Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
USMS Top 10 Rankings 2007
Congratulations to the following WH2O swimmers for making USMS Top Ten for 2007
Short Course Yards:Men 18-24
Christopher Smith
3rd 50 free
5th 100 free
7th 100 breast
9th 50 breast
Jonathan Russell
1st 200 free
1st 500 free
2nd 50 back
2nd 100 back
3rd 100 free
Men 25-29
Brian Olver
2nd 500 free
2nd 1000 free
3rd 200 back
3rd 400 IM
5th 200 fly
5th 200 IM
6th 200 breast
Justin Brannock
1st 500 free
5th 200 free
7th 100 free
Wadley
3rd 1650 free
4th 1000 free
4th 500 free
Matt Schmidt
6th 50 breast
7th 100 breast
8th 200 breast
Men 30-34
Brian Wright
8th 200 back
Men 50-54
Tom Reudy
4th 200 IM
4th 200 breast
6th 100 IM
Men 60-64
Paulo Figueiredo
8th 200 fly
Women 40-44
Amy Dantzler
3rd 1650 free
3rd 1000 free
6th 500 free
8th 200 free
Women 50-54
Morri Kleine Spang
9th 50 free
Relays
Men 18+
1st 800 free relay
Justin Brannock
Matt Schmidt
Brian Olver
Jonathan Russell
2nd 200 free relay
Christopher Smith
Jonathan Russell
Brian Olver
Justin Brannock
Mixed 18+
8th 200 medley relay
Kiley Ames-Klein
Matt Schmidt
Sherry West
Christopher Smith
10th 200 free relay
Brian Olver
Kiley Ames-Klein
Amy Dantzler
Christopher Smith
Long Course Meters
Amy Dantzler (40-44)
6th - 200 free
3rd - 400 free
2nd - 800 free
1st - 1500 free
Slava Agafonoff (18-24)
7th - 50 breast
6th - 100 breast
10th - 200 IM
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A Note About the Holiday Party...
November's half over; the holiday season arrives, and calendars are filling fast. Here's a date to put down:
WH2O's Annual Holiday Extravaganza.
Saturday, December 15th, 2007.
Details to follow, but mark it in your calendar.
Your Loving Secretary
WH2O's Annual Holiday Extravaganza.
Saturday, December 15th, 2007.
Details to follow, but mark it in your calendar.
Your Loving Secretary
UCLA Swim Meet
by Christopher SmithOn Saturday, November 3, a small group of swimmers stole away to the Land of the Bruins and represented our team at the UCLA Bruin Masters Short Course Meters meet. What I expected to be a cold, somewhat stressful, and lonely competition turned out to be quite a bright, relaxed, and sociable one.
The weather was beautiful as I entered the familiar swimming complex at the Student Activities Center (formerly the Men's Gym). I set up shop in the back corner after figuring out what should be a healthy balance between solitude, shade, and warm rays which I anticipated would last through the day. Expecting to be alone for the day, I came equipped with my iPod which I instantly turned on for warm-up motivation. Within 10 minutes, I found WH2O teammates Gregg Ogorzelec, Adam Davis, Tamara Draper, and Grady Harmon. No need for that iPod! We quickly formed a 200 Meter Freestyle Relay and ended up winning our 120-159 age group.
The meet was casual and comfortable. In gearing up for Regionals, most of us agreed we were essentially attending to gauge our mid-season progress. And to have a good time, of course. Gregg and Adam spent the morning warming up,
swimming, and recovering from what I (a devout sprinter) consider the most
grueling event, the 800M Freestyle. Grady, Tamara, and I swam the ever-popular
sprint freestyle events. Grady topped his day off with a nice 200M Free, while
Tamara dabbled in a 50M Butterfly and I attempted the 100M and 200M IM's. After all, we had to try out our new techniques after all of that stroke work these past weeks!
Though our team was small, the camaraderie echoed that which I experienced at Nationals in Washington this past May. The Bruin Meet ended up confirming not only that even L.A. weather is unpredictable, but more so my belief that our team consists of unique and supportive individuals who share a real passion for the water. Congrats to everyone who made it out!
Santa Clarita Swim Meet
by Seymour Liao
After quite a long hiatus from the blocks and some inkling of going to IGLA in Washington DC next year, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a meet. Given that it’s now short course meters season, the likely venue for IGLA, it seemed like a good opportunity to get a notion of what reasonable entry times would be. The last meet I swam in was IGLA Paris (2000!), and the only thing that I really remember about my swimming was that fishnet stockings provide much more drag--in the water that is--than one might think. So I picked a handful of events (50 fly, 100 breast, 200 free and 200 IM), drove up to Santa Clarita on Saturday, October 20th and deck entered what I hoped would be times that I could easily beat. That way I could worry about more realistic challenges such as not disqualifying myself after seven years of practicing illegal turns, keeping my goggles on as I entered the water and not false starting.
Upon walking onto the pool deck whom did I see finishing the 1500? None other than Dan Adams, who said that he swam well but unfortunately his time wasn’t as fast as he hoped. No worries Dan. You made up for it on the 100 breast when you swam almost the entire race with your goggles around your neck and were only a tenth of a second off your best time. (Hmmmm…. don't know why I was worried about that.) Dan finished off the day with a 50 fly, but requested that I not divulge the results of that race. It should be sufficient to know that my time was faster--I mean come on Dan, really.
The real star of the day, fashion footwear expert and third WH20 swimmer in attendance was Gregg Orgorzelec, who swam the 100, 200 and 400 free. Our newly ordained Most Improved Swimmer of the Year dropped his 400 free time by two seconds from just two weeks prior at Mission Viejo with an impressive 4:37.32. Gregg’s 50 split times demonstrated his great pacing! Way to go Gregg! And you looked fabulous in those red pumps (well, Crocks) you were wearing on the deck. Gregg also turned in an impressive 2:08.79 for the 200 free. (Sorry Gregg, I missed your 100 time.)
As for me, I can say that I did indeed beat all the times I entered, although the 200 IM by only 2 seconds (d’oh) and didn’t DQ (yeah). One nice thing about small meets is they go by fast. I have to admit I felt like I swam a workout more than a meet given how fast the events came up. So for all of you thinking about IGLA there are two more meets in this short course meters season – Woodland Hills Turkey Shoot on Sunday, November 18th and Regional Championships hosted by Long Beach Grunions (“Two words. fa boo” – Marc St. James) November 30th through December 2nd.
After quite a long hiatus from the blocks and some inkling of going to IGLA in Washington DC next year, I decided to take the plunge and sign up for a meet. Given that it’s now short course meters season, the likely venue for IGLA, it seemed like a good opportunity to get a notion of what reasonable entry times would be. The last meet I swam in was IGLA Paris (2000!), and the only thing that I really remember about my swimming was that fishnet stockings provide much more drag--in the water that is--than one might think. So I picked a handful of events (50 fly, 100 breast, 200 free and 200 IM), drove up to Santa Clarita on Saturday, October 20th and deck entered what I hoped would be times that I could easily beat. That way I could worry about more realistic challenges such as not disqualifying myself after seven years of practicing illegal turns, keeping my goggles on as I entered the water and not false starting.
Upon walking onto the pool deck whom did I see finishing the 1500? None other than Dan Adams, who said that he swam well but unfortunately his time wasn’t as fast as he hoped. No worries Dan. You made up for it on the 100 breast when you swam almost the entire race with your goggles around your neck and were only a tenth of a second off your best time. (Hmmmm…. don't know why I was worried about that.) Dan finished off the day with a 50 fly, but requested that I not divulge the results of that race. It should be sufficient to know that my time was faster--I mean come on Dan, really.
The real star of the day, fashion footwear expert and third WH20 swimmer in attendance was Gregg Orgorzelec, who swam the 100, 200 and 400 free. Our newly ordained Most Improved Swimmer of the Year dropped his 400 free time by two seconds from just two weeks prior at Mission Viejo with an impressive 4:37.32. Gregg’s 50 split times demonstrated his great pacing! Way to go Gregg! And you looked fabulous in those red pumps (well, Crocks) you were wearing on the deck. Gregg also turned in an impressive 2:08.79 for the 200 free. (Sorry Gregg, I missed your 100 time.)
As for me, I can say that I did indeed beat all the times I entered, although the 200 IM by only 2 seconds (d’oh) and didn’t DQ (yeah). One nice thing about small meets is they go by fast. I have to admit I felt like I swam a workout more than a meet given how fast the events came up. So for all of you thinking about IGLA there are two more meets in this short course meters season – Woodland Hills Turkey Shoot on Sunday, November 18th and Regional Championships hosted by Long Beach Grunions (“Two words. fa boo” – Marc St. James) November 30th through December 2nd.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Anniversary Video
Okay, wh2o.org is going multi-media. I'm in the process of converting the video yearbook that screened at the banquet into a clip that can be posted on our blog. Watch for it in the next two weeks.
Your Loving Secretary
Your Loving Secretary
WH2O Celebrates 25 Years
by Seth Harrington
The San Antonio Winery lies just north of Chinatown right across the Los Angeles River, and near the intersection of three major train lines. It is one of the most unlikely places to find a winery, you could think of. But, like so many hidden gems in Los Angeles, you turn a corner and there it is, a classy winery that could be right out of Napa Valley.
Our guests began arriving at 3pm sharp, and by quarter after, there were over seventy people in the room. There was an initial ice-breaker, that had people collecting signatures from members who joined the same year an event happened. For example, a box on the paper said “When Ellen came out,” and then you had to find someone who had joined in 1997 and get them to sign.
Then, as the music of Erasure pumped out of the sound system, the fashion show began! 15 members, each wearing a different WH2O t-shirt from a different year, strode down the catwalk and threw some attitude. Neal Wiener took to the podium and narrated the history behind each one. Tom Reudy gave us a special show, when he stripped off his shirt and tossed it over his head. Had she been there, I’m sure Towelette Moist might have dryly remarked “nothing we haven’t seen before.”
As the fashion show wound to a close, the meal was served. Amazingly out of a group of 86 people, there were only two vegetarians. The rest feasted on a full-course meal with Chicken Marsala as it’s main course.
Then it was awards time! First, Seth Harrington, the outgoing VPsocial read a long list of volunteers, thanking them for their help during the year, then President Bryan Libit presented the Volunteer of the Year award. It went to Paul Abraham. Brian Olver collected the Spirit Award, after an amazing year of serving double duty as both coach and board member.
Ben Carillo and Joy Mendenhall won the two Water Polo awards; MVP and Most Improved, respectively. Most Improved Swimmer went to Gregg Orgozelc. Among the many people he thanked was his boyfriend for “allowing him to swim every morning with all these beautiful men in their speedos.” 
Amy Dantzler collected the Swimmer of the Year.
And finally Dan Adams shared with us all the story of Dave Nelson missing the train to Bordeaux. Dave won the double whammy.
We closed out the banquet with by far the most popular segment of our program. We presented our audio-visual Yearbook! To the tunes of “Chariots of Fire” and “We are the Champions” the pictures of wh2o-ers in their pool attire and the year that they joined flickered on a large screen. It was a great treat for many of the newer members to see pictures of our veteran members from the years when they joined. It also allowed for a quick way for everyone to grasp the history of the team. Thank you to everyone who sent in their picture. Specials thanks to Jim Cude, the Secretary for putting together the Yearbook and doing such a nice job on it.
Then the lights came up, people socialized, pledged to see each other again at practice and filtered out towards their cars.
The San Antonio Winery lies just north of Chinatown right across the Los Angeles River, and near the intersection of three major train lines. It is one of the most unlikely places to find a winery, you could think of. But, like so many hidden gems in Los Angeles, you turn a corner and there it is, a classy winery that could be right out of Napa Valley.
Our guests began arriving at 3pm sharp, and by quarter after, there were over seventy people in the room. There was an initial ice-breaker, that had people collecting signatures from members who joined the same year an event happened. For example, a box on the paper said “When Ellen came out,” and then you had to find someone who had joined in 1997 and get them to sign.
Then, as the music of Erasure pumped out of the sound system, the fashion show began! 15 members, each wearing a different WH2O t-shirt from a different year, strode down the catwalk and threw some attitude. Neal Wiener took to the podium and narrated the history behind each one. Tom Reudy gave us a special show, when he stripped off his shirt and tossed it over his head. Had she been there, I’m sure Towelette Moist might have dryly remarked “nothing we haven’t seen before.”
As the fashion show wound to a close, the meal was served. Amazingly out of a group of 86 people, there were only two vegetarians. The rest feasted on a full-course meal with Chicken Marsala as it’s main course.
Then it was awards time! First, Seth Harrington, the outgoing VPsocial read a long list of volunteers, thanking them for their help during the year, then President Bryan Libit presented the Volunteer of the Year award. It went to Paul Abraham. Brian Olver collected the Spirit Award, after an amazing year of serving double duty as both coach and board member. 
Ben Carillo and Joy Mendenhall won the two Water Polo awards; MVP and Most Improved, respectively. Most Improved Swimmer went to Gregg Orgozelc. Among the many people he thanked was his boyfriend for “allowing him to swim every morning with all these beautiful men in their speedos.” 
Amy Dantzler collected the Swimmer of the Year.
And finally Dan Adams shared with us all the story of Dave Nelson missing the train to Bordeaux. Dave won the double whammy.
We closed out the banquet with by far the most popular segment of our program. We presented our audio-visual Yearbook! To the tunes of “Chariots of Fire” and “We are the Champions” the pictures of wh2o-ers in their pool attire and the year that they joined flickered on a large screen. It was a great treat for many of the newer members to see pictures of our veteran members from the years when they joined. It also allowed for a quick way for everyone to grasp the history of the team. Thank you to everyone who sent in their picture. Specials thanks to Jim Cude, the Secretary for putting together the Yearbook and doing such a nice job on it.
Then the lights came up, people socialized, pledged to see each other again at practice and filtered out towards their cars.
Our New Board
Congratulations to the 2007-2008 WH2O Board of Directors. Top row (left to right): Brad Lengyel (Swim Rep), Dan Adams (Treasurer), Mike Wallace (Development), Boyd Quinnell (VP Social), James Cude (Secretary), Fritz Hemker (Water Polo Rep). Bottom Row: Bryan Libit (President), Joel McKenna (VP Admin.) Not pictured: Brian Olver (Facilities).
Thanks to all these individuals for stepping up and serving the team. Good luck!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
2006-2007 WH2O Board Year In Review
In preparation for the annual meeting each board member summarized the past year with their accomplishments and happenings from their individual board perspective. You can access this Year-in-Review write-up from the events page on http://www.wh2o.org or from this link (Year-In-Review)
Hopefully this will keep the meeting timely and give us more time to talk about future events and initiatives.
See everyone this Sunday.
Hopefully this will keep the meeting timely and give us more time to talk about future events and initiatives.
See everyone this Sunday.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Welcome Back, Coach Tom
Water polo's new coach is returning coach Tom Martinez. Tom arrives back on deck after taking a year off to play in the water. Tom's accomplishments as coach include two Gold-Medal Gay Games wins, 3 IGLA Golds for the A team, and a Bronze and Silver medal for the B Team. Tom Martinez (left) with Cameron Glascow
Monday, October 15, 2007
General Meeting/Elections
This coming Sunday, October 21st, is WH2O's annual meeting. At this meeting, the current Board presents their year-end review, financial statements, and budget for the upcoming year. Also at the meeting, the team elects the new 2007-2008 Board. If you are a current active member of WH2O and are interested in running for a Board position, please email the VP Admin at vpadmin@wh2o.org.
IM Week
Just a reminder that this week is IM week. That means, all strokes welcome! Workouts will not be IM, but will have an IM emphasis.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Tips for Getting Through Butterfly Week
This week's stroke of choice is butterfly. Brian Olver once again gives some tips that can help you float like a butterfly. - JC
We've made it to the last pure stroke week – butterfly - before IM next week. And, I know how excited everyone is to do lots of butterfly!! To help you survive this week, below are a few clips. We need not look any further than Michael Phelps for an example of textbook butterfly. This first clip is of Phelps' world record breaking
200 fly at World Championships earlier this year. It is shot underwater, except at the end. Notice his streamline off the walls, and his full extension with every stroke.
(Time1:36) http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWCp0ooAu0I
This video is shot from a slightly different angle, which allows us to see how he gets his elbows up underwater to pull with his whole forearm. Additionally, for those just learning how to do fly, notice the timing of the kicks - one as his hands enter the water (shoulder width apart), and one as they exit the water.
(Time :16) http://youtube.com/watch?v=RlgHpvqbb-Y
This slow motion clip will give you an even better picture. He uses his full extension to really pull with his lats. Try to visualize yourself doing this the next time you do fly.
(Time :19) http://youtube.com/watch?v=S-F_5k4e1Y0
This final clip of Michael shows some above water footage. See how low his chin is to the water. He exerts his energy pulling himself FORWARD as opposed to up out of the water. You can also see in this clip how he pushes his hips up as his hands enter the water in order to drive himself forward even more, and keep him his body at the surface, rather than allowing his hips to fall vertical. Additionally, you can see how he actually LAYS his hands in the water which allows him to catch the water at the top of his stroke (this takes an extreme amount of shoulder strength).
(Time :53) http://youtube.com/watch?v=o6wNjXj7zGk
And, finally, although this is not Phelps, it's a good head on view that demonstrates where your hands should enter, as well as the swoop of the hands to the middle of the body through your pull.
(Time :19) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmiyhPop6GI
I hope that helps! See you at the pool!
--Brian Olver
(Time1:36) http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWCp0ooAu0I
This video is shot from a slightly different angle, which allows us to see how he gets his elbows up underwater to pull with his whole forearm. Additionally, for those just learning how to do fly, notice the timing of the kicks - one as his hands enter the water (shoulder width apart), and one as they exit the water.
(Time :16) http://youtube.com/watch?v=RlgHpvqbb-Y
This slow motion clip will give you an even better picture. He uses his full extension to really pull with his lats. Try to visualize yourself doing this the next time you do fly.
(Time :19) http://youtube.com/watch?v=S-F_5k4e1Y0
This final clip of Michael shows some above water footage. See how low his chin is to the water. He exerts his energy pulling himself FORWARD as opposed to up out of the water. You can also see in this clip how he pushes his hips up as his hands enter the water in order to drive himself forward even more, and keep him his body at the surface, rather than allowing his hips to fall vertical. Additionally, you can see how he actually LAYS his hands in the water which allows him to catch the water at the top of his stroke (this takes an extreme amount of shoulder strength).
(Time :53) http://youtube.com/watch?v=o6wNjXj7zGk
And, finally, although this is not Phelps, it's a good head on view that demonstrates where your hands should enter, as well as the swoop of the hands to the middle of the body through your pull.
(Time :19) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmiyhPop6GI
I hope that helps! See you at the pool!
--Brian Olver
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Breaststroke Week Tips
Thanks to Brian Olver for the following tips for breaststroke week. He's included a few clips to watch, so copy and paste them into an open window in your browser and enjoy.
Welcome to breaststroke week! While doing breaststroke this week, here are a few tips and clips to help you improve your stroke.
I'd like to first point out that breaststroke is much different than the long axis strokes we just finished working on, and because of that, I personally do not think there is only one "right" way to swim breast. You'll see in the following clips there are various and dramatically different styles of breaststroke even among the world's elite. However, upon inspection,
you will notice that there are many similarities as well.
1) Kitajima underwater. This is probably the best video footage you can find on breaststroke. Notice that his kick is fairly narrow and very quick. And, at the end of every stroke he immediately returns to a
full streamlined position. These two factors allow Kitajima to get more distance per stroke than any other male breaststroker in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lYWPKVl-Bo
2) Another underwater clip - slow motion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtww6M4Dghs
3) This clip of Megan Jendricks and Agnes Kovacs underwater really allows us to see two distinct styles of breaststoke. Jendricks, on the far side, illustrates a fairly traditional technique always moving forward, while Kovacs, on the near side, opts to dive downward leading with her hands and following it through with her entire body. But, notice how quickly both of their arms recover and push back forward, thereby reducing the amount of time they are stuck in the "vertical" position, which causes the most drag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbFhrDb9ulc
4) Leisel Jones is the current world record holder in the 200 breast, but her stroke is totally unconventional. She manages to power through the water utilizing her strong legs. Her head stays low to the water, and she slowly lowers herself back into
the water (like Jaws). But, it clearly works for her. You will also notice the water that shoots up in front of her face on every breath - this is because she squeezes her elbows and forearms together very quickly to propel herself forward. (3 min., 14 sec.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26WXA2b_Wo4
5) And finally, Brendan Hansen is the world record holder in both the 100 and 200 breast for men. His breaststroke is TEXT BOOK. His hips remain level and all of his energy is used to drive him forward. On his recovery, his shoulders are shrugged tight to lessen the resistence as he moves through the water. Combined with his powerful legs and amazing endurance,
he really can't stop him. (I love this clip.) (5 min., 44 sec.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLuGCo0nSg8
I hope this helps everyone! See you in the pool.
--Brian Olver
Welcome to breaststroke week! While doing breaststroke this week, here are a few tips and clips to help you improve your stroke.
I'd like to first point out that breaststroke is much different than the long axis strokes we just finished working on, and because of that, I personally do not think there is only one "right" way to swim breast. You'll see in the following clips there are various and dramatically different styles of breaststroke even among the world's elite. However, upon inspection,
you will notice that there are many similarities as well.
1) Kitajima underwater. This is probably the best video footage you can find on breaststroke. Notice that his kick is fairly narrow and very quick. And, at the end of every stroke he immediately returns to a
full streamlined position. These two factors allow Kitajima to get more distance per stroke than any other male breaststroker in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lYWPKVl-Bo
2) Another underwater clip - slow motion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtww6M4Dghs
3) This clip of Megan Jendricks and Agnes Kovacs underwater really allows us to see two distinct styles of breaststoke. Jendricks, on the far side, illustrates a fairly traditional technique always moving forward, while Kovacs, on the near side, opts to dive downward leading with her hands and following it through with her entire body. But, notice how quickly both of their arms recover and push back forward, thereby reducing the amount of time they are stuck in the "vertical" position, which causes the most drag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbFhrDb9ulc
4) Leisel Jones is the current world record holder in the 200 breast, but her stroke is totally unconventional. She manages to power through the water utilizing her strong legs. Her head stays low to the water, and she slowly lowers herself back into
the water (like Jaws). But, it clearly works for her. You will also notice the water that shoots up in front of her face on every breath - this is because she squeezes her elbows and forearms together very quickly to propel herself forward. (3 min., 14 sec.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26WXA2b_Wo4
5) And finally, Brendan Hansen is the world record holder in both the 100 and 200 breast for men. His breaststroke is TEXT BOOK. His hips remain level and all of his energy is used to drive him forward. On his recovery, his shoulders are shrugged tight to lessen the resistence as he moves through the water. Combined with his powerful legs and amazing endurance,
he really can't stop him. (I love this clip.) (5 min., 44 sec.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLuGCo0nSg8
I hope this helps everyone! See you in the pool.
--Brian Olver
Monday, October 1, 2007
Breaststroke (NOT BUTTERFLY) Week Commences
Sorry about the mix-up on the blog yesterday. This week is actually Breaststroke week. Workouts will not be entirely breaststroke, but will have a breaststroke emphasis. Happy stroking.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Freestyle Week Tips & Videos
Hello everyone,
I found these clips on YouTube, which is truly a great
resource for all of us. In the coming weeks I'll post
videos of breaststroke and butterfly to correspond to
our stroke weeks.
In the meantime, please watch these clips - they are
all very short (under 30 seconds) so you have no
excuse! Note that all of these swimmers wait for "the
catch", immediately pop their elbows up and out
underwater to pull with their entire forearm, and
accelerate through their pull.
VIDEO 1: American record holder and Olympic silver
medalist Larson Jenson
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SBxlphJBIcM
VIDEO 2: My old teammate, former American record
holder, and 2-time Olymic silver medalist Erik Vendt
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2LWyWz1GVtQ
VIDEO 3: Not sure who this is, but it's a good slow
motion underwater view from the Olympics
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XDRtr7Kx0nU
I hope that was informative!
Coach Olver
I found these clips on YouTube, which is truly a great
resource for all of us. In the coming weeks I'll post
videos of breaststroke and butterfly to correspond to
our stroke weeks.
In the meantime, please watch these clips - they are
all very short (under 30 seconds) so you have no
excuse! Note that all of these swimmers wait for "the
catch", immediately pop their elbows up and out
underwater to pull with their entire forearm, and
accelerate through their pull.
VIDEO 1: American record holder and Olympic silver
medalist Larson Jenson
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SBxlphJBIcM
VIDEO 2: My old teammate, former American record
holder, and 2-time Olymic silver medalist Erik Vendt
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2LWyWz1GVtQ
VIDEO 3: Not sure who this is, but it's a good slow
motion underwater view from the Olympics
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XDRtr7Kx0nU
I hope that was informative!
Coach Olver
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Fall Full of Short Course
Below is a list of upcoming short course meets:
Mission Viejo, October 7th
Santa Clarita, October 20th
UCLA, November 3rd
Southwest Masters Turkey Shoot, November 18th
Long Beach Grunions SCM Champs, November 30th to December 2nd
Get ready for short course meters.
Mission Viejo, October 7th
Santa Clarita, October 20th
UCLA, November 3rd
Southwest Masters Turkey Shoot, November 18th
Long Beach Grunions SCM Champs, November 30th to December 2nd
Get ready for short course meters.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
77th Annual La Jolla Rough Water Swim
And rough it was! Many WH2Oers and friends of WH2O competed in the 77th annual La Jolla Rough Water Swim Meet on Sunday, September 9th in La Jolla Cove. It was sunny and gorgeous outside and the water temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees. And fish were actually visible in the water! There were garibaldi (the bright orange fish), kelp fish, and schools of small minnow-like fish in addition to kelp. Along with many age-group competitions, there were master swim events of one- and three- mile races. It seemed like there was a cast of thousands out to swim at this meet that was first held in 1916! 614 men and 437 women competed in the one-mile race. 527 men and women competed in the three-mile event.
Amy Dantzler started the day off right! The marine layer evaporated and the sun came blaring out just moments before the start of the Women’s One Mile event. The race start was broken into two groups (under 40 followed by over 40); Amy led her group from the start. She was dressed very stealth-like in her dark gray full-body suit and cap—all the more difficult for competition to spot her in the water! We lost site of her as we tried to track the race and then got confused when the announcer cited someone else as being in the lead (this writer kept saying the announcer was wrong; when Amy takes the lead, no one takes it away from her!). Amy started in the second group, but by the end of the race, she was in the mix with the first group, which only further added to the confusion. It took a long time before the results were announced, but Amy did win her group and got a very impressive 2nd place among all women competitors! Way to go Amy!
Tim Burke, Matt Knight and Bill O’Brien competed in the Men’s One Mile race. The fastest swimmer (Fran Crippen, 22, of Mission Viejo) finished the race in 18:47. The last one miler crossed the finish line in 1:02:44. The level of competition was very high-- Larson Jenson, the 1500 Free American Record holder was third in the event! Our Bill finished 18th overall and 2nd in his age group. Matt also made top five in his division.
What’s really amazing is that Amy, Matt and Tim followed up the one mile race with the three mile race not too long after!
The Three Mile “Gatorman” event is considered the premier event of the meet. It’s a long way across the cove to a pier and then you have to swim back! No matter how you do it, one way will be going against the current! The swim out seemed reasonable enough (although word has it that the lead group were a bit off course as some thought the race was to Catalina Island). Even though there were over 500 people in the race, once past the initial start, it doesn’t seem like there’s many people around. But as the pier started to loom-large and the turning buoys zoomed into view, everyone crowded in and the realization that a race was apace came back into focus! Boy was it ever choppy coming back! And navigation was tough because the sun was in the sky over the finish line. The outline of a distant high-rise hotel was all that was possible to cite on for most of the way back.
The Gatorman was won by the same Fran Crippen who won the mile earlier in the day. The winning time for the Gatorman was 54:10 with the last (527th) swimmer finishing in 2:06:00. The event was a mix of Master and Age-Group swimmers (13 years is the minimum age). Six of the top ten finishers were under 18 years of age. Brian Olver was first WH2Oer to cross the finish line. Brian took 30th overall and finished 2nd of 24 people in his division. Amy Dantzler was 52nd overall, the 10th fast woman finisher and 2nd of 17 in her division. Other WH2O competitors who finished in the top five medal count included: Gregg Ogorzolec (66th, 5th/58) and Tim Burke (97th, 4th/42). WH2O finishers included Jerry Shandrew, Bryan Libit, Matt Knight, Dan Adams and Rocky DeAngelis. Notable friends of WH2O at the meet included Alex Kostich (4th overall and 1st/28 in his age group) and Kevin Pearsall.
It was this writer’s first Gatorman. The race was amazing! The experience was incredible! At the 2-1/2 mile mark I developed a cramp and my arms started to feel like rubber. At the 2-3/4 mile mark I could finally see a finish line, which seemed to relieve the cramp and give me strength to see the race to the finish. The water was so choppy coming back I seemed to be taking on water (like a boat in rough water). I ran across the finish line and disposed of all that extra water before joining my mates for the recap! What a relief! Everyone acknowledged the water was choppy and the event was tough, but everyone was thrilled for having accomplished the course and seemed already energized to do it again next year.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Backstroke Week Commences
Just a reminder that this week is backstroke week. Workouts will not be entirely backstroke, but will have a backstroke emphasis. Enjoy the time on your back.
Friday, September 14, 2007
WH2O's Annual Banquet
This year's annual banquet will be held at the San Antonio Winery on Sunday, November 4th. Invitations will be going out via the U.S. Postal Service within the next few weeks. Please make sure you get your RSVP's and ballots for WH2O awards in by the RSVP date (whatever that is; Seth will let you know.) For more information about the San Antonio Winery, visit their website at http://www.sanantoniowinery.com/That's it! Have a good day!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Climbing Mount Whitney: The Latest Cross-Training Craze?
by Jessica SeatonLast year, despite training for and competing in both the Gay Games in Chicago and the FINA Masters World Championships, my swimming seemed to be going nowhere. I needed a mental and physical challenge beyond the pool.
Climbing Mount Whitney had always been a dream of mine and 2007, when I was at the top of my age group, seemed like a good year to indulge in a dramatic form of cross training to achieve a long-held goal. The hike is 22-miles roundtrip and involves a 6200-feet elevation gain between the Mount Whitney Portal trailhead and the 14,494-feet summit of the highest peak in the contiguous United States. I entered the requisite permit lottery and, expecting to have some companions along for the walk, was awarded five permits for a day hike on August 26. That was actually my preferred choice because it was close to a full moon and Whitney day hikes traditionally kick off before dawn.
I began my training steps towards the summit after the Worlds with short hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains and, as my legs got stronger, gradually increased the distances and varied the destinations. Though I did join the Gay and Lesbian chapter of the Sierra Club, finding people to hike with me was no easy task and many of my initial training hikes were solo.
Then Coach Bram suggested that I post a notice on the WH2O bulletin to attract team members interested in attacking Whitney. The first takers were Mike Crosby, who hadn’t made it to the summit during two previous attempts as a teenager, and Carlos Florez. Both men were almost half my age, were obviously in good shape and could carry me down if I was felled by blisters or met up with one the mountain’s notorious black bears.
I literally stumbled upon the next member of the Whitney cross training team one Sunday in early April when, during a 14-mile hike between Will Rogers State Park and Topanga Canyon State Park, I ran into WH2O team member Joel Stratte-McClure, who frequently hikes around LA to stay in shape for his ongoing trek around the Mediterranean Sea. During the next few months our team was completed with the addition of Ron “Rat” Rosager, a college friend of Joel’s, and Anna-Emily “AE” Gaupp, one of my patients who would pick up an additional permit on the day of the hike.
It was clear to me that preparation, good equipment, acclimation to avoid altitude sickness and luck with both the weather and health were the keys to making it up Whitney. Consequently I tried to encourage everyone except Rat, who lives in the Bay Area, to participate in weekly training hikes.
Joel and I were the most obsessive about our training. Our dozen outings together included climbs up Mount Lukens, the highest mountain in the city of Los Angeles; Mount Baldy, the highest mountain in Los Angeles County at 10,020 feet; and Mount San Gorgonio, at 11,500 feet the highest peak in Southern California. Mike and Carlos joined me on another trek up Baldy and AE was along on the hike to the top of San Gorgonio in mid August.
We all knew that the most unpredictable aspect of surmounting Whitney is the weather, particularly lightning storms that force many hikers to abandon their quest during a 10-18 hour round-trip that usually begins with a departure between 4-6 AM. Although it had been sunny for the week prior August 26, the weather forecast predicted thundershowers and lightning on the day of our hike. When I picked up our permits, a ranger advised us to begin the hike at midnight to avoid the lightning expected on the summit at 11 AM on Sunday. Fortunately I had extra batteries for my headlamp and was glad that I’d spent a week acclimating to the altitude in nearby Mammoth.
We were all gathered at the Whitney Portal, where the four men on the team had spent Friday night, on Saturday afternoon when the clouds rolled in and it began to rain with some thunder and lightning. During a rice and tuna “paella” dinner, which we ate under the trees as wasps swarmed the picnic table, we decided to try to sleep for a couple of hours and start the hike at 11 PM.
When we reached the trail the sky was clear, there no clouds, and the nearly full moon and cool temperature made it easy for all of us, with our headlamps beaming, to set off at a good pace. Almost immediately we encountered a hiker coming off the mountain that looked like he’d just finished a 400-meter butterfly without taking a breath. None of us felt encouraged and I silently hoped that I would look better than him when I came down. But we all became much more optimistic when our headlamps caught the attention of four-point buck amidst the trees and the moon rose to illuminate the towering peaks.
We made it through Outpost Camp and Trail Camp, two well-known points on the trail, without too much problem. Whenever the leader would lose the trail due to the darkness, we’d scan the surroundings with our headlamps and the closest person to the trail became the new leader. But when we reached the legendary 96 switchbacks Mike and Carlos fell behind and, we learned later, were forced to abandon the hike once they reached Trail Crest at 13,600 feet because of altitude sickness and dead headlamps.
For the remaining four of us, the final surge to the summit involved a cold walk on a poorly marked and difficult-to-negotiate (in the dark anyway) rock path from Trail Crest, where a sign warned hikers to abandon the ascent at the first hint of lightning. It was still dark when we saw the outline of the stone hut at the top of Whitney and reached the peak at 5:30 AM after hiking 11 miles in 6 hours and 45 minutes.
We were among the first hikers to the summit that morning and bundled up to combat the wind and cold, feast on our “breakfast” and watch the sunrise. As it got lighter an extraordinary landscape emerged out of the darkness to reveal raw-looking peaks nearby and small lakes in the distance.
After watching the cloud-obscured sunrise, we signed the register book and began our descent at 6:30 AM. We immediately realized that the last segment of our walk in the dark had been on a very narrow trail with very steep drop-offs, cliffs and crevices. Happy that we’d avoided a plunge into the abyss, we weren’t in any rush to get down and casually enjoyed the scenery that we’d missed on the way up. The predicted thunder, lightning and rain began just before our arrival at the trailhead thirteen-and-a-half hours after our departure. That night we talked to numerous hikers who, having set off a few hours after we did, were forced to abandon the hike due to the lightning storms.
Although I have no desire to walk up Whitney again in total darkness, I certainly believe it’s an ideal type of cross training. How will it pay off? I expect to swim a 400-meter butterfly without taking a breath as soon as I age up.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Fall is Upon Us...
...here are a few things you can expect at WH2O swim workouts over the next few months.
• We will commence stroke weeks for five continuous weeks effective Monday, September 17th starting with Backstroke (followed by Freestyle, Breast stroke, Butterfly and Individual Medley). Each week will provide emphasis on a particular stroke at workouts.
• We will re-convene the 10x100 check-sets the first Monday of each month (AM and PM workouts) starting Monday, October 1st. 100s will be your choice (you just have to stick to it for all of the check-sets in order to be able to compare). Coach Carole will be blogging all the details at WH2O.org prior to the first of the month.
• The video camera can be 'checked out' for individual use. If you can arrange someone to tape you, you can make arrangements to use the team equipment to record yourself swimming. Prior arrangements will have to be made with coaches to record during regular swim practices. Private arrangements can be made with coaches to critique a DVD you make of your swim.
• Our coaches will continue to give lots of feedback!
Have fun and swim well!
Luis Accepts Team Award
Luis Bahamon received on behalf of WH2O at SPM LCM Regional Championships this Summer the WH2O 6th place plaque from the SPMA SCY Regional Championships last Spring! Luis is pictured here with the award--for the benefit of all to see--at a recent WH2O weekend swim practice at Roosevelt High School.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
“The Little Team That Could”
Although West Hollywood Aquatics did not field a large team at the Southern California Regional Swimming Championships, a group of six devoted teammates swam hard for a strong showing on August 3rd through 5th at Mission Viejo.
Luis Bahamon, Amy Dantzler, Errol Graham, and Don Skeoch were joined by WH2O newcomers Adam Davis and Tamara Draper on what happened to be a very HOT August weekend.
Swimming guru Tom Reudy made the trek to Orange County to watch Amy Dantzler easily win the women’s 1,500 meter Free on Friday night. Dantzler, this year’s national champion in the event, beat her nearest competition by over 3 minutes. Tom was also on hand to watch Luis Bahamon cruise to a personal best in the 1,500 meter Free as well.
Saturday morning opened up to be an exceptionally hot day. Errol Graham arrived to score team points in his sprint events. The six of us found shelter from the sun wherever we could while we waited for our events. Newcomers Adam Davis and Tamara Draper swam exceptionally well in their inaugural meet with the WH2O team, scoring team points in the sprint, freestyle and fly events. All six WH2O swimmers scored valuable team points throughout the day.
The day dragged on a bit as the relays took longer than anyone anticipated. Host team Mission Viejo had an “N” relay in one event (yep, Mission Viejo A, Mission Viejo B…Mission Viejo N!) but it just gave us more time to socialize.
Sunday morning turned out to be cool and foggy, however, it cleared by mid-morning and was another toasty day. Nonetheless, everyone was prepared for good swims and a lot of fun.
At the close of the meet, “the little team that could” finished exceptionally well. The Men (a team of four) finished a respectable 8th in the men’s standings…the Women (a team of two) placed 14th in the women’s standings…and WH2O finished in 9th place in the combined team standings. Not so bad in a field of 42 teams! It was a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to a greater showing next year!
Luis Bahamon, Amy Dantzler, Errol Graham, and Don Skeoch were joined by WH2O newcomers Adam Davis and Tamara Draper on what happened to be a very HOT August weekend.
Swimming guru Tom Reudy made the trek to Orange County to watch Amy Dantzler easily win the women’s 1,500 meter Free on Friday night. Dantzler, this year’s national champion in the event, beat her nearest competition by over 3 minutes. Tom was also on hand to watch Luis Bahamon cruise to a personal best in the 1,500 meter Free as well.
Saturday morning opened up to be an exceptionally hot day. Errol Graham arrived to score team points in his sprint events. The six of us found shelter from the sun wherever we could while we waited for our events. Newcomers Adam Davis and Tamara Draper swam exceptionally well in their inaugural meet with the WH2O team, scoring team points in the sprint, freestyle and fly events. All six WH2O swimmers scored valuable team points throughout the day.
The day dragged on a bit as the relays took longer than anyone anticipated. Host team Mission Viejo had an “N” relay in one event (yep, Mission Viejo A, Mission Viejo B…Mission Viejo N!) but it just gave us more time to socialize.
Sunday morning turned out to be cool and foggy, however, it cleared by mid-morning and was another toasty day. Nonetheless, everyone was prepared for good swims and a lot of fun.
At the close of the meet, “the little team that could” finished exceptionally well. The Men (a team of four) finished a respectable 8th in the men’s standings…the Women (a team of two) placed 14th in the women’s standings…and WH2O finished in 9th place in the combined team standings. Not so bad in a field of 42 teams! It was a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to a greater showing next year!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Gaytorman
You are cordially invited to the 1st annual Gaytorman meet hosted by Different Strokes Swim Team (DSST)!
This is an unsanctioned social meet, and registration is only $20 and includes a t-shirt. Register at http://meets.dsst.org.
The meet will take place on Saturday, September 8th at the Tierrasanta pool, located at 11238 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard San Diego, CA 92124 (map). Warm-ups and check-in will begin at 9:30 AM, with the meet beginning at 10:30 AM. All swimmers must present a valid USMS card to participate. We will also be selling a pancake breakfast from 9-11:00 AM.
Start planning for the Grand Finale, the DRAG race! Don your drag outfit, swim your leg, and transfer the outfit to the next swimmer in line. You will need to bring your own cross-dressing supplies, with a minimum dress code: dress, hat and pumps for men and shirt, slacks and shoes for women. Feel free to accessorize; one of the prizes will be based on your outfits!
For a pdf of the event email vpadmin@wh2o.org
A Sprint Around the Island
On July 29, 2007, I swam the Naples Island Ocean swim. It was a blast! This is the perfect ocean swim for those timid about the open water as there are no waves on the Naples Island, Long Beach course which is completely inside Alamitos Bay. I also spied not one non-human vertebrate in the water for those skittish about the monsters of the deep.
The water was a perfect 73 degrees. All boat traffic was “grounded” to prevent mishaps between vertebrates and inanimate wood and steel in locomotion. An “elite” group of about 170 or 180 swimmers gathered on the beach facing Naples Island beginning about 7 AM. The first group, swimming a 1.25 mile course through the canal that cuts crescent shaped course through the island, began at 9 AM. At 9:15, another group began a 2.75 mile swim around the entire Naples Island.
Soon after arriving, I saw our own Dawn Heckman, a recent coach and contestant for a birth in the 2004 Olympics. We discussed her good friend and our coach Keri Hehn who had just set a record at the Pan American games in the 200 m. breast stroke.
Also present from WH2O was a fairly new swimmer, Doug Wilson, and a very experienced ocean water swimmer (Catalina Channel at least once and, I believe, the English Channel, among others), Alexia Naweliak. I did not see Alexia, but she finished 5th in the 2.75 mile swim.
It was terrific just swimming approximately 2,150 yards without turns, timed sets or other limitations of our workouts. We just ran in going from one point, through a course that never repeated, then back to the beginning.
In the 1.25 mile, Doug Wilson got a third place medal, I broke 40 minutes and came home with a first place, and Alexia, per the web site, finished 5th in her age group – in the 2.75 course.
The finish of the 3mile (really 2.75 mile) was very exciting. I was grateful I finished the 1.25 mile in time to watch it. The male winner was Alex Kostich at 50:30:000 and nipping at his heals was Dawn in 50:35:000. Alex and Dawn led the three milers, and Alex seemed to be really pushing to stay in front, kicking up a spray the entire last stretch.
The Long Beach Grunions did a terrific job in their first year running this race. Hope to see a big WH2O turnout next year because this one was really fun.
Neal Wiener
Eggbeater Made Easy
Hey all - this is the first post in a series concerning the fundamentals of water polo. For those of you looking to start playing, here is a good resource for the basics. For the more advanced players - something to chew on while improving your game. Good luck!
Ben
How to Do an Eggbeater Kick
Accomplished by moving your legs in an eggbeater motion, this is the most powerful way to tread water.
Instructions
• STEP 1: Position yourself vertically in the water, bent at the waist as if sitting in a chair.
• STEP 2: Bending at the knees, swivel both feet in circles opposite each other - just like the motion of an eggbeater. Your left foot should circle clockwise and your right foot counterclockwise.
• STEP 3: Hold both hands out in front of your body, with elbows bent, palms down and hands cupped. Make quick, small circles in the water with your hands.
• STEP 4: Kick harder to raise your body higher out of the water.
Tips & Warnings
• With a strong eggbeater kick, you should be able to hold one or both arms high out of the water for a prolonged period of time. This is an essential skill in water polo for catching, throwing or guarding.
• The eggbeater kick is a strength maneuver and requires time and training to build endurance. The positive side of this is that you can eggbeater the whole time you're in the water, so you're always training.
• When you start to get strong, practice eggbeater kicking while holding something out of the water over your head.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
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