Hot Chocolate Sellers Needed!

Hi Team!

Our turn in the hot chocolate stand at the Kimberly football game is right around the corner--Friday, October 14th!  We are looking for a few fun parents (Kimberly or West) to come help sell delicious hot chocolate! Jody Karrmann promises that this is a super-fun volunteer opportunity! All volunteers need to report to the stadium at 5 pm, and don't forget to wear AW-K clothing! If you're interested in helping out, please email Jody Karrmann (karrmanns6@aol.com).   Thank you!

With AW-K Pride,
Coach Vicki

AW-K vs ONL and the Quest to Keep the Giant Pear

Hi Team!

Tomorrow night we will take on Oshkosh North-Lourdes at the 20 Ave. YMCA in Oshkosh.
Tomorrow night is special for a couple of reasons:

1.  The meet starts at 6:00 pm, not 5:30.
2.  There is an admission charge of $5 for adults, and $3 for students.
3.  It's our 2nd annual Halee Fritsch Food Drive competition vs. Oshkosh North-Lourdes!

Numbers 1 and 2 aren't really exciting, but #3 is!  Last year, one of our captains, Halee Fritsch, really wanted to do a community service project with the team.  Of course, we all thought it was an excellent idea, so the Halee Fritsch Food Drive was born (I named it that--not Halee).  Anyway, we thought it would be fun to challenge another team to a contest to see which team could bring the most non-perishable goods to a dual meet.  I reached out to the ONL coach, Heidi Wera, and she loved the idea. I decided there needed to be a super-cool trophy that would stay with the team that won each year. Last year AW-K won, and the giant pear (pictured above) has been proudly displayed on my desk for the past year.  The giant pear brings joy to all who see it sitting on my desk.  To me, it represents AW-K giving back to the community in a fun, positive way.

Tomorrow night we will battle in the pool and for the giant pear.  Please consider cleaning out your pantry and carting all of your non-perishables to the 20 Ave. YMCA tomorrow night.  Let's keep the giant pear at our pool and help a whole lot of people in the process!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Missing Lambeau?

Hi Team,

The other day I was thinking about just how much fun I had cleaning up empty cheese cups and peanut shells at Lambeau Field.  I actually found myself wishing we had another opportunity to make Lambeau all shiny and clean.  And then I remembered that I DO have two more opportunities to have that much fun again!  In fact, I get to do it THIS SUNDAY with the boys team!  The JOY and EXCITEMENT is real, people!!  I'm literally doing a happy dance as I type this.

Are you missing Lambeau, too?  If so, we could really use your help this Sunday!  We need about 10 more people willing to help the boys team.  Busy this Sunday, but wishing you could haul trash one more time?  No worries!  The boys team is signed up to clean on December 4th, too!!

Here's the bonus:  because we will end up cleaning Lambeau 5 times (3 for the girls, and 2 for the boys), we will earn a bonus $500, which I will put toward something that benefits both the girls and the boys team.  So not only will you be helping the boys team, the girls team will benefit, too!

You know the drill:  you let me know you're coming, and I turn your name into our friend, Tina. You put on your oldest gym shoes (mine are still in the garage all dirty from last time) and show up at the Fleet Farm entrance at Lambeau Field at 4:15.  We take a completely cute group photo in front oft he "G" gates, and then we sweep the trash away!  Three hours later, we all leave knowing we donated 3 hours to a very good cause!  Win-Win!  

I need to know ASAP if you can help out.  Please email me at vicki.terlap@gmail.com if you want to join in on the fun!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Parent Night, Morning Practice, and Homecoming Details

Hi Team,

It's going to be another fantastic, busy week for AW-K Swimming and Diving!  Here are a few reminders so that we are all on the same page:

Tonight is Parent Night--each athlete and her parents will be introduced before the meet.  Parents--please be ready for this to begin at 5:25.  Once each athlete and her parents are announced, they will walk around the pool together and stand together for the National Anthem.  Parents with multiple daughters on the team will be introduced with the older child's class.  We will start with introducing the freshman class.

Tomorrow's practice is from 5:45-6:45 am for the entire team. We will meet at the pool at 5:40 am and then head to the LGI to do a film study.  We will not get in the water at this practice.  Athletes can bring breakfast to eat during the presentation.   We are having this morning practice so that the team has Wednesday afternoon free to participate in the Kimberly Homecoming parade.  West athletes are encouraged to be in the parade, too.  All athletes should plan on wearing team apparel at the parade--team T-shirt, sweatshirt, parka or jacket.  Please make sure your daughter has a ride to and from morning practice on Wednesday.

Friday afternoon's practice will end at 5:00 pm so that Kimberly athletes can participate in tailgating and Homecoming festivities.

Saturday is our big all-team Invite at Neenah High School.  All athletes need to be at the pool at 6:50 am.  The bus will leave at 7:00 am.  This is a long Invite--it will probably not end until 2:30.  Please make sure your athlete brings plenty of food and snacks and water for the day.

Looking forward to the rest of this week!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Team Dinner at Pullman's

Hi Team,

Just wanted to make sure that everyone knows the details about Saturday's big team dinner at Pullman's (619 S Olde Oneida St, Appleton, WI 54915). Throw on a dress and meet us there at 4 pm for an early dinner with the team.  Please bring money to cover your meal and drink.  You can check out Pullman's menu here: pullmansrestaurant.com.  I'm looking forward to spending time with everyone away from the pool!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Thank You!

Hi Team,

Just wanted to say a big thank you to the families who took care of Monday night's team meal! The Bevers family, Hull family, Miller family, Chippeaux family,  and Nunn family served up a huge Italian feast out on the patio!  The girls LOVED every single part of the meal!

Thank you for preparing and serving such a fantastic team meal!

Fond du Lac Invite--Date Change

Hi Team,

The date of the Fond du Lac Invite is actually October 1st, not October 8th, as I originally put on the meet schedule.  This is a varsity-only, limited entry meet, so this only affects the varsity team.  I apologize for an inconvenience this may cause.

Thanks,

Coach Vicki

Terror Relays, Patriot Pentathlon, and the Week Ahead!

 Hi Team!

What an amazing, fabulous week for AW-K Swimming & Diving!  I couldn't be more proud of all we accomplished in and out of the water this week!  Friday night's Terror Relays went off without a hitch--thanks to each and every single member of the AW-K team--both swimmers and parents!  The girls did a fantastic job competing hard for AW-K--we took 4th place with 216 points, (tied with Wisconsin Rapids), behind Neenah (292 points), Stevens Point (240 points), and Appleton North (234 points).

 We swam 10 events and made the podium in every single event!  Wow!!!!  Congratulations, ladies! I couldn't be happier or more proud!

 The other super stars of the night were are JV ladies!  I've said it before, and I will say it again--we have the best JV in the FVA!  Everywhere I turned there were JV ladies helping out--timing, running, helping with set up and take down for the coaches and officials meal.

 Most of the JV stayed and helped clean up after the meet, even though I said they could go home.  We had the meet completely cleaned up and the pool put back in order in less than a 1/2 hour.  It was amazing!

 I can't forget to thank all of our dedicated and hard-working parents--some of whom (like the ones working concessions) I didn't see at all, but I know were doing a big job away from the pool. Whether you timed, baked, cooked, sold concessions, helped clean up, or just came and cheered for the girls, we are SO thankful for your support!!!

 In the battle of the best parents in the FVA, I know we'd win, hands down!

 Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting our program!!

 Saturday morning the varsity headed over to Appleton East to compete in the Patriot Pentathlon.

It was an early morning after a late night, but our AW-K swimmers were super stars, once again.  At the Pentathlon, each swimmer does a 50 of each stroke and a 100 IM.  Prizes are awarded for the top 8 in each event in each grade. The top 3 athletes in each grade were recognized on Saturday.  Here are our top 3 finishers:

Hannah Beckwith finished as the overall top Senior at the meet! She medaled in every single event! Way to go, Hannah!!!

Sarah Angiulli took 3rd place in the 50 fly, and came in 4th place overall for the Seniors!  Fantastic job, Sarah!

 Taylor Sunke took 3rd in the 50 back!! Way to go, Taylor!!

 Rebecca Norum finished in 2nd place overall as a junior!  She medaled in every single event!! Fabulous job, Rebecca!

 Megan Rambo finished as the third overall Senior.  She medaled in every single event!! Great job, Megan!!

 Gabby LeCaptain finished 3rd in the 50 breast!! Way to go, Gabby!!
Meghan Harper took 2nd in the 50 free and finished as the 6th place senior, overall! Great job, Meghan!

Top 8 overall finishers in each grade included:  Amanda Harper (7th place, Freshman), Gabby LeCaptain (8th place, Freshman), Lexee Funk (7th place, Sophomore), Rebecca Norum (2nd place, Junior), Hannah Beckwith (1st place, Senior), Megan Rambo (3rd place, Senior), Sarah Angiulli (4th place, Senior), Meghan Harper (6th place, Senior).

Congratulations to all who competed for AW-K this weekend!  I couldn't be more proud of you!

This week we shift into our final practice schedule for the season.  The Varsity team will begin 2-a-day practices this week, beginning on Monday.  Please plan on being on deck at 5:30 am.  We get in the water right at 5:45.

We will also be in the weight room on Monday and Thursday this week.  Please bring your workout clothes and gym shoes.  We have a bye week this week, so we do not have a dual meet on Tuesday. We do, however, have our team pictures on Tuesday, so don't forget to bring your team suit!! Pictures will take place at the beginning of practice.  Order forms will go home on Monday after practice.  Even though we do not have a meet, we do have a team meal on Monday after practice.

Whew!  I think that wraps up the week and gets us ready for this coming week!  I'm so proud to be your coach!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Dual vs. Appleton East, Terror Relay Volunteers, and lots of Thank Yous!

Hi Team!

How fun was yesterday's meet against Appleton East?!? I think it's safe to say that the meet was a huge success!  I can't tell you how awesome it was to see all those AW-K parkas spanning the entire length of the pool for the Star Spangled Banner!  We have definitely joined the ranks of the large teams in the FVA!

The girls were fantastic, weren't they?  There were so many great swims, and I loved the girls' energy on deck.  Nothing makes me happier than seeing the girls cheer for each other.  Here's a breakdown of the meet:

JV:

Appleton West-Kimberly: 130
Appleton East: 12

Varsity:

Appleton West-Kimberly: 126
Appleton East: 56

Our JV won every single event, and our Varsity won all but the 200 IM, 100 Back, and Diving.  Way to go, ladies!!  I am beyond proud.  I couldn't ask for a better start to the season!

Looking ahead, on Friday we will host the 34th Annual Terror Relays!  Diving will start at 5:00, and swimming will start at 5:30.  Hosting an Invite is a huge undertaking, and I'd like to thank everyone who has signed up to help out.  Here is the list of volunteers:

Timers--Terror Relays, Friday, September 9th:

Head Timer:  Mike Harper

1. Susan Harper
2. Erica Blair
3. Eric Blair
4. Amy Funk
5. Megan Harris
6. David Harris
7. Sheri del Plaine
8.  Carlos del Plaine
9. Chad Bevers
10. Dan Angiulli
11. Molly Anderson
12. Jacci Knutsen
13. Fe Nunn
14. Geri Angiulli
15. Abby Dollevoet
16. Maria Van Zeeland
17. Jody Karrmann
18. Hailey Bevers
19. Maddy Kasper
20. Jana Metko
21.  Jenna Johnston
22. Emma Schueppert
23. Holly Hirst
24. Sophie Hirst

Terror Relay Concessions:
4:00-6:30
1. Kathy Chippeaux
2. Jennifer Nunn
3. Jeff Miller

6:00-8:30

1.. Kathy Chippeaux 2. Sandy Bevers 3. Amanda Roth 4. Stephen Nunn 5. Jennifer Nunn

I'd also like to thank my parent board who are all donating food for the coach and official meal:  Sandy Bevers, Jennifer & Steve Nunn, Amy Funk, Susan Harper, Kathy Chippeaux, and Jody Karrmann.  You guys really are the BEST!!

While I am on the subject of thank yous, I'd like to recognize a few families who have already gone above and beyond this year:

Erika Blair and Megan Rambo hosted an Olympics watch party at their home a few weeks back.  Thank you so much for having the team over!

Susan, Mike, Meghan, and Amanda Harper hosted a team sleepover, and almost half the team showed up. That's a lot of swimmers sleeping in the basement!  Thank you, Harper family, for opening up your home to the girls!

Finally, we had our first team dinner on Monday night, and the girls LOVED it!  Nothing makes going to practice on Labor Day better than the promise of a yummy team dinner afterwards.  Thank you, Mary Jo Van Grinsven, Amy Hirst, Megan & David Harris, and Sheri del Plaine for the fabulous spread.  Everything was fantastic!!

Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer us on last night--we definitely felt your support!

With AW-K Pride,

Coach Vicki

Everything You Need to Know About This Week's Meets!

Hi Team!

We finally made it--Meet Week is here!  And what a week it is:  we have three meets between now and Saturday afternoon!  Yahoo!  I will be going over lots of information with the team this afternoon, but I thought you might appreciate a little information about what to expect.

If you're new to high school swimming, please make sure you read my post explaining the differences between high school swimming and club swimming.  You can click on the link on the right side of the page.  As far as specifics about this week, here they are:

Tuesday, September 6th:  Dual meet vs. Appleton East at 5:30.  All swimmers need to get to Appleton East on their own.  There are plenty of Kimberly and West drivers who can get your athlete over to the pool after school.  If you'd like to bring your daughter over there yourself, that's great, too. All athletes need to be at the East pool by 4 pm to start our dynamic warm-up.  The pool will be open for warm-ups at 4:30.  The meet will start at 5:30.  The JV and Varsity compete at the same time.  The meet should be over by 7:30.  Each girl needs to have her own ride set up for the way home. Swimmers need to wear their team suit and cap, and bring their parka.  The order of events are as follows:

JV 200 Medley Relay
Varsity 200 Medley Relay
JV 200 Free
Varsity 200 Free
JV 200 IM
Varsity 200 IM
Exhibition JV 50 Free
JV 50 Free
Varsity 50 Free

**Break***

JV 100 Fly
Varsity 100 Fly
Exhibition 100 Free
JV 100 Free
Varsity 100 Free
JV 500 Free
Varsity 500 Free
JV 200 Free Relay
Varsity 200 Free Relay
JV 100 Backstroke
Varsity 100 Backstroke
JV 100 Breaststroke
Varsity 100 Breaststroke
JV 400 Free Relay
Varsity 400 Relay

AW-K will be in the even numbered lanes.  Because our team is large, we might take over one of East's lanes, too, since their team is small.  I will have heat sheets available to our athlete's families at the meet.  Awards are not given at dual meets.

Friday, September 9th, 5:00 pm, Terror Relays.  This is our one and only hosted invite.  This is a varsity-only meet with limited entries.  There are 11 schools participating in the Terror Relays. All participating athletes need to be at the pool right after school to make sure everything is set and start warm-ups.  Pool warm-ups start at 3:30 pm.  Diving starts at 5:00 pm.  Once diving is finished, the team will move the pool from yards to meters, and everyone will get to warm up a bit more.  The events for the Terror Relays are supposed to be fun.  Check with your daughter to see which relays she will be swimming.  All JV swimmers are asked to help out by timing or being a runner.  Awards are given for 1st-8th place.

Saturday, September 10th, 9:00 am, Patriot Pentathlon, Appleton East.  This is another varsity-only invite.  All athletes need to be at Appleton East by 7:00 am.  In-water warm-ups start at 7:30.  At this meet, each athlete will swim a 50 of each stroke, plus a 100 IM. Awards will be given 1st-8th by each grade.  Each swimmer needs to arrange their own rides to and from this meet.  Athletes need to bring their own food for the day.  The meet should be over between 1-2 pm.

One last reminder--AW-K athletes must sit by the team during the meet.  They are not allowed to sit up in the bleachers.

I think that should do it.  I can't wait to see everyone swim this week!  As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

With AW-K pride,

Coach Vicki