Team Banquet on December 7

Invitations have gone out for the December 7 Team Banquet. All swimmers and divers should have received an invitation by now. If not, please email me and I’ll send you one or email you a form.

Please remember: You must reply and pay for your dinner by November 21, 2011.

Ronald Wimer

Lady Wreckers Splash Danbury

By Eliot Schickler

It couldn’t have gotten any better for the Staples girls swimming team Wednesday at Danbury.

Staples won every event it its 101-57 victory and except for one event, the Lady Wreckers swept the top spots in raising their record to 3-6. Danbury dropped to 0-8.

“We’re very happy,” Staples coach Mike Laux said. “We had a lot of kids make state cuts.”

The Lady Wreckers began the meet by going one-two in the 200-yard medley relay. Junior Alexis Teixeira, sophomore Gabbie LeBlanc, senior captain Caroline Valerio and junior Rebecca Raab (2:01.78) won and freshman Stacy Kaneko, sophomore Danleigh Wang and Jocelyn Krim and freshman Layne Crowder (2:12.23) took second.

Teixeira also won the 200-yard individual medley (2:27.44) and 100-yard backstroke (1:07.71).

“It feels great,” Teixeira said. “It’s been a long season and we’ve had long practices, but it’s paying off. In the IM, coach Laux and I are working on it and it’s working out.”

Following Teixiera in the 200-IM were juniors Patricia Maragos (2:37.27) and Anita Vohra (2:38.29), while Kaneko (1:09.24) and freshman Haleigh Donovan (1:18.12) were two-three in the 100-back.

Lady Wrecker senior captain Gabby Wimer won the 200-yard freestyle (2:07.98) and 100-yard freestyle (48.93).

“Everybody did a good job cheering and it spurred me on,” Wimer said. “I knew Jordan in the next lane tried to make states and I figured by swimming fast, it would make her swim fast.”

Wimer was referring to freshman Jordan Santarella, who took second in the 200-free (2:08.55) and qualified for states. Sophomore Sara Banbury (2:27.44) was third in the 200-free, while Krim (1:06.88) and Wang (1:08.36) were two-three in the 100-free.

The only event that wasn’t a sweep was the 50-yard freestyle. Raab (27.41) won, Krim (29.62) took third and edged out Crowder (29.71), who placed fourth.

Senior captain Michelle Mastrianni (155.62) led a sweep in diving. Freshman Olivia Crosby (142.2) and sophomore Anna Violette (139.8) followed.

Valerio (1:05.84) led a sweep in the 100-yard butterfly with freshman Claudia Landowne (1:14.19) taking second and junior Phoebe Corde (1:15.45) placing third. LeBlanc won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.68) and was followed by Vohra (1:18.56) and Maragos (1:21.40). Junior Sarah Cooperman (5:35.61) ruled the 500-yard freestyle while sophomore Lucy Slater (6:44) and junior Isabel Gasway (7:14.18) were two-three.

“We went in pretty excited because we wanted to come out with a win,” Cooperman said. “Being around positive energy made me ready to go.”

Cooperman anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:50.15) and 400-yard freestyle (4:28.22) teams to victory. Raab, Santarella and Wimer preceded Cooperman in the 200-free relay, while Santarella, freshman Malin Hovstadius and Crowder went before her in the 400-free relay.

Reprinted from the Westport News

Staples Swimmers Lose Nail Biter on Senior Day

By Eliot Schickler

Despite turning in great performances, the Staples girls swimming team lost 95-91 at home to Westhill on Senior Day Friday.

“They beat us fair and square,” Staples coach Mike Laux said. “We swam well and a lot of kids had their best races of the season and made state-qualifying times, but Westhill won all of the close races. You can’t ask our girls to swim better than their bests.”

Westhill ended its regular season at 8-2. The Lady Wreckers dropped to 2-5.

“We have the toughest schedule in the state,” Laux said. “We face Greenwich, Darien, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Trumbull and Westhill and all seven teams will finish in the top 10 at State Open.”

If Staples and the Lady Vikings flip flopped, just two of the close matchups, the outcome would have been different.

The meet began with Westhill winning the 200-meter medley relay with a time if 2:12.5, edging the first Lady Wrecker foursome of freshman Stacy Kaneko, sophomore Gabbie LeBlanc, freshman Jordan Santarella and junior Rebecca Raab (2:12.61). Staples took third (2:13.80) behind juniors Alexis Teixiera and Anita Vohra, senior captain Caroline Valerio and freshman Jessi Taets.

“I can’t fault the kids for not taking first because they all had great times and were right there,” Laux said. “At that point, I thought `Oh my God, we’re swimming phenomenally.’ It was really a great meet.”

Sophomore Verity Abel (2:16.26) then won the 200-meter freestyle. Junior Sarah Cooperman (2:21.12) and senior Emily Greene (2:34.09) took second and fifth, respectively.

Westhill was one-two in the 200-meter individual medley. LeBlanc (2:41.54), Santarella (2:45.36) and junior Patricia Maragos (2:51.83) were three-four-five in the 200-IM and the meet was tied, 23-23.

Senior captain Gabby Wimer (29.41) led Staples in the 50-meter freestyle and took second. Raab (30.47) and Taets (30.89) were three-five in the 50-free and the meet was tied, 31-31.

The Lady Vikings inched ahead in diving by grabbing the first two spots. Lady Wrecker senior captain Michelle Mastrianni (175.6) took third and was just short of second place. Sophomore Anna Violette (153.45) and freshman Olivia Crosby (151.25) took fourth and fifth in diving.

“Senior Day was a little disappointing because it was so close,” Mastrianni said. “I lost by a couple of points and Gabby lost by a fraction of a second. There were a lot of close but no cigar races.”

Mastrianni was referring to the 100-meter freestyle, where Westhill took the top two spots and Wimer (1:03.75) was third, only .03 short of second place. Kaneko (1:05.22) was fourth in the 100-free.

Abel won the 100-meter butterfly (1:09.54). Santarella (1:14.56) and Valerio (1:14.72) were four-five in the 100-fly. Cooperman won the 400-meter freestyle (4:55.17) and Greene (5:19.72) was fourth.

In the 200-meter freestyle relay, the Lady Vikings (1:56.51) eked out a win even though Wimer, Raab, Taets and Abel (1:57.03) almost set a new school record. Sophomore Jocelyn Krim, freshman Laine Crowder, junior Molly Rubidge and Cooperman 2:08.07).

Kaneko (1:12.92) was touched out in the 100-meter backstroke and took second. Westhill (1:12.19) won the 100-back by less than a second. Valerio (1:14.81) and

Teixiera (1:14.90) were three-four in the 100-back.

LeBlanc (1:22.03) and Vohra (1:25.15) were two-three in the 100-meter breaststroke. In order for the Lady Wreckers to tie it, they needed to go one-two in the 400-meter freestyle relay, which is a tough feat against a good team like Westhill.

Wimer, Cooperman, Santarella and Abel (4:16.85) won it but Staples fell short of tying it because Raab, Valerio, LeBlanc and Kaneko (4:32.12) settled for third.

“It was really difficult losing by such a small margin, but the good thing about losing is it tells you what you need to work on,” Wimer said. “Everyone who was at the meet saw how evenly matched we were with Westhill and seeing which races could’ve made a difference tells us what we need to work on going into championships.”

Valerio said, “The loss was upsetting, but we all swam the best we could and that’s all we can ask of our team. I think with a few flip flopping of swimmers we could have gotten closer to a win, but I think overall on Friday, Westhill was the stronger team.”

Staples dropped to 2-6 Monday with a 101-80 home loss to Wilton. Abel won the 400-free (4:38.49).

Reprinted from the Westport News

Danbury Meet on Wednesday

Hi Everyone!

We have an away meet against Danbury tomorrow. There will be a 1:45 early dismissal. Don’t forget to wear team apparel to school and bring your buddy bags! Get some sleep tonight and get ready to swim fast!

Gabby, Caroline and Michelle

Darien Splashes Lady Wrecker Swimmers

By Eliot Schickler

Going into its home meet with Darien Friday, the Staples girls swimming team knew getting a win would be extremely difficult.

Darien is one of the five best teams in the state and knowing that, Staples coach Mike Laux continued to focus on his midseason training and preparing his girls for the postseason meets. As expected, the Lady Wreckers dropped to 2-3 in its 101-77 loss to the Darien Lady Blue Wave (4-1), but nevertheless, Staples was pleased with its performance because it took many positives from the meet.

“We swam all right for midseason training,” Laux said.

All of the Lady Wreckers swam hard against a superior team. One major positive sign for them was the return of sophomore Verity Abel, who missed four meets because she had mono.

“It felt very nice to be with my team and it was nice to swim with them,” Abel said.

Although Abel delivered two victories, it wasn’t easy for her because she’s still regaining her strength.

“I felt a lot more tired than I normally did,” said Abel, who remained undeterred by her adversity. “Since it was my first meet back, I tried to do as much for the team as possible. I was excited and I had a lot of energy in my races.”

Abel’s first victory came in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4:40.86.

“In the 400, I just tried to pace myself as well as I could and stay even or pull ahead of the girl next to me,” Abel said. “I guess I wanted it.”

Only one event took place in between the 400-free and 100-meter backstroke, which gave her very little time to rest in between events. Nevertheless, Abel was undeterred and won the 100-back (1:08.62).

“I was actually not expecting a good result in the 100-back because I was tired from the 400-free,” Abel said. “I just tried as hard as I could and pushed myself.”

Freshman Stacy Kaneko (1:14.75) and junior Alexis Teixeira (1:17.33) placed third and fifth, respectively, in the 100-back.

Unfortunately for Staples, those were the only events it won.

Senior captain Gabby Wimer took second in the 50-meter freestyle (29.79) and 100-meter freestyle (1:05.04). Kaneko was fourth in the 100-free (1:06.05).

The Lady Wreckers opened the meet by finishing second in the 200-meter medley relay (2:12.81) with Kaneko, freshman Jessi Taets, Abel and Wimer. Their 400-meter freestyle relay team (4:21.16) of Wimer, freshman Jordan Santarella, Kaneko and Abel also took second.

Darien took the top two spots in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Taets, Santarella, junior Rebecca Raab and senior captain Caroline Valerio led Staples’ 200-free relay team (2:03.01) to third place.

In the 100-meter breaststroke, sophomore Gabby LeBlanc (1:25.67), junior Anita Vohra (1:25.89) and Taets (1:27.16) finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Santarella (1:15.77) and Valerio (1:16.03) were three-four in the 100-meter butterfly. Senior captain Michelle Mastrianni took third (170).

The Lady Blue Wave swept the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter individual medley. Senior Emily Greene was Staples’ top swimming in the 200-free (2:35.65) and junior Patricia Maragos led the Lady Wreckers in the 200-IM (2:53.27) with both garnering fourth-place finishes in their respective events.

Reprinted from the Westport News

Lady Wreckers Lose to NC in the Pool

By Eliot Schickler

Going in, the Staples girls swimming team knew winning at New Canaan last Wednesday was a stretch.

New Canaan has more depth, and in matching up both teams on paper, the Lady Rams are faster than Staples. Although the Lady Wreckers lost 94-82 to drop to 2-2, they were satisfied with their performance against a deeper Lady Ram (3-1) squad.

“We had some good races,” Staples coach Mike Laux said. “I was happy with some of them. We were in [the middle of our] midseason training, and we’ve been working hard, and no one rested for the meet. You don’t go fast when you’re in midseason training because you’re working hard.”

Laux had his team in midseason training because going in, he knew it would be tough getting the win and was thinking about the big picture.

“We knew going in they were loaded and didn’t taper for the meet,” Lady Wreckers senior captain Gabby Wimer said. “We practiced all the way through so by the time championships come along, we’ll be in that much better shape.”

Proof of New Canaan’s dominance is that it won every race. The closest Staples came of striking gold was in the 100-yard freestyle, where Wimer took second with a time of 58.88 seconds, placing second by .01 second.

When the race ended, there was a doubt on who won it.

“I thought I out-touched her, and everyone on my team thought I out-touched her, but when I looked at the board, I saw she won,” Wimer said.

Overall, Wimer was pleased with her performance despite settling for the silver by the smallest of margins.

“I tried to stay with her the whole race, and I made sure I kicked a lot and kept my arm speed up,” Wimer said.

Staples started out the meet by taking second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:57) behind freshmen Stacy Kaneko, Jessi Taets and Jordan Santarella and Wimer. The Lady Wreckers’ B-team of Alexis Teixeira, Gabby LeBlanc, Caroline Valerio and Rebecca Raab took third (2:06.01).

Proof of New Canaan’s dominance is its sweep in the 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle and diving. Patricia Maragos (2:34.34) and Raab (27.85) were Staples’ top swimmers in the 200-IM and 50-free, respectively. Freshman Olivia Crosby (146.55) led the Lady Wreckers in diving by taking fourth and Anna Violette (144.35) was fifth.

The Lady Rams also took the top two spots in the 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relays. Wimer, Taets, Raab and Cooperman comprised Staples’ top quartet in the 200-free relay (1:51.14), which finished third; while Wimer, Cooperman, Santarella and Kaneko were the third-place squad in the 400-free relay (4:01.98).

Sarah Cooperman took third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:07.10) and 500-yard freestyle (5:41.58), respectively. Valerio 1:07.22) was third in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.

Kaneko (1:09.98) and Teixeira (1:11.85) placed second and third respectively in the 100-yard backstroke, and LeBlanc (1:18.20) and Anita Voorha (1:18.29) were two-three in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Although the Lady Wreckers didn’t have their ideal meet, they fulfilled their mission towards accomplishing their long-term goals.

“The girls did what they needed to do to get better,” Laux said.

Wimer said, “I was really proud with how we did in the meet.”

Reprinted from the Westport News

Lady Wreckers Splash Ridgefield

By Eliot Schickler

After suffering a home loss to Norwalk two weeks ago, the Staples girls swimming team wanted to make a statement Friday.

Staples bounced back Friday with a 101-80 home victory over Ridgefield (1-2) to raise its record to 2-1. Making the Lady Wreckers’ victory even more special is that they did it without their best swimmer, sophomore Verity Abel, who missed the meet as well as the loss to Norwalk because she is sick.

“We have a really good team and a lot of depth,” Staples coach Mike Laux said. “We’re just not as good as some of the best teams in the FCIAC. It was a good meet and I was happy to see six different girls win individual events, which was cool and it highlighted our depth.”

The Lady Wreckers also won all three relays and began the meet by finishing one-two in the 200-meter medley relay. Freshman Stacy Kaneko, sophomore Gabby LeBlanc, freshmen Jordan Santarella and Jessi Taets won the relay with a time of 2:15.50, and the relay team of Alexis Teixeira, Anita Vohra, Caroline Valerio and Rebecca Raab (2:16.19) took second, edging Ridgefield’s top relay team (2:16.75).

Sarah Cooperman won the 200-meter freestyle (2:20.23).

“I was pretty excited going into the meet because we wanted to come out victorious,” Cooperman said. “We have a really good support network, and I received a lot of support from my teammates.”

Gabby Wimer (2:22.26) grabbed second, and Emily Greene (2:31.63) took fourth in the 200-free.

Although Staples didn’t win the 200-meter individual medley, it outscored the Lady Tigers 9-7 in it. LeBlanc (2:44.16), Santarella (2:46.85) and Maragos (2:51.52) placed second, third and fourth, respectively, in the 200-IM.

Taets won the 50-meter freestyle (31.24) and Raab (31.66) grabbed second.

Michelle Mastrianni (150) won diving and led a sweep in it. Freshman Olivia Crosby (137) took second and sophomore newcomer Anna Violette (135) was third.

“It was a good meet,” Mastrianni said. “I didn’t expect us to go one-two-three and I’m glad we did. The new girls improved a lot and it’s a testament to what we accomplished in a short amount of time. I’m very happy with how the divers did.”

Valerio triumphed in the 100-meter butterfly (1:12.26).

“I worked on my stroke the day before in practice,” Valerio said. “I saw I was close midway, and I wanted it up and beat her.”

Wimer won the 100-meter freestyle (1:04.40).

“It was [a matter of] making sure I picked it up and went faster in the second 50,” Wimer said. “I made sure I brought my kick into it.”

Kaneko (1:06.15) took second in the 100-free.

Staples didn’t win the 400-meter freestyle but ended the event with an 8-8 tie to Ridgefield, courtesy of its depth. Cooperman (4:51.64) and Santarella (5:08.95) took second and third, respectively, and Greene (5:29.16) was fifth.

Wimer, Raab, Taets and Cooperman won the 200-meter freestyle relay (2:03.38).

Kaneko grabbed first in the 100-meter backstroke (1:14.75). Valerio (1:17.55) and Teixeira (1:18.29) were three-four in the 100-back.

Ridgefield won the 100-meter breaststroke and if the Lady Wreckers would have won the event 9-7 if they didn’t swim it unofficially. LeBlanc (1:23.81), Vohra (1:26) and Maragos (1:29.38) had the second, third and fourth best times in the 100-breaststroke.

Wimer, Santarella, Cooperman and Kaneko comprised of the fastest 400-meter freestyle relay team (4:29.77).

“It’s pretty exciting beating Ridgefield because they are a middle of the pack team and it’s a good win for us,” Valerio said. “We showed we have a good core and will take a lot from it as a team.”

Wimer said, “We had awesome races and we want to be in the top half of FCIACs. We need to beat Ridgefield in order to accomplish this.”

Getting the win without Abel lifts the team’s spirits. Staples would have had a better chance of defeating Norwalk if Abel was in the lineup.

“I think it’s great beating Ridgefield without Verity and it boosts our confidence,” Mastrianni said.

Cooperman said, “It’s a little daunting losing a key member of the team but it also motivates us because we want to pick up the slack from not having one of our best swimmers in the lineup. We look forward to having Verity back.”

Reprinted from the Westport News

Whose Game Is It, Anyway?

The Westport PTA Council and the Westport Weston Family Y are hosting a community conversation about youth sports with Dr. Richard Ginsburg at Bedford Middle School at 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011.

Dr. Richard Ginsburg is a faculty member at the Harvard Medical School and the co-director of the PACES (Performance and Character Excellence Institute of Sports Psychology) program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ginsburg provides talks and consultations nationally to youth, high school and collegiate athletic programs. He is the co-author of Whose Game Is It, Anyway?, a comprehensive guide that helps parents ensure a positive sports experience for their children.

“Travel teams, early specialization, daily practices and competitive tryouts are dominating our recreational and school sports programs across the country at all levels,” says Dr. Ginsburg. “While there is much attention given to the pressures our sporting culture places on athletes, parents are in need of support to guide their young athletes through these challenging times and endeavors, particularly as athletes move from one developmental stage to the next.”

In this presentation to parents of young athletes, volunteer parent-coaches and professional teacher-coaches, Dr. Ginsburg will review what he terms “The Three-Step-Approach” (Know Your Child, Know Yourself and Know Your Child’s Environment) as a means to help parents navigate this unpredictable and demanding sports environment in the service of helping their children achieve to their best ability while developing strong and lasting character.

The one-hour presentation will be followed by a 30-minute open Q&A session. Space is limited, so please click to reserve a seat.

For further information about Dr. Ginsburg, please visit his website whosegameisitanyway.com.