It used to be a ritual at field hockey team breakfasts to eat spaghetti on a bagel with cream cheese. As gross as that sounds, it is actually quite good and certainly covers carb intake for the day! I have never eaten one before a swim meet (I don’t think the SPY team would quite understand), but it is safe to say I always eat a bagel before I swim.

Pre-swim rituals:

Before a long distance freestyle event, I start a story in my head. I think about a situation and chose characters and try not to get too far into the story before I start my race. Once I am in the pool and I know I have several laps of freestyle to go, I finish the story in my head. This ritual has helped me through several cross-country meets and half marathons too! Also, before every race, I always stretch out my muscles and bounce up and down on the pool deck to get my blood flowing or keep warm.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

Overall, the most important lesson I learned from swimming on SPY is the importance of being on a team. I used to swim for the Naval Academy Aquatics Club, where being part of the team was not stressed and individualism was remarkably important. I felt like working hard at practices was only for my own benefit and most of the people I swam with were strictly people on my swim team, not my close friends. At SPY, it is a different story. I come to practice and work hard knowing that my individual races in meets have a contribution to the team in the end. I love the competitive and friendly spirit the team has in practice and at meets, and this healthy combination makes swimming for SPY so enjoyable. The team building exercises I have done here over the past two years, have helped me develop an amazing group of friends who I love practicing and being with. Everyone, from the coaches to the swimmers, is exceptionally affable and willing to help. The positive environment at SPY and the value I have obtained from being a member of such an amazing team will certainly remain with me when I go off to college next year and even beyond then.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Find a good balance between school and swimming and do not procrastinate on homework because sleep is tremendously vital too! Also, if you are interested on continuing with swimming in college, begin the process early, because committing early to a college for a sport can take a huge weight off your shoulder senior year. Work hard in practice, but have some fun too! You may not realize how much time you end up spending with your teammates, but for the amount of time you spend at SPY, you might as well enjoy your time there. Finally, stay positive! High school will be over before you know it, and it is certainly not the time to glaze over and make it through on autopilot. Make time for your friends and things you love other than school and make the best of your last two years, because they can also be the most fun!

Name:  

Sean Brant

High School:

Severna Park

Years on SPY:

7

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Lehigh University

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I’m going to make this a pretty generic response, but when I’m not swimming I do pretty normal things. I like to hang out with my friends, or just sit around and watch TV. I spend a lot of time on Facebook though, some might say a bit too much (but they’re really just jealous that they can’t creep like me). Finally, I love talking trash to other summer swim teams about how great the NCA dynasty is.

Most memorable swim:

My most memorable swim was Districts 2009. I was swimming in the consols heat of 200 back, really expecting nothing from it other than to do my best. I started the race and just felt really good, swimming one of the best races of my life. When I looked at the clock I ended up getting third in the heat, but everyone seemed really excited. I had no idea why, I mean it’s not like I won the heat or anything, and you can’t score points in consols or anything. But then everyone was telling me how I had made my first Long Course Y-Nationals Cut (I didn’t even know the time sadly enough), and suddenly I got really excited too. Not only was that the first race that I had made a national cut in, but just the fact that the whole team seemed to respond to the fact really made it something to remember.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Being on the SPY swim team has provided a plethora of funny moments. From Nicole Provenza’s hilarious random comments to some joke being said in the lane, not a day goes by on SPY that I don’t laugh. As horrible as it is to say though, I can’t think of one individual moment that one particularly funny. Everything seems to blur together right now, but only good/funny memories seems to shine through.

Best event:

200 Back

Favorite set:

Well I mean the test set it a pretty obvious choice. It always just seems to put me in a really good mood. But seriously my favorite set is something like 6 x 100 Back on the 1:20. I can’t stand really boring sets, so l like something that at least keeps me thinking a bit.

Least favorite set:

When you have a really long freestyle/IM set that seems like it will never end (Aka every single time we have a hard morning practice with ‘chard)

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

I love pasta with shrimp. Some nice angel haired pasta, with a buttery sauce and some shrimp on top of that is the way to go. And lots and lots of water.

Pre-swim rituals:

The first thing I do is warm up. After I warm-up it is a necessity that I blow bubbles in my warm-up lane with lots of people looking at me funny while they’re still doing their boring warm-ups. You can never forget the bubbles. Next I have to consume exactly one half of my Vanilla Crisp Power Bar. It can be no more or no less. I always compliment the Power Bar with some type of Gatorade. After I consume gourmet meal, I then begin to listen to my iPod, oftentimes singing loud enough for the whole team to hear. I also have to stretch while I listen to my iPod. That’s crucial. Finally, I go behind the blocks super early because I’m always afraid I’ll miss my event. While behind the blocks I stretch some more, cheer for teammates, or just laugh at the people who are having nervous breakdowns before they swim (the water really isn’t that scary I promise). Then right before I jump in I make sure my goggles are on and adjusted right (because yes I have swam with my goggles on my forehead).

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

The most important lesson I have learned from swimming on SPY is that hard work really pays off. When I first joined SPY I was in no way the definition of fast. I joined because I really just loved to swim. I never expected I would make it to Raleigh, and definitely not to one of the national swim meets. But I worked hard, and now as a Senior I have been to Raleigh and both national meets. It might sound cliché, but really if you put your mind to something you can make it happen.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Respect EVERYONE, your teammates, your competitors, and your coaches. Your teammates will be like your family and if you burn bridges with your teammates or coaches you will have no one to support you. Swimming itself is a sport that pushes one to their limits, and you need someone to help you who knows how you feel. Your teammates and coaches will be what makes swimming fun for you, so don’t ruin that for yourself. And if you don’t respect your competitors they will never respect you for what you accomplish. Enjoy the sport while you still have the opportunity to, but make sure that you don’t ruin relationships on your way to doing that.

Name:  

Faith Breen-Franklin

High School:

Severna Park High School

Years on SPY:

7ish?

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I like to spend lots of time on my computer, go out biking with friends, eat, go to the movies, sleep, lounge around, I like to go to cities (my friends and I like to get the train into Washington or bike into Annapolis, we tend to stay out of Baltimore though)

Most memorable swim:

A couple years ago when I made my first Raleigh cut at Districts in the 200 breast. I had only just learned a couple weeks earlier that if you wanted to swim a 200 fast, you had to sprint the whole thing, it isn't a distance event. So in prelims I tried pretty hard but ended up adding two seconds to my time that was only a second off the cut, and I got 10th and only just made finals. When finals came I wasn't feeling great and I didn't really want to swim the 200 breast a second time, but I went up and got ready to swim and the girl in lane 9 (8th place) was from BRY, (I think this may have been the year after they beat us? But I really wanted to beat her) so as I was standing behind the block I chanted in my head "I will make Raleigh, I will get 7th place." As we started the race I could see her starting to get ahead of me, and as I turned around there was only a couple people cheering for me (Nicole, Kimmy, Kelsey, and Jenna) were all in my heat as well. But I started to push harder to try and beat this girl (I swim better when I have someone I really want to beat) and by the end of my race there was a huge crowd of people standing around both our lanes pushing us on. She ended up touching me out...but I made my cut!

Most memorable/
funny moment:

It's impossible to pick out just one! A couple years ago when Kelsey graduated, she wrote on this page that she liked to slap Isaac to bring out his "english rose complexion," Nicole thought this was a good idea and will, to this day, occasionally slap me just for the heck of it, the day I shadowed Kimmy at Wilton, and even just every day at practice I find something to laugh about

Best event:

100 breast, 200 breast, 200 back, 400 im

Favorite set:

Einstein's of course! No but really I like any set that's on a good time that I can make but still work hard. I tend to like doing im sets, one set that everybody hated that I loved was with Richard one day when we did 50 fly, 50 fly 50 back, 50 fly 50 back 50 breast, etc. then 100 fly 50 back 50 breast 50 free, etc all the way up to a 400 im and then all the way back down again

Least favorite set:

Well I hate over-unders, which everybody else loves, I think its because the first time I ever did them was with Jim, and it was like my first year on spy and we were allowed to breathe once when we came up from the under, and none on the over. I almost died-it was only Hannah who helped me through it. But other than that I hate short freestyle sets, long freestyle sets, and fast freestyle sets. Pretty much any freestyle set.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

Pasta salad the night before, and cereal in the morning.

Pre-swim rituals:

Nothing in particular, I usually like to eat a power bar, occasionally it's a power gel but I have to eat them when no one is looking or people will either tell me how gross they are or make me say "strawberry banana" in an English accent. I have a little to drink, if I listen to my ipod it always has to start and end with dota by basshunter. I go up to the coaches at least three times before I swim and make sure I haven't forgotten my heat and lane, or what I'm swimming, and I always go up super early, check with the timer to make sure I'm in the right lane, and check with the people around me so I know who is in the heat before me (plus I like to know that I'm faster than the people in the heat before me).

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

One lesson that has taken me a long time (too long!) to learn I think is summed up best in the old karate kid. Mr. Myagi asks Daniel if he is ready to learn karate and Daniel replies "Yeah I guess so", to which Mr Myagi says "Daniel-san, must talk. Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do "yes" or karate do "no." You karate do "guess so," *squish* just like grape. Understand?" And swimming is just the same, if you are going to be on the team you have to come to practice every day, work as hard as you can every day, and do what the coaches say every day. If you just come to practice when you want and plod up and down the pool and skip sets or skip practice when you feel like it you get "squish like grape"

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Well I'm pretty sure anything I say here is going to be a repeat of what anyone else will say: work hard, make friends, and don't alienate people. I think we learned a lot when the super coach came a couple years ago and it would be unwise to forget what he said, make a team and keep the team strong--swimming doesn't have to be your whole life but it is a big part of it and it wouldn't be anything without your teammates there with you.

Name:  

Emily Goodchild

High School:

St Mary’s High School

Years on SPY:

First year and new to the team

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Washington College

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

Sleeping, spending time with friends and family, sleeping, listening to music (all kinds), sleeping, shopping, sleeping, going to Ocean City, sleeping, and taking pictures. Did I mention I like to sleep?

Most memorable swim:

My most memorable swim was at an ASC senior meet on February 6, 2010. It was snowing pretty hard and not many people showed up. That afternoon I was signed up to swim the 1000 free and the 200 back. I got up on the block ready to swim my thousand and as the beep went off I dove in the water. I felt pretty good and thought I did really well, but when I touched the wall I realized I added 10 seconds. My coach just said to forget about the race and concentrate on backstroke. I didn’t have much time to concentrate because between warm down and the start of the 200 was less than 5 minutes. My arms were like Jell-O and I was exhausted but I focused on the race and got excited about swimming my favorite event. I had my best time in that 200 backstroke by a second and a half and I remember how great it felt. I guess I had a lot of adrenaline still pumping from the 1000 and I learned that focus can overcome exhaustion.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Since I am new to SPY I would have to say my most memorable moment so far was my first day of practice. I was nervous and excited to meet my new teammates. Everyone came up to me and introduced themselves and they were very welcoming. They made me feel like I had always been there. During my first practice I made all the intervals. I knew when I left that day that SPY was going to be a perfect fit for me.

Best event:

My best events are the 100 Back and 200 Back. I also like the 1000 and the 1650 (free) but they are not my favorite.

Favorite set:

My favorite set is 4 x 400IM because it keeps me thinking about what I have to do next.

Least favorite set:

My least favorite is any set that requires kicking with a kick board. I also don’t like any breaststroke set.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

I plan ahead and eat lots of carbs and protein and very little dairy in the days leading up to a meet. If I am doing an early morning meet, I eat a half of a bagel with peanut butter. If the meet is in the afternoon, I eat a whole bagel with peanut butter in the late morning.

Pre-swim rituals:

I like to listen to my iPod right up until I get ready to go to the block. No special song, just something fast and pumping. I take a final sip of my sports drink (usually Gatorade) and get over to my lane in time to watch the heat before mine and focus on my swim. I stretch my legs and arms and then begin jumping up and down while shaking my hands and lower arms to get the blood moving. My parents always tell me that my hands are moving so fast and I am jumping so high it almost looks like I am going to take off and fly. I don’t even realize I am doing it any more. When I finally get on the block, I push my goggles into my face 5 times. Then I am ready to go.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

I am new to SPY but I have already learned so much. I have learned that I can trust my teammates. My old and new friends at SPY are like my family. They welcomed me to the team. They are supportive and encouraging. They are funny and like to tease each other. They help me be the best I can be at every practice. They make me want to get out of bed 3 days a week at 4am and drive from Annapolis to Severna Park. (Did I really just say they make me want to get out of bed?) I have learned what it feels like to really be part of a team.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Work harder than you have ever worked in your life during your junior year. It is the year that really counts. This time next year you will be applying to college. Your grades from this year will be the ones that appear on your transcripts. Your best times from swimming this year will be the ones you report to college coaches next year. Don’t slack for one minute. Use your time wisely and spend it on the things that are most important.

Name:  

Colin Heil

High School:

Severna Park High

Years on SPY:

8... But lets go with 3.5--the amount of years I’ve actually attended practices

College Attending in Fall 2011:

EMORY UNIVERSITY (as if you didn’t already know...)

Swimming in College:

HECK YEAH! GO EAGLES!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I guess you could say one of my hobbies is to run for officer positions in every club I’m involve with. I like to hang out with friends, particularly my BFF for lyf3 Jack Bremer, a.k.a. JackAttack/Jackipoo/BB3. Facebook cr33pin’ is of course on the list, too. I like to read, particularly about Emory or Business. Making music videos for my long lost love Bridget (BRY) with Caroline Burns. Guarding the lives of innocent civilians at Sandy Point. But I what I spend the most time on is watching The Polar Express and counting down the days until Christmas.

Most memorable swim:

This is a really hard question. None of my swims are that memorable. I could be cliche and talk about the first time I made nationals but I don’t think that was that memorable besides the pain. I guess my most memorable swim isn’t one I have stepped behind the block for yet. I believe my most memorable swim will be the swim of my final event at LCYNs this summer because for one thing, there will be a lot of symbolism involved with that swim. It will mark the end of my high school swimming career, for sure, but it will also mark the beginning of a new career in swimming. The fact that LCYN is in Atlanta this year, ten minutes away from where I will spend the next four years of my life swimming and studying, it will symbolize more than just a new career; perhaps the overall start of a transformation, or maybe the start of my new found individualism. The one thing I can tell you for sure: As I swim my final laps, the memories of my SPY family will flash before my eyes and THAT will be something I will never forget.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

I broke the treadmill. Mom and Dad, you don’t know about this... Sorry for the embarrassment to come. One day, Jack and I were really bored in the weight room. SOOOO we decided to get medicine balls and put the treadmill on full speed. It started out as rolling the balls on the top of the treadmill and watching them roll to infinitely. And then I had a genius idea! Why don’t we roll one of the balls under the treadmill and see if it will get suctioned up through a 1/4th of an inch crack and end up back on top. Here is a diagram of this genius idea: It didn’t work. The treadmill exploded. That is all. There are so many more though and, whelp, they all involve Jack. Pitching a tent outside SPY for the last morning practice with Charlie. Hiding in the giant box before practice and getting pushed into the pool in the giant box AND IT MADE A FORT (who was the genius behind that?) Making a party land in lane 4 back in middle school where Jack and Dan got blamed and kicked out of practice. And of course when Ashley Clempner got fired. Best. Day. Of. My. Life.

Best event:

50, 100, 200 Backstroke

Favorite set:

20 x 200 AFAYCG on the 4:30.

Least favorite set:

ANYTHING IM.

Farvorite Meal Before a Meet:

Dominos bread bowl pasta

Pre-swim rituals:

Chug a red bull. No music. No hype. Just chilling.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

Theodore Roosevelt once said “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” This, in essence, is the attitude of every mature swimmer I know. Once you have learned this lesson, you’re golden. You aren’t always going to have the perfect attendance, the perfect taper, or the perfect amount of rest. Sometimes you just have to buck up, get siked up behind the blocks and take advantage of what you can control. This lesson has proved is value to me over and over again, meet after meet. This attitude is the reason why swimmers excel in areas outside of the pool. If you can apply this in times of stress outside of the pool, you learn to find success with what you are given. A good friend of mine taught me this little saying to get on this mindset just before a race, “Where are you? Here. What time is it? Now.”

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Katy Perry says it best, “Maybe the reason why all your doors are closed is so you can open up one that leads you to the perfect road.” Though you can find examples of this in swimming, this is more so advice from me for high school and life. Throughout high school and swimming you’re going to come across brick walls, as Randy Posh would say. These brick walls, in my opinion have two meanings; to test you to see if you want something bad enough to knock the wall down or to guide you on a different route. When you come to these walls one thing you always need to remember is that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the fighting to break these walls down, whether its making a cut or getting a grade, forces you to learn new things about yourself and the world. What I have found of these brick walls, or closed doors, is that they are there to guide you, not to mess with you. You aren’t the only one who faces these challenges, its a natural part of goal setting. My advice: When you approach these closed doors don’t give up with the fear of failing, look for an alternative route, for every hallway has at least two doors. There is something about the sport of swimming that allows you to see and understand the world around you unlike anything else.

Name:  

Gregory Kogut

High School:

Glen Burnie High School

Years on SPY:

11

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Johns Hopkins University

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I like to play guitar whenever I have free time. I usually just hang out with swim friends on the weekend and we don't do much because we're all tired from the ridiculously early Saturday morning practice. Sometimes I'll go paintballing, which is really fun, especially in the snow. And I do ninja stuff occasionally.

Most memorable swim:

100 butterfly and Maryland States when I was 14. When I was younger I was never aggressive enough on my first 50 of my 100, but after my morning swim I decided I was going to go a lot harder on my first 50. When finals came around, I was out about a half second faster than I usually was and I was third I think on the first 50. I somehow caught up to everybody on the second 50 and ended up winning by .02.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Looking up at our team motto one day in practice, I realized how ridiculously bad it was and just started busting out laughing. Eventually Chip and Jack joined in on the laughing, causing Crystee to come over because she was wondering why we weren’t swimming. We all started laughing at the motto and we decided to come up with new ones. All I have to say is Crystee’s was “We eat babies.”

Best event:

100/200 Fly

Favorite set:

My favorite sets are anything with 50s and 100s, but I like sets with 200s occasionally.

Least favorite set:

20x500 with Richard. Worst set ever.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

A pepperoni subway sub with a bunch of vegetables and a little salt and pepper. But I hate eating anything big right before I swim because I feel it with every stroke I take.

Pre-swim rituals:

Warm up about 30 minutes before I swim and eat part of a granola bar. I don’t like listening to music, because it gets me pumped up at the wrong time. I usually just try to laugh and shake off the nerves.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

It’s all on YOU to work hard. You’ll almost always have the choice to take the easy way out, but you should always challenge yourself. You can never repeat the moments you have on SPY, cherish them.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Word hard but have as much fun as possible. And see everyone else’s response to this question.

Name:  

Allie Muha

High School:

Severna Park High School

Years on SPY:

8 really long years.

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

Eating, Sleeping, Ranting, Coloring, Photography, Writing notes to Jenna, Watching TV, especially Dawson’s Creek, Gossip Girl, and Glee.

Most memorable swim:

The 1500 at the Abby Seger Meet at UMBC in 2009. Jenna and I were the only swimmers there and Maureen and Ashley were the coaches. First of all we almost missed it (yes I know a 1500 is long so how do you not know you are next). But onto the race, I missed the LCYN cut by .14 and swam the 1500 four more times that summer and one time this summer and I still have not been able to drop that .14. Maybe next summer I can finally do it! Another swim is when I made LCYN for the first time this summer. It was at that same Meet but a year later and Maureen had told me that she is my good luck charm and she was the coach that watched my 200 fly. I have never ever given a coach such a big hug. I also have to say that I wouldn’t have made the cut if it weren’t for Colin and Sean who walked up and down my lane screaming for me. Thanks guys :) Oh and having my mom ask me why I was crying was good too, seeing my parents didn’t write down the time I had to get.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Any day swimming in lane three because when you have Kimmy and Nicole together you get some really weird things to listen to. Another benefit about swimming in lane three is that lane four is right next to us, well this is good and bad but they are funny but annoying. Dougie, Matt, and Sean always make us laugh but they like to take our water bottles. One day last year we were doing the standard 20x25s that Crystee has us do every day, we (lane 3) decided we needed to play a game so we weren’t bored. Nicole and I decided on a game where you can only speak in song lyrics. Now this sounds easy but when you are trying to think while swimming it can be quite difficult. Jenna, Nicole, Kimmy and I said/sang the standard Disney songs or High School Musical or any song that was on the radio. Hannah only knew inappropriate songs which made it better for other lanes to listen to. Chip making fun of Jenna and I on a daily basis last year… never ever ever will I call someone my other half again. I have learned the hard way.

Best event:

200 fly, 1000 free, 1650 free, 1500 free, basically all of the events that the rest of the team does not like

Favorite set:

2x1650 on 22:00. 1- Build 2- As fast as you can go. In lane 6 swimming with Jenna and then blowing bubbles afterwards while everyone else is sprinting in lanes 1-5. This is also a good set because Crystee tends to forget about us after we finish so we do our own cool-down and when she does notice that we are done we start asking her about her kids. She will just keep talking so we don’t have time to do the next set she had for us. I also like any set that is freestyle that is over 200’s; or sometimes if there are a lot of 100’s. Any set where there is a lot of the same so I can get in my groove. This includes the test set from last year even though those of us who did the “distance” set liked to complain that we did 100s while the rest of the team does 50s.

Least favorite set:

ANYTHING BREASTSTROKE. Or anything that involves sprinting because I still don’t know how to do that after all of these years.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

Night before would be baked ziti. And morning of is a bagel and peanut butter. A little known fact about the night before a big swim meet is the Muha ice cream tradition. Most of the girls on the team know that my dad loves ice cream. We never go a day without having it in our freezer so we have it for our snack a lot. Before a big swim meet I normally stop eating it for about 3 weeks but the night before I have it for a few reasons. 1. The night before Katie made LCYN for the first time she had a huge piece of ice cream cake at a family party (yes I know surprise surprise we had a family party) 2. The same thing happened to me but it was ice cream. I hope to continue this at Raleigh.

Pre-swim rituals:

Listen to music really loud. Normally it is a pump up song that I wouldn’t listen to anywhere else but it has been Taylor Swift recently which is weird. I stretch the exact same before every swim because I did it before I made Raleigh for the first time and ever since then I have been really superstitious.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

If you work hard you will get something out of it. It sounds stupid but we are there for so many hours a week so why would you want to waste your time floating up and down the pool looking at a black line? I know there are thousands of places I would rather be but then again the feeling you get when you earn something after working so hard it is great. Another lesson I learned is how to deal with people you see day in and day out. You see these people at their best and worst moments; it allows you to learn how to deal with seeing all of the sides of people. I have also learned that you can find your best friend in the pool and swim with them for better or worse. Learn how to accept this person for who they are and help them become a better person while they do the same for you.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Put all of your effort into swimming while you are there because it feels great to work towards something. Listen to the coaches, they are wiser than you and you might actually learn something from these people if you pay attention. If the coaches are talking be quiet because it distracts people around you. Find a really good friend at SPY because it is a lot easier to do these practices when there is someone pushing you and encouraging you to do better. When you have a problem, don’t bottle it up inside of you. Let other people know how you feel because I promise that more good can come from that then not letting anyone know.

Name:  

Catherine Poindexter

High School:

Severna Park Senior High

Years on SPY:

Four

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Virginia Tech

Hobbies when not swimming:

Piano, Volunteering at the Severna Park Veterinary Hospital, Babysitting.

Most memorable swim:

I had unintentionally signed up for the 50 Butterfly, an event I was too old for. I had forgotten to back out of the event and swam against two six years-old girls, because I didn’t have a time in that event. The best part is that when we were lining up, this guy came up to me and said, “I’m sorry, this is for swimmers only,” thinking that no one could be possibly that slow.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Not necessarily funny, we were competing in teams to win candy during practice. The next set was to see who could swim the farthest without breathing; I mean no one would be stupid enough to go too far, right? So Maureen had to jump in and save me after I passed out, nearly swimming a 75, but at least we won, and got candy.

Best event:

50 Freestyle

Favorite set:

500 Freestyle kick.

Least favorite set:

Anything involving breaststroke kick.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

Spaghetti and meatballs.

Pre-swim rituals:

Drinking a whole bottle of Gatorade and then regretting it later.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

Swimming is more than just a sport, you meet really amazing people and make friends that always have your back, even if you forget your suit.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

I have learned so much from SPY, it is such I great facility with fantastic coaches, keep swimming, and actually go to meets!

Name:  

Chris Praley

High School:

Severna Park High School

Years on SPY:

8

College Attending in Fall 2011:

University of Chicago

Hobbies when not swimming:

FALCONS MATH TEAM. Additionally: eating Goldfish, doing Statistics homework, watching Glee, and attending Vampire Weekend concerts.

Most memorable swim:

Last year at Districts, I swam 200 Fly on Sunday night. Because it was Sunday, lots of people had scratched from finals (and not too many people swim 200 Fly in the first place) and it ended up being that 11 people finaled, and I was number 11. The pool at Districts is 10 lanes wide—according to the program, I was going to have to swim a 200 Fly at finals by myself in my own heat. Luckily, the swimmer who was seeded 9th decided to join my heat (I never found out if he was doing it to save me of the embarrassment of doing the event by myself or if he was just looking for a better lane but I’ll always assume the former). Anyway, the best parts of this race would have to be first, third, fifth, and seventh turns. Standing on the other end of the pool, waiting for me to turn, were all of my friends and teammates, cheering me on. I do not remember if I had a best time, and I am pretty sure that I lost to my competitor in the end, but having my friends cheer my on for all of those turns made the 8 laps of butterfly worth it.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Best event:

100 and 200 Back

Favorite set:

Einstein’s! But in all seriousness, any sort of sprinting, especially backstroke (with the exception of the test set, of course).

Least favorite set:

A long time ago, back when Chet was coaching and I was probably about 13, we did 20x200 stroke. Chet made me do butterfly. An hour and fifteen minutes later, I decided to never swim butterfly again.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

Pasta is a must the night before, or if that’s not possibly, then a big baked potato. In the morning, a bagel with minimal cream cheese.

Pre-swim rituals:

Typically I stay very hydrated (sometimes too hydrated), and occasionally munch on some goldfish. I always, always, always listen to my music. “Womanizer” seems to be the best pump up song I can find.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

As annoying as it can be to be with the same group of thirty kids everyday for about 15 hours a week, they are like family. No matter what you do, who you are, or who you you plan to be, they will support you. Sure, you may not be the best of friends with every other person on the team, but you still have one thing in common: swimming.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Balance yourself. Swimming is a big commitment, and once you start adding other things—school, extracurriculars, etc—you start losing yourself in the work you’re doing. As much as you may want to add on that extra little activity, sometimes it’s simply better to calm yourself down and look for that balance. And have fun with it!

Name:  

Nicole Provenza

High School:

Severna Park High School

Years on SPY:

8

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Brown University

Swimming in College:

Yes! Go Bears!!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I love to play the cello, eat, take really long naps, read the Harry Potter series over and over, go to UMYF, do crafts, have random dance parties, and dress up as Hermione Granger.

Most memorable swim:

My most memorable swim is 400 IM at Districts 2010 when I was 16. I went in not even expecting anything great. My heat was filled with mostly people on SPY, and I was swimming next to Kendall Farnham. Half way through the race, I decided that I really wanted to win. We were neck and neck by freestyle, but she ended up beating me by .03. I didn’t even care when I realized I went a 4:33 and had dropped over 8 seconds! The coaches were so shell-shocked to even believe it!!

Most memorable/
funny moment:

I’m not really sure who started this, but one day at practice somebody told Chip Helferstay that, “he wouldn’t break the pull buoy.” Naturally, he got out of the pool totally enraged, and screamed, “tell me I won’t!”. Everyone told him he wouldn’t, so he heatedly ripped his pull buoy in two. Some others include carpooling with Rachael Ballard, Lane 5: the crowded lane with Kim Weyand, getting tripped by Kelsey Rouse on a run and bleeding profusely, puddles at Winterfest with Tori Wood, dinosaur noises with Emily Lloyd and Kendall Farnham, singing in the showers, and shopping carts in Fort Lauderdale.

Best event:

200 Breast and 400 IM. Relays are the most fun!

Favorite set:

I usually love anything involving IM, and I actually really like grinders. However, my all-time favorite practice is our annual reenactment of the first Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving Day—despite the gauntlet. And SPYopoly of course! Thank you, Richard Heim.

Least favorite set:

Anything that involves kicking, but more specifically, kicking with shoes!!! I’m pretty positive that I actually go backwards. Butterfly sets are really awful, too.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

My favorite meal for dinner the night before is fettuccini alfredo with chicken, and a tall, cold glass of milk. For breakfast the morning of, I eat a bowl of trix cereal, a scrambled egg, an entemman’s chocolate donut, and some kind of fruit. Then, after warm up I eat part of a bagel with cream cheese and drink lots of water.

Pre-swim rituals:

 I always go talk to the coaches before I swim to double check my heat and lane. I usually listen to some crazy song and try to dance around and loosen up behind the block. I always wear my crocs with socks. I like to put on my goggles on really early, tighten them as much as possible without my eyeballs popping out, and press them to my face repeatedly until I get them just right.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

I’ve learned to always have an optimistic attitude. Optimism makes it so much easier to work hard and achieve your dreams! Your attitude plays such a huge role in your happiness in swimming and in life. It largely helps to determine your potential and success in everything you do. It is so important to be optimistic at practice as well as meets. Instead of complaining when something gets hard, try to make it fun and stay positive. Everything seems so much brighter when you do!

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Be considerate and respectful of your teammates and the coaches. SPY is my second family, which is so nice because knowing that we are all in this craziness together makes it so much easier to endure those early morning 5 A.M. practices that we all love. I think all of the practices we endure, fights we have, wins we celebrate, and losses we suffer forge a unique bond between everyone on this team. We are the only other people in this world that know what each other are going through. This is why it is so important to go to practice, be supportive of your teammates, and do your best while you are at practice. Every missing teammate, cutting remark, and lap skipped creates a kind of separation that weakens the bond that much more. Everyone out there who claims swimming is not a team sport, think again! Yeah, the all of the fun and games, and individual successes feel great, but when it comes down to it, the greatest reward is that your teammates will always be there for you. So, future seniors, please do what you can to strengthen this bond by keeping your focus on what is truly important. Family!

Name:  

Joshua Vagts

High School:

South River High School

Years on SPY:

1 (14 yrs of swimming)

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I play the string bass in the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra and the South River Jazz Band.

Most memorable swim:

Every swim is memorable to me.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Swimming the past year for SPY has been the most memorable and fun.

Best event:

100/200 Backstroke

Favorite set:

25s underwater all of the way. 50s underwater are fun too.

Least favorite set:

Anything Breastroke. Or Freestyle. Or distance.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

I eat a bowl of noodles the morning before a meet

Pre-swim rituals:

I HAVE to get my cap wet in the lane I swim in. Then I stretch my legs on the block. Then I crack my knuckles and wrists. Then I tighten my goggles all the way so they will not fall off. Then I am ready to swim.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

The most important lesson that I learned on SPY is that it is possible to work hard and still have fun. After swimming for 13 years, I was tired of swimming and not having any fun. I came to SPY and I am not ashamed to say that I am having fun swimming again.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Well I am not really the best person to get advice from but I do have to say that when applying to schools, you cannot go with the attitude that you won’t get in. If you fill out your application with that mind set then you will not get in. Always have confidence in yourself and what you are capable of. Just look at me, MIT 2015!

Name:  

Kimmy Weyand

High School:

Severna Park High School

Years on SPY:

11

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Lehigh University!!!

Swimming in College:

Yes!

Hobbies when not swimming:

Top 3 are sleeping, eating, and creeping. These consume most of my life, but I also like to hang out with friends, dance awkwardly, shop, play poker, and watch TV.

Most memorable swim:

Probably at States a few years ago. I was going for the Short Course Nationals 100 breaststroke cut which was 1:09.89 at the time. After I finished I looked up at the scoreboard. It said 1:09.89. I was so excited I ran to Crystee who congratulated me. I felt so relieved I had finally gotten the cut I had been working towards all year. But wait, there’s more. About 10 minutes later, Crystee came back to tell me that my real time was actually 1:09.92 and that the scoreboard was messed up; the girl next to me actually got the .89. I wish there was a happy ending to this story but no there’s not. I did not get to go to Short Course that year, but I did make it the following Fall.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

Hmm this is tough because something funny happens just about every day at SPY. You are bound to hear “you won’t…”, “where’s Greg?!”, or “that’s what she said” at least once per practice. Even the coaches join in on this sometimes. I will also never forget when Mike Cooke brought his dad to bring a friend to practice day because he had no other real friends. Or when we had an illegal suit day practice in which we sported our full body suits and looked like ninjas. I am definitely going to miss dressing up for big meets and parading to the YMCA song. Probably the best costumes had to be my rookie year at Short Course when the veterans turned us into condiments. We looked completely ridiculous but it was awesome.

Best event:

100 and 200 Breaststroke

Favorite set:

I love when the whole group has to do a breaststroke set. It makes me feel fast and happy when all the non-breaststrokers complain. I also like when we do Aquamans because I’m usually surprised at what I can do even when I’m really tired.

Least favorite set:

Anything involving freestyle, especially distance freestyle. So about half the sets we do at practice. I just can’t get passed my awkwardness when I do freestyle. T-30’s are especially painful because no matter how fast you go, you won’t be finished any sooner.

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

I like to have pasta the night before a meet. In the morning I usually have cereal and I bring snacks/power bars for the day.

Pre-swim rituals:

I always get made fun of for drinking too much water right before I swim, but I do it anyway. It’s no wonder I have to pee a thousand times at swim meets. I also like to imagine my race in my head, and sometimes I get a little too into it by “air-swimming” (literally swimming in the air). I get made fun of for that as well.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

Perseverance. Swimming is a tough sport and you don’t always get out of it what you put in. Especially as you get older, it becomes difficult to continue to improve even when you are working hard. I never thought I would plateau, but sure enough I did sophomore year. I hardly went any best times and it was extremely difficult to keep trying every time I stepped on the block to race. I eventually decided if I wanted to improve I would have to make some changes. I changed my strokes, started running on my own, decided to not swim for my high school team, and most importantly tried to be more positive and optimistic. It did eventually turn around for me junior year and I improved my times in just about all the events. This goes to show that “things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out” (John Wooden).

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Work hard, but don’t lose track of what is most important in life. Have a little fun at practice and make memories that will last a lifetime. Learn from your coaches and teammates because they have a lot to offer. And lastly, avoid too much stress by finding a healthy balance between school, swimming, your social life, and everything else.

Name:  

Maggie Williams

High School:

Severn School

Years on SPY:

2 years

College Attending in Fall 2011:

Unknown, I am looking all over the place from CA to NC. But my absolute #1 is Pepperdine in CA!!

Hobbies when not swimming:

I love to hang out friends and go downtown . I am slightly addicted to watching TV and I love to go boating. I also play with my two golden retriever puppies all of the time and work a lot for a boating company downtown Annapolis.

Most memorable/
funny moment:

My most memorable moment would probably have to be anytime at Wilton last year it was my first meet that was out of state and I was so excited/ nervous. I was just about to get up on the block for my first race and I was so nervous when one of my friends came up and slapped my butt! It scared me so badly but it made me forget about being nervous. I'm not really sure why this stuck with me but it always makes me laugh when I think about it.

Best event:

200IM

Favorite set:

Anything with back or breast stroke!

Least favorite set:

Butterfly!

Favorite Meal Before a Meet:

a nutri-grain bar and a gatorade (preferably a blue one) or those G-series Prime to ignite!

Pre-swim rituals:

I usually listen to my ipod right before so I can get myself focused an pumped up because I always get really nervous before every event that I swim.

What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?:

Dedication is key to getting what you want. And to always try your hardest no matter what. Also to never give up no matter how hard things get. I've learned the hard way to not let the little things in life bring you down and to always have a positive attitude.

Advice for future SPY swimmers:

Don't stress out to much, try to relax and have fun! I know it is going to get crazy busy your senior year but you have to stay focused and really get your priorities set! And have fun again!