AUBURN #- After four days of some serious swimming in the YMCA National Swimming and Diving Championships held at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Auburn Stingrays have returned home with a sense of accomplishment.
Photo Provided
The Auburn Y Stingrays competed last week at the YMCA National Swimming and Diving Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Front row from left: Candice Elliott, Kiersten Salemi, Amanda Bragan and Sarah Blair. Back row from left: Cameron Lovenduski, Matt Valvo, Preston Chaffee and Patrick O'Donovan.
The Auburn Y Stingrays competed last week at the YMCA National Swimming and Diving Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Front row from left: Candice Elliott, Kiersten Salemi, Amanda Bragan and Sarah Blair. Back row from left: Cameron Lovenduski, Matt Valvo, Preston Chaffee and Patrick O'Donovan.
At nationals, the eight Auburn swimmers learned that facing the best competition in the country can be an intimidating experience, but it can also be a great motivator.
“There really was#n't much pressure to swim fast,” Preston Chaffee said. “I went a little slower than I expected. But other swimmers were insanely fast, there were people breaking national records there. It really makes me wonder what makes them tick to see them go so fast. But it definitely makes me want to push to be faster.”
With so much competition the Stingrays didn'#'t fare as well as they would#'ve liked, but Clary said that every one of his swimmers gave it all they had.
“I think we swam really well,” Stingrays coach Jim Clary said. “We didn't do as well as we expected but we came pretty close.”
O'Donovan had the best finish for the Stingrays making the top 50 out of approximately 220 swimmers in the 100 backstroke, where he set a state record of 54.88.
“He's going to be on the team for three more years,” Clary said. “I look forward to seeing him more up over the next few years.”
With swimmers like O'Donovan returning next year Clary believes he will have a strong core of swimmers to work with.
“Six of the kids that went to nationals are returning,” Clary said. “That is a great base to work from and we have some other kids that are moving up. And I think we have a good chance to get them qualified.”
After getting their first taste of national competition the swimmers are anxious to get to next season and confident they can make their way back to Florida.
“Being there pushed me even harder,” Cameron Lovenduski said. “I think we'll definitely be down there next season.”
Making nationals is the culmination of a season of hard work, competition and commitment.
“Qualifying for Y nationals is the highest goal we set for our older swimmers,” Clary said. “This year we had eight swimmers, that's more then we've taken in nearly 10 years. They are a very focused group of swimmers this year. They've trained six days a week for nearly six months and that can be very grueling and monotonous, but they all worked very, very hard to achieve their times.”
While the preparation was intense, each swimmer was willing to put in the hours in hope of qualifying for nationals.
“A lot of it is physical,” Lovenduski said. “It is very rigorous training. But you have to be mentally ready too. If your nerves aren't ready you aren't going to do well. It is hard, but it what we have to got through to get there.”
The team also put in its time outside the pool, holding fundraisers to raise the $6,000 needed to get the team to Florida.
“The YMCA, the Stingrays parents committee and a lot of local businesses helped us out,” Clary said. “We wouldn't have been able to do this without them and the kids did a great job raising the funds we needed.”
Throughout the season qualifying times are always in the back of everyone's minds and every year new qualifying times are established in each event, which makes every season more and more demanding.
“The times go down all the time,” Chaffee said. “You have to be very fast just to qualify. We all worked and our coach worked to make us as fast as we could be. We do what we need to do.”
Such a demanding effort takes a lot out of any athlete.
“With swimming you only really have one chance to go fast,” Clary said.
“You have to peak just to qualify and then two weeks later you have to push yourself and try to peak again.”
Lovenduski and Chaffee had to beat 1:43:00 to qualify in the 200-yard medley relay and came through with a 1:41.
“It took a lot off my shoulders,” Lovenduski said. “It was a really great feeling, knowing that we really finally did it, it was great knowing that we were going to be swimming with the No. 1 swimmers that definitely pushed me to try even harder.”
The Stingrays had four first-time qualifiers this year. Along with Lovenduski and Chaffee, Amanda Bragan and Patrick O'Donovan made their first nationals appearance, while Sara Blair, Kiersten Salemi, Matt Valvo and Candice Elliott have all competed in previous years.
The thrill of it all, whether it was the first time or third, was not lost with the the trip down south.
“It is an experience like no other,” Clary said.
“There are over 1,600 swimmers there. It is huge. We were one of only nine teams representing New York and the kids all did a fantastic job representing Auburn. It is the kind of experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.”
“There really was#n't much pressure to swim fast,” Preston Chaffee said. “I went a little slower than I expected. But other swimmers were insanely fast, there were people breaking national records there. It really makes me wonder what makes them tick to see them go so fast. But it definitely makes me want to push to be faster.”
With so much competition the Stingrays didn'#'t fare as well as they would#'ve liked, but Clary said that every one of his swimmers gave it all they had.
“I think we swam really well,” Stingrays coach Jim Clary said. “We didn't do as well as we expected but we came pretty close.”
O'Donovan had the best finish for the Stingrays making the top 50 out of approximately 220 swimmers in the 100 backstroke, where he set a state record of 54.88.
“He's going to be on the team for three more years,” Clary said. “I look forward to seeing him more up over the next few years.”
With swimmers like O'Donovan returning next year Clary believes he will have a strong core of swimmers to work with.
“Six of the kids that went to nationals are returning,” Clary said. “That is a great base to work from and we have some other kids that are moving up. And I think we have a good chance to get them qualified.”
After getting their first taste of national competition the swimmers are anxious to get to next season and confident they can make their way back to Florida.
“Being there pushed me even harder,” Cameron Lovenduski said. “I think we'll definitely be down there next season.”
Making nationals is the culmination of a season of hard work, competition and commitment.
“Qualifying for Y nationals is the highest goal we set for our older swimmers,” Clary said. “This year we had eight swimmers, that's more then we've taken in nearly 10 years. They are a very focused group of swimmers this year. They've trained six days a week for nearly six months and that can be very grueling and monotonous, but they all worked very, very hard to achieve their times.”
While the preparation was intense, each swimmer was willing to put in the hours in hope of qualifying for nationals.
“A lot of it is physical,” Lovenduski said. “It is very rigorous training. But you have to be mentally ready too. If your nerves aren't ready you aren't going to do well. It is hard, but it what we have to got through to get there.”
The team also put in its time outside the pool, holding fundraisers to raise the $6,000 needed to get the team to Florida.
“The YMCA, the Stingrays parents committee and a lot of local businesses helped us out,” Clary said. “We wouldn't have been able to do this without them and the kids did a great job raising the funds we needed.”
Throughout the season qualifying times are always in the back of everyone's minds and every year new qualifying times are established in each event, which makes every season more and more demanding.
“The times go down all the time,” Chaffee said. “You have to be very fast just to qualify. We all worked and our coach worked to make us as fast as we could be. We do what we need to do.”
Such a demanding effort takes a lot out of any athlete.
“With swimming you only really have one chance to go fast,” Clary said.
“You have to peak just to qualify and then two weeks later you have to push yourself and try to peak again.”
Lovenduski and Chaffee had to beat 1:43:00 to qualify in the 200-yard medley relay and came through with a 1:41.
“It took a lot off my shoulders,” Lovenduski said. “It was a really great feeling, knowing that we really finally did it, it was great knowing that we were going to be swimming with the No. 1 swimmers that definitely pushed me to try even harder.”
The Stingrays had four first-time qualifiers this year. Along with Lovenduski and Chaffee, Amanda Bragan and Patrick O'Donovan made their first nationals appearance, while Sara Blair, Kiersten Salemi, Matt Valvo and Candice Elliott have all competed in previous years.
The thrill of it all, whether it was the first time or third, was not lost with the the trip down south.
“It is an experience like no other,” Clary said.
“There are over 1,600 swimmers there. It is huge. We were one of only nine teams representing New York and the kids all did a fantastic job representing Auburn. It is the kind of experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.”
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