Important Dates

RSA Rules Re-Reindeer Invitational Swim Meet
WOW, what a weekend for the Raleigh Swimming Association Family. Swimmers ages six to sixteen swam over 350 personal best times, won 24 individual races, had 32 second place finishes and 13 third place finishes in the 88 races competed. 45 RSA swimmers swam 100 % personal best times. Coaches Brian, Larry, Dan, Meghan, and Coaches Billy, Cara, and Ed could not have been more proud of the kids from the way they approached warm-up through all the great swims in the meet. It is clear that our swimmers are really getting psyched for the championship push in February and March The meet ran smoothly at both Hillsborough and Pullen,finishing ahead of the timeline each and every session. A big thanks goes to all the RSA volunteers and visiting officials who donated their time and effort to put on a wonderful meet for all involved. Special thanks goes to Maria Clarke for her amazing effort to help put this meet back together after the weather problem in December.

This was an excellent meet for all swimmers. We had so many best times, and new time standard award certificates. I was so proud of all of you!
Best Times from Re-Reindeer
Nova Best Times: Matthew Ahlers (25 Free); Tori Boddie (25 Back); Del Dillard (25 Back, 25 Free, 50 Free); Cassidy Holland (25 Back; 25 Free, 25 Breast); Mandy Spalding (25 Back, 25 Free); Taylor Villard (25 Back, 25 Free, 25 Breast)

Wahoo Best Times: Victoria Bell (25 Back, 50 Fly, 50 Back, 50 Free, 25 Fly); Alex Clarke (25 Back); Patrick D'Alessio (25 Back, 25 Free); David DeJarnette (25 Back, 50 Free, 50 Breast); Sawyer Dove (25 Free); Libby Facchine (25 Free, 25 Breast); Drew Gintis (25 Free, 50 Free, 25 Fly); Natalie Hill (25 Back, 25 Free, 50 Free, 25 Fly); Anna Li (50 Breast); Rachel Minore (25 Free, 50 Back, 50 Free, 25 Fly); Kendall Pena (25 Back, 25 Free); Torie Bell Pena (25 Back, 25 Free, 25 Breast, 100 IM); McKenzie Randall (50 Free); Toby Rosen (50 Back); Sean Rudio (50 Free); Ryan Spalding (50 Back); Julianne Strickland (25 Back, 50 Free); Jackie Wyche (25 Back, 25 Free, 25 Breast, 50 Back, 50 Free)

Dolphin Best Times: Philip Ahlers (100 Free); ; Courtney Bruun-Andersen (50 Breast, 50 Back); Caroline Campbell (50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Breast, 100 Breast); Andrew Clarke (50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Breast); John Clemmer (50 Free, 50 Breast, 50 Back, 100 Free, 100 Breast); Brad D'Alessio (50 Breast, 50 Back, 100 IM, 100 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back); Carolyn Daussin (50 Free, 50 Fly); Steph Daussin (50 Free, 200 Free, 50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Fly); Michael Dickey (50 Back); Nicole Esplin (100 Free, 50 Breast, 200 IM, 50 Free, 100 Breast); Emily Facchine (100 Free, 100 IM); Hannah Gardner (100 Free; 100 Fly; 200 IM); Melissa Geiss (50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Breast, 100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Fly); Deniz Gurel (50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Breast, 100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Free); Lindley Hill (100 Free); Gizem Imece (50 Back; 100 IM, 50 Fly, 100 Back); Caitlin Kelly (50 Breast 100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Free, 100 Breast); Andy Lamb (100 Breast, 50 Fly, 100 Back) Thao Le (50 Free, 50 Fly); Alex Li (100 Breast); Matt Lower (100 Free, 100 IM); Katie Mathis (50 Back, 100 Free, 100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Free, 50 Fly); Lexi Mitchell (50 Breast, 50 Back, 100 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back); Katie Olson (50 Free, 50 Fly); Tessa Pena (50 Back, 100 Free); Paige Randall (100 Breast, 50 Fly); Heather Robertson (50 Back, 100 Free, 100 Back); Matt Robertson (50 Breast, 100 Back, 100 Breast); Grace Robinson (50 Free); Sage Watkins (50 Back, 50 Breast, 50 Free, 100 Breast); Katie Weber (100 Back, 50 free, 100 Breast)

Time Standard Awards:
The following swimmers will recieve Time Standard Awards for Achieving the a specific Time Standard in the Re-Reindeer Swim Meet
B Time Standard Awards: Victoria Bell (50 Fly, 100 IM); Caroline Campbell (100 Back); Brad D'Alessio (50 Breast, 50 Back); Melissa Geiss (100 IM, 100 Back, 50 Fly); Natalie Hill (50 Free, 100 IM); Andy Lamb (100 Back); Katie Olson (50 Fly); Skipper Mahn (50 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast); McKenzie Randall (50 Free); Paige Randall (50 Fly); Sage Watkins (50 Back, 50 Breast, 100 Breast)

BB Time Standard Awards: Nicole Esplin (100 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free); Emily Facchine (100 Free, 100 IM); Hannah Gardner (100 Free, 200 IM, 200 Free); Deniz Gurel (100 Free, 50 Free); Caitlin Kelly (100 IM, 100 Back, 100 Breast); Katie Mathis (100 Free, 100 Back); Katie Olson (50 Free); Katie Weber (50 Back)

Other great swims were turned in by Osman Sbaiti, Ryan Sbaiti, Marci Beason, Savannah Currens, Patrick O'Neil, Amanda Lamb, Cameron Randall, Rachel Llyod, Paula Crisp, and Cat Jacobson For some of these swimmers it was there first ever year round swim meet. Congratulations!

NEXT MEET: RSA-North Age Group Qualifier
The next meet is the RSA-North Age Group Qualifier, which is to be held in Goldsboro. There are many swimmers that have not qualified for Age Group Championships. This can be a great meet for all swimmers, because we will taper and get everyone ready for this meet. The dates for this meet is Feb. 8 & 9, 2003. 10 & Unders are in morning, while 11-ups are in the afternoon. 8 & Unders will be scored and swum in a separate course of the pool. This a good chance for 8 & Unders to swim in longer events.

Scratch Deadline: The scratch deadline for this meet is Jan. 26, 2003. Please let coach Brian know if you will not be attending this meet or if you will be going for only one session by emailing him at bgill@swimrsa.org.

More Information on this meet: There is more information about this meet on our Web Site under meet info, then goto Qualifer and pull up the sanction,

Video Taping A Success So Far!
I think the video taping has been a success so far. This is really a great tool for all of you as swimmers. Please make sure to watch them once the taping has been done. Thank you, parents and swimmer for being patient with me on the taping. I did not anticpate it taking this long, but I would rather have it be done really well. This has also helped me as a coach. I can look at each swimmer more individually, and it has made me aware of mistakes in each swimmer. I will continue to tape on random days this week and next until everyone has been taped. Parents, please we willing to help if you are planning on staying during practice.

Technique For The Week
Once again great job at the swim meet. There are still some things that I noticed that we really still need to work on.

1. I noticed an abundance of swimmers at the meet flipping to close to the wall in free and backstroke turns. The reason this is happening is because in the meet you are moving faster then you normally do, therefore your stroke count in backstroke will be off and you are not used to going as fast in the freestyle to the wall. We must practice flipping farther away from the wall. You will not be as bunched up, and you will be able unwind and push off of the wall much faster. Also please be sure to push off on your back in the free flip turn.

2. In the breaststroke turn please be sure to touch with 2 hands. After you do this place your feet on the wall side ways this way you can push off on your side. Finally, drop your head and your shoulder so that you can push off underwater on your side, and do your underwater breaststroke pullout.

3. There was a lot of breathing during our races. Please be sure not to breath out of your turns in free and fly. Do not breath the last five yards of your race. Finally try not to breath off your starts. These are things that will make you faster in the next meet. You will have immediate results if you do this in practice.

WINTER CLEANING: We have had the bubble up for several months now, and the pool deck is really starting to get dirty. We are in need of a parent or parents that has a power washer to come in and power wash the deck. If there are any parents that would be willing to do this please let me know what day and what time would be convenient. This is something we really need done soon.

I would like to thank the following parents for all their hard work at the meet. Maria Clarke, Margaret Bell, DeLon Dove, Carol Davis, Robyn Curran, Marcia Dettloff, and Kinzie Wyche.

Great job at the meet RSA. Let's work hard and getting ready for Qualifier.

Coach Brian