This Week in Swim Vol X: It All Comes Down To This
Happy Champs Eve To All Who Celebrate!
This is it people. This is the big one. Some people may call it the biggest swim meet currently happening in the world. We have reached the time for Champs: The 2024 CCSDA Championship Swim Meet. 16 teams will descend upon Army Navy Country Club (renowned for throwing the best Champs meet, everyone agrees). One team will be crowned champion. There are 8,547 points available during this meet and I am going to call it right now; this meet is going to come down to less than 20 points at the top. Washington Golf has won the last 8 of these. They come in having just lost Divisionals to Congressional. Congressional is top-heavy and does not fare as well in a lineup where their top swimmers can only swim two events. Kenwood doesn't seem to have the juice of years past. That leaves the home team. Everybody is just a little afraid of the sleeping giant, largest team in the league, swimming in their home digs: Army Navy Country Club (hey! that's us). So I want everyone, not just those competing, to be at the club, in the team area, in the stands, cheering on Army Navy to what could be our first CCSDA Championship in over 45 years. Below you will find a schedule of events for the meet and all the festivities to follow as well.
Monday
10&U Prelims -- 9:15AM Warm Up, 10:00AM Meet Start
11&O Prelims -- 1:30PM Warm Up, 2:00PM Meet Start
We will have 2 swimmers in each event and the top 16 will come back to swim finals on Tuesday. A little less crowded, a little lower energy, but the need for spirit and hype is even more necessary to set us up to score well on Tuesday (also, this is the best day to try out all the food options Army Navy has put together -- everyone is going to be talking about the taco stand).
Tuesday
Event #1-24 (IM, Free, Back) Warm Up: 9:00AM
Spirit Parade: 9:45AM -- This is the one event that everyone is going to want to be at, whether you are swimming or not. All the teams will line up around the pool and do our cheers. We want all hands on deck for this one. Everyone should be decked out in Army Gold, Navy Blue, and military regalia.
Event #1-24 Start: 10:15AM
Event #25-50 (Med Relays, Breast, Fly, Fr Relays) Warm Up: 1:15-1:25PM
Graduating Senior Recognition: 1:45PM
Event #25-50 Meet Start: 2:00PM
Barring weather delays (cross your fingers everybody) we should be done before 4:00PM and a Champion will be crowned at our crowned jewel of a pool.
Army Navy Splash Party: 5:30PM-whenever Wendy kicks us out @ Arlington Pools
Link to register for Splash Party
The splash party is open to all Army Navy Swim Team members and their families. Please make sure to register with the link above to ensure that the club plans for enough food and drink. We will gather on the pool decks with music, floats in the pool, handing out of champs hardware, and the coaches will give out the senior gag gifts. Especially since we will be at home for the meet, it will be a wonderful cap to the season.
Friday
Army Navy Swim & Dive Team Banquet -- 5:30PM Dinner, 6:15PM Presentation Start. Events on 3rd floor of the clubhouse.
The culmination of our whole season. A chance to see all your favorite swimmers and coaches all dressed up. Buffet dinner will be open at 5:30PM. Dive will start with their presentation and then swim team will follow. We will all hit the dance floor until they kick us out after that. Please make sure to sign up using the link above so that staff can plan and stage the event appropriately. Walk up registrations may not be available.
Okay, that's all for now. See you all on the beautiful decks of Army Navy County Club over the next two days.
From the Deck,
Coach Ian