Sculpins

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June 26 – July 4, 2009
Meet: 2009 Esynchro Age Group Synchronized Swimming Championships, Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Natatorium, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Attendance: 66 Clubs, 1000 athletes. “Largest synchronized swimming competition in the world”. (Duke Zielinski, President, USA Synchro)
Qualification: Top 3 finishers in each event, from each of 12 Regional Championships throughout the country.
CDYMCA Sculpins: 26 athletes entered, 12 routines, ages 11 – 18. 3 duets, 5 trios, 4 teams.

   Finalists:                 16/17: Duet – 7th (Deanna Desimone, Kayla Moses)

                                       Trio – 8th (Kate Corsaro, Deanna Desimone, Kayla Moses)

                                   18/19: Figures – 7th (Morgan Lebrecht)

                                        Duet – 7th (Morgan Lebrecht, Kirsten Wendth)

                                        Team – 8th (Kate Corsaro, Becky Crawford, Deanna Desimone, Morgan Lebrecht, Courtney                                                                 Mann, Kayla Moses, Kathryn Savery, Kirsten Wendth)

Future: This team, 2 duets, and 2 trios, have qualified and will be competing at the US Junior Opens in Tucson, Arizona, July 14 – 18.

Three teams from the CDYMCA Sculpins spent the weekend of March 21-22 in Hamden, CT to compete in the East Zone Invitational. They competed with clubs from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. I have attached some photos from the meet.

In addition to the special honors, our club placed 3^rd in overall points. We had the following routines place in finals: Duet 4^th –Morgan Lebrecht, Kirsten Wendth;

Trio 3^rd – Morgan Lebrecht, Courtney Mann, Kirsten Wendth;
Trio 5^th – Kate Corsaro, Deanna Desimone, Kayla Moses;
Team 3^rd – Kate Corsaro, Rebecca Crawford, Deanna Desimone, Morgan Lebrecht, Courtney Mann, Kayla Moses, Kathryn Savery, Kirsten Wendth

At the 2009 East Zone Senior Championships, held in Buffalo, New York, the following Awards were bestowed upon members of the CDYMCA Sculpins;

East Zone Athlete of the Year – Kirsten Wendth. Kirsten was nominated for this prestigious award by her coach. She was selected based upon her athletic accomplishments, leadership, academic ability, service to synchro and community, and her ability to be a role model.

East Zone Coach of the Year – Jennifer Houlihan. Jennifer was nominated by her swimmers. Coach of the year is selected by the East Zone Awards Committee, based upon their coaching ability, work in sport development, ethics, and ability to inspire and motivate athletes.

Kim Miller Scholarship – Awarded to Kirsten Wendth. This scholarship is annually awarded to a graduating senior in the East Zone who is planning to continue synchronized swimming in college. The recipient is chosen for excellence in academics, leadership and service in the image of Kim Miller. Kim was a Hamden Heronettes synchronized swimmer who succumbed to cancer before entering college.

Scholar Athletes – 13 of the CDYMCA Sculpins who were entered to compete in the East Zone Senior Championships were recognized for holding GPA’s of 87 or higher. They were: Kate Corsaro, Deanna Desimone, Kara Frink, Erin Kisselback, Melanie Kretzler, Morgan Lebrecht, Courtney Mann, Sylvia Mattice, Kayla Moses, Kayla Parvana, Katie Richburg, Kathryn Savery, and Kirsten Wendth.

Feb. 13 – 15 - Junior Zone Meet –at New Canaan, CT. We rocked at East Zone Junior Championships! First away of the season, new level of competition for our 13/15’s. Special thanks to the parents who volunteered to help with meet duties – your efforts help give the Sculpins a terrific image, and these meets would not run as well without you.

Duet Semi Finals: Deanna/Kayla – 1^st, Becky/Kate – 6^th, Katie/Sylvia – 14^th, Kara/Erin – 20^th

Figures: (only ones to finals qualify to figures): Deanna – 5^t^h, Kayla M – 7^th, Becky – 12^th,

Kate C 24^th, Kayla P - 25^th, Sylvia – 35^th, Kathryn S – 41^st, Carolyne – 66^th,

Melanie – 68^th, Kara – 71^st, Mathilde – 75^th, Erin – 76^th, Katie R – 78^th, Marija – 88^th,

** our top team, duet, and trio did not compete as they are OVERQUALIFIED for LIFE because they WON this meet last year! Now Deanna and Kayla have that honor too.

On February 7th, the CDYMCA Sculpins 11/12 A team, cooked and served a meal for the homeless at the Joseph's House in Troy. The swimmers were met there by their coach and Joseph's House Director, Tracy Neitzel. Mrs. Neitzel gave the girls a tour of the facility and raised their awareness of the plight of the homeless in our community. Each swimmer cooked several items for the meal at home and then served it to the guests. They did such a great job that there was plenty of leftovers to provide the next meal. The girls took pride in helping those less fortunate in the community while representing the YMCA and their team.

Congratulations to Kirsten Wendth

Our team co-captain, for earning the distinction of USSS SPEEDO Swimmer.
Kirsten embodies all of the traits vital to athletic and more importantly, personal success. She is a born leader and a hard worker; she is relentless in the pursuit of her goals, humble in her accomplishments, and insightful in tackling her weaknesses. Kirsten always leads by example and places the needs of her teammates above her own; Kirsten never accepts defeat or neglects to achieve her full potential. Kirsten is a sponge; she soaks up constructive criticism, praise, defeat, the skills of others more talented than she, and all the life lessons that surround her and she capitalizes on them to make her a better athlete and a better person. Kirsten has donated endless hours of her time to our organization as her means of giving back to the team that has given her so much. She is the first to volunteer her time to lifeguard, participate in demonstrations, and work with our younger aspiring athletes at camps and during the competitive year.She has left her mark on our team in a manner that will be difficult to surpass; she will be sorely missed next year as she begins a new chapter of her life.

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