Important!!!
September 30, 2010 by Editor ·
Tonight’s pasta dinner had to be moved to Calise’s Deli at 734 Post Rd East. As always, it will be right after practice.
Lady Wreckers Get First Win
September 30, 2010 by Editor ·
By Eliot Schickler
The Staples girls swimming team got into the win column on Wednesday with a 101-82 victory at Norwalk (1-2) to raise its record to 1-2.
“It feels fantastic,” Staples Coach Mike Laux said. “It was the biggest meet of the season for us because of all of the middle of the pack teams [Norwalk, Westhill and Ridgefield] in the FCIAC, Norwalk is the best team. This puts us in the right direction.”
Lady Wreckers senior captain Molly Loftus said, “Norwalk gave us great competition and it felt really great to beat them this year and get our first win of the season. Everybody was feeding off of each other’s energy and the team supporting each other and cheering each other on were the key to our success.”
Depth propelled Staples to victory as it finished second and third or second and fourth in events it didn’t win. Overall, the Lady Wreckers won seven events, including two relays. Sophomore Alexis Teixeira and freshmen Gabby LeBlanc, Verity Abel and junior Gabby Wimer carried the 200-yard medley relay team to victory with a time of 1:58.87 and Wimer, senior captain Stephanie Nussbaum, sophomore Sarah Cooperman and Loftus led the 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:47.65) to victory.
Abel won the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.28) and 100-yard backstroke (1:00.98). Teixeira took third in the 100-back (1:08.27), junior Caroline Valerio placed third in the 100-fly (1:08.1) and fourth in the 100-back (1:08.28) and sophomore Phoebe Corde was fifth in the 100-fly (1:15.56).
Senior captain Schaefer Andrews won diving with a personal-best 209.
“It’s really exciting and I’m happy with how I did,” Andrews said. “I knew the team needed me to do as well as I did, I worked hard for it and I’m glad I was able to do it.”
Diving went well for Staples as junior Michelle Mastrianni (151) grabbed second and senior captain Margot Bruce (140) finished fourth.
The Lady Wreckers swept the 100-yard breaststroke with LeBlanc (1:14.78) reigning victorious. Sophomores Anita Voohra (1:17.75) and Patricia Maragos (1:20.19) took second and third, respectively.
Loftus led Staples in distance events by winning the 500-yard freestyle (5:24.12) and took second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:02.21). She won the 500-free by 12 seconds.
“Everybody was cheering us on, which helped me,” Loftus said. “I lost in the 200 and I felt I had to redeem myself.”
Nussbaum took third in the 200-free (2:20.89) and Cooperman placed third in the 500-free (5:49.04). Senior Caitlin Wiederecht was fourth in the 500-free (6:09.13).
Cooperman led the Lady Wreckers in the 200-yard individual medley (2:20.89) by powering her way into second place. LeBlanc (2:25.27) and Teixeira (2:35.52) were four-five in the 200-IM.
In sprinting events, Wimer led the way by taking second in the 50-yard freestyle (26.33) and in the 100-yard freestyle (57.57). Nussbaum took third in the 100-free (1:00.02) and sophomore Becca Rabb was fifth in the 50-free (28.78).
Norwalk won the 400-yard freestyle relay and Staples took second in it behind Nussbaum, Cooperman, Loftus and Abel (3:52.85).
The Lady Wreckers compete at Wilton today at 3:40 p.m. and face four teams at the Cheshire Invitational tomorrow at 3 p.m. For now, Staples is feeling good.
“It’s a big win for us and it shows we have potential when we swim our best,” Andrews said. “We did a very good job.”
Reprinted from the Westport News
Staples Swims Past Norwalk
September 29, 2010 by Editor ·
NORWALK — The Staples High girls swim team earned its first victory of the season with a 101-82 victory over the Norwalk-McMahon co-op Wednesday at the Pat Spinola pool.
The Wreckers raised their record to 1-2 while Norwalk-McMahon slipped to 2-1.
“It was a very exciting and close meet,” Staples coach Mike Laux said. “We have a little more depth than Norwalk. It was a great win for the girls and all the kids did their best times.”
Verity Abel was a double-winner for Staples as she captured first in the 100 butterfly (1:00.28) and the 100 backstroke (1:00.98). Lauren Czulewicz won two events for Norwalk-McMahon, taking first in the 50 freestyle (26.04) and 100 free (56.72).
Individual winners for the Wreckers were Molly Loftus in the 500 free (5:24.12), Gabbie LeBlanc in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.78) and Schaefer Andrews in the diving. For Norwalk-McMahon, Stephanie Czulewicz won the 200 free (2:02) and Meredith Pramer secured first in the 200 IM (2:19.36).
Staples’ 200 medley relay team of Abel, LeBlanc, Alexis Teixeira and Gabby Wimer turned in a winning time of 1:58.87 and the 200 free relay of Wimer, Loftus, Stephanie Nussbaum and Sarah Cooperman came out on top with a time of 1:47.65.
Norwalk’s 400 free relay team of Pramer, Rachel Smolensky, Stephanie and Lauren Czulewicz prevailed with a time of 3:52.16.
Reprinted from The Hour
Parking for Cameron Bruce Funeral
September 24, 2010 by Admin ·
The Bruce family kindly requests that current and recent Staples students and Water Rats park at the Playhouse. This will allow older family members and friends to park at the church.
Staples Swimmers Place in Minuteman Triathlon
September 22, 2010 by Coach Laux ·
Gabby Wimer, 15, won her age group in last Sunday’s (9/19) Kiwanis Minuteman Triathlon. She came in first among girls aged 15-19 and placed 82nd overall, with a time of 52:41. Emily Green, 16, placed second among girls 15-19 with a time of 57:56. She was 91st overall.
Marcus Russi, of the Staples Boys Swimming Team, came in first among boys aged 13-14 and he was fourth overall with a time of 45:43. Staples Boys diver Tanner Blank, 15, completed the race with a time of 1:13:54.
Congratulations triathletes!
I thank all the Staples swimmers who volunteered during the triathlon last Sunday. You were a big help.
- Coach Laux
Services for Cameron Bruce
September 22, 2010 by Editor ·
Visiting Hours will be on Friday, September 24th from 4-8pm. The funeral service will be the next day on Saturday, at 2pm. Both the visiting hours and the funeral will be at Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East in Westport. Flowers have been sent to the church to honor Cameron on behalf of Staples Girls and Boys Swimming and Diving, both current and past members.
Trumbull beats Lady Wreckers
September 21, 2010 by Admin ·
Sometimes, a team is outgunned and can’t do anything about the final result.
A case in point was the Staples girls swimming team’s season-opening meet at home against Trumbull last Thursday. Although Trumbull defeated Staples, 100-84, Coach Mike Laux was proud of his team.
“We did fine and had a great meet under the circumstances,” Laux said. “It was a good meet and everyone swam their hardest. We’ll have a good team by the end of the year.”
Lady Wreckers senior captain Margot Bruce said, “Trumbull is a very good team. I would have liked to have won but I thought it went well. We swam our best and that’s what counts at the end of the day.”
Junior Gabby Wimer led Staples by winning the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 29.64 seconds and the 100-meter freestyle (1:05.06). Classmate Caroline Valerio was fourth in the 50-free (31.47) and senior captain Stephanie Nussbaum (1:07.88) was fourth in the 100-free.
“We’ve been working hard and everyone cheering for me at the side of the pool, helped,” Wimer said. “In the 50, I made sure I picked it up and got faster as the race went on. In the 100, the third 25 was the most important and I made sure I got off the wall very quickly.”
Senior captain Schaefer Andrews (180.09) won diving for the Lady Wreckers. Diving was the only event in which Staples outpointed Trumbull (the teams were deadlocked 8-8 in the events Wimer won) as junior Michelle Mastrianni (143.55) took third.
“I tried to focus hard, have fun and plant my toes,” Andrews said.
Freshman Verity Abel (1:07.6) won the 100-meter butterfly for the Lady Wreckers. Abel also took second in the 200-meter individual medley (2:20.40) and sophomore Sarah Cooperman took fourth in the 200-IM (2:28.00).
In the previous years, senior captain Molly Loftus dominated distance freestyle events but Lady Eagle junior Caitlin Cole was too much. Cole won the 200-meter freestyle (2:15.77) and 400-meter freestyle (4:41.54) and Loftus settled for second in the 400-free (4:43.51) and third in the 200-free (2:20.40). Nussbaum (2:28) and senior Caitlin Wiederecht (2:33.54) were four-five in the 200-free and Cooperman (5:01.88) and junior Emily Greene (5:42.00) were four-five in the 400-free.
Valerio (1:15.44) and sophomore Alexis Teixeira (1:16.55) were three-four in the 100-meter backstroke and freshman Gabby LeBlanc (1:24.20) and sophomore Anita Vohra (1:27.08) were three-four in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Trumbull won all three relays. Teixeira, LeBlanc, Loftus and Bruce carried the 200-meter medley relay team (2:18.05) to second place. Wimer, Bruce, Nussbaum and Abel led the 200-meter freestyle relay team (2:00.88) to the silver and Wimer, Nussbaum, Loftus and Abel powered the 400-meter freestyle relay team (4:19.85) to second place.
“Everyone tried their hardest and Trumbull is a great team,” Andrews said. “We swam well but Trumbull was better.”
Nussbaum said, “I thought we did very well. A lot of girls had best times, which is impressive for the first meet of the season and we can only improve from here.”
And it doesn’t get easier for the Lady Wreckers as they will travel to defending FCIAC and Class M champion and State Open runnerup Darien on Friday.
Reprinted from the Westport News
Reminder-No Practice Tomorrow
September 17, 2010 by Barbara Wiederecht ·
As a reminder, due to Yom Kippur, there will be no practice on Saturday, September 18th.
Memorial Blog
September 15, 2010 by Editor ·
Cameron’s family have been able to read what is posted on Cameron’s Facebook Wall, but since they don’t have access to Cameron’s account, some of what is written may scroll out of view. That is why we have added a new section to the Staples Swimming site: the Cameron Bruce Memorial Blog, a forum for Cameron’s friends to share thoughts and memories. The blog works like a “Wall” on Facebook. You can write messages and reply to messages from others. If you comment on the opening message, you’ll be asked to supply your name and e-mail address. Once you have been authorized as a member of the Memorial Blog, you’ll be able to create your own posts.
We hope Staples students (past and present) find it useful.
Car Wash Results!
September 15, 2010 by Editor ·
GO TEAM !!
All of you who attended our fall car wash did an excellent job! Thank you to all of you and your parents….true teamwork at it’s best! Amazingly the rain held off and we had a very successful fund raiser.
Brief summery of the results:
v 40 out of 63 Lady Wreckers worked hard at the car wash
v The team raised just over $2,000 in donated funds
v Washed over 114 cars in 4 hours
v Sold 81 advanced tickets
Special thanks to Couch Laux for letting us use his parking lot again. Thank you to the Bruces, Nussbaums and Mafilios for bringing some delicious baked goods. Thanks to our parent volunteers Mr. Maragos, Mrs. Nussbaum, Mrs. Bruce and Mrs. Mafilios for volunteering to be part of the teamwork at our car wash. And finally thanks to Mr. Greenwald for once again loaning us his hose sprayers.
A job well done through excellent Teamwork and Team Spirit – now let’s use that teamwork in our upcoming season – GO TEAM !!
Best of luck girls for a great season,
Mr. Mafilios (Car Wash Coordinator)
