Cranberry Harvest

Quintessential New England!  Simmons Swimmers harvesting cranberries on Cape Cod back in October.

Virginia '11, Hannah '11, Suzie '12 & Isabel '13

GNAC Champions - 9th Year in a Row!

Simmons Swimmers - Congratulations on a Fantastic Performance at the 2012 GNAC Champioships!

I am so proud of how the team performed this past weekend. We achieved many of our team goals: we created energy on the pool deck, we had a commanding presence at the meet, we supported one another, we stayed focused through all four sessions, we stayed positive, we had fun, we put ourselves into scoring position, we raced, we achieved fast times and good scores, and we WON.

This 2012 victory marks the ninth consecutive GNAC title for the Sharks. The final score was:

Simmons 313
Regis 209
Elms 146
SJC-ME 70.5
Husson 59
USJ 52
Norwich 30

This weekend's team effort of 313 points is by far the most points a school has scored at this event. While that number is impressive as a stand-alone statistic, consider the number of conference records that were broken throughout the weekend (14) - the GNAC is getting faster and more competitive every year, but Simmons is staying ahead!

Throughout the meet, the team tallied 73 season-best times/scores (of 87 entries). This says a lot about what is to come if we continue to work the way we have through October and November.

While I love and encourage our pre-meet smack-talk, I thought the team did an outstanding job of demonstrating great sportsmanship throughout the weekend.

You guys are the FULL PACKAGE and I am so honored to be coaching such a talented group of women.

Congratulations to Jen for achieving three conference records in the 200 IM, 200 Free and 100 Free. Congratulations to Chloe, Amy, Maddy and Jen for breaking the Conference record in the 200 and 800 Freestyle Relay. Congrats to Molly for joining those four as All-Conference. Congrats to all that made NEISDA A-Cuts, B-Cuts, season-best and lifetime best times/scores. Congratulations to Brittany and Colleen for completing all six dives in their lists (just in the nick of time!).

The title of GNAC Champions is well-deserved

Sharks are IN THE WATER!

After a long off-season, the Sharks are back in the water!  We have 15 talented swimmers and divers returning to the team this fall.  They are joined by 14 eager rookies to make up a strong roster with depth in all events.  We have a month to get "Race Ready" before taking on Westfield State on October 27th.  After only one week in the water, I can confidently say: This season looks PROMISING!

Need a WORKOUT for Columbus Day Weekend?

Some folks are looking for a workout to complete during Columbus Day Weekend. Athletes: We have practice on Friday, 10/5 from 2:00-5:00pm and again on Tuesday, 10/9 from 1:30-3:30pm. Spending three days out of the water, after two weeks of "getting back into it" might seem couter-productive for some of you. If you're wanting to get wet during Columbus Day weekend, below is a good workout to do at your local pool. If you're wanting to simply enjoy a few days with no committments, you're certainly entitled to that time... simply relax and enjoy time with your family and friends! If you're around on Saturday morning, you are welcome to join me at the Simmons Pool at 7am for an OPTIONAL workout...

Warm-up:
300 Swim, 200 Pull, 100 Kick
8 x 50 @ R:05 (Odd = Drill, Even = Choice)

Rev Set:
3 x
75 Build (R:15) + 50 Free 2-breaths/length (R:10) + 25 Blast

Main Set:
100 IM
4 x 50 Choice (Hard/EZ by 25)
100 Free

200 IM
4 x 50 Choice (Hard/EZ by 25)
200 Free

300 IM
4 x 50 Choice (Hard/EZ by 25)
300 Free

Kick Set:
FINS ON...
3 x
4 x 25 @ R:05
#1 = EZ Kick
#2 = Hard Kick
#3 = UW Shooter Kick
#4 = Blast Swim (Work your BREAK-OUT!)

Cool Down:
150 EZ

3700 Total Yards

Stroke Clinic

We have just begun week two of the season. We are officially "building" yards. I am proud of the team for completing a very successful stroke clinic last week. Athlete's: For your reference, here are the drills that we worked on:

FLY:
Single Arm
3-Series
8 UW Kicks/Stroke (6...4...2... etc)
Scull-Press
Surf Drill
Short-Axis Drill
Head Lead Dolphin Kick
Dolphin K on Side
Dolphin K on Back
Fly w/ Pull Buoy
Dolphin Dives

BACK:
8 Kick Switch
8/3 (8 Kicks/3 Strokes)
False Lift
Single Arm
3-Series
T-Rex
L-Drill
Recovery Exchange
One Arm Out

BREAST:
3-Second Glide
2 Kicks/Pull
Undulating Breast (2K/Pull w/ Dolphin)
Fast Hands Forward
Crossover Drill
Chicken Wing
Breast w/ Dolphin Kick
Underwater Pullouts
Head Lead Breaststroke Kick
Kick w/ Scull
Short-Axis Drill

FREE:
8 Kick Switch
8/3 (8 Kicks/3 Strokes)
Single Arm
3-Series
Shark Drill
Feather Drill
Head Position Drill
Zipper
Finger-tip Drag
Partial Catch-Up (PCU)

Simmons Alumni hit the Coaching Scene

It is such a kick, as a college coach, to see your athletes fall into coaching positions after graduation. I am so excited at the number of recent Simmons swimming alums that have secured great coaching jobs, whether full-time, part-time or volunteer positions. They are paying it forward and using their knowledge, passion and experience to influence young athletes.

Keri Ann Arsenault, class of 2009, works full-time as an Age Group coach for the Raleigh Swim Association, a reputable and growing club team in North Carolina.

Julia Herman, class of 2009, serves as the Head Coach of the Furquay-Varina High School swim team, also in NC.

Caitlin Urciuoli, class of 2010, recently accepted a head coaching job for the Northern Middlesex YMCA Barracudas in Connecticut.

Brittany Torelli, class of 2010, is now the Head Coach for the Simmons Masters Swim Team. And from what I hear, she's whipping those old fogies into shape!

Nellie Jackson, class of 2011, continues to coach with the Boston Elite Swim Team, an age group program that operates out of 21 Boston pools and provides a competitive swimming opportunity for inner-city youth.

...Just to name a few!

Mount Monadnock

A handful of the Simmons Swimmers made the trip up to Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH for a pre-season hike. We couldn't have asked for a better day for the three hour trek. There was sunshine, a cool breeze and an amazing view! What a perfect opportunity for team bonding (before the season even starts)... imagine that!



A few of us were a little SORE on Monday morning! But considering we're all water creatures, we did quite well on land.