The Swim and Dive Team held their annual awards banquet on Sunday, April 3 in the Trophy Room of the Sports and Recreation Center. After introductory remarks by Head Coach Vadim Tashlitsky, the team enjoyed a meal of build-your-own burrito bowls. Following the meal, Coach Tashlitsky presented the team awards.
Among the awards presented was the Most Valuable Performer. The awards were voted for by the team; senior Max Rowland and junior Violet Anderson were presented with this honor. Anderson won all three of her individual events at Conference, earning 60 individual points at the championship meet. She also was the butterfly leg of the school record-breaking 200 Medley relay. She contributed to multiple relays, including the winning 200 Freestyle. Rowland was top scorer for the men's team, earning 54 individual points at Conference. He broke his own school record in the 500 Freestyle, placing second in the event. He won the 400 IM in a lifetime best time and placed second in the 1650. He also contributed to multiple relays, including the winning 800 Freestyle.
The Most Improved Performers for the team this year were freshmen Petras Simonaitis and Sylvie Paddon-Jones. This distinction was also an award that the team voted on. Simonaitis improved on his personal bests in the 50 Free, 100 Free, and 200 Free. Paddon-Jones had significant personal bests in the 200 IM and 400 IM. She also swam the 200 Fly at Conference and earned a new lifetime best time in that event.
The team also votes for who should receive the Forester Award. This award is presented to a male and female athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a Forester swimmer or diver. Whoever earns this award actively embodies the core values of the swimming and diving program; they are reliable teammates, confident leaders, and respectful competitors. The seventh annual Forester Award was given to seniors Kylie Morgan and Alec Pittman.
Finally, our Rookies of the year were Tucker Potts and Caprice Kalvelage. Potts scored significant points (45) for the team at the conference meet. He placed fourth in the 100 Breaststroke; his time in the prelims of the event is now tied-for-second on the top 5 times list and was only one 100th off the record. He finished third in the 200 Breaststroke and fifth in the 200 IM. Kalvelage scored 45.5 points at Conference. She finished third in the 200 Freestyle with a time that is fifth on our top time lists. She also finished fourth in both the 500 Freestyle and 200 Backstroke.
After Coach Tashlitsky finished handing out the team awards, the seniors stood and gave brief speeches about their time on the team; they shared comedic anecdotes and gave advice to the lowerclassmen about how to make the most of their remaining years as a Forester.
The captains then presented some of their own to each of their teammates. Team jokes, nicknames, and funny memories from the season were embodied in the awards. This has become an annual tradition and a fun, light-hearted way to end the ceremony. The whole ceremony was a great way for the team to be together one last time before the end of the academic year and was a way to put an exclamation point on the end of a long season.
Summary of Awards
MVP: Max Rowland; Violet Anderson
MIP: Petras Simonaitis; Sylvie Paddon-Jones
Forester Award: Alec Pittman; Kylie Morgan
Rookie of the Year: Tucker Potts; Caprice Kalvelage
Captains: Alec Pittman; Max Rowland; Graeme Witte; Kylie Morgan; Kerry Mullen; McKinley Scheppler
