NOVA News
October 16th, 2023
Regency was rockin’ this past weekend during the Central District 9-12 Championship meet! Families and Friends of swimmers across Richmond showed up and brought the energy, packing the house for one of the most exciting meets of the year!
During Prelims, NOVA Swimmers were on fire! Their hard work was on full display as hot heat victories rained in, with vibrant cheering to boot. Many a new time standard was achieved, which of course brought with it a new Valentine’s Day themed ducky! The racing was impressive as NOVA swimmers racked up heat wins to punch their ticket to finals!
At Finals, NOVA swimmers showed great focus, poised to improve on their morning swims. Sporting their Black NOVA Finals Caps, swimmers walked out to blasting music and exhilarating fireworks ready to light it up in the pool! Whether on a relay or individually, NOVA swimmers were constantly vying to touch the wall first and grab that elusive state cut!
When it was all said and done, NOVA swimmers amassed 5603 points, winning the meet by over 3800 points! It was a speedy weekend and a great showing for the NOVA 9-12 year olds! A huge CONGRATS is in order! Way to go NOVA!
-Coach Kevin
Central Virginia 9-12 District Championships was held at Regency Feburary 14-16 and NOVA rocked the house. There were amazing HOT HEAT wins with lots of loud cheering, many new time standards and Age Group Champs Cuts. Swimmers raced hard in prelims and even harder in finals! Congrats to all the swimmers and coaches on a huge win!
Novice Gold, Age Group Dev Bronze, Age Group Dev Silver, Age Group Dev Gold, Age Group Bronze, Age Group Silver, Age Group Gold
Senior Silver Top Golf- 2/22
Senior Dev. Gold Riddle Me This- 2/22
13 and over District Champs- 2/28-3/2
Age Group Silver Bowling- 3/1 Entry deadline 2/21, Committ HERE
Senior Champs 3/6-3/9 Entry deadline 2/24, Committ HERE
Age Group Champs 3/13-3/16 Entry deadline 3/3, Committ HERE
NCSA Juniors - 3/18-3/22 Entry deadline 3/2, Committ HERE
NOVA's 2024-2025 Short Course meet schedule is posted to the NOVA website HERE!
"When do you want to swim your fastest?"
High School Swimming is an exciting experience for swimmers, coaches, and parents alike. The electric atmosphere at Championship meets is unmatched, with every team working tirelessly, analyzing results, and strategizing for the best possible outcomes. Swimmers fight with everything they have—not necessarily for a personal best time, but to WIN. In high school swimming, it’s about competition, scoring points, and contributing to the team. While personal bests are still within reach, the focus shifts to touching the wall first and racking up points for your team.
As the season reaches its peak, it’s crucial for swimmers to stay focused on their big goals for the year. It can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of high school swimming, with some coaches and teammates suggesting you shave for states or skip crucial practices to "rest." While rest, nutrition, and recovery are important, prioritizing these actions at the expense of your long-term goals can ultimately detract from your success.
On the flip side, some swimmers may downplay the importance of High School Swimming, giving less than full effort or choosing to sit out entirely. This is also a missed opportunity, as the intensity, competition, and team environment in high school swimming rival the energy found at the collegiate level. Embrace the chance to engage with the sport in a new, inspiring way.
Practice racing—it’s what the sport is all about. Refining your racing skills will only enhance your performance. Have you ever tried a zero-breath 50 Free? High school is the perfect environment to experiment and push your limits.
Remember, you can have the best of both worlds. Race hard in high school, continue showing up to practices, and when the time comes to shave and taper for your spring championship meet, you'll be ready. Let the energy and camaraderie of high school swimming fuel your confidence and perfect your racing technique.
-Coach James
13 and over PPOW
Our 13 & Over Practice Performer of the Week is Senior Gold swimmer Zach Bender. His hard work in the pool the second half of the season has impressed the coaching staff and set a strong example for both Senior Gold group, and the entire senior program. Zach has made a concerted effort to focus his efforts on what he can control and let the rest go. This change in outlook from the first half of the season has resulted in huge gains for both himself and his teammates. Keep up the hard work Zach!
12 and under PPOW
This week’s 12&Under PPOW is Lillian Ezzell from Age Group Development Silver! Lillian has been on fire recently, leading her lane every day, focusing on technique in all of the drills being done, pushing herself on the hard stuff, and going all out when it’s time to sprint! These months of consistent hard work paid off this past weekend at Central District Champs, where Lillian achieved her first ever A time AND her first-ever Age Group Champs cut! Way to go, Lillian!
