NOVA News
October 16th, 2023
VA Commonwealth Games 6/20-6/22
AGDG Pool Party 6/20
Senior Gold Pickleball 6/20
SDG VR Group Event 6/21
NOVA Firecracker Invite 6/26-6/29
NCAP Invite 6/26-6/29
VSI Open Water Champs 6/28
LC District Champs 7/11-7/13 Entry deadline by 6/29 Commit HERE
Virginia Senior Champs 7/17-7/20 Entry deadline 7/6 Commit HERE
NOVA's 2025 LC Course meet schedule is posted to the NOVA website HERE!
Greetings NOVA!
As we prepare for the first real heat wave of the Summer, construction progress on the 2nd floor is also red hot! Again, lots to report from our last update as EDC and company are doing everything they can behind the wall before July and August..
1st Floor Updates:
As many have seen, the Regency Alumni lobby has been partially closed for the past few weeks. This was in order to execute the first big “cut” of the second floor for the lobby stairs and handicapped lift. We anticipate the Lobby reopening soon.
Sanitary sewer tie in complete on the “West Course” side of the facility. This was the reason for some lane closures under the parking deck last week.
Framing, plumbing, HVAC and window cut outs are progressing on the future weight and hospitality rooms located behind the large bleachers.
Community Room restroom plumbing ties in to first floor underway.
2nd Floor Updates:
Windows! The first of 6 new exterior windows have emerged on the facade of the 2nd floor; easily visible from the parking lot. The windows to the right on the 2nd floor main entrance are in the Community Room; future windows to the left are in the new VSS space. We are pumped to fill the second floor with some natural light!
Systems installation progressing: HVAC duct work and unit installations, electrical, plumbing, fire system and final framing are ongoing.
Finishes! Painting has begun on conditioned spaces. Next up will be flooring, tile, drop ceiling, etc
New Amenity Spotlight: Low Voltage Upgrades!
We are excited to announce enhancements to first floor IT and audio that will happen in tandem with 2nd floor construction. Along with our partners at Richweb, we will be implementing a huge upgrade in our overall internet capacity and guest network capabilities. While adding speakers for 2nd floor spaces, our Low Voltage team at Seacom will also be enhancing audio on the 1st floor. When we opened at Regency almost 4 years ago, overall acoustics were always an unknown and we quickly realized enhancements were needed. Fast forward to Phase II, and we are thrilled to be adding 1st floor enhancements to our AV system.
Finally, please be on the lookout for updates and guidance from me in the weeks ahead on more significant closures at Regency. Our team at EDC has accommodated NOVA’s operations schedule in the overall construction schedule without question. After the Firecracker Invitational, we will be closing significant areas on the pool deck for construction to move substantially to more visible areas from the 1st floor (aka walls coming down!). EDC will be erecting temporary walls around the pool in order to ensure safety work while still preserving access to the pools. This will dramatically alter traffic flows and will certainly be a complex few weeks to execute. Again, please stay tuned!
Thanks for reading,
Drew
June 13-15th NOVA swimmers headed up 95 to race at the Hanover Storm Surge meet. Our swimmers raced hard in this prelim/finals meet and achieved new best times, new time standards and had a great time together.
The Virginia Beach Lifeguard Association hosts a series of races throughout the summer in the ocean. NOVA swimmers headed to the beach and participated in the opening event, the one mile swim on June 15th. Swimmers braved some rough wind chop and shorebreak to swim from 23rd street to 40th street. Culminating in a running sprint to a beach finish! It was a great turnout from NOVA swimmers across 5 different groups and some masters friends as well!
James Crabb - 21:26.95 - 2nd Men’s Open - 2nd Overall
Orielle Hall - 23:26.18 - 1st Women’s Open - 19th Overall
Mia Eubank - 23:53.96 - 1st Women’s 15-19 - 27th Overall
Savannah Harris - 25:30.92 - 8th Women’s 15-19 - 43rd Overall
Jacob Madaras - 25:58.19 - 22nd Men’s 15-19 - 56th Overall
David Fellowes - 26:18.58 - 1st Men’s 60-64 - 62nd Overall
Charlotte White - 26:24.25 - 14th Women’s 15-19 - 65th Overall
Cole Stuhlmacher - 26:47.05 - 8th Men’s 10-14 - 72nd Overall
Mark Van Deren - 26:49.49 - 3rd Men’s 40-44 - 75th Overall
Maddie Goodman - 26:54.28 - 5th Women’s 10-14 - 78th Overall
Annellice Reid - 26:57.62 - 16th Women’s 15-19 - 79th Overall
Aiden Madaras - 27:19.53 - 26th Men’s 15-19 - 90th Overall
Alexandra Reid - 27:43.06 - 20th Women’s 15-19 - 95th Overall
Reilly Owens - 29:23.28 - 25th Women’s 15-19 - 132nd Overall
Sallie Penn – 33:12.30 - 7th Women’s 30-34 - 200th Overall
12 and Under PPOW
The summer league season started just 3 weeks ago and it has been a lot of fun for the coaches to see NOVA swimmers competing with their summer teams all over the region. Most NOVA swimmers start their swimming careers on a summer league team and there is always a lot of interest in our team from your swimmer’s friends and their parents. While NOVA coaches can be found “In the Wild” and we are happy to answer questions, you, our current NOVA parents, are our best recruiters! Here are a few of the frequently asked questions we get from interested but hesitant parents and our answers to them!
Frequently Asked Questions:
“My child isn’t that fast, isn’t NOVA only for the best swimmers?”
While NOVA has a lot of very good swimmers at all ages, including three Olympic Trials Qualifiers, we also have swimmers of all ages trying to make their first “B” and “BB” time standard. We also have robust lessons and stroke school programs whose goal is to have swimmers progress onto the team. We believe anyone is capable of becoming a better swimmer.
“My child isn’t that competitive, aren’t NOVA meets a weekend long event?” Our bronze groups and coaches are great at building a swimmer’s confidence so they are excited to compete at a swim meet, even if it’s more to see their own progress and not to race the competition. We host multiple meets for lower age and lower level swimmers to provide a better environment for them to grow into the sport.
“Isn’t it a lot of commitment?”
Our younger and intro groups only practice a few times a week. This leaves plenty of time for other extracurricular activities. We have one to two meets a month and in our bronze and silver groups, it’s okay to sign up for just one part of the meet if you have conflicts. Many people appreciate that it’s not every Fall or Spring Saturday morning like a lot of sports. Additionally, there is a three month trial period for first time families.
“There are so many swimmers at NOVA, do they get enough attention from their coach?”
While it varies depending on the group, most 8 and under practices have less than 15 swimmers and at least 2 coaches, most twelve & under practices have about thirty swimmers and two full time coaches. Coaches typically only work with two groups which allows them to give swimmers plenty of attention at practice and meets.
-Wyatt Haas
