WRAP UP FROM SAINT PETERSBURG

The Mako swimmers wrapped up their four days of competition in Saint Petersburg last evening with several of our swimmers donning their suits, caps and goggles for one last race in the pool.  The atmosphere was charged as the music played on while the kids were racing in the longer events.

For our swimmers it would be one more warmup to get through before the races.  Feeling the fatigue that was now setting in, we took a different approach this evening, and kept the kids in the pool until a few heats before theirs was to take to the blocks.  All the Mako swimmers responded well to this approach with a great effort in the pool posting some best times along the way.

Mako finalists were Blake 50 fly (2nd) and 10 minutes late taking another 2nd in 100 breast.  Blake would finish as the runner up for his age group in points.  In the 13-14 50 fly Kendall and Sophia Cloutier would be seeded in lanes 1and 2 respectively.  Both girls got out fast and arrived at the turn wall simultaneously and came off with some great underwater’s , and now it was a horse race to the finish with Sophia just out touching Kendall. Sadie was next up posting another best time in the 50 free.  The last individual swim of the evening was a 200 free for Katherine Helms and her last swim as is recognized as age group swimming.  After swimming a smart race with great splits an exhausted Katherine would stop the clock a little off her time.  The meet would end with our 11-12 boys 400
free relay consisting of Chaz, Blake, Ben, and Adrian hitting the wall in 3rd place.

After the meet the swimmers and parents walked to the ark next to the pool on the bay for pizza, swimming , volleyball, and just a time for everyone to unwind from a long 5 days of swimming.

As the coaches told the swimmers on the beach the entire Mako family can feel proud of the way they were represented over the last week, and this was both in and out of the pool.  Friendship bonds were created and our older swimmers really stepped up to mentor our younger swimmers with the stretching and the socializing in the team early.  Regardless of a swimmers result, good or bad, their was always a teammate their to support them whether it was individually or as a group behind their lanes.  It is hard to realize it at this time, but long after medals have collected dust and times are forgotten it’s the other things that will become more important and that you will remember during your lives.  A big thank to all our parents who pitched in and help make this week run so smoothly
and most of all for allowing us to work with you most cherished things, your children.  You can all be so proud of them because the are a special group.