Believe it or not, we are now halfway through our regular
season! The end of the season is going to move quickly. Please take a moment to
review this week’s newsletter. It's a big one, but there is a lot of information about upcoming
events that we do not want you to miss.

Did you know the Gators have continued to have a
record-breaking season?

We want to congratulate our Boys 11-12 100 Medley Relay
team for breaking a record previously set in 2019. Congratulations to Jackson
Ward-Cummings, Jackson Schutt, Ike Harlan, and Micah Irwin!

Many thanks to Gators parent, Jami Guerrina, who has volunteered
to keep the leaderboard in the game room at the pool up to date. The record
book is also available to view online at https://greenwaygators.swimtopia.com/team-records.

Congratulations Seniors! In addition to breaking
records, we also recognized the Gators class of 2025 – our four seniors who graduated
this year. Congratulations to Bri Cleary, Caleb Cruz, Mari de Castro, and Molly
Graham!

We have one swim meet this week, Wednesday, July 2 (the
ACTUAL midpoint of 2025!), since there is a league bye on Saturday, July 5.

Meet results from last week are now available online.

• Evergreen Makos vs Greenway Gators, June 25
• Greenway Gators vs Potomac Crossing Barracudas, June 28

If you see a DQ next to your swimmer’s name, they did not swim the stroke legally and were disqualified by the Stroke & Turn judges.
The coaches have this information and will work with your swimmer(s) to help them improve in those areas.

Here is the Gators News for the week ahead:

Morning Practices:

• Monday – Age Group and Mini Gators practice, as usual
• Tuesday – Age Group and Mini Gators practice, as usual
• Wednesday – Age Group and Mini Gators practice, as usual
• Thursday – No practice, as usual
• Friday – Red, White, and Blueberries Pancake Breakfast and Fun Practice (ALL Gators!) from 8:00 – 9:30 AM

Evening Practices:

• If your swimmer is unable to attend morning practices this week and would like to practice in the evening, email [email protected].
• Evening practices this week will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6:00 – 6:45 pm OR
  6:45 – 7:30 pm.
• Please include the practice time, swimmer(s) name, and age with your email.

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• Friday, July 4: Red, White, and Blueberries Pancake Breakfast and Fun Practice
  • RSVPs are not required but are helpful. Head Chef, Ben Graham, and the rest of the planning committee will have a better idea of how much food to purchase if you can let us know whether you’ll be there. We’ll be at the pool from 8:00 am – 9:30 am. We will be finished in time for you to catch the parade in town!
• Saturday, July 5: ODSL League-wide Bye: No swim meet! Enjoy the morning off!
• Thursday, July 10: Mini Gators Mini Meet @ Potomac Station (Coach Molly G will be in touch with details!)
• Wednesday, July 16: Save the date! Team pictures instead of regular morning practices
• Thursday, July 17: Save the date! Gators/Watermocs Racing Exhibition and Community Food Drive!
• Friday, July 18: Regular season practices conclude
• Saturday, July 19: Divisional Swim Meet @ Greenway Farms!
• Sunday, July 20: End of Season Team Banquet
• Saturday, July 26: ODSL All-Star Swim Meet (open to qualifying swimmers only)
  • Swimmers who qualify for the All-Star Meet on July 26 will continue to practice during the week of July 21 – 25

Treats This Week

• Mini Morsels after Mini Gators practice on Wednesday. Mini Gators families, this is being coordinated with you directly.
• Sweet Treat Thursday – Volunteers needed
• NO Donut Friday – Join us for a pancake breakfast at the pool instead!

Swim Meets This Week:

We have one swim meet this week!!

IMPORTANT: If your Gator(s) would like to participate, you must declare your intent by the deadlines listed below. Changes will not be made at the events.

Swimmers may sign up for a maximum of 3 events (Free/Back/Breaststroke/Fly/Individual Medley) and may be assigned to a team
relay (the last events of the meet) by Coach Emma. Please be sure to indicate whether your swimmer is available/not available for relay events when you complete the Meet Entry form.

Wednesday, July 2: HOME vs. Tavistock Tsunamis

• Declare your swimmers by 7:00 PM onMonday, June 30. We cannot adjust the roster after the deadline.
• Theme: Red, White, and Blue!
• Please sign up to Volunteer
• Pool location: 55 Meade Drive SW, Leesburg, VA
• Pool deck open: 5:00 pm
• Greenway Gators Warm-up: 5:10 – 5:30 pm
• Dulles Farm Warm-up: 5:30 – 5:50 pm
• Officials meeting: 5:40 pm
• Timers briefing: 5:45 pm
• National Anthem: 5:55 pm
• Meet start: 6:00 pm
• Meet end: 8:30 pm (approx.)
• Cash-only concessions will be available!
• Swimmers must stay in their team area. Staying together will help ensure no one misses a race.

Inclement Weather Reminder:

• If the pool needs to be closed due to the weather, practices will be canceled. This could also mean practices may end early on occasion. Please keep an eye on the weather and trust that there will be a News Alert and post to the Gators Facebook group if practices need to be delayed or canceled.
• During swim meets, lifeguards on duty will determine the safety conditions of the pool and facility. If the pool needs to be cleared, please report to your vehicles immediately and await further instructions. We will follow the National Lighting Safety Institute’s recommendation of waiting 30 minutes from the last sound of thunder or sight of lightning before resuming. Team Reps, in conjunction with the Referee and the lifeguard staff, will determine whether the meet can resume.

What are End of Season (EOS) Swim Meets Anyway?

If you’re new to summer swim team, End of Season (EOS) swim meets may sound a bit confusing. We’ve created a page on the Gators website with details about the two EOS meets that take place toward the end of July.

TL/DR:

• ODSL hosts 2 EOS swim meets to wrap up the summer season (Divisionals and All-Stars)
• EVERYONE can participate in the Divisionals meet, with a few exceptions 
• Only swimmers who meet qualifying times can participate in the All-Star meet
• A swimmer who qualifies for 1 event for the All-Star meet MAY participate in the Divisional swim meet, but not in
  the event for which they qualified for All-Stars.
• A swimmer who qualifies for 2 or more events for the All-Star meet MAY NOT participate in the Divisional swim meet
• EVERYONE must have participated in a minimum of 2 regular season swim meets to be eligible for either EOS meet, and swimmers may only participate in events for which they have earned an official league time (e.g., an event with an “NT” is not eligible)
• Swimmers MAY achieve an All-Stars qualification at Divisionals
• Medals are awarded to the top 12 swimmers in each event at the EOS meets
• There are no relays at the EOS meets. Available events include Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and
  Individual Medley
• ODSL Time Standards for the All-Star swim meet can be found online 

We would like to recognize and congratulate the following Gators who have already achieved an All-Star qualifying time. Once
the final list of eligible swimmers has been confirmed, Coach Emma will reach out to each family to confirm availability for the All-Star swim meet, which will be held on Saturday, July 26.

• Avery Irwin (Freestyle, IM)
• Cora Steorts (Breaststroke)
• Emily Schutt (Breaststroke, Butterfly)
• Eric Akers (Backstroke, Breaststroke, IM)
• Keegan Chevalier (Freestyle)
• Lauren Weber (Freestyle, Butterfly)
• Morgan Farmer (Backstroke, Butterfly)
• Payton Farmer (Freestyle, Backstroke)
• Rylee Tjader (Backstroke, Butterfly)

Gators Season 2025 Photo Album

• We have created a Google photo album to capture images from the season. This is a collaborative album. Please upload your favorite images. You may see some of these in print at our Team Banquet in July!
• Check your email for the link!

TTFN! Go, Gators!