SWA introduces advanced training aids
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More than 1,100 swimmers competed in Swim International, Nov. 8-10, in Brantford.
Most were from Ontario, including the South Western Aquatics swim team from Tillsonburg and Woodstock. International, for the most part, meant out-of-province.
"We went up against Quebec," said SWA's Hailey Granger, 12, who won a pair of silver medals.
"I met one girl who was from Tokyo," noted teammate Roxy Ramirez.
SWA was represented by 22 swimmers who had qualifying times for the meet.
"I did pretty good, I had two first places, which I was happy about," said SWA's Eric Klosler, who won the 100m fly and 200m fly in her 11-year-old division. "I thought that was basically impossible for me. It was a really, really big meet and there was a lot of competition. It was just very..."
"Intimidating," said Ramirez.
"Yeah," Klosler nodded. "I just thought, 'I probably won't do good just because there's so many swimmers."
Klosler took time off in the 50 free, 100 fly, and 200 free. Her time in the 200m fly was exceptional – she improved her PB by 6.8 seconds.
"That was pretty exciting for me. But I didn't do good in my last two races."
She was ill before her 200m IM, adding nearly 10 seconds, and had to pull out of the 100m free.
"I was really upset by that, but you can't really do anything about it."
Ramirez, 13, earned silver in 400m free with a personal best.
"I did good-ish," said Ramirez. "I could have done better. Lately, I don't know if I'm training hard enough, or I if didn't sleep well. It didn't feel like it did last year."
A better long-distance swimmer, Ramirez did not get an opportunity to swim the 800, which was not available at the short course meet.
At their home meet, Nov. 2-3, some of the SWA swimmers, including Ramirez and Granger, were late to arrive at the Tillsonburg Kinsmen pool coming straight from a training camp in London.
"So I had to put on caps and goggles in the car," Ramirez laughed, "and we ran in through that door, had to get changed, and I had my 800 right away."
"And then we dove into relays... after our training camp," said Granger, who enjoyed the London camp.
"It was six hours and we did a lot of stuff - a lot of turns and starts, and we did tests. The kick-test was 25 metres underwater, no fins. You just try to get the best time you can. They write it down and they see how good you are. Another test was 25-50, one free, one best stroke, and you had to try to maintain your pace. The coaches would get a graph showing them how you're doing on the tests.
"We learned about nutrition. And a junior world champion talked to us."
The tests were not pass vs fail, said Ramirez, but...
"I think I passed," Granger smiled. "I think I did okay."
In Brantford, Granger had three best times in six races. Her silver medals were in 100m fly and 200m fly.
"Of the two I medalled, I got a best time in the 100 fly, but I gained a second in the 200 fly. I also got best times in 200 IM and 100 breaststroke."
The work at the London camp paid off immediately for Granger.
"I think it helped - we practiced turns a lot and I'm not very good at turns, so it's good for me to practice that. I finally learned how to do a fly turn, so that helped. That, and just our regular training."
NOTHERS
"Nothers, next weekend," said Ramirez.
"I hope to do well, get some best times, hopefully," said Klosler.
"Last year we tapered for Nothers," noted Granger.
"Yeah, we tapered," said Klosler.
"Not this year," noted Ramirez, "we're not going to taper until..."
"Until like February," said Granger. "My main goal, probably, is nationals and provincials, but it's early in the season. Right now I'm just thinking about improving my times because I've been getting closer to them."
SWA head coach Roman Ramirez was quite pleased with the team's performance in Brantford.
"It was a high level meet for 16-and-unders," said coach Ramirez. "There were teams from Montreal, one of their highest calibre teams, and they brought a lot of swimmers."
As a team, SWA finished in the top half of the 34 clubs in points.
"We brought 22 swimmers and 16 were new swimmer at this meet who qualified and did really well. And we got some medals. I'm really happy. I can say we started the season with the right step."
The goal remains regionals, provincials and nationals, he said.
"They are doing well and they are coming back with a lot of motivation. We can be in the top..."
Coach Ramirez was also looking forward to Nothers Invitational.
"It's another huge swimming meet. We are bringing, I believe, 46 swimmers. That's 80 per cent of our competitive swimmers, from 10-and-under to 18-and-older."
Behind Ramirez on the Kinsmen pool deck, some of his swimmers were in the middle of a dryland session using the team's new TRX suspension training gear.
"We can work here on strength, agility, flexibility, we can do everything here. And it's for all ages. And we have less risk for injury."
Another new addition to South Western Aquatics training is a series of underwater video cameras (from a security system) hooked up to a split-screen monitor.
"We got it last year, but we just started to use it now. Three cameras, but we will have four and cover the whole 25 metres. The coaches watch what they are doing, and you know, one picture for the kids is worth 1,000 words. We can use it to work on technique. They see how they are doing, learn how to do it, and remember it.
"We can use it for everything – from dives, how they are positioned in the water, turns and how they break out of turns. It really helps. Right now, it's more for the coaches to see what they are doing, and if they don't understand what we are trying to say we can 'record' and show them a picture."
2013 Swim International
Brantford, Nov. 8-10
(Walter Gretzky Sports Centre)
South Western Aquatics results
Boyd, Brian (14) M
34th 200 Free - 2:21.46
25th 50 Free - 27.93
22nd 100 Fly - 1:12.72
21st 400 Free - 5:00.65
21st 100 Back - 1:16.24
28th 200 IM - 2:46.48
39th 100 Free - 1:03.87
Chisholm, Aiden (13) M
29th 200 Free - 2:27.88
24th 200 Breast - 3:14.70
17th 400 Free - 5:06.36
Chisholm, Haley (14) F
43rd 400 IM - 5:53.36
27th 200 Breast - 3:06.79
67th 50 Free - 32.35
30th 100 Fly - 1:16.13
24th 100 Breast - 1:25.34
43rd 200 IM - 2:46.54
Drescher, Cassandra (15) F
25th 200 Free - 2:11.74
11th 400 IM - 5:10.04
3rd 200 Breast - 2:36.43
12th 50 Free - 27.94
33rd 100 Fly - 1:11.16
3rd 100 Breast - 1:14.78
19th 200 IM - 2:30.29
Drescher, Danielle (13) F
60th 50 Free - 38.54
49th 100 Free - 1:31.83
Drescher, Samantha (11) F
28th 50 Free - 34.22
27th 100 Fly - 1:40.33
19th 200 Free - 2:43.14
12th 100 Breast - 1:36.03
46th 100 Back - 1:33.58
37th 100 Free - 1:18.09
Elliott, Paige (9) F
57th 50 Free - 43.50
28th 100 Breast - 2:00.11
47th 100 Back - 1:49.43
Grambow, Karl (15) M
34th 200 Breast - 2:59.76
36th 100 Breast - 1:24.14
Granger, Hailey (12) F
23rd 200 Breast - 3:10.47
2nd 100 Fly - 1:13.26
5th 200 Free - 2:24.45
31st 100 Breast - 1:31.71
2nd 200 Fly - 2:44.46
11th 200 IM - 2:43.25
Jensen, Ryan (14) M
20th 200 Breast - 2:58.62
20th 100 Breast - 1:22.78
Klosler, Erica (11) F
6th 50 Free - 31.89
1st 100 Fly - 1:19.43
7th 200 Free - 2:34.68
1st 200 IM - 2:53.55
34th 200 IM - 3:08.76
Klosler, Janelle (14) F
58th 200 Free - 2:29.37
38th 50 Free - 30.04
35th 100 Back - 1:17.75
45th 100 Free - 1:07.93
Meharg, Amy (10) F
15th 50 Free - 36.56
5th 100 Fly - 1:38.74
16th 200 Free - 3:02.77
5th 50 Fly - 41.81
15th 200 IM - 3:27.35
18th 100 Free - 1:25.25
Owen, Harriet (13) F
57th 50 Free - 33.83
24th 100 Breast - 1:34.71
Papadakos, Zoey (10) F
55th 50 Free - 43.17
21st 100 Fly - 2:07.56
44th 200 Free - 3:31.11
20th 50 Fly - 48.02
49th 100 Back - 1:54.87
52nd 100 Back - 1:36.21
Pretty, Kira (15) F
84th 50 Free - 31.18
39th 200 Back - 2:37.13
52nd 100 Fly - 1:15.88
28th 100 Back - 1:13.10
65th 200 IM - 2:48.69
Ramirez, Roxanna (13) F
13th 200 Free - 2:16.04
28th 400 IM - 5:38.88
35th 50 Free - 30.33
25th 100 Fly - 1:17.65
2nd 400 Free - 4:40.51
26th 100 Back - 1:16.49
26th 200 IM - 2:38.89
28th 100 Free - 1:04.60
Sanderson, Dalton (12) M
47th 50 Free - 34.64
41st 200 Free - 2:52.80
Schofield, Grace (14) F
53rd 200 Free - 2:25.37
47th 50 Free - 30.60
28th 100 Fly - 1:16.07
29th 100 Back - 1:15.52
38th 200 IM - 2:44.72
43rd 100 Free - 1:07.60
Shearing, Brandon (9) M
22nd 50 Free - 36.66
8th 200 Free - 2:48.16
4th 50 Fly - 40.08
13th 100 - 1:29.93
11th 200 IM - 3:12.66