Mustang Monthly - Internet Edition

January 2004

Meet Reports

 

Kerr McGee Elite Swim Meet

41 Mustangs traveled to Oklahoma City for the Kerr McGee Elite Pro-Am Meet the weekend before Christmas. And Christmas came early for our Mustangs as they came home with the overall team title and the women's team title. This was one of those meets that I, and many others at the meet, will remember fondly for a long time.

The Kerr McGee Pro-Am is one of the few meets in the country that offers prize money for swimmers. Needless to say, many of the top swimmers in the country take advantage of this rare opportunity at winning some money at the meet. So when 27 of our 41 Mustangs score points, by finishing in the top sixteen in an individual event, then things must have gone well. I can't remember when we had that many people giving those kinds of efforts for an entire meet. Both the women and the men won at least one relay, and our women's "B" 400 free relay made the National qualifying time by two seconds, finishing second in the event behind our "A". It was truly a team effort of which we should all be very proud.

 

Team Scores:

Dallas Mustangs 842

Kansas City Blazers 741

SMU 630

Ft. Worth Area 494

Irvinenova 489

Wichita 482

Cy-Fair 455

Kerr McGee 378

 

Individual Scorers were:

Jennifer Blackman, Codie Hansen, Dallas Marshall, Caroline Barnett, Katie Roberts, Katie Smith, Spin Beck, Maggie Marshall, Meredith Grubb, Jennifer Brooks, Molly Bollen, Matt Weghorst, Fabian Toth, Jonathan Berrittini,  Griffin Marshall, Brooks Haller, and Kenneth Wherry.

 

Helping out on scoring relays not already listed:

Adriane Devereux, Kate Gunning, Lauren Roth, Maddie Steiner, Byron Carlisle, Jeff  Bensen, John Bannon, Clint Hallum, Taylor Nix, and Jeff Girard.

 

2004 All-Star Meet (Jan. 3-4)

The Mustangs sent twelve of our own to represent the North Texas area against the best the state of Texas had to offer. We had some great swims and were an integral part of what was almost a huge upset of the Gulf Areas Team.  North Texas finished second, only four hundred points back (scoring almost six thousand points) from first place. The meet was held at the fast pool at the University of Texas at Austin.  We actually led the Gulf after the first day; this is the first time the Gulf Swimming has ever lost a session in this meet, since this particular format began three years ago.  Down only 50 points with one session to go, we ran out of steam due to the fact that they were strongest in sprint races and the 200 Freestyle Relay was the last event of the meet.  Despite the fact that the meet occurs during a time that is typically heavy training for all the teams there was an unusual number of lifetime best times for our Mustangs and the rest of the North Texas Team. 

 

The All-Star team was selected based on the top times of those boys and girls ages eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen.  Each age group had a coach from one of the North Texas teams and the team traveled, ate, and shared hotel accommodations with kids that they are used to competing against.  Each hotel room was composed of an eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen year old to help minimize any “loss of focus” during the time when they were supposed to be resting in their rooms.  The oldest swimmer in the room served as the “captain” of the room and was responsible for making sure all got to where they were supposed to be on time.  Coach Doug Moyse was in attendance as the coach of the thirteen-year old girls and had four Mustangs on his roster!  The following Mustangs made you proud to be a Mustang with their behavior and their performances!  You go Mustangs!

 

Name                                                  Best Race                                           Time

                       

John Bannon (14)                                 4th in 100 Breast                                   1:05.54

Spindrift Beck (13)                               1st in 200 IM                                        2:09.75

Hannah Ferrin (12)                               9th in 50 Free                                        26.73

Des Godfrey (11)                                 8th in 50 Fly                                          30.32

Clint Hallum (14)                                  1st in 200 Breast                                   2:20.98

Kelsey Hendricks (13)                          5th in 50 Free                                        26.30

Stephanie Martin (13)                           5th in 100 Breast                                   1:10.16

Lauren Roth (14)                                  2nd in 200 Back                                    2:13.78

Maddie Steiner (14)                             1st in 200 Breast                                   2:29.94

Alicia Stevens (14)                               3rd in 100 Back                                     1:01.69

Keegan Watters (11)                            3rd in 100 Breast                                   1:16.96

Catia Weickgenant (13)                        3rd in 200 Fly                                        2:16.71

 

Haunted Hat Invitational (Nov. 1-2)

Our Mustang meet was again well-run by Victor Kimm, Adele Wherry and a slew of our great parents and kids.  We were well represented with over a hundred and twenty kids entered in the meet.  We finished a close second to COPS out of a field of twelve North Texas teams.  The meet was held at Alfred J. Loos Natatorium so it was a friendly place for many of our swimmers who dared to take their first plunge in a meet at our annual fun event.  The haunted hat contest was as popular as ever and seems to get tougher to judge as the contestants went all out to show their creativity and win a contest that was held “out of the pool.”

 

The familiar environment and early season meet, led to an incredible number of best times.  Approximately seventy percent of our swims were the best efforts on record for our swimmers.  Below is a list of those who participated in the meet.  Those with at least one first place finish are listed in italics.  We were proud of our support from our core group of dedicated parents and encourage all of you to help us out at the meets the Mustangs put on in the North Texas area.  Check with some of the parents you see down on the deck that are officials and working the computer areas.  They are some of the best seats in the house!  Congratulations to all the Mustangs for swimming with gusto and for our parents who went the extra yard to make it happen!

 

Kendall Ahnell (11), Christopher Alkire (9), Kristin Arnold (10), Stephanie Arnold (7), Alethea Atkins (11), Ellyn Baker (11), Marlena Barron (9), Tori Beckman (13), Cassidy Beckwitt (11), Jack Beckwitt (12), Sarah Blue (13), Bianca Bowring (6), Morgan Bowser (13), Haley Bybee (11), Amanda Campbell (11), Ellen Chaljub (10), Yukun Chen (10), Elyse Chevallier (11), Elizabeth Clay (6), Katie Clemens (10), Andy Collins (13), Kylee Crattett (11), Elizabeth Crowling (8), Patrick Crowling (10), Julia Cuaderas (10), Katie Curtis (13), Clark Davis (14), Susan Duncan (9), Megan Ernst (10), Nicole Ewer (7), Erin Fitzharris (15), Katie Fitzharris (14), Maggie Fitzharris (10), Alex Fraley (10), Aly Fuqua (9), Eric Futscher (8), Audrey Gan (6), Samiel Gan (9), Lydia Gerard (10), Paul Gerard (12), Sarah Gerard (14), Des Godfrey (11), Bradley Gommesen (8), Tita Gonzalez Pena (9), Joe Gray (6), Laura Gray (8), Sarah Gregory (11), Stephanie Grote (12), Bridget Guthrie (9), Shannon Guthrie (10), Katie Harner (13), Bolton Harris (13), Hayley Heiner (9), Shelbi Hendricks (9), Lauren Hill (13), Celia Holmes (8), Becca House (12), Daniel Howard (12), Craig Hunter (9), Katy Hunter (10), Katie Ische (13), Gabi Jackson (7), Leah Jones (12), Meagan Keesee (14), Catherine Ken (9), Christie Kimm (13), Caitlin Koranda (10), Morgan Koranda (8), JD Lantz (11), Kristine Larsen (10), Lindsey Larson (14), Cal Lundberg (13), Cameron Lundberg (10), Miyo Malouf (10), Elisabeth Mayer (9), Bradley McLaughlin (10), Will McNamara (10), Boni McVey (6), Meggy McVey (9), Andy Miller (17), Kazuomi Motoike (7), Jordan Newman (11), Courtney Nichols (7), Maddie Nieberlien (11), Alex Pappas (13), Sydney Patterson (9), Jackie Peiser (11), Julia Pitch (12), Blake Powell (8), Kate Powell (10), Miller Pyke (13), Katie Radford (11), Laura Rathjen (7), Natalie Rathjen (7), Patchi Ravi (14), Megan Reardon (13), Rosy Rios (12), Lesley Rowland (10), Alyssa Rusch (8), Nicholas Saliba (13), Andrea Sanchez (9), Gabby Sanchez (7), Ashton Sargent (9), Kyle Savage (14), George Scheer (9), Marianne Scheer (11), Callie Scheffler (9), Garrett Schick (11), Christian Sharp (12), Dakota Smith (13), Erin Smith (13), Sudhish Srikanth (8), Estrella Thomas (10), Lisa Van Amburgh (12), Jo Jo Veazey (7), Casey Watters (10), Jake Watters (8), Ward Weber (10), Jeff Wherry (16), Jenks White (12), John White (12), Burke Wiggins (13), Trayce Womack (14), Vicky Wu (10), Joyce Yee (13), and Cassidy Younghans (12).

 

Irving BB/B/C Meet (Dec. 12 – 14)

This holiday meet was held at Northlake College and was run by the City of Irving Swimmers.  The Mustangs placed second out of eight in the team race by only 19.5 points to Metroplex Aquatics who had about two and a half times as many relays entered as we do.   A few things to note: remember to get your kids to the warm-up on time and we are more than happy to get them on a relay; make sure they check in with the coach on deck to warm-up with the team and to get on a relay.  The Mustangs pay for relay costs and the kids enjoy them.  Swimmers who swim the first leg on relays are also rewarded with an official flat start time. 

 

All but a handful of the seventy kids who entered the meet came away with a best time.   Thanks to the coaches (Rory, Meredith, Karen, and Thomas) who cheered our Mustangs on to so much success.  Our parents were great as usual filling in as timers and officals in a meet we were not responsible to run.  The following swimmers participated in the meet.  Those that won an event in a BB, B, or C division are listed in italics.  Great swimming Mustangs!

 

Kendall Ahnell (11), Kristin Arnold (10), Stephanie Arnold (7), Mark Bayless (15), Cassidy Beckwitt (11), Jack Beckwitt (12), Luke Blaylock (8), Sarah Blue (13), Morgan Bowser (13), Katie Clemens (10), Kylee Crattett (11), Elizabeth Crowling (8), Patrick Crowling (10), Katie Curtis (13), Susan Duncan (9), Nicole Ewer (7), Erin Fitzharris (15), Katie Fitzharris (14), Maggie Fitzharris (10), Alex Fraley (10), Lydia Gerard (10), Paul Gerard (12), Sarah Gerard (14), Des Godfrey (11), Stephanie Grote (12), Bolton Harris (13), Shelbi Hendricks (9), Lauren Hill (13), Becca House (12), Daniel Howard (12), Craig Hunter (9), Katy Hunter (10), Katie Ische (13), Leah Jones (12), Meagan Keesee (14), Christie Kimm (13), JD Lantz (11), Kristine Larsen (10), Lindsey Larson (14), Miyo Malouf (10), Jordan Newman (11), Courtney Nichols (7), Alicia Nicoud (14), Julia Pitch (12), Katie Radford (11), Patchi Ravi (14), Megan Reardon (13), Alyssa Rusch (8), Andrea Sanchez (10), Gabby Sanchez (7), Kyle Savage (14), Callie Scheffler (9), Garrett Schick (11), Christian Sharp (12), Rio Shirey (11), Dakota Smith (13), Erin Smith (13), Estrella Thomas (10), Evie Thompson (8), Lisa Van Amburgh (12), Jake Watters (8), Ward Weber (10), Burke Wiggins (13), Trayce Womack (14), and Joyce Yee (13).

 

LAC BB/B/C Invitational (Nov. 22-23)

Seventy of our Mustangs ventured up I-35 to Flower Mound to swim in the Lewisville Independent School District pool.  We finished second out of eight teams competing in Division C of the North Texas area teams.  We swam relatively well as a team but since the meet was somewhat small, many swimmers did not get much rest in between events.  Most of the Mustangs entered in the meet left having acheived at least one best time, many had several. 

 

Below is a list of our Mustangs who competed for the team.  Those that won at least one event in a BB, B, or C groups are listed in italics below.  Way to go Mustangs!

 

Kendall Ahnell (11), Christopher Alkire (9), Kristin Arnold (10), Stephanie Arnold (7), Andrew Austin (11), Tori Beckman (13), Cassidy Beckwitt (11), Jack Beckwitt (12), Caroline Blaylock (6), Luke Blaylock (8), Alexis Bohan (11), Bianca Bowring (6), Morgan Bowser (13), Chloe Bristol (13), Haley Bybee (11), , Yukun Chen (10),  Katie Clemens (10), Clark Davis (14), Nika Diwa (14), Alex Fraley (10), Eric Futscher (8), Lydia Gerard (10), Paul Gerard (12), Sarah Gerard (14), Des Godfrey (11), Bradley Gommesen (8), Stephanie Grote (12), Shannon Guthrie (10), Katie Harner (13), Hayley Heiner (9), Shelbi Hendricks (9), Lauren Hill (13), Becca House (12), Angie Huang (7), Katie Ische (13), Leah Jones (12), Meagan Keesee (14), Christie Kimm (13), Morgan Koranda (8), Catherine Kurzner (10), Kristine Larsen (10), Miyo Malouf (10), Will McNamara (10), Meggy McVey (10), Courtney Nichols (7), Sydney Patterson (9), Laura Rathjen (7), Natalie Rathjen (7), Patchi Ravi (14), Pinky Ravi (9), Megan Reardon (13), Rosy Rios (12), Charlotte Rolfe (6), Delaney Rolfe (12), Matney Rolfe (14), Alyssa Rusch (8), Nicholas Saliba (13), Kyle Savage (14), George Scheer (9), Marianne Scheer (11), Callie Scheffler (9), Garrett Schick (11), Dakota Smith (13), Erin Smith (13), Lisa Van Amburgh (12), Casey Watters (10), Jake Watters (8), Ward Weber (10), Jenks White (12), John White (12), Trayce Womack (14),and Cassidy Younghans (12).

 

Swimming Nutrition 101

By our very own Doug Moyse, Head Age Group Coach

 

We have all seen what Loos looks like after a busy swimming meet.  What a mess!  The worst thing is all the food that somehow makes it out to the deck.  It is a wonder that our swimmers don’t go into diabetic comas with all the massive doses of carbohydrates that they consume in between events.  Fruit Roll-ups, boxes of sugar cubes, Power Bars, Gatorade, Propel…the list goes on and on.  If you think Loos looks bad after the meet, just think about the insides of our poor kids who devoured many of the “commercially cool” carbs during the course of a meet. 

 

Here is a fast fact for everyone.  Carbohydrates (sugars) that are ingested without any significant fats or proteins are basically dumped into our swimmers bloodstreams and will jack up their blood sugar levels, thus initiating a virtual flood of insulin into their systems.  Insulin is a hormone that acts to regulate blood sugar levels in the body.  When it is secreted from the pancreas, all kinds of important processes are compromised.  The swimmers ability to recover from an intense effort, their ability to burn fat, even their ability to recover from an injury due to improper technique or overuse, is lessened due to the release of insulin.  Keeping your child from binging on excessive carbohydrates can lead to better performances in the pool and in the classroom.

 

Food is fuel.  Fuel is what gets them through and recover from workouts and performances on meet days. That’s why you want your children to eat something that is “hormonally neutral.”  If they eat something in the 200-300 calorie range before and after workout, then they will enhance their body’s ability to perform during the workout and will retain the benefits from the workout more effectively.  Before, during, and after workout they should continue to drink water.  Dehydration is a huge problem that can lead to poor performance.  Many “sports drinks” are a hormonal joke.  Check out the labels and try not to cry when you realize how you have been fooled into thinking that a typical sports drink was something healthy. Look carefully at the labels on the sports drinks – for that matter, start looking at all your labels at the store.  The right combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrate is what you should look for.

 

How much of each?  Good question.  The protein should be from a good source (lean meats, legumes, and soy products) and should be about 25-30% of your diet.  The fats should be primarily monounsaturated (nuts, guacamole). Eating fats typically freaks out people.  The good news is that fats will mix with the carbohydrates you eat in your stomach and can slow the rate of absorption of the carbs into your bloodstream.  Fats should make up about 25-30% of your diet.  This leaves 40-50% of your diet available for our friend the carbohydrate.  Did you ever wonder why people like carbohydrates in the morning so much?  Many are high in what is called the glycemic index, the rate at which carbs are absorbed into your bloodstream.  Orange juice, bread, and many cereals all have relatively high glycemic indexes.  Does that mean you shouldn’t ingest them?  No, just consume them in moderation.  Oatmeal and cottage cheese are good choices to start out the day with.

 

So what do you feed your kids at meets?  Start them off with water.  Add a few nuts, dried fruit, string cheese, and an energy bar with a good mix of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.  You can even get an energy bar higher in protein if you are uncomfortable giving them something that needs to be kept at a certain temperature (like some cheeses).   They should try to eat something every 5 hours.  Not eating can cause a drop in blood sugar level which will not allow them short-term energy supplies (carbohydrates) and also inhibit their abilities to tap into the long-term energy supplies (fat).  If these energy sources are not available or tapped out, the body will consume muscle (protein) in an effort to “stay afloat.” 

 

The bottom line is that having your child eat a well balanced diet will give them a better chance at success in swimming and in life.  It’s like taking legal steroids!  Take advantage of your good fuel choices!

 

Dallas Mustangs Tuition Policies

 

Quarterly when tuition statements are mailed out, there are a lot of questions regarding tuition policies.  The following is a reminder of the Dallas Mustangs tuition policies.  If you have any questions concerning these policies, please feel free to discuss them with any member of the Board.  (Board members are listed in the back of your Dallas Mustang directory and in the New Member Handbook.)

 

Tuition:

Tuition may be paid quarterly: September, December, March, and June, or monthly.  Tuition paid monthly includes a $5.00 per month processing fee.  (If tuition for the quarter is not paid by the due date, monthly payment has automatically been selected.)

 

Group                          Quarter                                   Month

Red/Blue                     $150.00                                   $ 55.00

Bronze                         $180.00                                   $ 65.00

Silver                            $240.00                                   $ 85.00

Gold                             $285.00                                   $100.00

National                       $345.00                                   $120.00

 

Tuition is due from September through August. (If you swim in July – you are responsible for August tuition.)  You are responsible for tuition even if you attend only one workout during the month.

Leave of Absence (LOA) is available only for injury and medical reasons.  All LOA requests must be approved in advance.  (Vacations, travel and participation in other sports or activities do not qualify for LOA.)

There will be a $10.00 per month discount for the second and subsequent swimmers in the same family.  The fourth swimmer is free.

A swimmer transferring from another team must be in good standing with their old team.

Tuition will not be billed unless you are late or elect the quarterly tuition option.

Tuition is due the first of every month/quarter.

You elect to pay tuition either monthly or quarterly.  If you decide to change your election – you are responsible for contacting the treasurer directly or your billing will not be changed. 

If you elect monthly tuition – you are responsible for submitting your payment the first of each month, even though statements are only mailed quarterly.

If you elect quarterly tuition – the payment for the entire quarter is due the first of the quarter.  Electing quarterly tuition commits you for the entire quarter (there are no refunds if you decide to drop in the middle of the quarter).  Quarterly election provides you with a discounted tuition, the ease of billing and a guaranteed tuition amount for the quarter even if your swimmer moves up to the next workout group/tuition level.  In return, the quarterly election provides the team with your commitment for the entire quarter.

There will be a $5.00 per family late fee after the 10th of the month for non-zero balance accounts.

Should you choose to leave the team – it is your responsibility to contact the treasurer or registration chairman.  (Informing the coach does not fulfill this responsibility!)

The swimmer(s) may be barred from swimming and team activities if there is an aged account balance is excess of 60 days.

If there is a problem with your billing, please contact the treasurer.

Should circumstances prevent full payment of your tuition, please contact the president.  Scholarships and alternate payment plans will be addressed on a case by case basis.  (Please Note: Lack of communication is not an option!)

Please indicate in the memo portion of all checks what the payment is for (ie. Dues – swimmer’s name, meet entries, supplies, etc.).

Tuition may be sent with the swimmer to the pool, or mailed to the Treasurer:

DM Treasurer – Shannon Rusch

603 Hood Dr.

Coppell, Texas 75019

 

 

Hotel Reservations for Travel Meets

 

Hotels availability for Sectionals is tight at best. There is a rather large convention going on at the same time so College Station will be buzzing with activity. Our Travel chairman, Larry Thompson, has made the following reservations, working with requests for suites and what was available in Bryan/College Station:

 

Sectionals at Texas A&M, College Station, TX

February 26th – 28th

 

Vinyard Suites College Station

1500 George Bush Drive East
College Station, TX 77840

979-693-1220

5 Rooms total

Held under confirmation numbers 24011, 24012, 24013, 24014, 24015

Rate - $99 for 2 occupants, $109 for a maximum of 4 people.

 

TownePlace Suites College Station

1300 University Drive East,

College Station, TX 77840

979-260-8500

5 Rooms Total

Studio rooms, single level $89 per night; refer to confirmation number 84748457

There is a possibility that the hotel will release 6-8 more rooms AFTER February 3rd.

 

LaSalle Hotel “Bryan” Texas

120 S. Main Street

Bryan, TX 77802

979-822-2000

Reservations: 866-822-2000

This is a smaller hotel with a total of 50 rooms.

Note: while not in College Station, the travel time from the hotel to the pool is less than 15 minutes.

(30 Rooms reserved)

2 Doubles

20 Kings

7 Suites

Rate - $90 for a room with a king or double beds, $122 for suites.

The above rates are for single/double occupancy per room.  Additional guests per room will be charged $6.00 per night, per guest. All of our rooms offer complimentary continental breakfast, Internet connections, irons, ironing boards, hairdryers and coffeemakers. The hotel would like all guests to know that there is a "no pet" policy.

The Group Code for the block reservation is "DMST".  For faster service when making reservations, please refer to this code.  The reservation cut-off date is February 5, 2004.  Rooms not reserved by this date will be returned to inventory and offered based on availability, at the regular rate. 

Directions: Take Highway 60 to College Ave, make a Right, College Avenue will become Main Street, continue straight, hotel is on the left.

 

Meet Account

 

Please remember that all swimmers must maintain a current and up to date meet entry account, by attaching a check for the meet entry fees to each meet entry submitted. Should you need to submit your meet entry via email, a check for the meet fees must be placed in the meet entry box/folder at the pool during your next scheduled workout. Meet entry checks must be separate from your dues/supply checks. All checks for your meet entries should be made payable to “Dallas Mustangs”, marked “meet entry fees”, and have the swimmer’s name included in the memo section. Meet entry fee checks and forms should be dropped in the meet entry box/folder at the pools.

 

Upcoming Social News

 

Calling all Mustang swimmers! Mark your calendars for…

Monday, February 23rd - Dallas Mustang's Fire Up Party
All swimmers will work out at Loos from 5:30-6:30 with the party following at 6:30pm. The party will include pizza, drinks, desserts and swimmer recognition.

Sunday, May 2nd - The Annual Dallas Mustangs Swim Team Banquet
This year’s banquet will start at 5:00pm at SMU's Umphrey Lee Ballroom. The banquet will include dinner, a guest speaker, swimmer recognition and team highlights/slide show.

Look for flyers for the upcoming events and be ready to have lots of FUN with your Dallas Mustang's Swim Team.   

 

Bad Weather Policy

 

The general bad weather policy states that if school is out (DISD), so is practice. Usually Channel 8 (WFAA) will announce school closings early in the day on TV. If DISD is closed, practice is off.