When hosting a meet, the Sea Lions are always a class act, welcoming us with open arms. Bright & early that morning, 175 of their swimmers greeted 120 of ours. And at the conclusion of this competition, it was basically a slam dunk -- 521.5 to 306.5. Embracing the race to victory were our Stingray families embracing one another.

Without supportive, open-armed parents, our athletes could not have achieved these remarkable stats: Three team records, 201 Personal Bests, 32 three for three’s and 36 two for three’s. Kicking out their own previous individual records? 11-12 Natalie Taggart, 50 back, 29.68, -.16; and 13-14 Jacob Kopitske, 50 fly, 25.59, -.12. Our relays were equally strong, determined and successful. Seven of 11 medleys and nine of 10 frees were ours for the tenacious taking. In the 200 medleys, two groups deleted records from the record books. 11-12s Natalie Taggart, Jenna Pimenta, Victoria Cao & Anelise Twining clocked in at 2:02.43; and 13-14s Jacob Koptiske, Michael Alexander, Max Leisten & Thien-An Nguyen hit at 1:51.95.

Family & team togetherness instills excitement around the pool, anticipation at the ready bench & steely prep for rapid fire starts & sprints. Raring to go with their athletic open arms, the following Stingrays notched a total of 15 points for first-place touches: 6&U Alexander Cao, 25 free & back; 7-8 Zayden Carpenter, 25 back & breast and 50 free; 9-10 Brady Calkins, 25 & 50 free and 25 fly; 11-12s Victoria Cao, 50 free & breast and 100 free; Natalie Taggart, 100 IM

and 50 back & fly; Henry Adamson, 100 IM and 50 free & breast; 13-14s Nicole Hensley, 100 IM and 50 breast & fly; and Jacob Kopitske, 100 & 50 free and 50 fly. Other mighty warriors, each of whom accomplished two firsts & one second, further ratcheted up the score board: 11-12 Zackary Davis, 100 free and 50 fly & free; 13-14 Max Leisten, 50 free, breast & fly; 15-18s Mia Leisten, 100 IM & back and 50 free; and Jason Feldkamp, 100 free & breast and 50 free. Standing alone, these 12 Stingray dynamos accounted for one-quarter of our collective points. Combining our families’ demonstrative open-armed affection with Glen Oaks’ like-minded open-armed graciousness, this photo epitomizes the value of learning by example … sportsmanship at its finest. And that’s how it’s done!

A bye & Cornhole Tournament later, we opened widely gates, arms & smiles to 225 Barracudas. This being our inaugural division home meet, 127 Stingrays, parents & coaches were set to conduct our own classic fun & high-energy dual in the pool. On

dryland, plunging into this picture perfect day, the newly-discovered Stingrays Sisters Savorn, Kaeli & Jasmine, swimmingly harmonized The Star-Spangled Banner. In furtherance of open hearts & arms, our grads were acknowledged poolside. Congrats to Mia Leisten, Nicole Chan & David Cocker. Thanks for the memories!

Stingrays Spotlight

Glen Oaks – June 4

Johnson Ranch - June 18

Long before the final tally [457 to 371], all in attendance agreed: This was one nail-biting thriller! If anyone managed to dodge the screaming-induced hoarseness, they were counted in the minority. Why? In six relays, an aggregate of only 2.96 seconds determined the ultimate result. [Read more below!] Within the NorCal Swim League [NCSL], when Gold River plays host, we’re considered in a league of our

own. Always an organized, efficient & party-like atmosphere! We aim to please & did not miss Taking This Mark. Because Johnson Ranch [JR] is twice our size, in individual events there was an average of five heats. Yet with sharp minds & open arms, we finished an hour ahead of the projected timeline. And that’s the way we roll!

Tho’ the data are posted on the Web, let’s give credit where credit is due. First, it’s fair to credit our 11-12 girls medley & free relays for propelling JR forward into two new NCSL records. Now take a peek back to our Glen Oaks meet. Both these sets of bolded numbers are nearly identical: 202 Personal Bests, 29 three/three’s and 38 two/three’s. Reminder: JR is stiff competition. Nonetheless, we succeeded in keeping these stats consistent. So we also give credit to the Barracudas for propelling us forward!

If you’ll look once again to Glen Oaks, check out our records. In the 50 back, here at home 11-12 Natalie Taggart broke her own; and in the 50 fly, 13-14 Jacob Kopitske shattered his. And then bettering her own time from last year’s Meet of Champions, 11-12 Victoria Cao dropped a half second in the 100 free. Early in the season, this is a rousing prelude of things to come. Due to length constraints, these Stingrays are listed in chronological order with the ages omitted. This meet’s all first-place three for three’s: Henry Adamson, Brady Calkins, Zayden Carpenter & Mia Leisten. Now calling attention to the three/three Personal Bests: A.J. Abdullah, Elizabeth Abdulla, Bailey Bish, Olivia Borges, Ashlyn Brock, Gabby Brunner, Alexander Cao, Matthew Choi, Anne Cocker, Alec Day, Chloe Delaney, Ava Diedrich, Elliott Dill, Aidan Domine, Ella Domine, Logan Hoiseth, Maelyn Hutchinson, Joy Jang, Aidan Jiminez, Brennan Jiminez, Michael Kopitske, Rachel Lippetti, Landon Marks, Drew McDonald, Zachary McDonald, Jessica Sommer, Ella Tilson, Jaellian Waite-Kerns & Michael Walsh. Half of these fighters are at the bottom of their respective age groups.

As the thrashing & dashing of this meet progressed, mental preparation intensified ...

… and for good Relay reason!

In the morning’s medleys, the 13-14 boys won by .46. On the touched-out end were our 7-8 boys by .53, 13-14 girls by 1.06 and 15-18 girls by 1.02. Close! These 2.61 seconds added 21 points to JR’s stock portfolio. Ready for a hostile takeover, in the afternoon’s free relays, we were focused on point acquisition. The 13-14 girls hit first by .09. And then the market declined: 9-10 boys by .12, 13-14 boys by .16, and 15-18 girls by .18. These .46-second margin calls also equaled 21 points. Do the math: medley 21 + free 21 = 42. And the meet flipped-turned on a dime!

We gave it our all & got it all back -- in one rewarding, enjoyable & boisterous meet -- right here at Home Sweet Home. Next up? Traveling on Saturday to the Woodcreek SeaWolves for another league meet and then doubling back on Sunday to the JR Barracudas’ invitational. Thanks for your continuing open-armed support!

We BELIEVE We Can Win!