Oakdale Swim Team Newsletter

Oakdale Swim Team Newsletter
California Gold, Oakdale Masters, Gators, Adult Learn to Swim
Oakdale Gators
With over 190 registrations, Oakdale Gators has kicked
off the 2016 season to a fantastic start! The Oakdale Gator team
has been around since the 1970’s, and continues to be a great
opportunity to get a feel for the unique sport of swimming.
What does the Gator program teach? Gator ​
swimmers learn
the fundamentals of competitive swimming. Swimmers receive
an introduction to all four strokes (butterfly, back,
breaststroke, and freestyle), racing starts, turns, streamlines,
underwater kicking, and breath control. Gator swimmers can
experience swim meets where they will continue to learn the
basics of meet etiquette, good sportsmanship, and a positive
mentality. This year, four meets will be held in June and July
(see box to right for specific dates). Although the competitive
nature of swim meets can be exhilarating, we make it a key point that swim meets are not the primary
focus of our summer team. Attending practice, becoming comfortable and strong in the water,
learning the fundamentals of competitive swimming, and listening to coaches are key to becoming a
successful swimmer in our organization. What’s next after Gators? Oakdale Swim Team’s club team,
known as California Gold, is the next step for swimmers after Gators in the fall.
California Gold
Club swim (CA Gold) provides athletes the training necessary to dive into the swim world, and
become athletes that are proficient both technically, and physically in competitive swim. It is the goal
of Oakdale Swim Team to provide opportunities for individuals to
become lifelong participants, and active members in the unique
community of swimming. California Gold provides a safe environment for
swimmers to get a better grasp of swimming concepts, build authentic
sportsmanship, and move towards developing a well rounded swimmer
on and off the pool deck for many years to come. California Gold, is a
USA competitive club swim team offering professional coaching and
technique instruction for all ages and abilities. Our coaches are all USA
Swimming certified and American Swim Coaches Association Certified. If
you have any questions about Gold swimming, contact
oakdaleswimteam1@gmail.com​
.
Currently, California Gold is preparing for their long course swim
meet to be held in Lodi in the later half of June. Long course is 50 meters
long (per lap), which is the length of a lap in an Olympic pool.
Picture on right: Club team after visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium upon completing
a “swim to monterey and back” challenge in the pool during the month of December.
Oakdale Aquatics Masters
By Ed Mageean
Spring is here. As the days get longer and
warmer, Oakdale Aquatics Masters are back in the
pool practicing for a series of open water and pool
races. Masters swimming is a swim program for
adults 18 years and older. Half of the participants
are fitness swimmers who don't compete in swim
meets. The other half of the group will compete in
various swims in the Bay Area, Sacramento, Lake
Tahoe and even an Alcatraz crossing.
This year the group has expanded to
include an ​
Adult Learn to Swim Program​
. Amy
Basnight teaches the ALTS classes and is a U.S.
Masters Swimming ALTS Certified Instructor. She
works with the adult students on fundamental
water skills and developing a smooth rhythmic
freestyle stroke. Classes are individualized for
each student. The instruction is $80.00 for 5
sessions.
Registration information can be found
at:​
www.OakdaleSwimTeam.com.​For more
information about joining Oakdale Aquatics
Masters contact: ​
SwimOakdale@yahoo.com​
.
Oakdale Gator Coaches and High School Swim Team at
Sections and State
Gator coaches Rhett Harrison, and Nate Van
Cleave will be at the state CIF Swimming Championship
meet this Friday, at Clovis West high school, along with
OHS team mates Jackson Metcalfe and Caden Nord.
After breaking Oakdale high school’s records in the 400
freestyle, 200 freestyle, and 200 Medley relay at CIF
Sac-Joaquin Sections this past Friday and Saturday, the
four high school swimmers snagged a spot into the
California State Championship meet with their 200
freestyle relay swimming it at a time of 1:27.15! This will
be the first time in OHS swimming history, that Oakdale
swimmers will be participating in the State
Championship meet.
In addition to crushing relay records, Jackson
Metcalfe broke the OHS 100 freestyle record by .38
seconds setting the new record at 47.72 seconds. Caden
Nord also broke Oakdale’s 50 freestyle record, which
now stands at 22.04 seconds. Coach Nate made his way
onto the high school top times list in the 100 freestyle
with a time of 50.09 seconds, and Coach Rhett saw a
personal best in his 100 backstroke with a new time of 58.01, and a spot on the top times list as well.
Oakdale high school swimmers Emma Magnussen, Kassidy Houck, Bethany Metcalfe, Gator
coach Daytona McGinnis, and Juliette Leibenson also swam at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Sections meet.
Emma Magnussen made it onto the women’s high school top times list in the 200 Individual Medley, 50
freestyle, 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke events. The girls also made it onto the 200
medley and 200 freestyle relay top time list with the times of 2:01.51 (Magnussen, Leibenson, Houck
and McGinnis), and 1:47.59 (Magnussen, Houck, Metcalfe, and McGinnis) respectively.
Photo above on right: Men’s relay (Nord,
Harrison, Van Cleave, and Metcalfe).
P​
hoto on bottom left, from left to right: Russ
Van Cleave, Nate Van Cleave, Jackson Metcalfe,
Rhett Harrison, Caden Nord, Bethany Metcalfe,
Juliette Leibenson, Daytona McGinnis, Emma
Magnussen, Kassidy Houck, and Melissa Meyer.
Some Club Swimmers for May (Interviewed by Club swimmer Brianna)
Ellie and Jebb are California Gold swimmers and siblings, who started out in the Gator program
long ago. Ellie starting club swimming first, then Jebb joined her later on in the year. Brianna, one of
our long time club swimmers, asked them a few questions for other team mates, Gators and Gold alike,
to get to know them a little bit better.
Brianna​
: Why did you chose to swim?
Ellie​
: I started swimming because my mom said that I had
to learn how, but I continue because I love it.
Jebb​
: I swim because it is fun.
Brianna​
: What are your long term goals for swim?
Ellie​
: To swim the 500 freestyle in under 7 minutes.
Jebb​
: I want to continue to drop my times.
Brianna​
: What is your favorite food to eat before
or during a meet?
Ellie​
: I like to eat pasta the night before.
Jebb​
: I like to eat beef jerky at swim meets.
Jebb and Ellie practice all week long. If you spot them, stop and say hello!
Get to Know the Oakdale Gator Coaches!
Coach Kate (Head of Lessons)
Coach Rhett
Favorite Race: 50 Freestyle
Favorite Race: 500 Free
Life skill learned from swim:
Life skill learned from swim:
“Swim has taught me that goals
Learning to adapt to situations
should never be easy.”
Hobbies: Playing music and
Hobbies: Water polo and hiking
reading
Fun Fact: “Chlorine is my perfume.”
Fun Fact: Speaks Spanish.
Coach Summer
Coach Bailey
Favorite Race: 400 IM
Favorite Race: 100 Freestyle
Life skill learned from swim:
Life skill learned from swim:
Discipline
“No matter how hard things
Hobbies: Reading and Running
get or how tired you are, keep pushing.”
Fun Fact: Nursing Major.
Hobbies: Golf and Basketball
Fun Fact: Will be attending CSU San
Coach Daytona ​
Francisco in the fall.
Favorite Race: 200 IM/200 Freestyle
Coach Nate
Life skill learned from swim: “How to
Favorite Race:
hold my breath for a minute.”
50 Freestyle
Hobbies: Reading and Camping.
LIfe skill learned from
Fun Quote: “The thing about being brave is it doesn’t
swim: Perseverance
come with the absence of fear or hurt. Bravery is the
Hobbies: Swimming
ability to look fear and hurt in the face and say move
Fun Fact: Peruvian.
aside you are in the way.” -Melissa Tumino
Oakdale Swim Team, May 2016