January 30th vs Shippensburg

Yesterday we honored the accomplishments and the legacy of our seven graduating seniors and their families - Bryce Carroll, Josh Clarke, Eli Lazar, Garrett Mixon, Cory Poe, Jenn Strine and Peter Wheat. 

I want to thank the Boosters and administration for helping with planning and carrying out our Senior Recognition.  I want to particularly thank Audrey Reyes for taking care of the flowers and balloons; Karen Strine for putting together the wonderful senior booklet; Cathy Archuleta for her willingness to emcee the affair; Carrie Lodovici and Bekah Wheat for being our team paparazzi; and Mr. Wilson and Mr. Schwille for providing and setting up the portable PA System. 

It seems like just last week it was the beginning of the season and we were testing out the timing system and getting everyone ready for our first meet.  And now our regular season is behind us.  I'm having trouble processing that.  I'm sure many of you are as well.  While we still have the post-season to prepare and get psyched for, I want to take a minute to thank some of the people that helped us throughout the regular season.  If I don't mention you by name, please know I do appreciate what you've done to help us have a successful season so far. 

* First, our dedicated and talented coaching staff of Diane Ahearn, Jen Eby, Tony Taliani, Kelly Finkey and Nikki Mizrahi for their love of our sport and our student athletes and their significant commitment of time and energy day after day to insure each athlete is encouraged and expected to achieve their full potential.  I'm blessed to work with, and learn from, you....as are our athletes. 

* Our athletes for setting goals, for your commitment and for working hard each and every day....for showing up with a smile on your face and "practicing with a purpose." 

* Our parents and Boosters who do such a wonderful job of supporting the coaches and team through fund raising and fund distribution :-)   Our program simply would not be able to do what it does without you. 

* The parents who help run our meets by timing, announcing, running CTS, etc.  I particularly want to thank Brian Carroll for running the Colorado Timing System for years and Jon Wheat for sitting beside Brian working his magic with the Meet Manager software and skillfully managing our printer parts inventory so well.  Thank you to Cathy Archuleta for announcing our home meets, scheduling the meet volunteers and communicating those names to the school administration.  Thank you to every parent that raised their hand and said "I can time", grabbed a stop watch and made it possible for the meet to start.  To everyone who helped move backstroke flags, lower and raise and lower and raise the diving board, set up the timing system....and so much more. 

* The Athletic Office....Mrs. Bowers and Mr. Schwille who do SO much to manage our schedule, make sure we have transportation, supplies and access to facilities. 

* The NHS Aquatic Program Staff....led by Mrs. Ebner, for working with us to make sure we're looking out for each others' needs in terms of the pool configuration, environment, equipment, etc. 

* The West Shore YMCA staff....led by Val Cassell, for working with, and around, our schedule, making sure we had lifeguards at our home meets and for the work they do in preparing our future Northern swimmers. 

* Our NHS Athletic Training staff, particularly Darin Gillis and Pam Wheat for making sure our athletes' bodies are as ready as possible to practice and perform.  I particularly want to thank Darin and his team for making sure we have a new batch of Gatorade mixed up and ready to fuel us for practices and meets. 

* I want to thank my wife, Eleanor, for her continued patience, understanding, support and guidance in this, my thirteenth season.  I also want to thank her and my daughter Megan for keeping our "scoreboard" updated at our home meets. 

Now, for the results of our Colonial Division meet yesterday.  The Girls won handily 111-65, making their final regular season record 6-5 overall and 5-1 in the division.  The Boys also posted a commanding victory by a score of 108.5 - 70.5.  The Boys final records are 8-3 overall and 4-2 in the division.  In the last dual meet of his high school career, senior diver Garrett Mixon made Northern history, again, when he destroyed his six dive School and Pool Records with an impressive score of 330.15!  Congratulations Garrett!!!  Despite being tired, sore and still battling lingering illness, we managed to post 23 Career Best Times/Scores, 5 In-Season Best Times and 2 Season Best Times.  Yesterday's achievements bring our dual meet season totals to 286 Career Best Times/Scores and 60 Career First Times/Scores!!! 

It's been an exciting, often fulfilling, journey so far but now we turn our attention to preparing for the post-season Championships.  Every swimmer and diver needs to take advantage of the opportunity you're provided each day over the coming weeks to do what is asked of you by your coaches, practice good habits in and out of the pool and visualize yourself swimming the perfect race or executing the perfect dive - excellence at practice, plenty of rest, proper nutrition, good hydration and positive visualization. 

Because we'll be preparing for our post-season meets, our swimming practice schedule will be modified slightly over the next few weeks and I'll send out a separate email with the details this weekend. 

Don't forget....if you're able....please plan to go to Big Spring High School Monday evening for the Boys Mid Penn Diving Championships.  They're scheduled to start at 5:30 PM. 

As I reminded everyone at the end of our meet yesterday....THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!! 

Thank you for a wonderful, exciting regular season.   

Coach Resser