Congratulations go out to St Rose, who was crowned the league champion with a perfect 8-0 record, and to St William, who won the Championship meet.
In case you were not familiar with the format, each individual event was comprised of two heats of seven swimmers. The top six swimmers in the combined heats were declared the respective winners - meaning they "placed" in the event.
I could not have been any prouder of our swimmers, whose talents and skills gave us a very respectable and hard earned 6th place finish out of the 7 teams. I had predicted that we would place in as many as 15 events, but I was not correct. We placed in 24 of the 46 events, earning 61 ribbons and medals!!!!
Our boys placed in all 8 of the relays and the girls placed in 4 of the 8. We were most successful in the backstroke, where we earned 6 medals in 5 of the 10 events and placed in 2 others (that's 7 out of 10 events), including a Gold/Silver finish in the 10U Boys event! And we had a least one swimmer from every age group, both boys and girls, place in an event.
Many of our swimmers swam their fastest times of the season and several of our 12 and 14 year olds swam in an older division, all for the good of the team.
My thanks to the coaches who worked so hard manning the lanes, timing the events, coordinating our medals and ribbons, taking pictures and getting our swimmers ready for their events. And my thanks to our Captains - Zach Hoehing, Yasmeen Gharnit, Brendan McGee, Kelly Carroll, Kyle Carroll and Brianna Donlon, who helped keep their teammates motivated, led them in cheering for each other and most importantly, congratulating each swimmer after their events. Your efforts did not go unnoticed!
Congratulations to the following, who placed in their respective events...
- Cassandra Gharnit: 10U Girls 25 yd Freestyle - Silver Medal
- Kyle Carroll: 10U Boys 25 yd Freestyle - 6th Place
- Gabriella Vidad: 8U Girls 25 yd Backstroke - 6th Place
- Eamonn McNicholas: 8U Boys 25 yd Backstroke - Gold Medal
- Nicolette Chase: 10U Girls 25 yd Backstroke - Bronze Medal
- Kyle Carroll: 10U Boys 25 yd Backstroke - Gold Medal
- Andrew Purcell: 10U Boys 25 yd Backstroke - Silver Medal
- Ashley McKenzie: 18U Girls 50 yd Freestyle - Gold Medal
- Zach Hoehing: 18U Boys 50 yd Freestyle - 4th Place
- Kelly Meenan: 12U Girls 50 yd Backstroke - 5th Place
- Mike Ziedalski: 14U Boys 50 yd Backstroke - Bronze Medal
- Zach Hoehing: 18U Boys 50 yd Backstroke - Bronze Medal
- Elizabeth Melnyczuk: 14U Girls 50 yd Breaststroke - 5th Place
- Yasmeen Gharnit: 18U Girls 50 yd Breaststroke - 5th Place
- Doug Chase: 8U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - 5th Place
- Steven Girasi: 8U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - 5th Place
- Eamonn McNicholas: 8U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Butterfly) - 5th Place
- Andrew Catinella: 8U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Freestyle) - 5th Place
- Nicolette Chase: 10U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - Bronze Medal
- Cassandra Gharnit: 10U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - Bronze Medal
- Caitlin Benedetto: 10U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Butterfly) - Bronze Medal
- Libbie Sudweeks: 10U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Freestyle) - Bronze Medal
- Andrew Purcell: 10U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - 6th Place
- Anthony Inciarrano: 10U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - 6th Place
- Joe Palermo: 10U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Butterfly) - 6th Place
- Jack McGovern: 10U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Freestyle) - 6th Place
- Brendan McGee: 12U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - 6th Place
- Michael Themistocleous: 12U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - 6th Place
- Connor Hoehing: 12U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay(Butterfly) - 6th Place
- David Vidad: 12U Boys 100 yd Medley Relay(Freestyle) - 6th Place
- Sara Gharnit: 18U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - 5th Place
- Elizabeth Melnyczuk: 18U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - 5th Place
- Yasmeen Gharnit: 18U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Butterfly) - 5th Place
- Ashley McKenzie: 18U Girls 100 yd Medley Relay (Freestyle) - 5th Place
- John Barnett: 18U Boys 200 yd Medley Relay (Backstroke) - 6th Place
- Bryan Purcell: 18U Boys 200 yd Medley Relay (Breaststroke) - 6th Place
- Joe Olivetto: 18U Boys 200 yd Medley Relay (Butterfly) - 6th Place
- Sean Breiman: 18U Boys 200 yd Medley Relay (Freestyle) - 6th Place
- Andrew Catinella: 8U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Steven Girasi: 8U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Doug Chase: 8U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Eamonn McNicholas: 8u Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Libbie Sudweeks: 10U Girls 100 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Jessica Giuliani: 10U Girls 100 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Brianna Donlon: 10U Girls 100 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Cassandra Gharnit: 10U Girls 100 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Jack McGovern: 10U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Andrew Purcell: 10U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Joe Palermo: 10U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- Kyle Carroll: 10U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 5th Place
- David Vidad: 12U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Chris Moore: 12U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Connor Hoehing: 12U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Brendan McGee: 12U Boys 100 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Sara Gharnit: 18U Girls 200 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Elizabeth Melnyczuk: 18U Girls 200 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Yasmeen Gharnit: 18U Girls 200 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Ashley McKenzie: 18U Girls 200 yd Freestyle Relay - Bronze Medal
- Mike Ziedalski: 18U Boys 200 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Bryan Purcell: 18U Boys 200 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Eric Arians: 18U Boys 200 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
- Zach Hoehing: 18U Boys 200 yd Freestyle Relay - 4th Place
Many of our swimmers won multiple medals and ribbons, and several placed in all of the events in which they swam. I would like to acknowledge the following 3 swimmers...
- Nicolette Chase: Nicolette medaled in both events in which she swam, taking the Bronze Medal in both the Individual Backstroke (after a perfect 5-0 regular season) and the Bronze Medal in the Medley Relay - Backstroke
- Cassandra Gharnit: Cassandra medaled in all three events in which she swam, taking a Silver Medal in the Individual Freestyle, and Bronze Medals in both the Medley Relay - Breaststroke and as the anchor in the Freestyle Relay
- Kyle Carroll: Kyle took the Gold Medal in the Individual Backstroke, capping off a perfect 9-0 season. Kyle also had a perfect 9-0 season in 2006 for Holy Family as an 8U in the backstroke.
As I stood on the pool deck watching our final two relays, listening to our swimmers chanting and cheering on their teammates, I thought I could not have been prouder as a coach, parent and representative of Holy Family. Until they announced the most distinguished and honored trophy of the year - the Bishop Ryan Sportsmanship Award. It was with great pride that I accepted the award, with our Captains, on behalf of Holy Family, and I share it with all of you as parents, family friends and swimmers for your dedication, enthusiasm and sportsmanship. We truly represented the ideals of CYO, and I thank you with all sincerity.
I hope to see you all Monday night for team pictures (please be at the pool by 6:15), medal and ribbon presentation and a free swim.
Coach Carroll (Kevin)
