Practice Schedule Changes for this Week

Hi Team,

I've had a couple of questions about the practice schedule this week.  I'm sorry about any confusion--I am trying to be flexible to accommodate two different school's Homecoming week celebrations while still staying true to our mission to practice hard as a team.  Here is the schedule for the remainder of this week:

Wednesday:  5:45-6:45 am for all Kimberly swimmers and any West swimmer who would like to swim in the morning.  3:45-5:00 for West swimmers, or anyone who didn't swim in the morning. The girls only need to attend one practice.  I will coach at the early morning practice, and Coach K will coach in the afternoon.  We will run the same workout at both practices.

Thursday:  No a.m. Varsity practice due to all of the other morning practices this week.  Full team practice from 3:45-6:00 pm.  Weight room from 5:30-6:00 pm.  Please bring workout clothes and gym shoes.

Friday:  5:45-6:45 am for all Kimberly swimmers and any West swimmer who would like to swim in the morning.  3:45-5:00 for West swimmers, or anyone who didn't swim in the morning. The girls only need to attend one practice.  I will coach at the early morning practice, and Coach K will coach in the afternoon.  We will run the same workout at both practices.

Saturday:  6:45 am-8:45 am:  Varsity only practice.

Just a reminder that varsity only 2-a-day practices begin next week:  Mondays and Thursdays from 5:45-6:45 am.  All afternoon practices next week are on the regular schedule.  Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Succeed on Purpose,

Coach Vicki

Neenah Invite Wrap-Up and Directions to Berlin

Hi Team!

Wow!  How fun was Saturday's Neenah Invite?!?  We had all kinds of fast individual and relay swims and finished in 3rd place behind Neenah and North!  I couldn't be more proud of each and every one of our swimmers!  Thank you to all of you who came out to cheer us on!  

Tomorrow's dual meet is vs. Berlin-Green Lake. BGL meets take place at Clay Lamberton Elementary School--259 East Marquette Street, Berlin.  It's about a 45 minute ride to Berlin.  The directions are easy:  41 S to WI-91 W in Oshkosh.  Follow WI-91 to E. Marquette Street in Berlin. We sure would love to see all kinds of family and friends in the stands!  Go, AW-K!!!

Succeed on Purpose,

Coach Vicki

Athletes of the Week!

  

Hi Team,

It was another great week for our Appleton West-Kimberly swimmers!  We swam tough against Neenah on Tuesday night, and then returned to the pool to get ready for tomorrow's Neenah Invite.  I saw a big bunch of effort this week both in the pool and during dryland.  The four athletes above all had a fantastic week!  Sarah has been working hard swimming all kinds of different events for us this season.  She is more than willing to swim wherever the team needs her. She swam great at Neenah, and has seamlessly moved into new roles on her relay teams.   Meghan had another super week, both in her individual events and in relays.  She finished 2nd in the 50 free on Tuesday night, and helped her relays to take 2nds, as well.  Meghan is also consistently one of the first girls to help set up and take down the pool each day.  Thanks, Meghan!  Jenna has done a fantastic job this season swimming all kinds of different events!  She won the JV 200 Free on Tuesday night and contributed to all of her relays' successes.  She is also the only swimmer I have ever seen who smiles during a 100 IM. Rebecca has had a strong start to this season!  She consistently scores points in all of her individual events, and she took 2nd place in Tuesday night's Varsity 200 free.  Rebecca has also been a valuable member of her relay teams.  Way to go ladies!  I am proud of you!

Succeed on Purpose,

Coach Vicki

Tonight's Meet & The Neenah Invite

Hi Team,

Tonight is the first of two meets we have at Neenah this week.  The meet tonight starts at 5:30, but it is Neenah's Parent Night, so they will probably begin with some introductions like we did last week. Neenah also has a couple of divers, so there will be a break after the 50 free for the diving competition to take place.

Saturday is the Neenah Invite, and the girls will need to be in the West parking lot by 6:45 am.  We will load the bus at 6:50, and leave for Neenah at 7:00 am.  The Neenah Invite is a long meet--it probably won't end until around 3.  I have told the West athletes that they can leave with their parents after their events are done if they have their paperwork completed ahead of time.  Normally, I'd like everyone to ride the bus home together, but I am the parent of two daughters, and I know what the pre-Homecoming routine is like.  So, for this meet only, West athletes are free to go after they complete their events.

I'd like to say a big thank you to the two parent teams who have already provided team dinners.  The Fritsch's, Nolte's, and Hirst's fed us a fantastic meal last week, and the VandenBosch's, Blair's, and King's followed up with a fabulous meal last night.  Thank you so much for supporting the team!  We all look forward to Monday nights after practice!

Looking forward to seeing a whole big bunch of fast swims this week!

Coach Vicki

Athletes of the Week!

Hi Team!

Wow!  AW-K had a fantastic week both in and out of the pool!  So many big things happened: Terror Relays, The Patriot Pentathlon, and our big win Tuesday night against Appleton East!  There were so many moments, both big and small, which could have been celebrated.  The four ladies above all had a terrific week and contributed to the team in all kinds of ways.  Megan swam a whole lot of really fast breaststroke and freestyle this past week.  She was the overall breaststroke champion at the Patriot Pentathlon and won the 100 breast vs East.  She also contributed on a bunch of relays and finished in 4th place for the juniors at the Pentathlon.   Halee swam on a bunch of relays at our Invite and finished in 6th place overall for the seniors at the Pentathlon.  She was instrumental in helping me set up the concessions at the Terror Relays.  She was the first one at the pool to help set up and the last one on deck afterwards picking up trash.  Halee has also been doing an amazing job as captain this year, as well!  Mona has done a great job helping me learn the ropes this season.  She is quick to help out and answer questions.  She took care of recruiting and organizing the lifeguards for the Terror Relays and our first dual meet.  It was great to not have to worry about that! Like Megan and Halee, Mona did a great job at all three meets in the past week!  Finally, Alyssa also had an amazing week. She competed on relays Friday night and then finished in 10th place for the seniors at the Pentathlon. Tuesday night she swam a couple of new events and did an excellent job! She has also been an amazing captain this season!

Way to go, ladies!  I am proud of each of you!

Succeed on Purpose,

Coach Vicki

Parent Night!

Hi Team,

Just a reminder that tomorrow night is Parent Night.  Parent Night gives each girl an opportunity to thank her parents for supporting them both in and out of the pool. The girls will introduce themselves and their parents before the meet. Please plan on getting to the pool by 5:15, and if you could sit together, that would be great.  

Here are the parents who signed up to time at the meet (thanks for signing up to work during your big night!)

Tuesday, September 15 vs Appleton East
1. Paul Fritsch
2. Susie Fritsch
3. Ursula Nolte
4. Erica Blair
5. Christina King
6. Dawn Blankenheim
7. Amy Funk
8. Eric Blair
9. Susan Harper
10. Jennifer Nunn
11. Geri Angiulli
12. Stephen Nunn

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night--it should be a great meet!

Coach Vicki

Athletes of the Week

Hi Team,

Last week was a HUGE week, so it definitely called for choosing a few extra Athletes of the Week.  It was so fun to FINALLY get watch the team compete in a meet!  Because we give out Athlete of the Week awards on Friday, these five ladies earned the honor based on everything that happened before the Terror Relays. Here's a bit of how each of these ladies won Athletes of the Week:  Hannah won the 100 fly on Tuesday night and came in second in the 200 Breast.  She was also the high point winner of the meet.  Rachel won both of her JV events, and did a super job swimming the fly leg of the 200 MR. Holly started off the meet by singing a gorgeous Star Spangled Banner with Coach K. She then went on to place 2nd in the JV 400 Free.  Anna won the JV 100 fly, and did a great job contributing to her relays.  Jenny swam a great 200 IM and 400 free, and then got a nose bleed.  We didn't have a replacement for her on the Varsity 200 FR, so she had to swim before her nose stopped bleeding. Talk about taking one for the team!  I am so proud of each of this week's Athletes of the Week! Way to go, ladies!

Succeed on Purpose,

Coach Vicki

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

 Hi Team,

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make Friday night's big Terror Relays Invite such a HUGE success!  Hosting an invite is a big deal, and I definitely know I could not have pulled it off without all kinds of help.

I met with Susie Fritsch, Ursula Nolte, and Kathy Chippeaux over a month ago to start planning for Friday night.  All three ladies were instrumental in making sure the concessions table (and the meet) ran smoothly.  Coach B. answered dozens of questions via email.  She also made sure the trophy plaques, ribbons, and coaches meal were all taken care of.  Paul and Susie Fritsch donated all the potatoes and toppings, and Ursula donated the Spaghetti-Os and fruit. Sixteen fabulous moms and dads helped time.  Coach Zepka did an excellent job leading us through the meet as our announcer. Mike Schuelke, Brian Bartel, and Cindy Cole expertly ran the scorers table.  Coach K ran around helping set things up and did a last-minute ice run.  Our JV swimmers set up hundreds of chairs, served as timers, sold concessions, and took pictures. Jenny VandenBosch sang a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Fifteen varsity swimmers did a fantastic job representing Appleton West-Kimberly in the water.  With all of that help, it couldn't help but be a sensational night!

I am so grateful for each and every person who helped make Terror Relays a success.  I am so proud of what we accomplished together!

It takes a village.  Thanks for being my village.

Coach Vicki

Terror Relays!

Hi Team!

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow night is our big Terror Relays Invite!  I just wanted to post a few reminders so that the evening goes smoothly.

Here is the list of parents who signed up to time:

Head Timer:  Paul Fritsch
1. Susie Fritsch
2. Erica Blair
3. Ursula Nolte
4. Eric Blair
5. Todd Funk
6. Michelle VandenBosch
7. Tim Norum
8. Scott Armstrong
9. Shelly Welhouse
10. Carlos del Plaine
11. Jim Karrmann
12. Sheri del Plaine
13. Geri Angiulli
14. Jody Karrmann
15. Susan Harper
16. Mike Harper

I would like all timers to arrive by 4:50.   I know the officials will want to have a timer meeting, but I don't know if it will be before or after diving.  Diving starts at 5, and it doesn't look like there will be many divers competing.  Following the diving, there will be 15 minutes of practice off the blocks before the swimming begins.

I am planning on using JV swimmers to help with concessions. We could use a couple of parents to help out at the concessions table, especially during the early shift.  Here are the parents who signed up to help:

Terror Relays, Friday, September 11th -- Concession Stand

2:30-5:30
1. 
2.

5:30-8:30
1. Kathy Chippeaux
2. Nicole Hull

I appreciate everyone who helped out at Tuesday night's dual meet, and I look forward to seeing everyone again tomorrow night!

Thanks,
Coach Vicki

Athletes of the Week!

Hi Team,

I'd like to extend a big congratulations to last week's Athletes of the Week, Hailey Bevers and Jacquie Chippeaux!  Both girls have been working extra hard in the pool--they've even stayed after to work on starts and turns on more than one occassion.  In addition, Hailey and Jacquie were the top fundraisers for our team parkas. Thanks for being leaders both in the water and out, ladies!  I am proud of you!

Succeed on Purpose!

Coach Vicki

Here We Go!

Hi Team!

Today's the day!  I am so excited to watch our team compete against North tonight!  We had a fantastic turnout at last night's optional practice, which definitely reflects the dedication of this year's team--they are working hard to succeed on purpose!

Just  a few reminders about tonight--there will be a brief timers meeting before the meet at 5:15, so if you signed up to time tonight (the list is under the "Volunteer" tab to the right), please plan on arriving at the pool around 5:10.  

Also--if you're sitting in the stands tonight, please try to sit together.  Cheering for the team is always more fun when done as a group!

See you all tonight at the pool!

Coach Vicki

One More Chance for a Parent Shirt

Hi Team!

Shelly Welhouse contacted me today to let me know that people are still interested in ordering parent shirts, so she's going to place one more order this season.  This time around, the only option will be the embroidered polo.  Please send Shelly your order, along with a check made out directly to Sports Graphics (not Appleton West) or send it with your daughter to give to Hannah by Wednesday, September 9th.  

Thank you, Shelly, for your continued help with outfitting out parents!

Everything You Need to Know About High School Swimming

Hi Team,

I've had a few questions about how meets are scored and how a swimmer qualifies for the State meet.  If you are new to high school swimming, you may find it a bit confusing. It's unlike USA Swimming or Y Swimming club meets. High school swim is a competitive team sport, structured like the collegiate sport. Points from each event are added together for each team to determine the meet scores.  Here's an overview of what to expect:

Dual Meets

The high school season consists of a number of dual meets against teams in our conference. Meet programs that list each swimmer competing by event are not always available. The visiting teams typically do not turn in a lineup until they arrive at the meet and there is not enough time to print spectator copies. More often than not the lineup for both teams must be adjusted after arriving at the pool due to illnesses and other eligibility issues. Technically the lineup can be changed by either team up until the start of the previous event.

For dual meets, each team enters up to three swimmers in each individual event and three relay teams in each relay event. Most events have a JV heat followed by a Varsity heat. In some cases there will be an exhibition heat prior to the JV heat. Most dual meets run two hours or less.

Swimmers may enter a maximum of four events, no more than two of which can be individual events. Swimmers are selected by the coach for each event or relay based on their times and the coach's goals for that meet. Depending on the meet, swimmers may have the opportunity to swim "off events" to mix things up and have some fun. For these more relaxed meets, relay teams may be scrambled as well.

A typical dual meet has three relay swim events and eight individual swim events, and a diving competition. . The order of the events for a dual meet is typically as follows:

• 200 Yard Medley Relay
• 200 Yard Freestyle
• 200 Yard Individual Medley
• 50 Yard Freestyle
• Diving

10 Minute Warm-Up

• 100 Yard Butterfly
• 100 Yard Freestyle
• 500 Yard Freestyle
• 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
• 100 Yard Backstroke
• 100 Yard Breaststroke
• 400 Yard Freestyle Relay

For dual meets (which have a maximum of three entries per team in typical six lane pools):

* Relays are scored: 8-4-2-0 — with only two relay teams being allowed to score for each team.
* Individual events are scored: 6-4-3-2-1-0.

Points from the diving competition are scored as an individual event; the point values are the same as an individual swim event. The exception being that Conference dual meets do not count diving points if one team does not have a dive program.

Unlike club meets, times swam at meets during the team season do not qualify a swimmer for the state meet. State qualifying comes from winning your event at one of the 6 sectional meets, or finishing as one of the next fastest 18 swimmers in the state.

There are no ribbons or other awards at dual meets, just an opportunity for swimmers to better their times, help the team score points, and maybe even set a new record.

Invitational Meets

Invites are a fun way to compete against other teams outside of the FVA dual-meet schedule.  Some Invites include other teams in our conference (FVA), but the scores do not count toward our record in the conference.  This year will will participate in the Terror Relays (our Invite!), the Patriot Pentathlon, the Homestead Invite, the Neenah Invitational, and the Oshkosh Spirit Invite.  Invites usually take place on the weekends.  Invites have limited entries, so not every member of the team will participate in every invite. The roster for the invite will be decided by how many entries we get and who we have to swim those entries. All AW-K swimmers are invited to attend each invite, whether they are swimming or not.  Come and cheer on the team!

Conference, Sectional and State Meets

The Conference Meet is held at the end of the season.  This meet determines the Team Champion of the Conference. Additionally, swimmers earn first, second, and honorable mention All-Conference honors for each event based on their finish and receive medals for these top 3 finishers. The format is the same as a dual meet, but the number of teams participating means more heats and a longer meet. Each team gets a total of 27 entries for all individual events and two entries for each relay event.  In addition, there is a Junior Varsity Conference meet held before the Conference Meet.  We are allowed unlimited entries in the JV Conference meet.  Swimmers are allowed (and often do) compete in both the JV and Varsity Conference meets, but not in the same event.  There is a 4 event maximum (total for both meets).  

WIAA Sectional Meet - Each team gets a total of 18 entries for all individual events and one entry for each relay event. Medals are awarded to the top two swimmers in each event, plus any other state qualifiers.

WIAA State Meet - The state meet is held at the UW Madison aquatic facility; it is a great achievement to qualify for this meet celebrating the state's top swimmers.

Team Photos

(Colorado State University Swim Team, 1936)

Hi Team,

Our team photo is scheduled to be taken on Thursday, September 10th, at 4 pm.  We will take full team photos and individual pictures that day.  More information and an order form coming soon.  

Nutrition Presentation

Hi Team,

On Thursday the team will hop in the pool for a quick set and then hear a presentation on Nutrition for the Athlete.  Meghan Schoup and Taylor Haeffele, who are both interns in the master's Dietitian program at UWGB, will talk about how proper nutrition leads to better success in the pool and in the classroom. They will also give examples for pre- and post-workout meals.  After the presentation there will be time for the girls to ask questions.