Name:   Isaac Breen-Franklin High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 6 College Attending in Fall 2010: Babson College -- Hopefully Hobbies when not swimming: Search and Rescue, Watching Movies, Hanging out with friends Most memorable swim: 200Fr LC at the Navy Meet. Greg had given me a 1/2 hour pep talk leading up to the race, as I wanted to make my first national cut. I won the heat by a good 10 meters, and made my cut. Most memorable/ funny moment: Almost every day in the locker room something is funny.. Top Three: Zach Griffin ran out side to wave to the Severn Football Team, wearing a speedo and most of the floats from the equipment rack. Rolling somebody (probably Jack/Colin) into the pool while inside a huge cardboard box. Last but not least, Colin shot a 2lb medicine ball through the treadmill, thoroughly destroying it. Best event: 500Fr -- It takes me a while to get going. Favorite set: Long Distance Freestyle, especially pulling. Least favorite set: Anything not Freestyle. Pre-swim rituals: Eat/Drink (Consume?) a PowerGel 20 minutes prior to the race, sit behind the blocks for the prior two events or so. What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: You get out what you put in. If you don't swim, and just fool around at practice you're not going to do well, no excuses, it's no one's fault but your own. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Learn to get along, you're going to be spending plenty of time with people, all year long. If you make drama, you have to deal with it. Most importantly, Streamline is for suckers! ;-)

Name:   Mike Cooke High School: Homeschooled with a little AACC on the side and some online courses on top Years on SPY: Soon to be 2 College Attending in Fall 2010: Too many choices I can't decide! Hobbies when not swimming: I'm a bit of a piano fiend, most of the Spies know this, it's no big deal. I enjoy "almost" beating Coach Richard in tennis, our tennis match is still not over and will be continued when he mans up. I even gave him the benefit of practice + ultimate frisbee beforehand. I'll say this, it was close! Watching football, paintball, hanging out with the friend's and family, and, of course, listening to gossip from the rest of the team while shaking my head thinking how these kids will survive in the real world. Most memorable swim: I'm going to have to go with 400 IM at Districts. Last chance to make Nationals and head down to Florida. Started out the race great and only got better. Got done, did well in my heat, looked up to the clock all hopeful... no time! Hop out of the pool, asked Mr. Burns (my timer as I recall) my time, he gives it to me but says it's not official so no promises. Well, after a 400 IM you have a little trouble standing up -- especially when you don't have a clue what you just went and it's a pretty big deal, considering your timer just told you that you, "probably" made Nationals -- so I fell down on the floor Crystee walks past asking "Did you get your time?!"... I tell you I ain't never been closer to pushing a pregnant lady in a pool! (I love you Crystee!) I guess she saw the look on my face cause she said she'd go double check. I'm still sitting on the ground tired, not really sure what to do, hoping I made it but more worried about the pain I'm going though... After about a minute that felt like hours Crystee gets back to say I made it. Qualified. It's over. Done. Well I still felt same, maybe a little better, hobbled to cool down pool and swim it off. Still didn't really let it hit me I had accomplished something I'd been working hard for 20 hours a week for months, months, and more endless months. Moral of this story is more for the younger kids trying to make Nationals. If you are at all like me, and put all the time, effort, dedication into achieving something then when you achieve it, it SHOULD hurt. It SHOULD make you want puke. And it SHOULD make you want to push a pregnant lady in a pool. But when it's all said and done, you'll realize how much that hard work payed off when you spend an amazing week at Nationals with a team you love, doing the thing you love. Most memorable/ funny moment: Everyday I walk into that pool I don't know what to expect. I can pick from a large pot to answer this question, yet I must limited my selection and I'll go with this one, which was probably the funniest thing I've ever heard, mainly cause it involved Greg arguing with Crystee's little girl Carly. It just happened that one day she decided to bring her girls to practice back before Riley came along, I believe it was the Spring of '09. Cute little Carly, smiling and cackling, hiding behind Crystee, holding a little preschool book. Greg and I are standing there, playing with little Carly while Crystee is explaining some set or whatever... Carly was all proud of herself and went around bragging about how she could read her book. Greg went up to her and says, "So? I can read ANY book!" and then she cried and hid behind Crystee the rest of practice. I couldn't swim the first hundred of the set I was laughing so hard. Best event: Probably 100 Breast but I like 400 IM best Favorite set: 20x200 on 4:00 Best Stroke, with Chet. I only liked it cause I was feel really good that day and was holding about a 2:36 maybe faster but didn't go over 2:40 once! Least favorite set: Test Sets. Pre-swim rituals: I like to mixed it up a lot, I like to get excited and have the blooding flowing behind the blocks. Usually if it's distance like 500, 1000, or 1650 I'll listen to a song to set my tempo, for shorter events I just go out there and sprint. What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: SPY is a team. No matter how many people tell you swimming is an individual sport, it just doesn't appear that way when you look at SPY. We support each other for the goodness of our team and put the team before most things in our lives. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Training-wise: you will plateau. It happens to everyone but the great swimmers are the ones who can get over it. Many of you probably know who Dave Ensor is. To me, he is someone who I consider a colleague and friend. He gave me the advice of, when you hit a plateau, do something crazy. His wording was something along the lines of doing a flip into the pool to start warm ups, but what he really meant was tweak your technique, change suits, goggles, wear or don't where a cap, just change it up a little. These things don't seem like much but when you get to the national level they make a difference and you will notice the little things more and more. There a logical formula in the world these days and it goes like this. Input = Output. I use this in swimming by inputting my best effort, while expect the output to be the best possible results. It a good way to approach life.

Name:   Melissa Cropper High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 8 College Attending in Fall 2010: Currently unknown Hobbies when not swimming: Hanging with friends Running Shopping Most memorable swim: This year at Raleigh the 100 Back at finals Most memorable/ funny moment: When Ken told me I reminded him of Emily Schindler when I was about 12, which was a huge compliment. Or when Richard and I had a 45 min talk about nationals last spring, I’m pretty sure that’s the longest we’ve talked and it was an intense conversation. And when I backed into a car right before practice in the freezing rain and I went to go leave a note on the guys car and when I walked up he was sitting in there, that was awkward. Best event: 100 Back Favorite set: Einsteins!! Least favorite set: Anything with fly or IM, 18x 100s fly Pre-swim rituals: Listen to music, jump around What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: Even if no one else believes in you, if you believe in yourself you can make things happen. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Don’t get me wrong, swimming has taught me a lot, but life isn’t all about swimming, do things that make you happy. Don’t let anyone intimidate you.

Name:   Kendall Farnham High School: Severn Years on SPY: 9 College Attending in Fall 2010: Dartmouth!! Hobbies when not swimming: running cross country (and half marathons...ha), talking, telling pointless stories, listening to music, sometimes reading, organizing things Most memorable swim: 200 Free Relay at LCYN 2009 when we got the national record!! Completely unexpected. And also my 200 Fly at LCYN 2009 - after the free relay, I was so pumped that I took off 8 seconds! Most memorable/ funny moment: Oh, there are lots. Watching Record at Allie Muha's house (NEVER AGAIN), lane three sleepovers, everyday with Caroline Burns (I miss her!), our relay cheer with Val at SCYN 2008, swimming sprint 25's with my eyes closed and smashing my head against the wall (Emily I will never forgive you for that), putting the shopping cart in Jim and Richard's room at SCYN, the list goes on forever... Best event: 100 fly (Jim says 200 fly, but he's wrong) Favorite set: Any IM set of 200's or less, as long as it's not boring. Over-unders are also fun! Least favorite set: DISTANCE. Pre-swim rituals: dancing (doing the Emily Weaner), singing, laughing, shouting...anything other than focusing on swimming What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: Trust your coaches and teammates. First of all, our coaches are always right, no matter how much we like to argue with them. When we listen, we get rewarded. Lesson learned. As for our teammates, we have to get along and listen to each other, or every week is going to be absolutely miserable. Love <3 Advice for future SPY swimmers: Push yourself by racing your teammates at practice. It's the easiest way to stay competitive and improve. Go to bed early as much as possible or you will DIE on Thursdays and Fridays (it took me three years to get a hang of this!). Look out when Jim has his hand on his hip, is holding a clipboard, and is chewing his pen...apparently you didn't swim as well as you thought you did! HAVE FUN :) Swimming is awesome, but it's easy to forget if you don't loosen up a bit.

Name:   Chip Helferstay High School: The Archbishop Spalding Years on SPY: 8 College Attending in Fall 2010: Either York, Salisbury, Roger Williams, Delaware, Pace University or Harvard Hobbies when not swimming: Lax, Ravens, Caps hockey, Hanging out with friends, Watching/playing other sports Most memorable swim: District finals 2001 100 fly…I had to go to the bathroom and got unfocused so I swam the first lap freestyle…that was just a little embarrassing! Most memorable/ funny moment: Lane 6 Legends…Room 206…Hockey at Allie’s house…Yelling stuff at every practice…Annoying various people… Triple f carpool…”you won’ting”…str8…Crystee eats babies…other stuff Best event: 200 fly... Favorite set: Stations Least favorite set: The test set for some reason I decided to do 10 100s than 10 50s. Then I decided to do them fly. I do not make the best decisions. Pre-swim rituals: Listen to music that pumps me up Limp Bizkit and 1000 Miles. What is the Most Important lesson you have learned from swimming on SPY: 1. Your team is like your second family. In your family there will be quarrels but in the end you are still family so get over it. 2. Practice is what you make it. If you try hard you will probably do well. Also if you have been trying hard in practice but time is not dropping, don’t give up. 3. Somehow you need to have fun at practice because if you do not you will become a robot. And being a robot is not cool. Advice for future SPY swimmers: It is usually bad to annoy people; unless it’s funny then it’s worth it. Also find out where Greg is.

Name:   Hannah Huber High School: Archbishop Spalding High School Years on SPY: 8 College Attending in Fall 2010: I'll let you know. Either Boston College, Duquesne, Northeastern, Villanova, or William and Mary Hobbies when not swimming: I'm very involved in the music program at my school. I play trumpet in a couple different groups and I sing in the vocal groups at my school and the choir at my church. Most memorable swim: I have two. First was the time I swam 200 free at HARY (I think I was about 12) and I miss-counted and stopped a 50 early. Everyone yelled at me to keep going and even though I was ahead when I stopped, I came in last. I didn't even want to talk to the coaches after wards because I was so embarrassed. My other most Memorable swim was when I made nationals in 50 back at winterfest. I was substituted into the relay so that I could have a shot at the cut. My relay team consisted of all the girls I was incredibly intimidated of and I was so nervous I kept apologizing to them before we swam that I was going to slow down the relay. When I made the cut I looked up and my mom was crying in the bleachers. I ran up to Jim and he gave me my first nationals cap... great feeling. Most memorable/ funny moment: Oh wow there are way to many to choose from. Every one of our "revenge days" in lane 4 with Sean and Katherine. There's that time Nicole wore her underwear out on the pool deck without realizing it. There's a few times Jim has called me some names that I don't wish to repeat, but they are some of my best memories. Best event: 50 backstroke! If that doesn't count then I guess it's 100 back Favorite set: Over-Unders Least favorite set: 20x200 Best Stroke with Chet (In my case Backstroke holding 2:25). If it wasn't bad enough that that set sent me to the hospital once, we had to do it again months later! Pre-swim rituals: I don't do anything too out of the ordinary. I do fix my goggles approximately every 4 seconds behind the blocks, it happens about 20 times before I swim. Oh and I like to dance behind the blocks to pump up. What is the Most Important lesson you have learned from swimming on SPY: First, You can't judge your own accomplishments off others. It stinks but sometimes people don't have to work very hard and they are naturally gifted and get what they want while other people who work really hard just can't seem to get it. I've seen it happen to many of my friends, and myself. However, hard work usually does pay off. Sure, it may take you a little longer than someone else to achieve the same goal but that does not detract from your accomplishment or mean they deserved it more. Second,there are people out in this world that you will need to see everyday other than your family, haha. When you see people that much you are going to learn some things about them that most people don't know and you may get annoyed by little things they do. However, when you see people that much, getting along is very important. Of course there are people on SPY that I talk to more than others and there are some that push my buttons more than others, but at the end of each day they are my family. Family may fight and get mad, but even on the days that I don't like them I still love them. SPY has taught me what it means to CHOOSE to be part of a family. Advice for future SPY swimmers: There's a couple things I would say. First, no matter what the coaches say, find other passions. Being a good swimmer is always nice but most likely its not going to take you too far. However, your ability to try new things and learn lessons along the way will take you very far. Also, it's cliche but don't give up! Until I got into High School I was the slowest swimmer in my practice group. I didn't always make districts, I only made it when I was at the top of my age group and I barely qualified. My only goal was to make regionals one day. I never thought I would make Raleigh or let alone nationals! Some people just peak later than others so don't just assume you're not a good swimmer, keep trying. Being fast really isn't that important in the grand scheme of life. Just enjoy swimming with your friends, the rest doesn't matter.

Name:   Katherine Kline (Kat) High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 8 years College Attending in Fall 2010: Undecided but my top choice is James Madison University Hobbies when not swimming: Sadly the only things I do when I am not swimming are eating fast food (Chick-fil-a or McDonalds preferably), shopping, or Facebook…I am currently working on getting a life. Most memorable swim: Umm probably finally breaking a 56 in 100 free at Raleigh 09. I had to pee really badly and was the last heat in the event, which meant going into “the room”. The room was quite intimidating for me, sitting next to my opponents, and the fact that there was food in there didn’t help my intense need to stuff my face…but I resisted. They called my heat out; I lead the swimmers out and stood behind the block. Telling us to step onto the block, I sucked up my sensation to pee, stepped onto the block, and dove into the water swimming a best time. And then I peed. Most memorable/ funny moment: Oh funny moments with SPY People, and so the list begins: I think I was a sophomore in High School when I decided to host a sleepover at my house with the usual group of swimmers: Melissa, Valerie, Sarah, Emily, and Mary. Mel, Val, Emily, and Mary were on my bedroom floor; I was lying on my bed; and Sarah had just gone to the potty. When she returned from the bathroom she decided she wanted to come and snuggle with me, bad decision. Sarah plopped down on the bed and it collapsed. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. No big deal, I got to sleep on a slanted bed for a couple nights!! But it made poor little Sarah cry…ooh well haha. Supposedly I loved “Revenge Days” hosted by my lane mates last year. Sean Brant and Hannah Huber decided that when I didn’t behave, they would make me pay for it the following Tuesday at practice. My punishments: shoving me in the pool, slapping me with kickboards, and I’m sure there were others but the memories are too painful that I have subconsciously blocked them out. Finally, I was at a team swimming event at someone’s house. A basketball game was on and I was sitting next to Jack Bremer, basically you already know I’m in trouble. He was cheering for a team, so I decided to be obnoxious and cheer for the other one. I can’t remember specifically but either his team was about to score and missed or mine was about to score and made it. Either way, I started cheering…and he pushed me onto the floor and started screaming. Oh goodness, his anger was enough to make me laugh for basically the rest of the night. Best event: 50 free, 100 free, and 200 IM Favorite set: Straight kicking for 15 minutes…definition of a social set. Least favorite set: Any long distance sets I basically look at them and then think, “Not gonna happen!” End of story. Pre-swim rituals: Get my hip-hop/ rap music bumpin to get me in the zone Stretch Jump up and down behind the block What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: Not to take things too personally. The coaches and other swimmers are there to give support and constructive criticism to help improve your swimming technique. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Try your best, and that is all you can ask for.

Name:   Brittney Lee Lenz High School: Chesapeake High School Years on SPY: 1 and 1 year in 2005 College Attending in Fall 2010: Not sure yet, swimming at Washington College, Penn State/Altoona, McDaniel, UMW, or Bridgewater Hobbies when not swimming: Hanging out with my friends and family and running Most memorable swim: When I used to swim for SPY in 6th grade, I slipped on the block and fell in the pool at Winterfest. It was so embarrassing. Best event: 100 fly Favorite set: none. Haha Maybe when we do snakes and relays. Least favorite set: All kicking Pre-swim rituals: Listen to my Ipod What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: If you tried your best, then you can't be disappointed. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Stick with what you love.

Name:   Emily Lloyd High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 10 College Attending in Fall 2010: swimming at the University of Virginia Hobbies when not swimming: sleeping (obviously), lacrosse, watching Disney movies, tubing, going on bike rides, working at Sandy Point, hanging out with friends. Most memorable swim: After swimming for 10 years, it’s hard to pick just one, so here are a few: LCYN 2009: winning the 200 free relay when everyone (including our coaches) was making jokes about how we would win, not really thinking it was actually possible. And Kendall crying afterward :) SCYN 2009: getting DQ’ed after tying for 1st in 50 free, then having a great race in 200 free (imagine that!), then tying for 1st in 100 free AGAIN (but this time it counted)! Not to mention that Jim was in the best mood of his entire life throughout the meet, which added humor to it. Swimming at Olympic Trials 2008: By far the most nerve-racking race in my entire life, but the atmosphere was crazy and it was just really awesome to be a part of it. Most memorable/ funny moment: There are a lot…Kendall and I running around the hotel with a shopping cart then sticking it in Jim and Richard’s bathroom at SCYN 2007…becoming friends with all the YMCA officials at meets…any meet with Caroline Burns- she makes it hilarious…taking pictures with the naked cowboy on the New York trip 2009…Kendall getting really hyper and tripping over everything on her way to the cool down pool after every time she swims 200 fly…Jim going to the grocery store in the middle of the meet and bringing back Kendall tea because she was sick during SCYN 2009…Jack and Colin dancing on the blocks at more than one meet…lane 2 dyNASTY…probably many more that I just can’t think of at the moment. Best event: 50, 100 freestyle Favorite set: starts, turns, finishes, stations, sprint 25’s with lots of rest. Least favorite set: anything that involves swimming freestyle straight for distance (i.e. 8x200’s on some insanely fast time, ANY set of 500’s or more, or distance free ladders) GAG ME. Pre-swim rituals: Sit around, usually doing something pointless like gossiping or listening to High School Musical, then realizing that I have to swim soon, so rushing to warm up quickly with Kori and getting behind the blocks early to push my goggles into my face 5,382,956,348,950,438 times. (Also, in 2009 I had to add in taking time to put on my suit, as that took up a good half hour for every race!) What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY: That I shouldn’t underestimate myself, and that as long as you have the mindset that you can accomplish something, you can. I also learned how to be a leader, and how important it is to encourage others, because that is what builds a team and improves your performance as well. Advice for future SPY swimmers: Never give up, think positively, encourage each other every day, and look at swimming as a hobby, not a lifestyle! It’s for fun, don’t turn it into work, then you will never get to enjoy it. “We’re at the starting line of the rest of our lives as ready as we’ve ever been, Got the hunger in the stars of our eyes, the prize is ours to win” – Miley Cyrus. Remember that anything is possible, don’t set a standard for yourself that is less than what you deserve. “Sometimes ya win, sometimes ya lose, and sometimes…it rains.” –Caddy Shack. Often in swimming, things don’t go the way you expect, but that’s life and you have to learn to live with it and make the best of an undesirable situation.

Name:   Sarah Lloyd High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 10 College Attending in Fall 2010: Playing lacrosse at Princeton University Hobbies when not swimming: lacrosse, eating, going on leisurely bike rides, singing wonderfully, making noises, walking/bouncing, hanging with my peeps. Most memorable swim: LCYNATS 2009: Our 200 medley relay finally won after trying unsuccessfully for the last two years. Our 200 free relay (Dream Team) somehow managed to win (you would think that would be relatively easy considering we have the fastest 50 freestyler in the whole meet by about a mile, but apparently not for our team!) Most memorable/ funny moment: Haha there are just so many of these, but here are a few that I can think of right now: Consoling Kendall during the “being petrified of Caroline” stage our freshman year when Caroline would literally attempt to kill her every day. Jack attempting to get Giles’ number from Emily, then after 10 minutes of “this number already exists should I just replace it?” realizing that it was Caroline’s number the whole time. Meredith (BRY coach) believing that “SPY swimmers don’t respect YMCA values” Colin singing when he thinks no one can hear him, but really everyone in the whole gym can hear him loud and clear. Allie Muha… Best event: 100 Fly Favorite set: Ultimate Frisbee!! If that doesn’t count, then starts. If that doesn’t count, then bubbles. If that doesn’t count, then stations. If that doesn’t count, anything sprint fly. Least favorite set: See I don’t really mind hard sets that much, sometimes I kind of like them, but I really don’t like boring sets that aren’t even that hard its just swimming along for a long time and you just have nothing to think about and no one to talk to. It’s just not as fun that way! Pre-swim rituals: Apart from usually having Kendall flip my cap and attempting to pretend to stretch so I look somewhat intimidating, I don’t really have a set ritual. I pretty much just try to have as much fun as possible up until I step on the blocks because you always swim better when you are having fun, right?! What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY: “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!” –Dr. Seuss Advice for future SPY swimmers: Don’t worry. Be happy.

Name:   Mary Miller High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 10 College Attending in Fall 2010: LSU Hobbies when not swimming: EATING, SLEEPING, FACEBOOK, listening to music, hanging with friends…pretty typical hobbies I would say. Most memorable swim: Well there are definitely more then one….so one that I don’t remember all too well but was great at the time was breaking 30 seconds in 50 free at the time that was the greatest thing EVER. Years later, I attempted to make Raleigh numerous times my last shot of 2008 was at Wilton that year so you would think perfect time to make the cut unfortunately that didn’t happen until after chip and I had the pleasure of being at a meet with little kids we didn’t know…I finally made the 200 back at Winterfest of that year by a whole 4 seconds! It was great to see that clock after that swim. But then of course that summer I really wanted to make long course after missing Raleigh I wanted another meet under my belt so having the chance at the annual county meet I went for the 50 back (one of the easiest events in the world) and I made it thanks to Caroline swimming next to me and me not wanting to eat her bubbles by the end of the race. Most memorable/ funny moment: Oh goodness there are so many to choose from I could probably write a book about them all…As a Gumshoe I LOVED only having practice for 45 minutes haha those were the days…. but for the more memorable moments lets just start with lane 4 last year and the revenge days between Kat and Sean those were great to watch haha but just revenge days in general with the boys vs. girls locker rooms or the car pool revenge with the toilet paper to powdered sugar (glad that wasn’t to my car)…oh and how could you forget anytime you tell the boys they wont…oh they will…oh and Kimmy how I always make her nervous and accounting when we can talk about everything and Emily and Sarah with our obsessions with Grey’s Anatomy, Make it or Break it and secret life…Allie Muha and her aquaphor loveliness…basically everything is memorable…. Best event: Well, if 25 under water dolphin kick counted then that but other wise I guess I’m pretty good at 50, 100, and sometimes 200 back and then apparently as of Raleigh I can swim 100 fly decently haha but 200 that’s NEVER going to happen. Favorite set: Well, the one time we went to Einstein’s for practice that was great but actual real sets that I like 20 x 25’s underwater or any kind of kicking is good or basically any sprint sets with a good amount of rest. Stations are usually good unless they are just sets disguised as stations those aren’t too fun. Depending on the day I like 20 x 200s back when they are sprint but with a lot of rest…all and all I just really like my rest Least favorite set: Well top of that list would be any kind of distance freestyle so 500s aren’t fun…7 X 1000’s as the start of the new year…terrible….200’s freestyle on not a leisure pace…not fun…but in terms of stroke any thing with breaststroke involved…no thanks so that includes most IM sets Pre-swim rituals: I don’t really anything all that exciting before I swim…if someone is listening to a good song I will listen with them but I take a sip of water then go up to the coaches to ask if they are ready for my interesting swim then I go behind the blocks and wish everyone good luck…then I just stand behind the block kind of stretching and then fix my goggles a million and one times and then just hope for the best from there. What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: Just be yourself, don’t take things to personally you see these people everyday sometimes more then once a day so don’t make others too mad or it tends to make for awkward practices or social gatherings. Do not stress too much, just learn to relax a little one bad swim or one bad grade isn’t going to ruin how you do in the future. Learn from your mistakes so that you can accomplish better next time. Advice for future SPY swimmers: HAVE FUN!! Be happy, think positively and just do your best… in the end it will all work out eventually.

Name:   Kyle VanDillen High School: Severna Park High School Years on SPY: 4 College Attending in Fall 2010: US Coast Guard Academy or US Air Force Academy Hobbies when not swimming: Eating with SPY people, watching movies with SPY people, hanging out with people on SPY. I just can’t get away from SPY. Most memorable swim: Wilton 2008 I was swimming 400 IM and it was the first event of the meet. So I gave it all I had and I made the Raleigh cut time. I had never swam the 400 IM before. It felt good to make a cut in the first event of the meet so the rest of the meet wasn’t so stressful. But WHEN I make nationals that will be my new memorable swim because it is my last year on SPY, and I have to make it. Most memorable/ funny moment: My first swim meet with SPY was at Wilton in 2005 and my first event was 200 Free. So this was really my first race ever with SPY and first time ever Jim had seen me race. Sad thing is, I only swam 150 out of the 200 and I stopped. Jim was yelling at me and telling me to keep going and I realized what he was saying after about 10 seconds of me just sitting on the wall. When I got out of the water to talk to Jim he said “Kyle, 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8, was that hard to count to 8!?” That’s when Jim lost faith in the Public School system. But there is another funny moment. Last winter (2008) during one of the swim practices it had just snowed and there were a few flakes on the ground. As you can imagine it was pretty cold outside. But Mike said he would give me $1 if I ran around the whole SPY building in nothing but a bathing suit. And if you don’t know me, I will do just about anything for money. So naturally I said yes, but what is funnier is that Crystee was coaching us and even with her ‘mom’ instincts she didn’t try to stop me from running out in the cold with only a bathing suit. I did it and I got the dollar, it was very cold, but worth it. I plan on doing it again this winter. Best event: 200 BK or 100 BK, not really sure which one is better. Favorite set: If it is a legit set, then anything which requires you to swim fast but you get a LOT of rest (like swimming 100’s on the 3:00). But my favorite set overall is kicking sets that are on a time, not distance (like 1:00 hard, 1:00 easy, 2:00 hard, 1:00 easy etc…). Least favorite set: Anything that includes more than 25 Fly, period. Or anything that is more than a straight 500. Pre-swim rituals: I listen to music and stand by the pool a few events before mine and I watch people swim and stretch at the same time. And I ask the coaches (mostly Maureen) what my heat and lane is. I usually ask them about 10 times before my event and they get annoyed. My worst fear is to miss my event even if it’s 200 fly. What is the most important lesson you learned from swimming on SPY?: It has really taught me to be dedicated in what I do. Whatever I start has to be done to the best of my ability. I also learned to be efficient with my time at home and with my work with school. I have to be self motivated (and everybody on SPY) to finish massive amounts of school work everyday, and wake up at early 3 times a week and practice 15 hours every week. No matter where I go to college SPY has taught me a lot of things that I will use forever. Advice for future SPY swimmers: It takes a lot of hours of practice to drop a few tenths or hundredths of a second. So show up to practice!!! This also applies to current swimmers on SPY

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