The Blazer Newsletter

Eternal Loyalty September 2010 Edition Page 1 Passion Education

Discipline Dedication

Commitment Leadership

Excellence

Inside T his Edition • Page 1 - USA Swimming Scholastic All-America Team • Page 2 - Swim A Thon • Page 3 through 9 - Swimmers of the Year / Month 2009 -2010 USA SWIMMING • Page 10 through 11 - Volunteer SCHOLASTIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM of the Year • Page 12 through 13 - Thanks to ANNOUNCED our Sponsors, Advertisers and Booster Families

Each year, USA Swimming recognizes swimmers who excel both in the classroom and in the pool. The Scholastic All- America Team is made up of 10th, 11th or 12th grade, student-

athletes who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and who have achieved the required time standard in a single event. 17 A Speedo Sponsored Team Missouri Valley swimmers made this prestigious list, and among those, 6 were Kansas City Blazers. This is an extraordinary accomplishment given the high demands of the sport and deserves additional recognition for excellence carried over into the classroom. Please congratulate the following Blazers:

Scholastic All American Team Women 2010 Men 2010 Marston Fries Benjamin Bravence Bryce Hinde Michael Glen

Shannon Vreeland Nathan Hoisington 1 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL RESULTS

SWIM A THON SUNDAY OCTOBER 24, 2010 GRAB YOUR GOGGLES AND HEAD OUT TO THE ROELAND PARK AQUATIC CENTER. (ALL OTHER EQUIPMENT WILL BE PROVIDED.)

SWIM, SOCIALIZE, PLAY GAMES, EAT, AND WIN PRIZES! MIX 93.3 WILL PROVIDE THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. BRING $$$ FOR THE RAFFLE! PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. THIS IS A MANDATORY FUNDRAISER FOR ALL BLAZERS EXCEPT KANSAS NEW NOVICE AND BLUE SWIMMERS. START YOUR PLEDGE GATHERING NOW FOR HOW MANY LENGTHS OF THE POOL YOU CAN SWIM IN 2 HOURS (up to 200 lengths). COME HAVE FUN AND RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR SWIM TEAM!

2 2009/2010 MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMERS

2010 BRIAN HOWARD MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE PROGRAM SHANNON VREELAND

School: Graduate of Blue Valley West. Freshman at the University of Georgia Age: 18 Stats: Top 16 finisher, US Summer Nationals High Point winner 2010 Spring Sectionals 2010 National Youth Team Member USA Swimming Scholastic All-American

For the second year in a row, Shannon is the winner of this award. As team captain, Shannon provided leadership in every aspect of the word. She has served as a mentor to younger members of the Elite group, and was an accessible figure in our organization. Whether leading cheers or encouraging younger swimmers at local and regional meets, Shannon embodies the kind of student, athlete and citizen that we hope to develop throughout our program.

Her work ethic and talent has allowed Shannon to reach tremendous heights and afforded her the opportunity to compete with the National Youth team in Vancouver, BC and Barcelona, Spain. Her season culminated this summer in Irvine, California, where she posted several best times. Her top 16 performance in the 100 meter freestyle secured her a spot on the National Youth team for the third year in a row.

As Shannon moves on to the next phase of her swimming career, we wish her the best of luck in her endeavors in and out of the pool. She has had a lasting impact on the coaching staff, our athletes, and organization as a whole. Congratulations, Shannon!

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MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR KCB EAST SITE – KATERINA SICKLE

Katerina Sickle Age: 16

In 2008-2009 we talked about Katt as one of the little kids that joined the team in 2001 which was the year Coach Mike returned to the Blazers. Katt swam for the Penguin team at the Blue Springs YMCA. The things that Katt brought to the Blazers were her talent and her excitement and her great potential.

Potential, as they say, is the heaviest burden and Katt began the 2009-2010 swimming season, laboring under that burden. She had made the cuts for short course Junior Nationals at Zones and it was starting to sink in that she had the potential of rising above the local Missouri Valley swimming talent.

Her Phase 1 efforts were not the best and were not the efforts that were going to lead her to her hopes and dreams. She was swimming scared. She was scared of the possibilities that her work could bring her. In 2009- 2010 Katt had made 90.4% attendance and at the start of Phase 1 she was falling under 90%. She was swimming behind slower swimmers and was, seemingly, running away from her potential.

As a 15 year old, Katts’ efforts ranked her 33rd in the National USA Swimming IMX short course rankings and 46th in the long course, but her Phase 1 showed her ranking drop to 99th in short course. Then the world changed. Katt went to the short course Juniors and was exposed to swimming at the national level and got a measure of where she stood nationally.

Katt finished the short course rankings in 114th for 16 year old girls, but she was awake. Her Phase 2 efforts were focused on recouping the loss of work from Phase 1 and to getting back on track. Her attendance rocketed up to 96.7% and she worked at a higher level every day. Her focus was on making the long course Junior National cuts. She went into summer Sectionals tired and sore and untapered. She swam with pride and confidence and while not fully rested made her cuts in the 100-200 Backstroke, 200-400 IM, and the 200 Free.

Katt finished 2009-2010 long course ranked 29th nationally, 6th in the Central Zone and first in Missouri Valley and on the Blazers completing a great journey for the year.

Katt finished the year with 94.8% attendance. Her efforts at Junior Nationals further opened her horizons and she is now eying National Championship cuts. She has run a great race this year and stood out head and shoulders above the other members of the East side of the Blazer program. Katts’ ability to improve her racing, to recover her training and attendance from lower levels early in the year, and her willingness to keep focused on the prize at the end of the year are the reasons that we have chosen Katerina Sickle as the East side Most Inspirational Swimmer of the Year.

The Blazer Coaches

Coach Mike Lewellyn Coach Ann Gibler

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MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR BLUE VALLEY NORTH SITE – HANNAH MUSSER

Hannah Musser 14 years old

Without a doubt, Hannah Musser is the most inspirational swimmer of the year from the Blue Valley North site for 2009-2010. Hannah’s selection is based on several factors, including the following: performance achievement, attendance, attitude, attention to detail, and ability to be a supportive teammate.

Hannah’s achievement in the pool was stellar all year. She is inspirational because she continued to demand improvement from herself, even though she was already an accomplished swimmer when the year began. She wins this award not because she is one of the fastest swimmers on the team, but rather because she is not content to rest on her laurels. She earned the following USA times standards: 3 AAAA times, 9 AAA times, and 2 AA times. Additionally, Hannah has sectional qualifying times in 10 events! At her first sectional meet this summer, Hannah handled the pressure of performing with class and grace, and she was clearly one of the team’s most outstanding performers at this championship meet.

These accomplishments in the pool are borne from what Hannah does day-in-day-out at practices. Firstly, she has an outstanding attendance record, rarely missing practice. But mere attendance alone does not tell the tale. When Hannah practices, she is highly focused on the task at hand and extremely diligent in executing the skills as directed. Her attention to detail sets her apart and contributes significantly to her success. Hannah responds instantly to coaching information, and she seeks clarification when needed. She is highly receptive to feedback. She makes no excuses; she simply performs.

The most impressive aspect of Hannah’s swimming is her continued willingness to be an active and supportive teammate to others. It would be easy for someone so talented and accomplished to be selfish and only worry about herself. However, Hannah regularly displays unconditional support for her teammates. She is frequently seen cheering at the end of the lane while a teammate is competing, she offers words of support to others during practice, she appropriately encourages others to work hard when needed, and she joins in the fun too! She has a great sense of humor and knows when to “let her hair down.” She works hard for her success and does not flaunt it in front of others, and she truly celebrates her teammates’ accomplishments in and out of the pool. She leads by example in and out of the water.

Having Hannah in the pool at practice and at meets truly inspires others to be better, including the coaches. We are fortunate to have her in our midst, and we look forward to more great things from Hannah. She is excellence in action.

Thanks for truly inspiring us, Hannah! CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH A FINE YEAR!

Coach Marjorie

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MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR BLUE VALLEY WEST SITE – HEATH MAGINN

Heath Maginn 15 Years Old

The Blue Valley West practice site had a great year in the 2009-2010 season. We had large numbers of swimmers from Novice move to the Blue group. We had an even larger number of swimmers move from Blue to Advanced Blue. During the course of the year, we moved our first three swimmers up and out of the site into Gold. Starting the year in the Senior group, we welcomed three swimmers who had received this award the previous year – Beth Houghton from Blue Valley West, Benjamin Koeller from Shawnee Mission North and Heath Maginn from California Trail (all have since moved to Elite). It was an exciting site to coach with lots of quality people and swimmers. The decision of who was the most inspirational this year was a tough one. But in the end, a tough one was the choice – Heath Maginn.

I put a lot of pressure on Heath this year, and he on me. Heath came into the year as a backstroker who also had a pretty good 400 I.M. I challenged Heath to become a better swimmer all around, and a more consistent trainer at practice and racer at meets. The pressure he put on me was when he made the decision to stay with me rather than swim with his high school. While I wholeheartedly agreed with his decision, it meant that he felt that swimming with me during the winter would give him the best shot at swimming fast in the spring and summer. I didn’t want to let him down. Heath held up his end of the bargain and picked up new sectional cuts in the 200 I.M., 200 fly, 500 free and 800 free and scored top 8 in his 200 backstroke at the March sectional meet.

When we discussed what to shoot for in the summer, Heath again trusted me when I told him I wanted him to set his sights on Senior Zones and train at practice in the new distance lane. He was not comfortable at first, but responded gradually, deliberately and successfully. At the Senior Zone meet, he finished the season with 6 out of 6 best times. I had to remind him that it took a great commitment from him to get there. After his 2nd place finish in the 200 backstroke, get got out of the water and said “now THAT is what I’ve been waiting for.” I shook my head and said “no. That is what you’ve been WORKING for.”

Coach Derek

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR ELITE – NATHAN HOISINGTON

Nathan Hoisington 18 Years Old

The Elite group most inspirational swimmer of the year is Nathan Hoisington, who was a senior at Blue Vally North last year. Nathan was selected for this honor based on his leadership, perseverance, and achievements.

Nathan has been swimming with the Blazers since he was little. He has really grown and matured throughout his time with the Blazers. Nathan was selected as one of the team captains this past season. He excelled in this role. Nathan showed team spirit by leading cheers. He also helped motivate his teammates, and would even call out people who were not acting as they should.

6 The short course season did not go as planned for Nathan. He became infected with mono during high school season. Although Nathan was initially upset with how his spring season ended, he persevered. He set his sights on the summer season and set some lofty goals. Nathan became focused during practice on achieving them. His work ethic and attention to detail increased. This paid off as Nathan had an excellent summer. During Sectionals, Nathan made finals in five of his events. He placed 1st in the 200im and 400im, 2nd in the 100 breaststroke, 5th in the 200 breaststroke, and 8th in the 200 butterfly. Nathan earned his first Senior National cuts by qualifying in the 100 breaststroke, 200im, and 400im. These efforts allowed him to finished 2nd high point for men at that meet.

In addition to excelling in the pool, Nathan also excelled in the classroom. He was able to balance his rigorous course schedule with his Elite training schedule. Nathan has been named a USA Swimming Scholastic All- American for three consecutive years.

Nathan is now a freshman at Virginia Tech where he is majoring in engineering and continuing his swimming career. Congratulations on an outstanding tenure with the Blazers and good luck in college! You have a bright future ahead of you.

Scott Bliss Maggie Kroemer

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR SHAWNEE MISSION NORTH SITE – ZACK HOLBROOK

Zack Holbrook 14 Years Old

Inspiration can be described as an act of elevating or stimulating influence on a person’s thinking or behavior. Inspiration can come from many places--from within you, from defeat or victory, spiritually, or from the actions of others. “The Inspirational Swimmer of the Year” award this year could have gone to a number of people, all of whom inspire me to be a better coach. I narrowed the choice down to three swimmers; then got stuck and asked the other coaches for input.

In no particular order, I would like to describe some of the characteristics and behaviors which those three swimmers exhibited that truly inspired me.

First off, is Ali McCollum , whom has struggled mightily to make the necessary stroke changes to swim up to her potential. For the past year, Ali worked hard to make these changes. She listened to what her coaches said and was constantly doing what we asked of her. These changes did not come easy. As she would make one change, it created the need to make another stroke adjustment. Over the course of the year, Ali made the corrections she needed to swim faster. Ali was constantly challenged as she made incremental improvement. Two steps forward, one step back. Ali always worked hard to make the changes and she trained hard. Through it all she remained positive, upbeat and showed the leadership qualities needed for the group to move forward. By the end of the season, Ali had made most of the changes needed to swim fast. Unfortunately, Ali ran out of time and the season ended with her not making the level of improvements she had hoped for. Ali showed me an inner strength to make difficult changes that I envy. She has now moved on to the Elite group, but the impression she made on me will remain.

My next candidate is Rilye Frie s. Rilye overcame some serious physical challenges to go on and have a very successful season and achieved her first five sectional times. During the short course season, Rilye experienced some physical disorder that created extreme pain and would randomly move throughout her body. 7 The pain was to the level that Rilye had to miss over 18 days of school and I don’t really know how many practices. Bottom line, the doctors could not find an answer so they called it a virus. Eventually, her body overcame this aliment, and she was able to train. However, by this time, the short course season was almost over and Rilye was way behind in her training which affected her performances at the DI meet. This created the challenge of getting back to her racing form. Rilye persisted and persevered all through the summer and came back in a big way to have a very successful DI and Zone. Anyone that can overcome this kind of challenge with that degree of success is certainly an inspiration to both me and her teammates.

Lastly, there is Zack Holbrook , whom consistently worked hard in practice, had exceptional attendance, and an awesome attitude towards all aspects of swimming. When it came to racing, Zack could be absolutely incredible. Zack, on occasions, seemed to be able to come back at the end of his races with an uncanny ability to accelerate even after a giving an outstanding effort. The effort and intensity of his races was very inspiring and to know that I had, to some extent, an influence on those performances is or was quite exciting. Arguably, any one of the three people above could be chosen as SMN Swimmer of the Year. Nobody is perfect and there are always different things we can improve on. After putting the many facets involved with competitive swimming, looking at who achieved what, and weighing all the parts of the equation, I have with great difficulty chosen Zack Holbrook to be our SMN Swimmer of the Year. Zack has shown to me a positive attitude and many swimming performances that have helped to make my year of coaching a very good one. He has been very uplifting and motivational for not only me but the whole SMN group. Kudos to all the SMN/RP swimmers who have inspired all of us to do a better job to seek and to know that hard work and a positive attitude will lead us all to greater success.

Zack, it has been great coaching you the last few years and we all miss having you in the pool. Look forward to seeing many great successes from you in the future. Best of luck for your swimming with the Elite group. Now go out there and change your strokes and increase the odds of a super future.

Sincerely, Coach Henry

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR CALIFORNIA TRAILS SITE – SYDNEY ANGELL

Sydney Angell 12 Years Old

This year's "Swimmer of the Year Award" for California Trail is being presented to Sydney Angell, who was an inspiration to not only her peers but to the whole Blazer staff as well. Sydney moved here from Atlanta in November, well after the season had started. Moving requires a large adjustment, and for most young swimmers this can be a very tough time. School had started. Swimming was at a point of intense training. Yet, like the trooper she is, Sydney fully embraced these new difficulties with the enthusiasm and zeal needed to overcome these new life challenges. Sydney quickly made friends at school and in the pool, and established herself a team leader.

Sydney wasted no time in setting some ambitious goals. Sydney began this quest with a somewhat doubtful belief she could achieve them. However, Sydney quickly came to the realization that with enough commitment, work, and determination she could reach and surpass these goals. At the Missouri Valley Level I Championships, she won the 100 breast in a time of 1:12.61. This was just the beginning of an awesome year. 8 The short-course Division I meet was a turning point for Sydney, in recognizing just what she is capable of. Although she won the 50 and 100 breaststroke, the 200 breaststroke was her standout race. She set a team record, and she qualified for sectionals for the first time, demonstrating her ability to compete outside the 11-12 age group.

Sydney began to acknowledge she was capable of much more and continued her winning ways by capping off her year at Long Course Central Zones. This was an exceptional meet for Sydney; she was a triple winner in the 50, 100, and 200 breaststroke events, setting team records in all three and establishing a new sectional qualifying time in the 200 IM.

Sydney's performances continued to improve the whole year as did her confidence. Sydney is a shining example of what can be achieved in life with the right attitude, desire, and commitment that comes from a person. Exhibiting all these positive characteristics has been a true inspiration to many and given all of us a recipe for success.

Sydney, on behalf of the coaching staff, we wish for you the greatest success and thank you for showing us what goals we can reach with a great mind set.

On behalf of the entire Blazer program, thank you for being a role model.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SWIMMER OF THE MONTH ELITE JULY 2010 – NATHAN HOISINGTON

Nathan Hoisington Blue Valley North H.S. 18 Years Old

Nathan was outstanding during the month of July. His hard work and dedication in the pool paid off in big ways. At Sectionals, Nathan qualified for Senior Nationals for the first time. He qualified in the 400im, 100 breaststroke, and the 200im. Nathan finished 8th in the 200 fly, 5th in the 200 breaststroke, 2nd in the 100 breaststroke, 1st in the 400im, and 1st in the 200im. These races enabled Nathan to finish second in the high point for the men. Nathan was also apart of the B 800 free relay and the A 400 medley relay that both scored for the Blazers. In addition to his efforts in the pool, Nathan also provided strong leadership to his teammates.

Congratulations Nathan for an amazing month!

Scott Bliss Maggie Kroemer

9 MOST INSPIRATIONAL VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR TROY LAFLIN

Volunteer of the Year This year we had several very well qualified nominees for our Volunteer of the Year, all of whom are inspirations in the way they give of their time to the Blazers.

Heather Bravence Heather made everyone who entered the hospitality room at the Division 1 meet feel extra special. She works out every detail with great “pizzazz,” even bringing floral arrangements for the Division I tables. The Missouri Valley coaches and officials are very fortunate to have someone who works so hard to make their day during a meet. Heather presents a great face for the Blazers to the officials and to the rest of Missouri Valley. Thank you Heather!

Stacey Wooden Stacey is a Board member who organizes special functions and oversees our pool moms. She is always there with a great big smile, organizing various events and socials. She calmly gets things done, making this a better organization for our children. She's a great asset to the Blazer organization as she makes everyone automatically feel that he or she should volunteer more for our Blazers without ever explicitly telling them so! Great job Stacey!

Elizabeth Davis Elizabeth is the epitome of the respectful, knowledgeable, helpful, athlete-oriented, always-there official. She is always smiling, always in a good mood, always willing to help, and always at the meets. She officiates almost all of the Blazer meets, numerous Missouri Valley meets hosted by other clubs, and often officiates on the national level. Without Elizabeth and officials like her, we could not have swim meets for our kids. Many thanks Elizabeth!

John Faulkenberry For the last 3 years John has been the President of the Blue Springs Swim Parent Association and has done a fabulous job. Along with his many other duties as President and High School Principal, John spent numerous hours communicating with Lee’s Summit school administrators helping to ensure that the Blazers were able to use the new Lee’s Summit pool for the Early Bird meet last spring. John is stepping down as president in September, but will continue to support the Blue Springs Swim Parent Association in an advisory position and will most certainly be seen volunteering at the swim meets this coming season. John’s efforts have made the east side program successful. John will be greatly missed.

Annette Rohde Annette could be volunteer of the decade! She serves on the board as the Volunteer Coordinator. She calmly makes sure all of our volunteer positions are filled so that we can run our meets and other activities, and when positions aren’t filled, adapts on the fly. This often means stepping in herself. She does a great job making sure all of our events come off without a hitch. She really is the engine behind our operations.

Troy Laflin – Volunteer of the Year Troy oversees our four large meets and five to six Blue Gold Meets. Each meet takes hours of preparation behind the scenes. He then attends the meets and is there for the entirety. He always makes it appear effortless. Troy creates a great environment for our swimmers to excel, and for our parents to enjoy the meet. He is an excellent problem solver, and has taken our meets to a new level of efficiency.

10 The recent Division 1 meet typifies Troy’s commitment. He worked over 50 hours before the meet, and then was at the meet on deck the entire time---three 14 hour days!! To top it all off, Troy did not even have a swimmer swimming in the meet.

Additionally, Troy has served on the board and helped provide us with great judgment and leadership. He has now taken on a new position on the board as Finance Director, while agreeing to continue helping with meets.

Troy is a person who never says no, and has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, year in and year out. He has contributed greatly to the Blazer organization, making it a better place for our swimmers and families.

Congratulations to Troy Laflin, our Volunteer of the Year. Thank you for all you do!!

KCB Alumni Where Are You Now?

KCB Alumni, if you are interested in receiving the monthly newsletter and being added to the Alumni list please go to our website and register for more information.

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Swim Quik is the KC Blazers Official Team Supplier and is proud to be a Speedo Preferred Team Dealer.

Swim Quik attends on-site fitting nights in September to outfit swimmers with swimsuits, KC Blazers apparel, and equipment. Swim Quik is also on site at the following KC Blazers sponsored swim meets with goggles, swimsuits, KC Blazers apparel, etc.: Future Stars, Ann Ketterer, Polar Bear, MALS, Early Bird & D1s.

www.swimquik.com

PROMO CODE : BLAZER Swim Quik SWIM QUIK has been a premier retailer of swimwear and swim accessories for over 30 years and specializes in stocks: both competition swimming and fashion swim suits and accessories. KCB apparel Aquablades SPORT swimwear and equipment can be ordered on-line Practice suits NOW by selecting a category on the left. Solid Suits Goggles FASHION swimwear and accessories will be added on- line in the near future, please visit us again. Hand Paddles Fins SWIM QUIK has thousands of items in our store not yet Snorkels available for on-line shopping. Please give us a call at Goggle Straps 913-649-8456 . Sammy Towels Swim Caps Select Fastskins Backpacks

SWIM QUIK Parkway Plaza (NW Corner of 135 th & Roe) 4876 West 135 th Street • Leawood, KS 913.649.8456 • www.swimquik.com

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SPECIAL THANKS!

The Kansas City Blazers swimmers would like to thank the many wonderful businesses for their continued support in assisting the team in their quest for excellence. These generous companies help to make it possible for the Kansas City Blazers to continue to offer a quality swim program in our area. Please let them know that you appreciate their support!

MAJOR MEET SPONSOR CAPITOL FEDERAL

ADVERTISERS Lathrop & Gage L.C. Midwest Gloves & Gear Grant Messick - Edward Jones Dr. Andrew Jacobs | Copy Club | Swim Quik Wellbody-DR. Goldstein | RPS Properties Jam Ridge Services | perceptionmultisport BarNone Training | Sports Radio 810 Brimacombe & Cohen-Reece & Nichols

The KC Blazers East Branch Corporate Sponsors & Advertisers

Swim Quik | Bolero Salon & Spa Cockerell & McIntosh Pediatrics of Blue Springs Show Me Presentation Resources Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Consultants

Thank you Sponsors!

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