Archived May 06, 2008

The Aquabears had an outstanding Age Group Championship meet. Finishing in 3rd place overall, the team also won team championships in both the 15/18 girls and boys categories. The 10/under boys team finished 2nd, the 11/12 girls finished 3rd, and the 13/14 boys also finished in 3rd place.

BEARS won 7 of the 16 high point awards. Hannah Scobee, Alex Pascal, Lisa Bero, and John Hug each won high point distance awards. Alex, Katie Gardocki, and Paul Dyrkacz won the overall high point awards.

The team had many outstanding swims throughout the meet, and complete meet results can be viewed by clinking on the link below.

Age Group Results

Age Group Pictures

Archived April 04, 2008

BEARS make strong showing at 8/under Championships


The future looks bright for the Aquabears based on the strong showing that BEAR swimmers made at 8/under Championships on February 17 in New Haven.

Leading the way for BEAR was Jack Scobee who won 4 individual gold medals while swimming all personal best times in the 50 free, 50 back, 100 free, and 100 IM. Jarred Veroneau had a strong meet with 2nd place finishes in the 50 free and 50 fly, and 3rd place finishes in the 50 breast and 100 I.M. Ben LaClair got a 3rd in the 7 year old 25 free, a 4th in the 25 back, 7th in the 25 fly, and a 5th in the 8/under 100 I.M. The three boys teamed with Adam Katz to get 2nd place in the 100 Free Relay and swam with Jason Karangekis to finish 3rd in the 100 Medley Relay.

The girls were led by Carley Piemonte who was state champion in the 50 fly, finished 2nd in the 100 I.M. and 25 fly, and 3rd in the 100 free. Katy Black was state champ in the 50 breast, and also had a 9th place finish in the 100 I.M. Olivia Zapatka had a strong showing with a 2nd place finish in the 25 back and a 3rd place finish in the 50 back, while finishing 10th in the 100 free. 7 year old Gracey Boman finished 2nd in the 25 breast, and the girls combined for 2nd place finishes in both the 100 Free and 100 Medley Relays. Great job BEARS!!!

Archived February 20, 2008



Katie Gardocki won her 3rd Silver medal at the Victorian Championships in Melbourne Australia with her outstanding performance in the 800 meter free. Katie’s time of 8:42.31 is over five seconds faster than any CT female has ever gone, and it was her personal best by seven seconds. This time should rank her as one of the top women in the United States, and should also give her a world ranking. It is 8 seconds under the Olympic Trials qualifying time.

This was the second resident record that Katie broke at the meet, after going 4:14.25 in the 400 free in which she also won a silver medal. Her other silver medal came in the 800 free relay in which she split an amazing 2:02.91, which is well under her personal best of 2:04.88. Her split time was the 3rd fastest of all the US swimmers, despite being entered in the “B” relay, and she would have gotten a gold medal if she had been in the “A” relay.

On the last day of the meet, Katie swam the 400 I.M., qualified for finals, and finished on a great note with a time of 4:59.73. Her previous best time had been 5:06.75. Katie also swam lifetime bests at the meet in both the 50 fly (30.60) and the 100 free (58.68).

Katie was just coming off a great meet in Atlanta at the US Swimming Short Course National Championships where she placed in two events and broke the 15/16 CT resident record in the 500 free with a 4:44.03. She also broke the listed record in the 1650 with a time of 16:34.02.

Archived September 8, 2007

BEAR swimmers swam extremely well at Regional Championships, held at Wesleyan July 20-22. In addition to countless best times, BEAR swimmers picked up an amazing 29 additional qualifying times for Age Group Championships. Swimmers placing first at Regionals include Mitch Karangekis, Jack Scobee, Sage Maggi, Hannah Katz, Chloe Scobee, Ryan Josiah, Sam Marshall, and Conor Molinare.

Congratulations to Katie Gardocki for being named to the 2007-2008 USA National Junior Team. Katie will be representing the United States at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Australia next January. 

The Aquabears had many strong swims at the recent CT Senior Open Championships. Our women's team finished in third place, and the team finished 6th place combined (men and women). Katie Gardocki broke CT records in both the 200 and 400 meter freestyle events, on her way to winning the individual high point award. 

 

Archived July 23, 2007

The Aquabears have been selected to host a USA Swimming Olympic Development Camp. The Aquabears were one of only two teams in Connecticut to be selected for this honor. USA Swimming will be sending Coach Bob Steele to Suffield for four days, to work with our swimmers and parents. Bob is a member of the USA Swimming "Master Coach" program, and has over 45 years of coaching experience.

The program will run from Wednesday, June 27, until Saturday, June 30th, and will include pool sessions on technique as well as presentations. One of the highlights of the program will be Bob's Thursday evening presentation "Be the Best You Can Be" which will also include a pizza party for all families.

 

Archived April 29, 2007

Post-season highlights:

Katie Gardocki competed in her first USA Swimming National Championships, which were held in East Meadow, New York. Katie finished 6th in the 800 meter freestyle, breaking the 15/16 Connecticut resident record and qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Trials. Katie also finished 5th in the 400 meter freestyle, an event in which she already has the state record and Olympic trials cut.

Hannah Katz, coming off of a great Age Group Championship meet, competed in Buffalo at the Eastern Zone Championships. Hannah recorded many strong swims, including best times in the 50 fly (31.76) and 100 free (1:03.44) Great job Hannah!

 

Archived April 03, 2007

 

Katie Gardocki is currently competing at the USA Swimming Senior National Championships in Long Island. On the first day of competition, Katie qualified 6th out of 64 swimmers in the 800 meter freestyle with a time of 8:49.64. Her time not only broke the 15/16 Connecticut resident record, but it also qualified her for the 2008 Olympic Trials! Katie will swim finals of the 800 free on Wednesday, and will also be competing in the 200 free, 400 free, and 1500 free later this week.

Archived March 27, 2007


Eastern Zone Qualifier Hannah Katz

The Aquabears had another strong showing at the Connecticut Age Group Championships.

10 year old Hannah Katz established herself as one of the top swimmers in Connecticut with first place finishes in both the 100 and 200 IM’s. Hannah also captured second place in both the 50 free and 100 fly, while finishing 3 in the 50 fly and 4th in the 500 free. Hannah’s times qualified her to participate in the upcoming Eastern Zone Championships in Buffalo. Teammate Katerina Gazis had an excellent meet, finishing 16th in both the 100 and 200 free, while also competing in 4 other individual events. Hannah and Katerina teamed up with Sara Ouellette and Celia Randall for some very solid relay performances. Conner Lee finished 16th in the 50 breaststroke and 18th in the 100 breaststroke.

In the 11/12 age group Hannah Scobee and Randi Katz had excellent meets. Hannah finished 4th in the 200 free, 5th in the 200 breast, 200 fly, and 200 I.M., and 6th in the 200 back and 500 free. Randi finished 3rd in the 200 I.M., 4th in the 200 breast, 5th in the 200 fly, 6th in the 100 breast, 7th in the 200 back, and 8th in the 500 free.

In the 13/14 age group, Catriona Coppler had many fine swims, dropping lots of time off of her personal bests. Cat finished 5th in the 100 free and 200 I.M., 6th in the 400 I.M., and 11th in the 50 free, 200 free, and 200 back. Sam Marshall finished 8th in the 200 fly, 14th in the 100 fly, and 17th in the 200 fly.

Our 15-18’s were led by Katie Gardocki’s 6 wins, among them a Wesleyan pool record in the 200 back. Katie also won the 100 and 200 free, the 100 back, the 100 fly, and 400 IM. Natalie Mazzetta broke a Wesleyan pool record while winning the 200 fly. Natalie also won the 200 I.M,. got 2nd in the 200 free, 3rd in the 100 fly, 9th in the 200 breast, and 11th in the 100 back. Sara Gardocki chipped in with a win in the 500 free, and 14th place finishes in the 200 free and 400 I.M. Kelby Zimmerman won the 200 breaststroke, finished 2nd in the 100 breast, and 12th in the 200 I.M. Morgan Lee contributed with a 17th place finish in the 200 breast, and swam in the 2nd place finishing 400 medley relay. The BEARS also won the 200 Medley Relay and 800 Free Relay. Andy Levine placed 6th in the 400 I.M. 10th in the 200 breast with a crowd-pleasing 9 second drop from prelims, 11th in the 500 free, and 12th in the 100 breast.

 

Archived March 15, 2007

Region 1 Championships

Monday, February 19, 2007:
The Aquabears finished the meet on a strong note with several fine performances. Katie Gardocki won the meet high point trophy and led the way with an easy victory in the 1650, setting an RPI pool record. Katie also finished 2nd in the 200 fly with a time of 204.5, and 3rd in the 100 free with a time of 52.14. Natalie Mazzetta won the 200 fly in a pool record 2:04.4, Kelby Zimmerman captured 3rd in the 200 breast with a 2:22, and Sara Gardocki had a 3rd place finish in the 1650. Dan Moran showed he can still compete at a high level and qualified 3rd in the 200 fly with a 1:57, and then finished 2nd in the 1650 with a time of 16:41. Morgan Lee chipped in with a consolation finals finish in the 200 breast.

Sunday, February 18, 2007
The Aquabears had another good day. Katie and Natalie finished 1st and 3rd in the 200 free. Katie set a pool record with a 1:52.1 while Natalie swam a lifetime best of 1:53.2. Hannah Scobee made her first Region 1 final with a lifetime best in the 400 IM. Katie and Natalie also finished 1-3 in the 400 I.M, with Katie breaking the pool record and also qualifying for Nationals with an impressive 4:24.89. Dan Moran made two championships finals and swam a strong 1:47.1 in the 200 free and a 4:20.4 in the 400 IM. The evening ended in exciting fashion with a great race in the 400 Medley Relay. The Aquabears just got touched out in the event but qualified for Nationals while capturing the silver medals.

February 17, 2007:
The Aquabears continued to perform well on Day 2 of the meet. Morgan Lee and Sam Marshall qualified for finals in the 100 breaststroke. Sara Gardocki also made finals in the 500 free. Natalie Mazzetta had a solid 4th place finish in the 200 IM and followed up with a strong 5:01 in the 500 free, good for 3rd place. Katie Gardocki remained undefeated with a pool record 4:51 in the 500 free, and then dropped 3 seconds off her lifetime best while winning the 200 backstroke in 2:03. Natalie, Sara, and Katie then teamed up with 12 year old Hannah Scobee to finish 2nd in the 800 free relay, beating strong teams from Schenectady and Wilton.

Friday February 16, 2007:
The Aquabears got off to a quick start at Region 1 Championships in Troy, New York today. Katie Gardocki won the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 9:57.58. This time broke the RPI pool record, and also broke the 15/16 CT Resident record. Sara Gardocki also had a strong swim and finished in 5th place.

 

Archived January 28, 2007


Katie finished her meet in record-breaking fashion by recording an 8:53.21 in the 800 meter free. It was the 7th fastest time at the meet, and broke the Connecticut 15/16 girls resident record.

Previously: Katie captured the bronze medal in the 400 meter free, with a time of 4:15.14 Katie's time broke the current CT Resident Record for 15/16 girls by 5 seconds. The time also broke the CT Resident Senior Record that Katie established last summer at Junior Nationals. Congratulations Katie!!! 

 Previously: Katie swam a 2:04.88 in the 200 free. 10th fastest time at finals. Time qualifies her for Spring Senior Nationals.

 
Archived January 11, 2007

The Aquabears hosted the Santa Claus Classic on December 15-17. A donation was made to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center to help children with cancer.

Archived December 6, 2006 



Newest team member, resting between sets at practice

Archived October 12, 2006

AQUABEARS finish the 2006 LC season with strong performances!

The Aquabears finished this summer’s long course season with outstanding performances at the CT Senior Open, Summer Sectionals, and Age Group Championships.

The “post-season” started well at the Connecticut Long Course Senior Open, with our girl’s team finishing in 3rd place overall, and our combined team finishing in 5th place.

Two days after the Senior Open, 11 of our swimmers competed in Fort Lauderdale at Sectionals, and turned in many outstanding performances against top swimmers from around the country including Olympic Gold Medalists Ryan Lochte and Brooke Bennett.

Two weeks later, the team swam extremely well at the Connecticut Age Group Championships. Overall, the team finished in 4th place, only 21 points out of third place, despite having the smallest team of any in the top 10. Four Aquabear swimmers won individual high point awards, and every BEAR swimmer in the meet scored points!

Katie Gardocki finished an amazing season while competing at the USA Junior National Championships in Irvine California. Katie not only qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials, but was also selected to represent the United States at the 2007 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii. Katie’s time of 4:18.13 in the 400 meter free is the fastest 400 free ever swum by a female Connecticut swimmer of any age, and currently ranks her 2nd in the United States among 13/14 swimmers. In addition to breaking previous state records in all 5 of the freestyle distances 100 meters and over, Katie just missed records in several other events this season including the 200 IM (.06) 100 fly (.14) and 400 IM. As a member of the US team, Katie will travel to Colorado in October for a US National Junior Team camp, and will travel to Hawaii January 9-15 for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

 

Archived April 26, 2006

 

Saturday, March 25
Katie Gardocki broke her third state record in less than two weeks, with a time of 16:42.83 in the 1650 free.  It was Katie's best time by 27 seconds, it qualified her for Senior Nationals, and it earned her a 10th place finish.  Sara Gardocki also had a strong swim and finished in a lifetime best of 17:14.18.  It was a great way for the team to finish the week, and the five Aquabear swimmers who attended the meet did a great job in representing our team at a national meet.

Friday, March 24
The Aquabears qualified two swimmers for finals in the 500 free! An amazing accomplishment considering there were 150 swimmers entered in the event.  Natalie Mazzetta finished 21st after qualifying in the morning with a lifetime best of 4:58.06.  Katie Gardocki qualified 5th in the morning and then swam a spectacular 4:50.51 at night to finish 2nd, which also qualified her for the NCSA All-Star team.  NCSA is planning on sending the All-Star team (top two finishers in each event) to an international meet.  Great job girls!

Thursday, March 23
Natalie Mazzetta made finals in the 400 I.M. and swam a lifetime best of 4:25.79 at night, which was the 16th fastest time at finals.  There were 130 swimmers entered in the event.

Wednesday, March 22
Katie Gardocki placed 3rd in the Women's 1000 Freestyle with a time of 9:52.84, shattering Connecticut's previous Resident Record by over 7 seconds. Despite being seeded 20th, Katie was able to overcome the odds and pull off an amazing swim! The Aquabears 200 Medley Relay of Melanie Pascal, Kelby Zimmerman, Natalie Mazzetta, and Katie Gardocki also swam a very fast time of 1:50.15.

Age Group Championships
 
The Aquabears had a great meet at the recent Connecticut Age Group Championships.  Led by 14 year old Katie Gardocki's six victories, and her record-breaking performance in the 400 I.M., the BEARS swam well all weekend, placed 4th overall, and recorded numerous best times.  Katie's time of 4:27.73 in the 400 I.M. broke one of the oldest records in the CT Swimming record-book, as the previous record was set in 1986.  Katie also went 58.71 in the 100 fly and 2:08.89 in the 200 I.M., and won three other events as well.  For more team details:   Details    For complete meet results:  Results
 
 
Junior Nationals
 

Five BEARS will be heading to Orlando to compete in the Junior National Swimming Championships.  Sara Gardocki, Natalie Mazzetta, Kelby Zimmerman, Melanie Pascal, and Katie Gardocki will be competing in a combined total of 24 individual events and three relays.  The meet will run March 21-25, and it looks like it will be a very fast meet.  Good luck girls!

 

Archived March 17, 2006

The Aquabears had a strong showing at the Region 1 Championships in Troy, New York.  The BEARS got off to a good start with a 1-2-3 finish in the 1000 free, with Katie Gardocki winning in a pool record time of 10:07.00, which was also a US Open and SR National qualifying time.  Natalie Mazzetta was second with a fast 10:13 and Sara Gardocki finished 3rd in 10:26.  This set the tone for the meet and the BEARS never looked back.  Katie had several strong swims and also broke the pool record in the 200 free with a time of 1:52.99 (she split an amazing 1:51.8 in our relay) while also winning the 500 free in 4:56.64 and getting second in the 400 IM (4:33.27).  Natalie broke the pool record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:26.51 and also broke the pool record and made a US Open cut in the 200 fly with a blistering 2:04.26.  Sara Gardocki swam well in all the distance freestyle events and won the 1650 free.  Kelby Zimmerman was under the listed pool record in a 3rd place finish in the 200 breast with a time of 2:22.68, which ranks her first in Connecticut.  Melanie Pascal swam extremely well in the backstrokes with times of 59.87 in the 100 and 2:09.46 in the 200.  Morgan Lee made finals in the 100 breast, and our 400 Medley relay of Melanie, Kelby, Natalie, and Katie qualified for Senior Nationals with a time of 3:58!
 
Our boys also swam extremely well, led by Tom Casey's outstanding 200 IM (2:01.49) and 100 breast (1:02.57).  Keith Nystrom dropped 10 seconds in the 200 breast and swam a very strong 2:15.84, while also dropping 18 seconds off of his lifetime best in the 400 IM with a time of 4:32.88. Keith also added a 56.74 in the 100 fly. Adam DuBois had lifetime bests in the 100 back, 200 breast, and 400 IM (4:36.50) while Andy Levine had good drops in the 1000 free (10:50.71)  200 free (1:56.61) and 200 IM (2:11.88).
 
It was a great start to the championship season!

 

 

Archived February 23, 2006

 

Jack and Mitch have strong meet at 8/under champs!

Jack and Mitch swam very well at 8/under championships.  Jack competed in the 6/under group and finished third in the 25 free, second in the 25 back, and first in both the 25 breast and 25 fly!  Mitch swam with the 7 year olds and finished tenth in breaststroke, ninth in backstroke, eighth in free, and first in butterfly!  Great job guys!
 

Archived January 31, 2006

Congratulations to Sara Gardocki for making her first Junior National Qualifying time.  Sara qualified for the 1650 free with a time of 17:19.54 at the Starfish Invitational!

It's a little known fact, but in the early 1700's, Ben Franklin invented flippers and paddles for swimming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archived January 11, 2006

The 2005 Santa Claus Classic was held December 16-18, and it was a great meet for the Aquabears.  In addition to many fine swims, BEAR swimmers broke 3 Suffield Academy Pool Records.  14 year-old Katie Gardocki broke records in the 200 free (1:53.72) and 500 free (4:57.83).  Kelby Zimmerman broke the 100 breast record with a time of 1:07.43.  Congratulations!

Archived December 9, 2005

Congratulations to Katie Gardocki for Qualifying for Senior National Championships in the 500 free.

Good luck to Natalie Mazzetta, who will be competing at the US Open in the 400 meter I.M.

Natalie and Katie also made the automatic qualifying time for High School All-American in the 500 free.  Natalie also made the All-American consideration time in the 200 free.  Katie was just .01 off of the consideration time in the 100 back and Sara Gardocki was .38 from the consideration time in the 500.  Congratulations girls!

Archived September 5, 2005

The Aquabears had another great showing at the Connecticut Long Course Age Group Championships. The team finished in 3rd place overall, while capturing the state titles in both the 15-18 girls and 15-18 combined categories. BEAR 13-14 girls also finished in 2nd place. Winning individual events were Melanie Pascal, Natalie Mazzetta, Katie Gardocki, Kelby Zimmerman, Sara Gardocki, and Ben Levine. Taryn Prout, Kellen O'Gara, Morgan Lee, and Chloe Scobee participated on 1st place relays. Katie Gardocki finished 1st for the 13-14 high point award, while Natalie Mazzetta won the 15-18 award. Sara Gardocki won the 15-18 high point distance award. The BEARS had many Eastern Zone Championship qualifiers at the meet, and Sara Gardocki, Morgan Lee, Sam Marshall, and Keith Nystrom will participate in the Zone meet.

Also swimming well and scoring valuable points all weekend were Maire Casey, Randi Katz, Sam Morse, Alex Pascal, Hannah Scobee, Adam DuBois, and Andy Levine. It should be noted that Cully Prout scored 11 points in his one event, and that those 11 points were extremely important to the team as we won the 15-18 combined championship by only 12 points! This was a team effort, and every BEAR who attended the meet scored points!

For complete results and scoring click here: RESULTS



Archived July 24, 2005

Breaking News

 Mike Prout breaks American record in the 100 meter free.

Mike is currently competing in the 2005 Long Course Paralympic National Championships in Oregon. We just received word that he broke the 100 meter free American record with a time of 59.16. Congratulations Mike!

BEARS FINISH WELL AT SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 

The Aquabears had an outstanding meet at the CT Senior Open at Wesleyan. Our girls finished in 5th place, just behind Wilton, and that was without one of our top swimmers who would have moved us up to 4th. Our boys swam very well too, and the BEARS finished in 7th place in the combined team scoring. 

Swimmers placing in the Top 8 either individually or in a relay included Natalie Mazzetta, Katie Gardocki, Kelby Zimmerman, Samantha Morse, Taryn Prout, Ben Levine, and John Weaver. Other BEARS had outstanding meets as well, most notably Sara Gardocki, who not only made 4 Zone times, but qualified for Sectionals in the 1500 free. For complete results: Results  

The team is looking good and should really be ready to swim fast at Age Group Championships. 

Breaking News

MELANIE PASCAL COMPETING IN ISRAEL 

Melanie Pascal represented the United States in the 17th Maccabiah Games in Israel. At last count, Melanie has won 4 individual gold medals and one bronze, in addition to her relay medals. Her individual gold medals came in the 100 meter fly (1:06.03), 200 meter fly (2:23.20), 200 meter I.M. (2:29.63) and 400 meter I.M. (5:11.41). Melanie also won a bronze medal in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:28.30. Congratulations Melanie!

Archived May 19, 2005

Congratulations to Hannah Scobee for breaking the Connecticut Resident Record in the 400 meter freestyle!

 

Archived April 30, 2005

Saturday: Tom Casey saved his best Zone effort for his final race, the 1650 free. Tom finished 4th with a lifetime best of 17:17.96, more than 10 seconds under his previous best time. Tom also recorded his lifetime best in the 1000 free with his split of 10:29.18. Good swimming Tom!!!

Friday: Hannah finished 8th at Zones in the 200 Yard Freestyle with a lifetime best time of 2:13.43. She also split a 1:02.46 in the 100 Free in Connecticut's 400 Freestyle Relay that placed 2nd.

Thursday: Hannah finished 5th in the 500 free with a lifetime best of 5:51.76. This was almost a 4 second drop from her time at Age Groups! Hannah also finished 7th in the 200 IM with a lifetime best of 2:30.71, less than one second out of 3rd place, and split 29.06 in Connecticut's 200 Free Relay. Good job Hannah!!!!

The Aquabears had a great showing at the Connecticut Age Group Championships. The team finished in 2nd place overall, and there were many outstanding swims, including Sectional and Junior National qualifying times. For official results: RESULTS

Five BEAR swimmmers traveled to Virginia for the Southern Sectional Championship Meet. The team had many strong swims, with our girls finishing 10th place out of over 60 teams. For results: RESULTS For meet highlights: HIGHLIGHTS

Archived March 14, 2005

The Aquabears swam extremely well at the Region 1 Championships held at RPI on February 18-21. 15 year-old Natalie Mazzetta led the way with outstanding wins in the 1000 free and 400 IM, dropping 25 seconds in the 1000 free and 13 seconds in the 400 I.M. Her time of 10:17.60 in the 1000 broke the existing pool record at RPI by 2 seconds, and her time of 4:27.50 broke the RPI pool record by over 10 seconds! In addition, Natalie's IM time qualified her to compete in December's US Open Swimming Championships to be held at Auburn University.

For more team highlights and complete results

Archived October 17, 2004

9/25/04: Mike finished 7th in the 100 Meter Backstroke with a lifetime best of 1:08.46.

9/24/04: Mike won the gold medal in the 400 meter free with a time of 4:25.42. He broke the American and Paralympic Games Record and just missed the World Record (4:25.24). The race was very tight with 100 meters to go, and he was only .44 ahead of the current world record holder, James Crisp of Great Britain, but then Mike swam the final 100 meters in 1:05.89 to win the race by almost 3 seconds.

9/23/04: Mike finished 4th in the S9 200 IM. He broke the American Record by over 2 seconds, with a time of 2:25.15. He just missed the bronze, which was won with a 2:24.48.

9/21/04: Mike Prout won a bronze medal in the 100 meter freestyle with a time of 59.21, a new American record. Mike was in 6th place at the 50 and came roaring back to finish in third place, behind swimmers from China and Australia. Results

9/20/04: Mike Prout finishes 6th in 100 meter butterfly, breaking the American Record!

Archived September 04, 2004

BEAR swimmers performed well at the Eastern Zone Championships in Buffalo. Seven BEAR swimmers attended the meet, with four recording Top 16 finishes. Randi Katz, Hannah Scobee, Katie Gardocki, Morgan Lee, Chloe Scobee, Andy Levine, and Ben Levine competed. Hannah placed in the top 16 in the 100 back (12th), 200 free (6th), 200 I.M. (5th) and broke her own CT Resident Record while finishing 4th in the 400 free with a time of 517.66. Katie finished 13th in the 100 fly, 4th in the 200 fly with a new CT Resident Record of 230.12, 3rd in the 100 back, 3rd in the 200 back with a new CT Resident Record of 226.97, and won both the 200 and 400 free (211.16, 433.56). Andy finished 11th in the 200 breast and 9th in the 100 breast. Ben finished 13th in the 100 fly and 100 back, 7th in the 200 fly and 400 IM, 6th in the 200 back, and 4th in the 200 IM.

Archived September 2, 2004

The BEARS had another impressive showing at the recent 2004 Long Course Age Group Championships held at Wesleyan University and Cheshire. Out of the 45 teams that scored points at the meet, the Aquabears finished in second place. The Aquabear girls team finished in first place! Twenty-seven BEAR swimmers participated in the meet, and it was truly a team effort. As they did in the winter, the BEARS won an amazing 7 of 16 high point awards awarded at the meet. 10 year old Hannah Scobee won the distance high point award for her age group, Katie Gardocki won the individual and distance high point awards for the 11/12 girls, Natalie Mazzetta won the individual and distance high point awards for the 13/14 girls, while Taryn and Mike Prout won the distance high point awards for the 15/18's. The BEAR 15/18 girls also won the team award for that age group. For complete meet results, click here: RESULTS

BEARS winning individual events at the meet included Hannah Scobee (10/under 200 IM, 200 & 400 Free), Chloe Scobee (11/12 200 Breast), Katie Gardocki (11/12 200 & 400 Free, 200 Fly, 100 and 200 Back, and 200 IM), Natalie Mazzetta (13/14 200, 400, 800, and 1500 free, 200 & 400 IM), Melanie Pascal (13/14 100 & 200 fly), Andy Levine (13/14 200 Breast), Taryn Prout (15/18 1500 Free, 200 Fly), Kelby Zimmerman (15/18 100 & 200 Breast), and Ben Levine (15/18 400 IM). BEARS also won the 15/18 girls 200 & 400 medley relays, and the 800 free relay. In addition, Hannah Scobee's time in the 10/under 400 meter free (5:18.39) broke the CT resident record. Katie Gardocki bettered the listed records in both the 11/12 200 Fly (2:31.06) and the 200 Back (2:28.71). Michael Prout also broke several American and World records in the S9 category for adapted swimming, as he continues to prepare for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Stay tuned for more about Mike as we report on his trip to Greece.

Many BEAR swimmers qualified for the Eastern Zone Championships at Age Groups, and the following swimmers will actually be participating in the meet: Randi Katz, Hannah Scobee, Katie Gardocki, Chloe Scobee, Morgan Lee, Andy Levine, and Ben Levine. Kelby Zimmerman will be heading off to Junior Nationals in Palo Alto, California.

Great job at Age Groups! Good luck at Zones and Juniors!

Archived August 04, 2004

The Aquabears hosted the Connecticut long course Regional Championships at UCONN on July 23-25. The meet ran smoothly under the guidance of referee George Bolduc and the hard-working BEAR parents, and the team swam extremely well. Approximately 380 swimmers were entered in the meet, which is the final meet in which a swimmer can qualify for Age Group Championships.

Sixteen BEAR swimmers participated in the meet, and acheived 71 best times. In addition, BEAR swimmers won 10 individual events and 3 relays, and qualified for 14 Age Group Championship events.For Results, click here.

The next meet for the team will be the Connecticut Age Group Championships, being held in Cheshire and Middletown. Twenty-seven BEARS will be competing, and based on the preliminary Psych Sheets, the team should do very well.

GO BEARS!

Archived July 18, 2004

   A young and unrested group of BEAR swimmers attended the Senior Open meet at Wesleyan. The BEAR women's team had a great showing, finishing in 7th place overall (4th out of the CT teams). Kelby Zimmerman was the top CT finisher in both breastsroke events, performing lifetime bests in both events and qualifying for championship finals in both. Melanie Pascal had an impressive 8th place finish in the 200 fly (1 of only 3 CT girls making the top heat), and also had strong swims in the 100 fly and 800 free, while 12 year old Katie Gardocki finished 5th in the 1500 free and also had an amazing 400 free final, turning in the 4th fastest overall time at night, and the 2nd fastest at the meet out of all Connecticut swimmers. Many of our girls swam extremely well, both as individuals and in relays, including strong swims from Natalie Mazzetta in the 200 free and 400 IM, Taryn Prout in the 200 free and 100 back and Sam Morse in the 200 back and in sprint freestyle. Kellen O'Gara, Lauren Bedard, and Sara Gardocki all performed well in relay events and also turned in some solid individual performances. All of our men swimmers attending the meet also turned in lifetime best times. Shaun Bruso had outstanding swims in the 200, 400, and 800 freestyle events, Mike Prout had big drops in the 200 back, 200 fly, and 400 IM, while Ben Levine had an exciting heat-winning performance at finals in the 200 fly while also dropping 3 seconds in the 100 breast. Andy Levine had a great swim in the 800 free (26 second improvement) and with a Zone-qualifying swim in the 100 breaststroke.

   Regional Championships is the next scheduled meet for BEAR, and BEAR swimmers should do really well there and pick up many new Age Group Championship qualifying times.

Archived June 16, 2004

The BEARS had a great trip to Montreal, and the team turned in some extremely fast times. Katie Gardocki and Melanie Pascal won 2 of the 6 individual high point awards given out at the meet, with each winning five individual events and turning in some times that will rank them first in Connecticut. In the only event that Katie didn't win, she placed second, and broke her own CT resident record in the 200 meter backstroke!

Other BEAR swimmers earning medals by finishing in the Top 3 in an individual event were Ben Levine, Hannah Gotwals, and Andy Levine. Chloe Scobee, Maura Pepin, Jessica Allan, Abby Bolduc, and Sara Gardocki all had strong swims and placed in the Top 8.

In addition to swimming at the beautiful Montreal Olympic pool, BEAR swimmers also had the opportunity to take a shopping trip in historic downtown Montreal.

Pictures from the trip will be posted soon. For complete meet results, click here: Montreal

Archived May 17,2004

The BEAR team got off to a good start at the Aquabear LC Invitational at Yale. The meet ran well and there was some very fast swimming. Hannah Scobee celebrated her 10th birthday with some outstanding swims, including three Zone qualifying times (200 free, 400 free, and 100 fly). Maire Casey, only 9, made her first Zone cut, in the 100 meter breaststroke. The team has been working hard and the BEAR swimmers performed very well for such an early meet. The next meet is the WRAT "AA" Invitational at Wesleyan.

For Complete Meet Results, click here: YALE

 

Archived May 1,2004

  Mike Prout dominated the S9 category at the 2004 Disabilty Championships held in Minnesota, April 22-24. Mike finished 2nd in the 50 meter free with a 28.19, and 2nd in the 100 meter backstroke with a time of 1:08.85.  He then went on to capture 1st place in the 100 meter free (59.46), 400 meter free (4:32.68), and the 100 meter fly (1:06.92).  He also posted the meet's fastest time in the 200 meter IM with a time of 2:27.47.  Mike's performance at the meet has earned him a berth on the US Paralympic Team, which will be competing in Athens, Greece this September.   Mike has also set new American Records in the 100 meter freestyle and 200 meter IM. 

 

Congratulations Mike!!!

Archived April 18,2004

The BEARS were represented well at the Eastern Zone Championships in Virginia. All five BEAR swimmers scored points for the Connecticut team by finishing in the Top 8. Emily Sundel finished 8th in the 1000 free. Natalie Mazzetta finished 8th in the 1000 free, 7th in the 1650, and 3rd in the 500 free. Alex Pascal placed in all 5 events, with a 6th place finish in the 100 breast (118.32) 5th place finish in the 50 breast, 4th place finish in the 50 fly, 3rd place finish in the 200 IM (228.75) and a 2nd place finish in the 100 fly (106.83). Melanie Pascal placed 6th in the 100 fly, and had an amazing come-from-behind win in the 200 fly with a 209.28. Melanie was only in 5th place at the 100, and was a full 2 seconds behind with only 50 yards to go before she cranked it up and won the event. Katie Gardocki made 4 finals. Katie finished 8th in the 200 IM, had the third fastest times in the 200 and 500 frees, and stunned the crowd with her win in the 200 back. Katie qualified 8th in the 200 back, but dropped 6 seconds at finals to win the event from lane 8, smashing her own CT resident record by 4 seconds with an outstanding time of 209.50!

Congratulations to all five swimmers for doing such a fine job in Virginia, representing BEAR and CT Swimming! Complete meet results: ZONES

Archived March 31, 2004

The Aquabears had their best showing ever at the Connecticut Age Group Championships. With 60 teams and over 1,000 swimmers competing, the small BEAR team showed that small teams can compete with the big teams. Competing against teams almost 10 times their size, the BEARS had 27 finalists, 8 individual age group champions, 7 high point award winners, and 2 team titles. Add in several National Top 16 times, some Sectional qualifying times and a state record, and you get the picture of what this small group of hard-working swimmers accomplished.

For BEAR highlights of Age Group Championships, click here: HIGHLIGHTS

For complete meet results and team scoring: RESULTS


Archived February 25, 2004

BEARS Make Impact At Region I Championships


The AQUABEARS had their best showing ever at Region I Championships at Union College in Schenectady, New York. The women's team finished in 2nd, while the men finished in 3rd. Taryn Prout was the top female scorer for the BEARS with 108 points, while Ben Levine led the men's team with 93. Kelby Zimmerman and John Weaver dominated the breaststroke events and each won the 100 and 200 Breaststroke. More details to follow! Results posted here: Results.


Archived January 27, 2004


The Santa Claus Classic not only raised money for the CT Children's Medical Center, it also turned out to be one of the fastest meets in Connecticut so far this season. Several top teams attended the meet, and many fast times were swum. For complete details, please click here: RESULTS

Archived December 12,2003

    The Aquabears came roaring back in the last session to erase a 52 point deficit and capture the Large Team Championship at the 2003 Pioneer Valley Invitational at Smith College. The three-day meet was decided in the last Senior event, the 100 yard backstroke. A 1-3 finish in the girls event combined with a 1-2-4 finish in the boys event sealed the 20 point victory.

    It was truly a team effort, with points coming from a number of different swimmers. High Point Award winners included Alex Pascal, Natalie Mazzetta, Johannah Kos, and Ben Levine. Other swimmers who won individual events include Katie Gardocki, Emily Sundel, Lauren Bedard, Spencer Hartmann, and John Weaver.

    For complete results, including individual and team scoring: Results

Archived November 7, 2003

The Aquabears got off to a strong start on the 2003-2004 short course season, with an outstanding showing at the AJSC 1000 Free meet in Milford.  Twelve BEARS attended the meet and all twelve performed well.  Seven of these twelve also swam at this meet last year, and their average time drop from last year's meet to this year's meet was an amazing 1:19 (79 seconds per swimmer).  Of the other five attending the meet who didn't swim at Milford last year, all had lifetime bests in the 1000, with three also having lifetime bests in the 500 on the way out.  Complete results are now available under the meet schedule: Results  

Archived September 30,2003

BEAR highlights for the 2003 long course state championships:   

  - Women's team finishes in 2nd place, combined team finishes in 4th place, 13/14 girls win the team championship

  - Nine Aquabears win individual events, twenty-one BEARS place in individual events

  - 14 Aquabears qualify for the Eastern Zone Championships, 4 Bears qualify for Sectionals

  - Katie Gardocki and Natalie Mazzetta win High Point awards

  - Katie Gardocki and Melanie Pascal make National Top 16 reportable times

  - Kelby Zimmerman qualifies for Junior Nationals in the 100 Breast (missing CT record by .03 seconds)

  - Head Coach Jon Levine is voted Connecticut Age Group Coach of the Year

   For detailed write-ups by age-group, click here: Details           For results and scoring, click here:   Results

 

Archived August 11,2003

The Aquabears finished in 6th place overall at the Connecticut Senior Open. Swimming against top competition from Connecticut, New England, and New York, the BEARS finished in 4th place for men, 8th place for women, and 6th overall. The men's team was led by veterans Dan Moran and Mike Pohorylo. Dan placed in the top 8 in 6 events, while Mike added 4 championship finals finishes, including his comeback win in the 200 meter Breaststroke. Ben Levine had a Top-8 finish in the 400 IM, and along with Spencer Hartmann, scored valuable points and rounded out our outstanding relays. John Weaver and Kurt Murphy swam extremely well all weekend, and our swimmers made numerous Sectional and Zone qualifying times.

For our Women's team, Johannah Kos led the way with 3 championship final finishes, including her 2nd and 4th place swims in the 100 and 200 backstrokes. Kelby Zimmerman made championship finals in both breaststroke events, and Lauren Bedard swam extremely well all weekend. Johannah and Lauren teamed up with Natalie Mazzetta and Becca Levine for all 5 relays, and the BEARS swam incredibly well in all relays. 11 year-old Katie Gardocki swam in her first CT Senior Open, and in addition to being the youngest competitor at the meet, had an amazing 21st place finish in the 1500 meter free, and qualified for Zones in the 400 meter free with her split. Katie's final time of 19:07 was actually under the 13/14 girls Zone qualifying time! For complete meet results: RESULTS

 

Archived July 15,2003

The Bears swam extremely well at last weekend's pentathlon. Over half of our swimmers won trophies. Our 13/14 girls took 3 of the top 9 places, and won two individual events in the process. We had at least one trophy winner in each age group. 

Special congratulations to Emily Leishman who made her first State Championship qualifying time!

Archived July 7,2003

    "Meet at the Beach II" was a success, and it was a fun day for all who participated.  The meet ran well, BEAR swimmers achieved some important State and Senior Open qualifying times, and everyone had a lot of fun on the beach after the meet.  Pictures are now posted.  Here are the results: BEACH

Archived April 1, 2003

    The Aquabears had many great performances at the recent Connecticut State Championships. Competing against approximately 50 other teams, the BEARS finished in 8th place for Women, 6th place for Men, and 7th combined. This was an amazing accomplishment considering that most of the teams in the top 10 have at least 100 more registered swimmers. Complete Meet Results are available Here.

Highlights by age group:

    In the 10/unders: Randi Katz and Hannah Scobee were the two youngest girls in Connecticut to compete in individual events. Hannah, just 8 years old, dropped 3 seconds in the 100 fly (after just dropping 12 seconds at Regionals!) to place 17th with a time of 1:26.45. Randi celebrated her 9th birthday by placing 17th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:55.73.

    Alex Pascal, only 9, finished in 4th place overall with best times in every event. Alex had a 9th place finish in the 50 free (30.68), a 5th place finish in the 200 IM (2:43.55), and third place finishes in the 50 breast (39.78), 100 breast (1:25.91), 50 fly (32.26), and 100 fly (1:15.46). Alex was also selected to compete at the Eastern Zone Championships.

    In the 11/12's: Katie Gardocki, 11, finished 17th in the 200 IM (2:29.58), 12th in the 100 back (1:06.75), 12th in the 100 fly (1:07.17), 8th in the 200 free (2:07.44), and 6th in the 500 free (5:34.43). Melanie Pascal finished 15th in the 500 free (5:46.41), 14th in the 100 IM (1:08.27), 9th in the 50 fly (29.28), 9th in the 200 IM (2:25.54), 5th in the 100 back (1:05.22), and 5th in the 100 fly (1:04.03). Melanie will also be competing at Zones

A clean-shaven Andy Levine finished 13th in the 200 free (2:10.27), 10th in the 500 (5:44.21), 10th in the 100 fly (1:08.34), 10th in the 200 IM (2:24.81) which would have been 6th place in the championship final, 4th in the 50 breast (34.30) and 3rd in the 100 breast (1:14.00).

    In the 13/14's: Becca Levine finished 4th for high point. Becca placed 6th in the 1000 Free (10:59.82), 6th in the 400 IM (4:50.33), 3rd in the 200 IM (2:18.16), 2nd in the 100 fly (1:00.18) just .19 off of a Sectional cut, and was State Champion in the 200 fly with a time of 2:13.06. Becca also swam some fast relay lead-offs including a 26.42 in the 50 free, 56.99 in the 100 free, and 1:03.54 in the 100 back. Natalie Mazzetta finished 13th in the 200 fly with a time of 2:22.38.

    13 year-old Kurt Murphy placed 13th in the 200 IM (2:17.57), 11th in the 400 IM (4:53.13), 3rd in the 200 breast (2:27.74), and 3rd in the 100 breast (1:08.04). If we can keep him off of the football field next fall, he should have a shot at winning both breaststroke events.

    In the 15/18's: Johannah Kos and Lauren Bedard finished 1-2 for the high point championship, with both qualifying for Sectionals. Johannah finished 4th in the 1000 free (10:52.60), 3rd in the 100 back (1:00.33), 2nd in the 200 fly (2:12.73), 2nd in the 400 IM (4:38.17), and was State Champion in the 200 IM (2:11.84) and 200 back (2:08.34). Lauren finished 6th in the 100 breast (1:10.00), 5th in the 400 IM (4:43.61), 3rd in the 100 free (55.02), 3rd in the 200 IM (2:14.15), 2nd in the 200 breast (2:27.90), and won the 50 free with a time of 25.37. Kellen O'Gara finished 16th in the 200 fly with a time of 2:19.01.

    Spencer Hartmann and Ben Levine also went 1-2 for high point. 15 year-old Spencer started the meet by placing 3rd in the 1000 free with a time of 10:05.13, which qualified him for Sectionals. Spencer also placed 3rd in the 100 free (49.87), 2nd in the 100 fly (54.24), and was State Champion in the 200 free (1:47.62), 500 free (4:55.11), and 200 fly (2:01.43). Ben rebounded from a 4th place finish in the 1000 free (10:18.25) to finish 2nd in 4 events and to win the 400 IM. Ben was 2nd in the 200 free (1:48.26), 200 fly (2:03.59), 200 IM (2:02.04), and 200 Back (1:59.97). Ben also won the 400 IM with a time of 4:18.12

     The upcoming long course season should be a good one, with current team members improving rapidly and with the addition of several new swimmers. The season will start on Sunday, April 13th, and program information will be available online, and will also be mailed to all team members. Please feel free to contact us for more information. See you soon!!!

Archived March 24, 2003

    The Aquabears traveled to East Hartford for Regional Championships February 28-March 2, and swam extremely well. In addition to achieving many State Championship qualifying times, our swimmers achieved a very high percentage of best times and placed well. We also finished very well as a team despite only bringing a small group of swimmers and not swimming any relays. Some of the highlights of the meet follow:

10/unders:

    Hannah Scobee and Randi Katz continued to show why they are the top two 8/under swimmers in Connecticut. Hannah qualified for 10/under State events in the 200 free (2:36.20) and 100 fly (1:29.07), in addition to a 1:22.96 in the 100 back and a 1:12.78 in the 100 free. Randi qualified for States in the 200 IM (2:53.21) and 100 fly (1:29.59) and also went 1:22.25 in back and 1:12.83 in freestyle. Alex Pascal, only 9, won the 500 free with a time of 6:40.89.

11/12's:

    11 year-old Katie Gardocki had an outstanding swim in the 1650 free with a 19:08.38, and strong swims in the 200 back (2:24.37), 200 fly (229.52), and 400 IM (5:04.95). Melanie Pascal swam extremely well in the 400 IM (5:04.71), 200 fly (2:27.02), and 200 Back (2:23.44). Hannah Gotwals qualified for States with a 1:10.17 in fly and also had outstanding swims in the 100 Free (1:02.19), 50 back (33.73), 100 Back (1:11.87), and 50 fly (31.92). 11 year-old Chloe Scobee had some major time improvements and swam well all weekend. Grace Perrin and Jessica Allan had excellent butterfly swims and look like they both want to be distance flyers!

Andy Levine won the 400 IM with a time of 5:09.79, and also won the 200 breast with a 2:42.69, in addition to several other excellent swims, including 100 and 200 backstroke swims of 1:12.51 and 2:31.20. 11 year-old Nathan Brooks had an outstanding 50 back (32.92), an excellent 200 back (2:35.84), and best times in every event.

13/overs:

    13 year-old Natalie Mazzetta made several State qualifying times including her 105.26 in the 100 fly, 2:23.21 in the 200 IM, 5:00.73 to win the 400 IM, and her come from behind victory in the 200 free with a 2:05.50. Natalie also swam a best time of 19:23.65 in the 1650. Sara Gardocki won the 500 free with an outstanding 5:31.19, and swam extremely well all weekend, including major time drops in her 200 back (2:26.68), and both IM's (2:28.29 and 5:08.65). Sara also had a strong 1650 with a time of 19:24.04. Lauren Hauser saved her best event for last, and qualified for States with her winning performance in the 200 back (2:23.69). Kellen O'Gara had a strong meet with excellent swims in the 100 free (57.45), 500 free (5:33.69), 200 back (2:25.69), and both IM's (2:24.57 & 5:08.29). Maura Pepin just missed winning the 200 breast with an outstanding 2:44.29, swimming in an outside lane. Maura also had excellent swims in the 200 IM (2:25.15), 200 back (227.64), 200 free (2:07.80), and 1650 (19:40.65).

    Kurt Murphy only swam two events at Regionals, but qualified for States in both with a 5:40.07 in the 500 free and a 1:05.21 in the 100 fly.

    Results from Regional Championships are posted here.

    Next stop is Wesleyan for State Championships, March 13-16, and the BEARS should be incredibly fast when they hit the water in Middletown!

Archived March 7, 2003

    Aquabear swimmers had a strong showing at the Connecticut 8/under Championships held at Central Connecticut State University on February 22. The five BEAR swimmers finished in the top 12 in every individual event they swam, and won a total of 24 medals. This was an impressive accomplishment considering that there were 32 teams and over 250 swimmers at the meet.

     Craig Kost had a solid meet with a 3rd place finish in the 50 fly, a 5th in the 100 free, an 8th in the 50 back, and a 12th in the 100 IM.

     Randi Katz and Hannah Scobee led the way for our girls, winning four events between them. Randi was State Champion in the 50 back and 100 IM while finishing 2nd in the 50 breast and 3rd in the 50 fly. Hannah was State Champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, and also finished 2nd in the 100 IM and 4th in the 50 back. Maire Casey finished 3rd in both the 100 free and 100 IM, 4th in the 50 breast and 5th in the 50 fly. Hannah Katz finished 4th in the 25 back, 5th in the 25 free, and our girls relays both finished in 3rd place. Highlight of the meet was our 1-2-3 finish in the 100 IM which was amazing considering the size of the meet and all the large teams we competed against.

     The next meet for the Aquabears will be the CT Regional Championships starting on February 28th, in East Hartford. This should be a really fast meet for the BEARS!

Archived February 18, 2003:

       In rankings just released by United States Swimming, Katie Gardocki of the Aquabears qualified for the National Top 16 based on her performances during last summer's long course season. Katie finished 9th in the United States in the 100 meter butterfly (only .4 out of 5th place) and finished 15th in the 200 meter freestyle. She narrowly missed Top 16 rankings in several other events.

       In addition to her National rankings, Katie broke the Connecticut resident record in the 100 meter fly, and the Connecticut and resident record in the 400 meter freestyle. The previous fly record was established in 1994.

       Katie also dominated her age group in winning the high point award at the CT Long Course State Championships. Winning 5 events in the process, her margin of victory in 4 of these events is an indication of how well she did this summer. Katie won the 100 Freestyle by over 5 seconds, the 100 Butterfly by over 7 seconds, the 200 IM by 13 seconds, and the 200 Freestyle by a whopping 15 seconds! Katie later attended the Eastern Zone Championships in Buffalo and finished in the top 10 in all six events that she swam, and finished 4th for high point. Highlights of the meet included her 2nd place finish in the 100 fly, where she lost by a mere .01 seconds. Katie bounced back later to become Zone Champion in the 200 meter freestyle, in an exciting come-from-behind victory in which she was in 5th place after 100 meters, but came storming back to win the event by over 1 second.

       It was a great summer for Katie, and we are all proud of her accomplishments, and hope this is just the beginning of a long and successful swimming career.

Archived December 26, 2002:

The 2002 Santa Claus Classic wasn't the biggest meet ever run by the BEARS, but it was a fast meet with many exciting races, and the BEARS responded with 185 personal best times. Official results can be seen by clicking here: Results

The meet also raised $125 for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center's Pediatric Oncology Unit, in honor of Laura Santiago. Laura is a 15 year old Avon resident who is fighting a battle with lymphoma and leukemia. She is currently receiving treatments at the Sloane Kettering Cancer Center in New York. You can read about Laura's battle by clicking on this link: Laura

Thank you to all the BEAR parents who helped work the meet, and to referee Bob Hughes who graciously volunteered his time to support the Aquabears. Also, if you want to do something that feels good during this holiday season, please send a check to the CT Children's Medical Center in honor of Laura!

Archived November 26, 2002:
Nineteen members of the Aquabears were invited to attend the CT Swimming Awards Banquet, which was held November 3 at the Aquaturf. To be invited, a swimmer had to finish in the top 16 in Connecticut in at least one event. In addition to the Top 16 awards, Katie Gardocki and Ben Levine received recognition for being the top point scorers in their age group at the 2002 CT Long Course State Championships.

Pictures Posted Here!

Archived November 5, 2002:
Our team swam well at the 1000 free meet held at Milford on October 26. Congratulations to Hannah Scobee for being the first Bear 8/under to swim the 1000 this season.

Official results posted here!

Archived October 26, 2002:

The AQUABEARS are coming off an exciting long course season which saw the team finish 7th at the Connecticut State Championships. This is an amazing accomplishment for a team with only 30 registered swimmers. Katie Gardocki, Nathan Brooks, Johannah Kos, Vincent Nardone, and Ben Levine were all State Champions, with Katie and Ben also winning the meet high point awards.

In addition to our State Champions, we had many other Eastern Zone Qualifiers, including Kurt Murphy, Melanie Pascal, Becca Levine, Spencer Hartmann, and Lauren Bedard. At Zones, Katie broke the 10/under CT Resident record in the 100 meter fly, with a time of 1:15.00, and was also Zone Champion in the 200 meter freestyle, in addition to swimming fast and placing well in her 4 other events. Earlier in the season Katie had already broken the CT and Resident records in the 400 free. Kurt Murphy also broke the 200 meter breaststroke CT and Resident records during the season.

The upcoming season could be even more rewarding. We have added pool time which gives our swimmers more practice time than any team in the area, and it should pay off with great results.