Waynewood Dolphins Weekly Newsletter

July 23, 2023

Thanks to all our Dolphins families for a fantastic summer swim season! Our banquet was a great culmination and opportunity to recognize our swimmers and volunteers. Although the team season is now complete and this is our final weekly newsletter, we have some exciting news about a Potomac Marlins swimming clinic at WRA on Tuesday, a special swimming scholarship opportunity from Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) due Wednesday, and we'll be in touch with even more information this summer. And to our Little Dolphins families, we hope to see you at our bonus week of practice.

In This Week’s Message:

1. Awards Banquet
2. Divisionals Recap
3. Team Reps
4. Little Dolphins Bonus Practice
5. Potomac Marlins Swim Clinic (Tuesday, 7/25)
6. Dolphins Photos and Slideshow
7. Thanks to Our Volunteers
8. Senior Swimmers
9. Waynewood Winter Swim Coaches Wanted
10. Join a Year-Round Swim Club
11. NCAP Swimming Scholarship Offer (Act Fast!)
12. Just Keep Swimming

1. Awards Banquet

The Dolphins celebrated their undefeated Division X championship season in style Saturday night at our annual banquet.

• Over the course of this season, 94 of our swimmers earned black-and-gold four-stroke caps.
• As a team, the Dolphins dropped 28 minutes.
• Across NVSL meets this summer, 71 different Dolphins swimmers scored by points by finishing in the top 3 of an event.

In other words, there was much to celebrate! Team Reps and coaches also presented several individual awards to our volunteers and swimmers.

Service Awards

• Bobbi Erb Award (tireless, dedicated volunteer): Jen Chapot
• Alan Schaffter Award (committed official): David Paradise
• Tammy Mannarino Award (outstanding service): Chris Lohmann

Team Awards

• Coach Madsen Award (most improved swimmers): Colton Woodward and Brighton Varonka
• Coaches Award (hard working, dedicated swimmers): Matthew Angle and Teagan Adams
• Waynewood Dolphin Award (swimmers demonstrating the best attributes of an amazing teammate): Dylan Paradise and Heidi Evans
• Lois Sanderhoff Award (spirited, selfless swimmer): Michael Salter
• Tommy Smithwick Award (elected by swimmers): Clara Lozar
• Gosnell High Point Award: Caleb Wolf and Vera Hill

New Individual Records

• Boys 13-14 50 Meter Breaststroke: Connor Minear, 33.98 (June 24, 2023)
• Boys 13-14 50 Meter Breaststroke: Moses Wolf, 33.57 (July 22, 2023)
• Boys 15-18 50 Meter Butterfly: Caleb Wolf, 26:00 (July 22, 2023)
• Boys 15-18 100 Meter IM: Joshua Wolf, 1:00.21 (July 22, 2023)

New Relay Records

• Boys 13-14 200 Meter Free Relay: Moses Wolf, Connor Minear, Marshall LoCascio, Joseph Sperber, 1:50.49 (July 12, 2023)
• Boys 13-14 100 Meter Medley Relay: Moses Wolf, Connor Minear, Marshall LoCascio, Luke Morris, 58:09 (June 17, 2023)
• Boys 13-14 100 Meter Medley Relay: Moses Wolf, Connor Minear, Marshall LoCascio, Luke Morris, 56.83 (June 24, 2023)
• Boys 13-14 200 Meter Medley Relay: Moses Wolf, Connor Minear, Marshall LoCascio, Luke Morris, 2:00.67 (July 12, 2023)

Many thanks to Karin and Greg Dushaw and their team of volunteers for our wonderful banquet. Southside 815 and Northside 10 catered again this year. We are also thankful to those who helped with setup and all the parents who pitched in afterward to clean up.

Mary Winkler, our volunteer awards coordinator, rose to the occasion once again this year to ensure our swimmers were recognized with a keepsake medal.

• If you were unable to attend the banquet, you can pick up your swimmer’s medal at the WRA to the left of the check-in desk. Ribbons are in their usual spot in the family folders.

2. Divisionals Recap

Truro hosted this year’s NVSL 2023 Division 10 Individual Championships. Waynewood swimmers performed well and finished first in the following events:

• Girls 8 & Under 25 Meter Freestyle: Vera Hill, 18.61
• Boys 15-18 50 Meter Freestyle: Joshua Wolf, 25.04 (all-star selection)
• Boys 15-18 50 Meter Backstroke: Caleb Wolf, 27.81 (all-star selection)
• Girls 8 & Under 25 Meter Breaststroke: Vera Hill, 24.06 (all-star selection)
• Girls 11-12 50 Meter Breaststroke: Sasha Hill, 43.53
• Girls 9-10 25 SC Meter Butterfly: Macy Beizer, 18.92
• Boys 13-14 50 SC Meter Butterfly: Marshall LoCascio, 29.21 (all-star selection)
• Boys 11-12 100 Meter IM: James Gallagher, 1:25.23
• Boys 13-14 100 Meter IM: Connor Minear, 1:05.27 (all-star selection)

Congrats to Vera, Joshua, Caleb, Marshall, and Connor on their all-star selections. In addition, Caleb was also an all-star selection for Boys 15-18 50 Meter Butterfly and his brother Moses Wolf was named an all-star for Boys 13-14 100 Meter IM.

• Three of the Wolf boys set new Waynewood records at Saturday’s meet (see above). Congrats!

We’re proud of all the swimmers who participated in this year’s Divisionals event. You can view the full results here.

3. Team Reps

Frederick Hill and Tom LoCascio served for three years as outstanding Team Reps for the Waynewood. We’re grateful to them for their leadership and devotion to the Dolphins.

It’s a job that requires countless hours—and not just during the swim season. They make it look easy, but we know how much is required to ensure the swim season is possible for our kids. THANK YOU!

James Connally and Genna Dahlberg have shadowed Frederick and Tom throughout the 2023 season and will serve as the Dolphins’ next Team Reps.

If you see them around the pool this summer, please introduce yourself. It’s a big job and we’re grateful to both of them for stepping up. They’ll continue to work closely with Frederick and Tom this offseason to ensure we have a smooth transition.

4. Little Dolphins Bonus Practice

We’ve extended the Little Dolphins practice season until this Thursday to accommodate the delayed start due to FCPS going a week later.

• From Monday through Thursday, Little Dolphins will practice from 10 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

These practices are optional and all Little Dolphins are invited to attend this session. There will be no afternoon practice for these days.

5. Potomac Marlins Swim Clinic Tuesday

Want to get a little exposure to swimming with a year-round club at a free clinic right here at the WRA pool? The Potomac Marlins Swimming Club, a sponsor of the Waynewood Dolphins, will host a swim clinic for 12 & under Dolphins swimmers (no Little Dolphins, please) this Tuesday, July 25, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

• The Marlins tell us the clinic will focus on “speed work” and will utilize “stretch cords.” You’ll have to attend to learn more.

Please indicate if you plan to attend by RSVPing here. We are hoping to have room for everyone but may have to limit attendance if interest is especially high.

6. Dolphins Photos and Slideshow

Relive the memories of the swim season by browsing our SmugMug galleries—featuring pictures from Time Trials through the Awards Banquet.

Special thanks to our photography volunteer leads Rob Bluey and Brett Gibson along with Tracy Woodward. They took thousands of photos throughout the season, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a few of your swimmer.

7. Thanks to Our Volunteers and Coordinators

It takes committed parents to make the Dolphins swim team possible. We depend on our volunteers to fill a large number of jobs for every meet—and you always deliver.

This was easily our best volunteer year in recent memory. Shifts filled quickly all summer and people raised their hand when we needed them.

• Remember, even after the season it isn't too late to get Dolphin credit shifts. Ask WRA where you can help out or when they're seeking help for a project, like end-of-year cleanup ask if you can Dolphin credits for helping. Your help doesn't go unnoticed.

We appreciate everyone who pitched in for creating this awesome environment of fun, social, and physical activity for our swimmers.

8. Senior Swimmers

Best wishes to our 10 high school seniors who concluded their Waynewood Dolphins career this season. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

• Regan Boling started swim lessons at the Waynewood pool when she was three years old and has been a swimmer in Divisional Championships every year since she was seven. She plans to attend James Madison University and major in Criminal Justice Studies in the fall.
• Faith Gibson has swum NVSL meets for Waynewood since she was 8 years old. She swam them across all age groups, swam all four strokes in NVSL meets, and also swam IMs in Divisionals. She taught younger swimmers skills and also to love swimming, first as a coach in the Little Dolphins swimmer development program and then as an Assistant Coach. She’ll attend UNC Wilmington this fall and plans to study film and swim with the school’s club team.
• Annie Hogan joined Waynewood as a member of the Little Dolphin swimmer development program and in the years since she’s been a regular NVSL meet swimmer, coached Dolphins and Little Dolphins for five years, and spent countless hours making memories with her closest friends. In the fall, Annie will attend James Madison University where she plans to major in psychology.
• Julia Hopper started swimming as a Little Dolphin at the age of four. A specialist in breaststroke, for many years she was a point scorer and Divisional Meet swimmer for the Dolphins. She’ll attend Virginia Tech in the fall as part of the Pamplin College of Business.
• Emery Lindblom first started swimming with Waynewood at the age of six. She served the team as a Little Dolphins swimmer development program coach where she cherished the chance to connect with and mentor younger swimmers. Emery will be attending the University of Virginia this fall with plans to study Human Biology.
• Jack Lohmann has been a member of the Waynewood swim team for eleven years, starting as an 8 & under, and qualified for the NVSL Divisional Meet ten times. He is currently a Dolphins coach and will attend The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on an Army ROTC scholarship, where he plans to study Biomedical Engineering.
• Dylan Paradise has been swimming with the Waynewood Dolphins since age five. He was a member of an 8 & under boys medley relay team that broke a Waynewood team record. He has been coaching since 2018, both with the Little Dolphins development program and as an Assistant and Assistant Head Coach. He will attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall.
• Lucy Temple first joined the Waynewood Dolphins eight years ago. A member of a proud swimming family, Lucy has three siblings who also swam with the Dolphins. Lucy will be attending the University of Tennessee next year to major in graphic design.
• Ava Viera started swimming as a member of the Little Dolphins development program when she was four years old. Starting as a Little Dolphins coach when she was 13, Ava is now on her fifth season of coaching with the team. She will study international business at the University of South Carolina on an academic merit scholarship in the fall.
• Olivia Viera joined the Waynewood swim team as a Little Dolphin when she was four years old. She swam every year and served the team as a Little Dolphins coach until her sophomore year, when shoulder surgery kept her out of the pool for a few summers. But Olivia still went to every practice the summer of her surgery and won the team award for most outstanding citizenship. She will attend the University of Connecticut School of Nursing this fall.

9. Waynewood Winter Swim & Coach Applications

Registration for Waynewood Winter Swim will be opening in August. This year, Waynewood will return to the George Washington Rec Center at 8426 Old Mt Vernon Road in Alexandria and will practice from 6-7 p.m.

• As in years past, coaches will group swimmers by age/ability. The season will begin Sept. 10.

We are currently accepting coaching applications now through Aug. 18. For those interested, the time commitment is every Sunday. You must be at least 14 years old as of June 1, 2023 to apply.

Aspiring coaches should send an application (here) to our Team Reps ([email protected]) by Aug. 18.

10. Join a Year-Round Swim Club

Our region has several other year-round programs and teams at local indoor pools.

• For most club options, swimmers get to compete in meets throughout the year and, for swimmers not yet in high school, most clubs offer afternoon practice options (so no early mornings).

Joining a club can be a difference maker if your swimmer is setting new competitive goals (A Meets, Divisionals, All-Stars) for next summer. We encourage you to visit their websites and Team Reps can point you to a family with experience with each of the clubs below if you want to learn more.

At Divisionals on Saturday, Waynewood Dolphins took first place in nine events. Each of the following four swim clubs included at least one of these nine first-place finishers as members last year:

• Potomac Marlins
• Nation’s Capital Swim Club
• Arlington Aquatic Club
• Shark Tank Racing Squad

11. Swimming Scholarship Offer From Nation’s Capital Swim Club

Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) has offered to include the Waynewood Dolphins this year in its swimming scholarship program for the 2023-24 season. It works like this: the Waynewood Dolphins recommend a qualified swimmer and NCAP presents that swimmer with a $1,000 scholarship/credit toward enrollment in an NCAP program.

• This is our first year participating in the program—and time to apply is very short.

NCAP’s Alexandria chapter has final say on a winner but they have asked the Dolphins to administer and recommend a single nominee from among applicants. The Waynewood Team Reps, working with coaches, will seek to identify a swimmer or swimmers who most closely resemble the following criteria:

• Swimming commitment during 2023 Dolphins season: At least one season’s experience swimming with the main Dolphins team (not just Little Dolphins); regularly attended practice, meets, and demonstrated commitment to learning and improving technique for all four strokes.
• USA Swimming program ready: Legal in at least three strokes and has the stamina to handle a practice of greater intensity than a typical Dolphins summer practice.
• Family volunteer obligation: Families need to have either completed their volunteer requirement made at registration or have made a substantial effort to do so to be in the qualified pool.
• No prior swimming club experience: This should be an applicant swimmer’s first-ever experience with year-round swimming. Additional preference may be given to swimmers who do not have a sibling who has swam before with a year-round club over those who have one.
• Intention to accept if chosen: Parents/guardians agree they have read through NCAP programs (see “Team Programs” here) and, if selected, have made the decision to enroll the swimmer in, and regularly attend a program, with at least two swim practices a week for the entire swim year (September to May). NCAP does take breaks coinciding with the winter and spring school breaks as well as many holidays. Parents/guardians also agree they have reviewed costs and are prepared to pay expenses not covered by the scholarship.
• Prioritization of swimming among sports: The scholarship winner may play other sports but agrees to stay committed to swimming and not “take a break” during the year to prioritize another sport during the period covered by the scholarship.

The applicant identified by Team Reps will be recommended to NCAP to receive a $1,000 scholarship (credit) toward the annual fee for an NCAP USA Swimming program. How much this covers depends on a swimmer’s age and the exact program they register for but it may cover about 40% of the program cost. The closest NCAP practice location to Waynewood is the George Washington Rec Center. For costs before scholarship, explore “Age Group” options under “Team Programs” here.

As this is the first effort to award this scholarship at Waynewood, Team Reps will make the award recommendation to NCAP in one of two ways:

1. Random selection among candidates deemed highly qualified by the criteria noted above (in consultation with one or more Dolphins coaches). If only one candidate is deemed highly qualified, that candidate may simply be selected.
2. Establishment of an awards committee from selected team reps, volunteer leads, and/or coaches to choose the candidate who would accrue greatest benefit from receipt of the scholarship.

Click here for the application. Applications are due 6 p.m. this Wednesday, July 26. The winning nominee should be selected and notified by next week. 

This award is a one-time and not annual benefit. The Dolphins reserve the right not to submit a nominee and are not responsible for any additional requirements or decisions NCAP may make in making a final decision on the offer.

We’re grateful to NCAP for making this generous offer and excited about adding another Dolphin to their club!

12. Just Keep Swimming

Here are some final tips for swimmers and parents as we wrap up the 2023 season.

• Involve your kids in year-round swimming. It will help them keep in shape over the winter and move their swimming to the next level. There are several winter programs in the area that run the spectrum from competitive to recreational with different price points.
• Brag to your friends and neighbors about how much fun you had with the Dolphins this summer. Encourage them to join us next year!
• Plan your vacation for August next year so that you can enjoy every Dolphin moment without interruption. The kids don't want to go on vacation when the pool is hopping anyway. Our team needs your swimmers in June and July.
• Parent volunteering is an integral part of being on the swim team—please arrange your summer plans for 2023 accordingly if you’re planning to be with us again next season. If you know this is going to be an issue, reach out to Team Reps before the summer begins to see about alternative ways you might help the team.
• Mark your calendar for Super Sunday (tentatively) on May 5, 2024, where you can meet our Team Reps, Head Coach, and ask any questions about the upcoming season. Our swimsuit vendor Sport Fair is also on hand to sell suits. We plan to open registration in April.

Questions?

Don’t hesitate to contact our Team Reps, Frederick & Tom, at [email protected]

Go Dolphins!

Waynewood Dolphins Communications