Wolbert & Gendelman Crack the Middle Atlantic Top for the year.

Each year Middle Atlantic Swimming Ranks all of the swimmers in the Short Course Season and in the Long course Season. This year we have 2 swimmers who broke into this "Elite" Whos Whos group in Middle Atlantic USA Swimming.

Emily Wolbert is ranked in the top 10 in following events. 1st in the 100 breast with a 1:31.42, 2nd in the 400 Free with a 5:21.24, 2nd in the 200 IM with a 2:54.33, 3rd in the 100 free with a 1:10.22, 3rd in the 100 fly with a 1:20.42, 4th in the 200 free with a 2:31.86, 6th in the 50 fly with a 36.12, and a 7th in the 50 free with a 32.60. Emily is also ranked 59th in the United States, 10th in the Zone and 2nd in the LSC for USA IMX Challenge which is a ranking of the 200 free, 200 im, 100 fly, 100 back, and the 100 breast for the 10 & Under age group. The IMX is a ranking developed by USA Swimming to promote versatility of all 4 strokes.

Ben Gendelman also cracked the Middle Atlantic top 10 in the 50 fly with a 33.27.
To view the Middle Atlantic Top 10 (click here)

Wow What a finish! This can be said over and over!

With the Olympic Games coming to end and the swimming over i hope you were tuned in and did not miss and of the great moments and get excited about our up and coming season.

Remember these thoughts and photos.

Fingers down, fingers up, half stroke, kick to wall, head down, head up???? .01 is a tight finish

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Emily Wolbert, 10, Takes Home the Gold at JO's

Lancaster, PA, is not quite Beijing, but 23 members of the Pocono YMCA Swim Team were happy to take part in the Mid-Atlantic 2008 Junior Olympic Swim Championships at the Golden Meadows Swim Center, July 24-27, 2008. And for 10-year old Emily Wolbert, it was a golden opportunity.

Nine members of the Pocono Piranhas qualified for individual events by competing in meets sanctioned by USA Swimming, the National Governing Board for the sport of swimming. The remaining 14 joined their teammates on one or more of three relays. [Time standards are not set for relays -- any team sending individual qualifiers may send a relay team.] There were a number of top ten finishes, and Ben Gendelman, Liz Jordan and Emily Wolbert qualified for the Eastern Zone Championships in mid-August.

In the 15-19 Girls Division, Liz Jordan (16) took 4th in the 100 Meter Freestyle, and 6th in both the 100 Meter Breast and 50 Free. She qualified for Zones in the 100 Free and 100 Breast. Lena Yang (14), competing in her 2nd JOs, was 9th in the 50 Free, and also competed in the 100 Free, 100 Breast and 200 Meter Individual Medley (IM) in the 13/14 Girls Division.

For the 11/12 Boys, Benjamin Gendelman (12) placed 6th in the 50 Meter Butterfly, which qualified him for Eastern Zones. He also swam the 100 Meter Fly, 50 Free and 100 Free individual events. He was joined by Karl Wint (12), Colin Orlowski (11), and Sam Velez (11) for the 200 Meter Medley Relay and 200 Meter Free Relay. The team took an uncontested 1st in the Medley Relay, and placed 3rd in the Free.

Two swimmers qualified in the 11/12 Girls Division: Alex Burns (12) swam the 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 200 Fly (placing 9th) and 50 Free, and Maggie Palaski (11), making her 2nd trip, competed in the 50 Fly and 50 Breast. Alana Slater (12) and Kimmie Konz (11) joined Burns and Palaski for the 200 Medley Relay (7th place) and 200 Free Relay ( 5th place). Burns, Slater and Konz also placed 7th in the 400 Meter Free Relay with Meghan Dwyer (11).

In the 10 & Under Boys Division, Zack Wolbert (8) was the youngest male swimmer to qualify for any individual events. He placed 8th in the 50 Breast, and also swam 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 50 Free, 100 Free, and 100 Breast. The 200 Medley Relay team of Wolbert, Lascelles Dunn (10), Colin Naturale (9) and Liam Naturale (8) took an uncontested 1st place.

Three Piranhas met the time standards in the 10 & Under Girls Division. Emily Cabral (10) qualified in the 50 Back and 50 Free, while Irene Gendelman (9) swam the 50 Fly and 50 Free. Emily Wolbert (10) made her 3rd JO appearance, having qualified for nine different individual events. She took 1st in the 400 Free, 100 Breast, 200 IM, and 100 Free. She was 2nd in the 100 Fly, 3rd in the 200 Free and 50 Fly, 4th in the 50 Free, and 16th in the 100 Back. Her outstanding performance earned her the High Point Trophy for the 9/10 Girls Division.

Wolbert, Cabral and Gendelman were also joined by Monica Hagn (9) for the 200 Medley Relay (6th place), 200 Free Relay (7th) and 400 Free Relay (4th). In addition, the Pocono Piranhas sent a second relay team in the 9/10 Girls Division: Mary Cerbone (10), Araceli Dunn (9), Nadine Parrish (9) and Olivia Wint (8) swam the 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays.

These dedicated swimmers, members of the Pocono Piranha Swim Team, have traveled the area to compete in USA sanctioned meets, where the shortest distance swum is 50 meters, more than twice the 25 yards common to summer meets. The Mid-Atlantic organization is made up of teams from Delaware, southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and is part of the Eastern Zone Division of USA Swimming. Liz Jordan and Emily Wolbert will be making the trip to Rockville, Maryland, August 6-9, 2008, to compete in the Eastern Zone Championships.

Local Swimmers on the Road to Junior Olympics

by Katherine Neville
It's not quite Beijing, but Lancaster, PA, will welcome 23 members of the Pocono YMCA Swim Team to the Mid-Atlantic 2008 Junior Olympic Swim Championships at the Golden Meadows Swim Center, July 24-27, 2008.
Nine of the swimmers have met time standards for individual events by competing in meets sanctioned by USA Swimming, the National Governing Board for the sport of swimming. The remaining 14 will be joining their teammates on one or more of three relays.

In the 15-19 Girls Division, Liz Jordan (15) qualified to swim the 50 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Freestyle and 100 Meter Breaststroke events. Lena Yang (14), competing in her 2nd JOs, will swim the 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Breast and 200 Meter Individual Medley (IM) in the 13/14 Girls Division.

For the 11/12 Boys, Benjamin Gendelman (12) will compete in the 50 Meter Butterfly, 100 Meter Butterfly, 50 Free and 100 Free individual events. He will be joined by Karl Wint (12), Colin Orlowski (11), and Sam Velez (11) for the 200 Meter Medley Relay and 200 Meter Free Relay.

Two swimmers qualified in the 11/12 Girls Division: Alex Burns (12) will swim the 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 200 Fly and 50 Free, and Maggie Palaski (11), also making her 2nd trip, will compete in the 50 Fly and 50 Breast. Joining Burns and Palaski for the 200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay are Alana Slater (12) and Kimmie Konz (11). Burns, Slater and Konz will also swim the 400 Meter Free Relay with Meghan Dwyer (11). Konz swam last year as part of the 9/10 Relay.

In the 10 & Under Boys Division, Zack Wolbert (8) qualified to swim the 50 Fly, 100 Fly, 50 Free, 100 Free, 50 Breast and 100 Breast. Zack is the youngest male swimmer at the meet, the only boy under 9 to qualify in any event. He will also swim the 200 Medley Relay with Lascelles Dunn (10), Colin Naturale (9) and Liam Naturale (8).

Three Piranhas met the time standards in the 10 & Under Girls Division. Emily Cabral (10) qualified in the 50 Back and 50 Free, while Irene Gendelman (9) will swim the 50 Fly and 50 Free. Emily Wolbert (10) is making her 3rd JO appearance, having qualified for nine different individual events: 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free, 400 Free, 100 Breast, 200 IM, 50 Fly, 100 Fly, and 100 Backstroke. Emily has also already qualified for the Eastern Zone Championships in all those events except the 100 Back. Wolbert, Cabral and Gendelman will be joined by Monica Hagn (9) for the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay. In addition, the Pocono Piranhas will send a second relay team in this division: Mary Cerbone (10), Araceli Dunn (9), Nadine Parrish (9) and Olivia Wint (8) will swim the 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays.

These dedicated swimmers, members of the Pocono Piranha Summer Swim Team, have traveled the area to compete in USA sanctioned meets, where the shortest distance swum is 50 meters, more than twice the 25 yards common to summer meets. The Mid-Atlantic organization is made up of teams from Delaware, southern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, and is part of the Eastern Zone Division of USA Swimming. All competitors will have a chance at Lancaster to meet the tougher qualifying times for the Eastern Zone Championships, which will take place in Rockville, Maryland, two weeks later.

2008 Oylimpic Trials

There have been many World Records set and exciting races this week. I hope you are watching on TV. If you have missed the action here are some links to the ACTION!

Official Trials Web Site (Click Here)
Official Trails Results Site with Real Time Results (Click Here)
NBC Web Site with GREAT Videos! (http://www.nbcolympics.com/)
Some Great Videos of the Trials and Interviews with the Swimmers and Coaches
DON'T MISS THESE SITES!
http://swimnetwork.com/
http://swimming.flocasts.org/

Boyertown was a Suprise for Palaski and Jordan

On a Saturday morning when our team was not attending a meet we had 2 swimmers make the trip to Boyertown to try to make some JO cuts. With out a coach attending and swimming in an old pool the girls swam great. Maggie Palaski swam one event the 50 fly and made her JO cut with ease. She swam a best time of 36.25 getting her a spot on our USA Swimming Junior Olympic Team. Liz Jordan also swam very well swimming the 50 free in a 29.40 breaking our team record and also qualifying for our USA Swimming Junior Olympic Team. Liz also swam the 50 breast in a best time and the 200 free breaking our team record as well in a 2:27.08.

Mixing it up

We do our best to keep practices interesting and challenging. Lately we have added some different sets at Stroudsburg Park practices. Taking advantage of the fresh air and grass we added some real cool sets as seen below.