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.

Blue & Gold Meet

We had a spirited, lively match-up between the Simmons BLUE team and the Simmons GOLD team on Saturday, October 23rd. The Gold Team won the intrasquad meet by a mere two points: 314.5 to 312.5. The teams were evenly matched and battled to the bitter end! Victories went to the following people:

200 Medley Relay: GOLD
50 Free: Amy, Blue
Team Cheer: BLUE
50 Back: Virginia, Gold
50 Short-Axis: Hannah, Blue
Underwater Swim: Nellie, Blue
50 Breast: Jordan, Gold
2008 Beijing Men's 400 Free Relay Celebration Impersonation: BLUE
1-Meter Diving: Amanda, Gold
50 Fly: Nellie, Blue
Swim for Distance: Virginia, Gold
Swim for Distance COUNTER Performance: BLUE
50 IM Relay: GOLD
Ugly Suit Competition: Amy, Blue
100 Choice: Virginia, Gold
3-Meter Diving: Amanda, Gold
50 "The Eagle": Molly, Gold
Push-up Competition: Nellie, Blue
50 Fin Swim: Elizabeth, Gold

UGLY SWIM SUIT COMPETITION... You be the judge!

October Swim Fest

The Simmons College Sharks hosted the third annual October Swim Fest, a masters mini-meet on Saturday, October 16th. The event was a huge success. We had over 50 swimmers for New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. The fundraiser brought in close to a thousand dollars for the Sharks, and made for a very fun and exciting morning.

One of the meet's highlights was undoubtedly the "world debut" of a new stroke, invented by masters swimmer, B. Pollard of Maine... "The Eagle." Known to most swimmers as "double-arm backstroke" - although, the Eagle himself used much more undulation and turnover than I've ever witnessed!

Because the event was a sanctioned Short Course Meters meet (consistent with the fall season for Masters), we moved the bulkhead and the Simmons varsity program was able to get in a few METERS workouts for additional conditioning! Bonus.

Here are the Simmons women (schmoozing with the Masters swimmers)!

New Toys!

During the summer, I was approached by our Athletic Director to see if the Simmons Swimming and Diving team had any wish-list items for the upcoming season. In my entire coaching career, I've never been (seriously) asked this question! I quickly responded with a few big ticket items... and guess what? Simmons pulled through!

We now have three new Vasa Trainers to use during dryland and for supplemental workouts. Flyers and distance swimmers are going to become very intimate with the Vasa... but not to worry, everyone else will be able to reap the benefits as well!

In addition to the new swim benches, we also purchased an underwater video camera with a viewing screen and DVD set-up. I was able to take it for a test drive during the Sharks Swim Camp and learned that it is simple to use and will be an invaluable tool for our training. I hope to use the camera several times this season with the Simmons varsity athletes, but also cease some fundraising opportunities by hosting video clinics for age group or masters swimmers in the community.

We purchased four new touchpads and modules as well. I anticipate a season of flawless timing as we continue to keep our facility state-of-the-art!

Awards Banquet

The Simmons Department of Athletics hosted the annual Awards Banquet, Evening of Champions, on May 4th. The event was fantastic! It was great to have an opportunity (along with the captains) to brag about our successful season. Obviously we all know the accomplishments that were had along the way, but it was nice to be able to share those impressive details with the rest of the student-athletes and supporters.

Congratulations to Brittany Torelli, who was honored with the Blue and Gold Award for Swimming and Diving for embodying all the characteristics that make a stand-out student-athlete at Simmons.

Also, congratulations to Alyssa Musket, who was honored by the Athletic Department with the Rookie of the Year Award. This is a huge achievement (and I also happen to know that there were some very strong nominees in this category!).

Any time our entire team gets together, I enjoy the occasion. It was particularly fun to see everyone all dressed up - what a bunch of pretty ladies!

Final Team Dinner - March 21, 2010