Spook Splash 2011

Warning: Picture Heavy!!!  

Lots and lots of grainy pictures...

Bad lighting+nervous mom=room for improvement. 

__________

Saturday, October 29th was Tanner's FIRST EVER Swim Meet.  It was a whole new experience for our family!  While I grew up on deck with soggy towels and squished ears in caps, Tanner had too much energy to let any of that phase him.

His Aunt Deseret (my youngest sister) also swam at this meet, and did FANTASTIC!  And Katelyn, who's knees you can see to the right of Tanner, came to help with kids, to be a timer, and be there as support for Clay who swam in the High School Districts Meet immediately after the Spook Splash.  It was one REALLY long day, but tons of fun!!!

Just waiting!

 Just so we knew where to have him for his events, we wrote them on his arm.  Some kids got a little out of control with the permanent markers and pens and would write ALL OVER their bodies!  It totally weird-ed Tanner out.  So we kept it simple, and by the end of the meet, it was washed off his arm.

"But mom!  My body is a temple!  I don't want you to write all over it!"
"Trust me, Tanner.  It will wash RIGHT off."

For these younger swimmers, the Bull-Pen is where they hang out.  Since it was kindof crazy in that corner, we broke the rules and just waited a ways back from the starts so he was ready to go.

I cannot figure out WHY he likes his goggles UNDER his cap?  

Tanner and his friend Matthew, another 5 year old on the team.

The starting official says, "Boys eight and under 25 Freestyle.  Pause, while they all jump in.  Swimmers.  Take.your.mark.....

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

25 yards is a long way when you're only 5, almost 6.
(Tanner on the left, Matt on the right.)

Daddy being supportive, in a hot sweater and all!  

He did it!!!  I wish you could see the smile on his face!
Coach Denise on the far right in the blue, cheering Matt on. 

A Future Piranha.  Just couldn't resist! He didn't care too
 much for the cap, but loved having the goggles on!  

 There's a lot of down time at swim meets...and even MORE so when you are five and only swimming in two events.  The older kids play cards, or listen to their iPods.  The younger ones play games like this...

An oldie but a goodie:  Down by the banks of the hanky-panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank...
Tanner learning the game in the Bull Pen. 

In the water, preparing to start his 25 Backstroke

The tricky thing about swimming, is you have to do it right, or you'll get disqualified and your time wont count.  With his first event, the freestyle, he technically had to break surface and can turn on his back if needed.  For the backstroke, he HAS to stay on his back, break surface (can't stay underwater past half way, which he would do if he could because he loves to see how far he gets!), and touch the wall at the other end WHILE ON HIS BACK.  That was the part I was most nervous about!

25 Backstroke Start

The funny thing with these little ones, is their brain is trying so hard to stay afloat, that they sometimes forget to move their arms at the same time as their legs...it's usually just the arms or just the legs.

Tanner can kick like a madman, and actually did just that for the most part.  Occasionally he'd swig his arms back...but then his legs would fall.  LOL!  Half way through he just focused on getting to the wall on his back by having one arm above his head waiting for that wall while kicking his little heart out!  It paid off, because he FINISHED without turning from his back!  WAHOOOO!

Tanner absolutely LOVES Coach Denise.  She is the coach who initially taught Tanner to swim a short 8 months ago.  While I regret not getting a picture of him with coach Tia, who currently is overseeing his group, I love the shot below.

Coach Denise was also my coach when I went to Western Zones in 2001 in Hawaii.  She has a huge heart and loves these swimmers.  She is patient and kind through all of his antics, and is teaching him far more than swimming.  He's learning confidence, patience, and how to follow directions.

I am so excited that he has this opportunity to learn something new and grow and develop!  As soon as Taylor turns 4, he'll be in the water, too.  I can hardly wait!  

Spook Splash Final Times:  

25 Freestyle - 1:00. 28 - 20 points - 1st our of 4

25 Backstroke - 1:22.73 - 17 points - 2nd out of 3

I couldn't end this post without a shout-out to Desert for her AWESOME swimming!  

Go baby sister!  Gooooooooooo! 

And our mom, for recording EVERY.SINGLE.EVENT. ever swam in the history of our family!!!  Seriously.  She started recording our swim lessons when we were 5.  With the big ole dinosaur video cameras that were bigger than a suitcase!  (Can you imagine dragging 7 kids and all their swim junk, blankets, and coolers to meets all over the state of Utah and lugging that beast around?)  I don't need to imagine it, because I watched her do it.  She's upgraded to a smaller camera, but still has just as much footage and a better vantage point from the bleachers behind those nasty windows.  

And Clay for his AWESOME swimming!  He went to High School State Swimming in his 100 Back.  Was barely off the qualifying time for the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Breaststroke, which were MY events.  LOL! 

And Katelyn, who came to help us all as babysitter/timer/videographer/cheering section.  She also had some homework to do.  :) 

Clay was so tired of his three haggling sisters laughing hysterically
at EVERYTHING...we were so tired by 9 o'clock that night!
Swim Meet for 14 hours anyone???
And we still had to head back to my house and pack for the weekend
and a two hour drive.  Oy. 

We had a full, fun day, dont-cha-think???

*****

Printed on: November 15, 2011 I.F. Eagles Peewees skate in Missoula POST REGISTER

Swimming

Piranhas scare up records at Spook Splash: Members of the Idaho Falls Swim Team showed well, breaking records and improving times at the annual Spook Splash held last month at the Wes Deist Aquatic Center.

Pacing the IFST Piranhas was the foursome of 13/14-year-olds Kayla Stanley, Jade Irick, Ashley Davis and Randi Yarnell. The quartet smashed the meet records in winning the medley and freestyle relays. Yarnell broke a team record in the 500 freestyle that had stood since 1992 and swam two nationally recognized AAA times. Irick and Stanley both achieved individual AA times while individual A times were achieved by 11-year-old Andrea Perttula and 15-year-olds Joseph Davis and Rachel Lenderink.

Logging first place finishes for the Piranhas were: 16-year-old Ali Roberts (100 back); 12-year-old Jordan Andrew (50 back); 5-year-olds Matthew Balay (25 back) and Tanner Poulsen (25 free); siblings Ashley (100 Breast) and Joe Davis (50, 100 200 freestyle); siblings David (100 IM, 50 back, 200 free, 50 breast) and Matthew Hill (50 and 100 free, 25 Breast); 10-year-old Corey Hodder (50 Fly), siblings Jade (100 Fly, 100 back) and Jesse Irick (200 IM); 17-year-old Josh Jenkins (50 Free); 16-year-old Hannah Johnson (100 breast); 11-year-old Jacob Johnson (500 free); 15-year-old Rachel Lenderink (100 fly); siblings Jaiden (25 free) and Tayla Liddle (100 free, 100 IM); 16-year-old Jessica Peretti (200 free); siblings Andrea (50 and 100 Free, 50 breast) and Ethan (50 Back) Perttula; 8-year-old Zoe Rebol (100 IM); 7-year-old Megan Rickabaugh (25 back); 16-year-old Ali Roberts (50, 100 free, 200 IM, 100 back); 16-year-old Clayn Smith (50 free, 100 back); 14-year-old Jacob Smith (50, 100 free); 16-year-old Krista Stanley (100 fly); 6-year-old Isabella Suseno (50 free); 7-year-old Hayden Turnage (25 free); 5-year-old Paisley Walkley (25 free); and Yarnell (50, 100, 200 and 500 free).