Week 14 - Wow What a Conference Finish

We started the season talking about how taper begins at the first day of practice and you will get out of the season what you put into it. Last week's blog entry started with this little sign about effort and time. As much as I imagined how that hard work and time would result in fantastic performances this weekend, I could not imagine the result of that equation completely.

I slept little Thursday night, anxious to see those results. I slept less on Friday night amazed by what I had seen in Prelims. On Saturday, I slept soundly from a combination of pure exhaustion and a deep satisfaction that the work y'all put in truly paid off.

Though it is impossible to pick any performance as better than the rest, here are a few highlights.

• 4 brand new state cuts for Pete (50 and 100 Breast) Garrett (Fly) and Brad (100 Free). 
• 3 additional cuts for Ross (200), Levi N (IM), Steve (Fly)
• Near misses by Brad (50), Hudson (Fly), Grayson & Brant (500).
• These guys will give it another go on Tuesday at the second chance meet. 
• A Personal best by Brad on the Board that puts him at 2nd overall on our 11 Dive on our Top Ten list. 
• 200 Free Relay that was fast enough to move to 4th on the top Ten list.
• 400 Free Relay that swam a time fast enough to put them in 5th on that list.
• More personal bests (both seasonal and lifetime) than I want to count. 

You guys took the idea of hard work and rest to it's ultimate conclusion. Congratulations and Well Done!!

Meet Splits
Top Times
Top Times including relay splits

THIS WEEK'S PLANS
Most practices as the State team finishes the season will be done around 5:30.
Monday - Normal Practice 3:30 - 5:30: This is for all swimmers with the exception of one or two that will not be swimming.

Second Chance Meet Hosted by Holland - Tuesday, March 1
The entire team to swim this meet. This will be a final meet for some, but it gives athletes a chance to swim events that they did not get to swim at the Conference meet. This means one more practice day and one more meet day while fully tapered.

• State Qualifiers will practice 4:30 to 5:30 then join the other swimmers for warm up, etc.
• Non state swimmers should be on deck at 5:15
• Meet Warmup at 5:30.  
• Meet Starts at 6:30.

Here is a link to sign up for the events you want to swim on Tuesday.

Diving Regionals - March 3 @ East Grand Rapids 
I will work through details with Erica and Brad.
State swimmers that want to join in a trip to EGR to support Brad following a slightly shortened practice, need to let me know by Tuesday evening.

LOOKING AHEAD
State Meet - March 11 & 12 at Eastern Michigan University
Swimmers leave Thursday at 4:00.
Prelims and finals start at 12:00 each day.
I will have a detailed itinerary at the end of this week.

Team Banquet - March 21 at Providence Church (Details to come)