2011 Mako #3 Spring Invite

"TO THE MOON!"

Meet Photos by Mr. David Yarashus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yarashus/collections/72157625871595716/

We choose the moonPresident John F. Kennedy once told us,

*"We choose to go to the moon... (interrupted by applause) we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too".

The Mako Spring Invite, March 26 & 27, marked the end of a very prosperous 2010-11 Short Course season for the Potomac Marlins swimmers. As anticipated, there were many great individual swims which contributed to the team's very respectable 65% overall best time performance. Among the noteworthy performances was the meet's only NEW Team Record. The fact that it came in the 200 Fly is not, by itself, impressive. Nor could it be said that the record spawning 9th place out of 9 swimmers finish in the OPEN Boys 200 Fly was headline news. However, add that the event had never been previously attempted (or likely contemplated) by a comparable Marlins swimmer in the team's 18 year history, the event is one of the top 2-3 least swum and most feared events by most swimmers in the USA league regardless of age, AND the referenced swimmer is 8 years old!

DylanThat's right, 8 year old Dylan Major, (Coach Steve's a.m. GMU) swimming the 200 OPEN butterfly alongside swimmers more than twice his age, twice his height, twice his strength and nearly twice his speed established a new team record for the boys 8 & under 200 Fly with a time of 3:38.06. While I have no idea or concern as to the noteworthiness or the relevance of the final time on a larger scale, the infinitely more impressive and inspiring factor is this swimmer's HEART, COURAGE and WILLINGNESS to accept difficult (and painful) challenges. Imagine what it must have felt like to step up on the blocks for that swim. As the whistle blew, the hatch closed and the countdown began.... All swimmers and athletes feel the same things at some point in their careers (even Mr. Phelps). As I see it and know it to be, the unprepared and unfocused feel FEAR and UNCERTAINTY. The prepared and focused feel CONFIDENT and EXCITED. Which will YOU be? Which do you WANT to be?

moon printVeteran athletes (and coaches) will tell you that with hard work, experience and perseverance, one can turn fear and uncertainty into confidence and excitement. Some refer to this confident, excited and euphoric experience as "Being in the ZONE". I don't know what Dylan felt when he stepped up on his personal "launch pad" that day as he glanced over at the other "much hairier" competition. (a Gulp or a Chuckle?) I do know that his "one small step" in that race, is going to lead to "one giant leap" for his future swimming career and most assuredly his life in general. I chose to highlight this swim because it, and other impressive first time "epic" swims, which I have witnessed over the years, where young swimmers make similar leaps of faith in themselves, represents to me, the true Spirit and Purpose of athletic competition in youth sports. These decisions to push beyond preconceived personal limits embody the fearless nature and self-motivating character traits which myself, along with the rest of the Marlins staff wish to nurture within the hearts and minds of all of our developing future leaders, both in and out of the pool.

Apollo 11While many Potomac Marlins swimmers had outstanding meet performances at the Mako Invite (see charts below), I focus on this one 200 butterfly swim to encapsulate my thoughts on the 2010-11 season. My hope is that all Marlins swimmers will confidently and excitedly embark on new journeys of personal exploration, set new goals and take on new and self-pioneering challenges with their swimming, school and other personal activities. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Shoot for the moon! We often forget that the only lasting personal value of competition does not lie in the finality of the physical outcome or the color of the ribbon donned on one's neck, but rather in the remembrance of the PROCESS of getting there, the satisfaction of a challenge met and the comfort in a job well done.

Congratulations to all 2010-11 Potomac Marlins swimmers for a great season and a superb finale at the Mako Spring Invite. We look forward to continuing the "mission" and to boldly go where no team has gone before.

Godspeed!

Coach Barry Marlin

*President's speech delivered at Rice University in Houston, Texas on 12 September 1962.

 

Top 3 time drop performances per distance.

SWIMMER NAME 200 yd. events TIME DROP
Jonathan Wen 200 Free -55.73
Sean Jansen 200 Free -38.36
Arjun Ganesh 200 Free -25.27
SWIMMER NAME 100 yd. events TIME DROP
Sean Jansen 100 Fly -20.24
Margaret Williamson 100 I.M. -14.44
Havalah Yarashus 100 Free -14.21
SWIMMER NAME 50 yd. events TIME DROP
Elizabeth Williamson 50 Back -13.48
Elizabeth Williamson 50 Breast -9.37
Gavin Flanagan 50 Free -8.13
SWIMMER NAME 25 yd. events TIME DROP
Abigail Church 25 Free -4.46
Fiona Herbold 25 Free -4.44
Kyle Diederich 25 Fly -2.77

Swimmers with 4 or more best time performances.

SWIMMER NAME EVENTS TIME DROP
50 Fly

-6.39
100 Free -2.90
100 I.M. -7.37
50 Free -1.83
100 Fly -20.24
200 Free -38.36
50 Fly -1.15
50 Breast -1.46
100 Free -1.48
100 I.M. -5.25
50 Free -.15
50 Back -1.44
Wyatt Broyles 50 Fly -4.51
100 Back -3.32
100 Free -7.59
100 I.M. -7.38
50 Free -2.75
50 Back -2.51
25 Back -.61
50 Breast -4.94
100 I.M. -7.89
50 Free -1.35
25 Fly -2.77
50 Back -1.57
200 I.M. -6.89
100 Back -2.69
100 Free -1.20
50 Free -.56
100 Fly -.18
200 Free -4.87
200 Free -3.91
50 Fly -.60
100 Free -1.96
50 Free -2.15
100 Fly -.45
100 Breast -3.19
50 Fly -4.35
100 Back -1.11
100 I.M. -3.71
50 Free -1.46
50 Breast -.52
200 Free -5.44
100 Back -1.49
200 Fly -10.72
100 Fly -2.02
100 Free -.95
100 Breast -1.95
Derrick Do 100 Back -.50
50 Free -1.63
100 Fly -.66
200 I.M. -4.46
200 Back -4.07
200 Free -.34
100 Back -.76
200 I.M. -1.17
200 Back -7.83
100 Breast -.28
50 Fly -1.04
100 Back -4.65
100 Free -4.22
100 Fly -9.43
50 Back -1.69
50 Fly -6.45
25 Back -2.40
100 Free -8.06
50 Free -8.13
50 Back -1.70
200 Fly -19.55
50 Fly -.01
100 Free -2.51
100 I.M. -4.66
200 Free -5.54
200 I.M. -12.22
50 Breast -2.48
100 I.M. -2.89
100 Breast -2.03
50 Back -1.39
100 Back -5.49
100 Free -1.16
100 I.M. -1.10
50 Free -.38
50 Back -.48
50 Fly -2.95
100 Free -2.99
100 I.M. -9.19
50 Back -1.41
200 Free -4.65
Grace Morales 200 Free -.27
50 Free -.72
200 Fly -.18
100 Fly -2.85
200 I.M. -4.25
100 Free -2.91
50 Breast -2.92
100 I.M. -11.35
50 Free -.22
50 Back -3.75
50 Fly -3.57
100 Free -5.17
50 Free -1.53
50 Back -3.34
200 Free -16.37
50 Breast -7.07
100 I.M. -14.44
50 Free -.02
50 Back -.56
100 Breast -13.29
100 Free -2.80
100 I.M. -8.92
50 Free -2.54
50 Back -3.33
50 Fly -.64
50 Breast -1.05
100 I.M. -3.45
50 Back -1.39
200 Free -3.77
100 Back -1.89
200 Back -5.83
100 Free -.67
100 Back -13.46
50 Breast -.13
100 I.M. -2.84
100 Breast -6.13
200 I.M. -5.39
50 Fly -.51
100 Fly -3.78
200 Free -6.27
200 Free -2.93
50 Free -.40
200 Fly -1.19
100 Fly -3.15
200 I.M. -1.26
50 Free -.79
25 Fly -.23
50 Back -.52
100 Free -8.66
50 Breast -2.25
50 Free -1.48
50 Back -3.65
200 Free -4.14
100 Back -2.15
50 Free -1.05
100 Free -5.41
50 Fly -3.15
100 Free -1.29
50 Back -.69
200 Free -4.10
50 Breast -.94
100 I.M. -4.26
50 Free -.08
50 Back -5.01
50 Fly -1.35
100 Back -4.36
50 Free -1.58
50 Back -1.62
200 I.M. -7.01
100 I.M. -.98
100 Breast -1.22
200 Free -55.73
25 Free -1.46
50 Breast -9.37
25 Fly -1.42
50 Back -13.48
50 Breast -1.13
50 Free -1.84
50 Back -1.49
100 Breast -5.64
200 Free -.76
100 Back -2.90
200 Breast -2.10
200 I.M. -1.42
100 Back -2.19
50 Free -.15
200 I.M. -5.33
100 Free -4.74