The Middletown boys swimming team continued its impressive run as a program this season. The Blue Dragons finished 11-4 in the regular season and were the CCC South champions, finishing with a perfect division record. In the midst of preparing for the conference and then state championship meets, Middletown head coach Trevor Charles spoke with the Eye about what makes his squad a force to be reckoned with in the postseason meets.
Middletown Eye: Your team went 11-4 during the regular season and finished undefeated and in first place in the CCC South with a 5-0 record. How much of a success would you declare this past regular season to have been?
Trevor Charles: I’m pretty pleased with how the regular season went. Our effort was very strong every time out and the meets we lost were close.
ME: Are there any meets you would single out as your team’s standout efforts? Even if they may have been loses?
TC: The Farmington meet was our best. They are a very strong team and we lost in the very last rely at their place. Our performances that day were fantastic.
ME: You went undefeated in the CCC South and won the division handily. Can you identify any one reason why you were so ahead of your competition in the division?
TC: The swimming teams in the CCC South are a little weaker than the ones in the rest of the conference. We just had more depth than our competition.
ME: What area would you say your team is the strongest in?
TC: We are very solid in the IM events and all our relays are strong.
ME: And what area would you say the squad is the weakest in?
TC: Our team doesn’t have anyone who’s particularly strong in the freestyle sprinting events.
ME: You have two outstanding divers in sophomores Adam Gauthier and Michael Kinney. How high do you believe the two of them could finish in the CCC Diving Championship on March 1st?
TC: I see them finishing in second and third place. They have had some great performances in our final few meets.
ME: Which swimmers were standouts for the team this season?
TC: There were a group of swimmers-Ethan Cooke, Matt Dagenais, Simon Arias and Ronny Vaughan-who were incredibly consistent. They brought home some serious points for us.
ME: You are an obvious favorite in the CCC South championships that are happening March 3rd. How many points do you expect to win by, and which events do you expect the team to win?
TC: We should win very comfortably. Right now with how the standings are laid out for the championships we should theoretically win by 175 points. And I feel like we should easily win every relay.
ME: You said to me that half of your swimmers have already qualified for the Class L trials and you expect more to qualify this weekend. Considering you should send a fairly large group to the class finals, how high do you believe the team can finish, and in what events should your highest finishes be in?
TC: I hope to have 12 or 13 swimmers qualify and for the team to finish in the top five overall. Our 200 free and 400 free relays should both be near the top.
Showing posts with label middletown swimming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middletown swimming. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Impressive Depth Has Carried MHS Swimming to 4-2 Start
The winter is upon us, which means that Middletown swimming is yet again putting together a strong season. The Blue Dragons moved to 4-2 on Friday after routing Hartford Public 100-70 at home. Middletown would have won the meet by nearly 100 points if they had not swum the final three events unofficially.
Head Coach Trevor Charles highlighted a number of individual swimmers for praise, most prominently Jack Winters. Winters won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:53.49 and was second in the 200-yard freestyle while also swimming a leg for the second place 400-yard freestyle team.
“Jack had a very good day,” said Charles. “We were able to mix and match the kids today and try out kids in different events. Jack isn’t a new kid-he’s a senior-but it was good to see him do well.”
Charles also praised the second-place swims of Szymon Szarek in the 100-yard backstroke, Sajin Cyr in the 100-yard butterfly and Evan Pennington in the 500-yard freestyle.
MHS led the meet from its opening buzzer. The Blue Dragons raced out to a 42-17 advantage after the first four events and continued chugging alone from there. MHS would eventually take first place in ten of 12 events on the afternoon. Simon Arias, Ronnie Vaughn, Ethan Cooke, Tom McAlear and Michael Ciebieleski each won a race.
Star diver Dan Kinney, who began diving just last season, received a fantastic score of 8.5 from a judge in the meet. This is the second time a team diver has received an 8.5 in a week after Adam Gauthier received the mark.
That’s happened only three times in my 14 years here”, said MHS diving coach Matt Quinn to the Middletown Press. “Both have a world of potential.”
The Blue Dragons depth has served them well in wins over East Lyme, Rocky Hill and Hall. It also helped MHS to nearly knock off powerhouses Conard and Glastonbury. Charles believes it has and will continue to be his team’s biggest strength.
“Our work ethic and depth has been great,” said Charles. “Our depth never wavers and allows us to always be competitive.”
The Blue Dragons coach is happy but not completely satisfied with the team’s 4-2 start.
“I think we’re right where we expected to be going into the season,” said Charles. “That being said, we can always be better. We should have beaten Conard if not for a couple of mishaps, and there are issues like our attention to stroke detail that we need to improve.”
MHS will need every ounce of its depth in the coming weeks. The team’s schedule ramps up with a meet next Friday versus an outstanding Wethersfield squad before the Blue Dragons face its competition in the CCC South. Middletown is doing well so far, but the final few weeks of the season will prove whether the 2011-2012 team can live up to the accomplishments of past squads.
“The guys will have to swim out of their minds to beat Wethersfield,” said Charles. “But if we keep improving like we have been, we should win CCC South and finish around the 10th spot in Class L.”
Head Coach Trevor Charles highlighted a number of individual swimmers for praise, most prominently Jack Winters. Winters won the 500-yard freestyle in a time of 5:53.49 and was second in the 200-yard freestyle while also swimming a leg for the second place 400-yard freestyle team.
“Jack had a very good day,” said Charles. “We were able to mix and match the kids today and try out kids in different events. Jack isn’t a new kid-he’s a senior-but it was good to see him do well.”
Charles also praised the second-place swims of Szymon Szarek in the 100-yard backstroke, Sajin Cyr in the 100-yard butterfly and Evan Pennington in the 500-yard freestyle.
MHS led the meet from its opening buzzer. The Blue Dragons raced out to a 42-17 advantage after the first four events and continued chugging alone from there. MHS would eventually take first place in ten of 12 events on the afternoon. Simon Arias, Ronnie Vaughn, Ethan Cooke, Tom McAlear and Michael Ciebieleski each won a race.
Star diver Dan Kinney, who began diving just last season, received a fantastic score of 8.5 from a judge in the meet. This is the second time a team diver has received an 8.5 in a week after Adam Gauthier received the mark.
That’s happened only three times in my 14 years here”, said MHS diving coach Matt Quinn to the Middletown Press. “Both have a world of potential.”
The Blue Dragons depth has served them well in wins over East Lyme, Rocky Hill and Hall. It also helped MHS to nearly knock off powerhouses Conard and Glastonbury. Charles believes it has and will continue to be his team’s biggest strength.
“Our work ethic and depth has been great,” said Charles. “Our depth never wavers and allows us to always be competitive.”
The Blue Dragons coach is happy but not completely satisfied with the team’s 4-2 start.
“I think we’re right where we expected to be going into the season,” said Charles. “That being said, we can always be better. We should have beaten Conard if not for a couple of mishaps, and there are issues like our attention to stroke detail that we need to improve.”
MHS will need every ounce of its depth in the coming weeks. The team’s schedule ramps up with a meet next Friday versus an outstanding Wethersfield squad before the Blue Dragons face its competition in the CCC South. Middletown is doing well so far, but the final few weeks of the season will prove whether the 2011-2012 team can live up to the accomplishments of past squads.
“The guys will have to swim out of their minds to beat Wethersfield,” said Charles. “But if we keep improving like we have been, we should win CCC South and finish around the 10th spot in Class L.”
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Middletown Swimming Claims Decisive 96-84 Victory Over Rocky Hill to Start Season 2-0
An impressive second half to their meet propelled Middletown to a 96-84 home victory over Rocky Hill on Tuesday, moving the Blue Dragons to 2-0 on the season.
Middletown placed first in seven of 12 events on the afternoon. The Blue Dragons led by a very small margin going into diving but claimed control of the contest from that point forward. Middletown finished 1-2-3 in diving and took first place in the next four events, taking a 30 point lead in that span.
“We were close with them going into diving,” said Head Coach Trevor Charles. “Our team just had more depth than Rocky Hill.”
Multiple winners on the day for Middletown included Jerrod Zimmer, who was anchored the victorious 200 yard medley relay with a time of 1:55.46 and won the 100 butterfly in 1:03.85, Matt Dagganais, who was a member of the winning 200 yard medley relay and took first place in the 500 yard free in 5:04.58 and Thomas McAlear, who won the 200 IM in 2:27.17.
After seeing his team in control for the entire meet, Charles was satisfied with their performance and especially the Blue Dragons start to the season.
“I’ve been really happy with our effort and performance in the pool today and so far this year,” he said. It’s been a very promising sign for the rest of our season.”
Middletown is next at Conard of West Hartford on January 3rd.
Middletown placed first in seven of 12 events on the afternoon. The Blue Dragons led by a very small margin going into diving but claimed control of the contest from that point forward. Middletown finished 1-2-3 in diving and took first place in the next four events, taking a 30 point lead in that span.
“We were close with them going into diving,” said Head Coach Trevor Charles. “Our team just had more depth than Rocky Hill.”
Multiple winners on the day for Middletown included Jerrod Zimmer, who was anchored the victorious 200 yard medley relay with a time of 1:55.46 and won the 100 butterfly in 1:03.85, Matt Dagganais, who was a member of the winning 200 yard medley relay and took first place in the 500 yard free in 5:04.58 and Thomas McAlear, who won the 200 IM in 2:27.17.
After seeing his team in control for the entire meet, Charles was satisfied with their performance and especially the Blue Dragons start to the season.
“I’ve been really happy with our effort and performance in the pool today and so far this year,” he said. It’s been a very promising sign for the rest of our season.”
Middletown is next at Conard of West Hartford on January 3rd.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Xavier and Middletown Swimming Built on Depth This Season
XAVIER
Xavier, already going through what could be a bit of a rebuilding year, was thrown for a loop late in November when Keith Nichols resigned as the team’s coach and Leandra Matos was named his replacement just before the 2011 season began. Matos, who has 14 years of coaching experience at the USA swimming level, did not have the most seamless introduction to Xavier. Nevertheless, she is very prepared to make her mark quickly.
“I think this will be a rebuilding year for our team,” she said. “We graduated a lot of talent and have a top heavy team. My focus will be on individual improvement and helping my swimmers work on their technique and race strategies.”
The Falcons have lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad, which finished seventh at the Class LL meet and ninth at the State Open. Kevin Kosciuk, who won the 200 yard IM at the Class LL meet and finished second at the same event at the Open while leading off the team’s potent relays, is gone. So are Kyle Newton, Will Loftus, Tom Rakowicz and John Maher, all of whom had strong performances at the two events.
But though a number of good swimmers have left the team, others are ready to step up in their place. Matos singles out sophomores Steven Russo and Andrew Eigner, freshmen Mike Timer, junior diver Spencer Beaulieu and senior Greg Brown, versatile swimmers who were able place in the end of the season tournaments, as the Falcons who will carry her team this season. When you couple their abilities with the overall leadership and experience of Xavier’s 15 seniors, the team is capable of coming close to the success Xavier swimming has had in recent years.
“With the number of swimmers we lost this is an exploratory year,” Manos stated. “But I would hope that the team could be as competitive as the last few years. Our swimmers must step up.”
Xavier opens the season on Thursday at home versus Sheehan at 7:30.
MIDDLETOWN
Middletown should be a very strong team this season. With a number of talented swimmers and a significant amount of depth, the Blue Dragons will be at the top of the Central Connecticut Conference.
Seniors Ronnie Vaughan and Ethan Cooke and juniors Michael Ciebielski and Andrew Gilliland each placed at the 2011 Class LL meet multiple times, and the remainder of the roster ain’t no slouches either.
Middletown went 10-5 last season before winning the CSS regular season and postseason titles and placing seventh at the Class LL meet. With the depth this year’s squad has, Head Coach Trevor Charles sees his team exceeding those accomplishments in this campaign.
“I’m pretty excited about the potential we have this year,” said Head Coach Trevor Charles. “We have swimmers who can finish first in every event and 10 or more kids who can be strong in each one. I expect our team to be better than last year nd win about 12 dual meets. We want to have a better showing in the class meet and to break a couple school records this season.”
The Blue Dragons will face off against a daunting schedule in the always competitive CCC. The team’s toughest opponents will be traditional powerhouses Glastonbury, Conard and Wethersfield. Despite the challenge in front of Middletown from the get go however, Charles is unconcerned. He is excited to see his team in the pool.
“These first few meets are very important,” he stated. “I want to see if we can match the hype and excitement our depth has generated.”
The Blue Dragons have their first meet when they face off Wednesday at home against East Lyme at 4:00.
Xavier, already going through what could be a bit of a rebuilding year, was thrown for a loop late in November when Keith Nichols resigned as the team’s coach and Leandra Matos was named his replacement just before the 2011 season began. Matos, who has 14 years of coaching experience at the USA swimming level, did not have the most seamless introduction to Xavier. Nevertheless, she is very prepared to make her mark quickly.
“I think this will be a rebuilding year for our team,” she said. “We graduated a lot of talent and have a top heavy team. My focus will be on individual improvement and helping my swimmers work on their technique and race strategies.”
The Falcons have lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad, which finished seventh at the Class LL meet and ninth at the State Open. Kevin Kosciuk, who won the 200 yard IM at the Class LL meet and finished second at the same event at the Open while leading off the team’s potent relays, is gone. So are Kyle Newton, Will Loftus, Tom Rakowicz and John Maher, all of whom had strong performances at the two events.
But though a number of good swimmers have left the team, others are ready to step up in their place. Matos singles out sophomores Steven Russo and Andrew Eigner, freshmen Mike Timer, junior diver Spencer Beaulieu and senior Greg Brown, versatile swimmers who were able place in the end of the season tournaments, as the Falcons who will carry her team this season. When you couple their abilities with the overall leadership and experience of Xavier’s 15 seniors, the team is capable of coming close to the success Xavier swimming has had in recent years.
“With the number of swimmers we lost this is an exploratory year,” Manos stated. “But I would hope that the team could be as competitive as the last few years. Our swimmers must step up.”
Xavier opens the season on Thursday at home versus Sheehan at 7:30.
MIDDLETOWN
Middletown should be a very strong team this season. With a number of talented swimmers and a significant amount of depth, the Blue Dragons will be at the top of the Central Connecticut Conference.
Seniors Ronnie Vaughan and Ethan Cooke and juniors Michael Ciebielski and Andrew Gilliland each placed at the 2011 Class LL meet multiple times, and the remainder of the roster ain’t no slouches either.
Middletown went 10-5 last season before winning the CSS regular season and postseason titles and placing seventh at the Class LL meet. With the depth this year’s squad has, Head Coach Trevor Charles sees his team exceeding those accomplishments in this campaign.
“I’m pretty excited about the potential we have this year,” said Head Coach Trevor Charles. “We have swimmers who can finish first in every event and 10 or more kids who can be strong in each one. I expect our team to be better than last year nd win about 12 dual meets. We want to have a better showing in the class meet and to break a couple school records this season.”
The Blue Dragons will face off against a daunting schedule in the always competitive CCC. The team’s toughest opponents will be traditional powerhouses Glastonbury, Conard and Wethersfield. Despite the challenge in front of Middletown from the get go however, Charles is unconcerned. He is excited to see his team in the pool.
“These first few meets are very important,” he stated. “I want to see if we can match the hype and excitement our depth has generated.”
The Blue Dragons have their first meet when they face off Wednesday at home against East Lyme at 4:00.
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