WHIRLWIND CROWNED REGION 1 CHAMPIONS

Diving against tough competition, Whirlwind captured the 2010 Region 1 summer championship held at the New Canaan YMCA pool from June 11-13th.  The depth of the Whirlwind program was evident throughout, as 21 divers qualified for Zones by placing among the top 15 in their respective age groups.

Leading the way were regional gold medalists – Justin Sodokoff and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick – who won both boards in 11 and Under Boys and 12-13 girls respectively.  Other Zone qualifiers included Sami Bloom, Kara Capossela, Lee Christensen, Connor Farrell, Meredith Jonker, Molly Klein, Steven Kreuch, Alex Leinroth, Timmy Luz, Amanda Molinelli, Kyle O’Donnell, Kyla Pech, Sam Scribano, Cameron Rhind, Margaret Rogers, Hannah Singer, Zach Slater, Emily Stotesbery, and Kylie Towbin. 

The Zone A Championships will be held in Pittsburgh from June 30th – July 3rd.  The top six divers in each age group at zones advance to the Speedo Championships while the next six finishers qualify for Age Group Nationals.  5 Divers – Justin Sodokoff, Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Margaret Rogers, Lee Christensen, and Katie Warburg – have already pre-qualified for Speedo based on either a top 3 finish at East Nationals or a gold medal at Y Nationals. 

FOUR DIVERS PICKED FOR HIGH SCHOOL ALL AMERICA TEAM

Congratulations to Kara Capossela, Alex Leinroth, Hannah Singer, and Katie Warburg for being named to the 2009-10 NISCA All America team. 

WHIRLWIND WINS 10th YMCA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations to the JO national team for capturing another YMCA national championship – the 10th since 1999! 

The team had two gold medal winners on the girl’s side—Elizabeth Fitzpatrick and Katie Warburg – who swept the 12-15 and 16-21 springboard events.  Lee Christensen was a third gold winner taking 12-15 boys platform.  Other finalists were Sami Bloom, Kara Capossela, Connor Farrell, Meredith Jonkers, Lauren Kahan, Amanda Molinelli, Kyle O’Donnell, Hannah Singer, and Kylie Towbin.

8 DIVERS COMPETE AT EAST NATIONALS —JUSTIN SODOKOFF WINS GOLD

Congratulations to Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Meredith Jonkers, Steven Kreuch, Timmy Luz, Margaret Rogers, Sam Scribano, Justin Sodokoff and Katie Warburg, who all qualified for the USA Diving East Nationals Championships held April 7-9 in Ohio.  Whirlwind finished a strong sixth at the meet.

Justin, a recent addition to Whirlwind team, led the way taking first place in the 11 and Under 1m event and placing second on 3m.  Other top 12 medals were awarded to Margaret (2nd in 1m; 6th in 3m) and Timmy (4th in 1m; 5th in 3m) in 11 and under; Elizabeth (4th in 1m; 3rd in 3m) and Steven (10th in 1m; 12th in 3m) in 12/13; and Katie in 16-18 (6th on 1m). 

Justin, Margaret, Elizabeth, Katie and Lee all pre-qualified for Speedo Nationals this summer based on either a top 3 finish at East Nationals or a gold medal at Y Nationals.

SAMI BLOOM NAMED ACADEMIC ALL AMERICA

Congratulations to Sami Bloom for being named Academic All American. Sami was recognized by the high school coaches association (NISCA), along with other top student athletes nationally that dive, swim or play water polo. 

WHIRLWIND CAPTURES FIRST PLACE AT WINTER WEEKEND

Whirlwind Diving won its third straight invitational at this year’s Winter Weekend held at the New Canaan YMCA in February.

The depth of the team showed as 11 divers finished among the top 3 in their respective age groups.  Elizabeth Fitzpatrick led the way with four gold medals competing in both 12-13 and 14-15 girls.  Katie Warburg swept the16-18 events, while Lee Christensen also won a gold in 12-13 boys.  Margaret Rogers and Steven Kreuch each won two silver medals, while other second place finishes were recorded by Kara Capossela, Alex Leinroth, Cole Anderson and Timmy Luz.  Timmy, Lee and Margaret also took home bronze medals, as did Bianca Herlitz-Ferguson and Sam Goodman. 

Thanks to all the parent volunteers for making the meet a success! 

TRI-STATE MEET SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 20th

The Tri-State team will compete in a league meet on March 20th.  The league was developed for those new to diving, and includes five teams from Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.  Meets are set up to encourage a sense of competition, while providing everyone with the opportunity to develop their skills.  Good luck to everyone on the 20th!

WHIRLWIND WINS SPINNER MEET

Whirlwind Diving won its second consecutive meet of the year at the Spinner Invitational held December 12th and 13th in Philadelphia.  The meet attracted 17 of the top teams on the East Coast with entries from Connecticut to Virginia. 

The team had strong performances in every age group.  Elizabeth Fitzpatrick had a great meet winning gold on both one and three meter in 12-13 Girls.  Four divers won silver medals in both their events including Amanda Pyne (9 and Under Girls); Timmy Luz (11 and Under Boys); Connor Farrell (14-15 Boys): and Alex Leinroth (16-18 girls).  Other top 3 performances came from Margaret Rogers who had a silver and bronze in 10-11 girls; Steven Kreuch with two bronze medals in 12-13 Boys; Kylie Towbin who finished with silver on 12-13 Girls three meter; and Kara Capossela who won a bronze on one meter in 16-18 Girls. 

Congratulations to all divers for a great meet. 

WHIRLWIND WINS LOB MEET

Whirlwind started the year strongly finishing first among 15 teams at the Lord of the Boards Invitational held November 21/22.

The team had eight gold medals with Elizabeth Fitzpatrick leading the way with a sweep of her three events in 12/13 girls.  Other first place finishes came from Sam Scribano (9& Under three meter), Margaret Rogers (11 & Under Platform), Lee Christensen (12/13 platform), Katie Warburg (16-18 one meter) and Bianca Herlitz-Ferguson (16-18 three meter). 

Congratulations to all divers for a great meet.  The next event is the Spinner Invitational in Philadelphia on December 12th and 13th. 

DIVERS SHINE AT CONNECTICUT HS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Diving for their high school teams, nine Whirlwind divers competed at the FCIAC and CIAC Class and State Open meets held over three consecutive weeks in November.  Congratulations to Katie Warburg who won FCIAC; Alex Leinroth who placed first at Class M; and, Kara Capossela who won gold at State Opens.  Whirlwind divers took 7 of the top 10 places at both the FCIAC and Class M meets, and then 4 of the top 5 spots at State Opens. 

Seven Whirlwind Divers Compete at USA Diving National Championships

Whirlwind was well represented at USA Diving Nationals with 7 divers making the journey to Moultrie, Georgia in August for the Speedo and Age Group championships.

The seven qualifiers included Kara Capossela, Lee Christensen, Connor Farrell, Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Alex Leinroth, Margaret Rogers and Katie Warburg. 

At Speedo’s, the top Whirlwind finisher was Elizabeth who made it to the 12/13 girls finals on 1m and placed ninth.  She also qualified on 3m.  The other Speedo qualifiers included Alex on 16-18 platform, and Lee who dove all three events in 12-13 boys. 

At Age Groups, Connor had a great meet finishing second on 3m in the 14/15 boys group.  He also made the finals on 1m placing seventh.  In her first championship meet, Margaret was a second Whirlwind finalist with a fifth place finish on 1m in the 11 and under competition.  The other qualifiers were all in the 16-18 year old age group – Kara (1m), Alex (1m/3m) and Katie (1m/3m). 

Recap of the Whirlwind Diving 2008-2009 Season

It has been a great competitive season so far.  In the fall of 2008 our lady divers had an awesome showing in the high school arena with many top finishes at the county and state levels in Connecticut and in the New York Section 1 finals. Junior Kara Capossela was the top diver at both the Class LL State and Connecticut State Open Championships, while freshman Katie Warburg captured the Class M State and FCIAC titles.  Our high school boys kept up the great work during the winter with Mark O’Connell taking the FCIAC title. In June Kara Capossela, Alex Leinroth, Mark O’Connell, Hannah Singer and Katie Warburg were named to the NISCA All America team.

Our annual Winter Weekend was well attended and we had the privilege of hosting the Spring Region 1 champs at our pool where ten of our divers qualified for East Nationals.  Twelve Whirlwind divers will also be making a trip to the Zone A Championships after qualifying at summer regional meets in Boston and Pittsburgh.  Congrats to Kara, Lee, Connor, Elizabeth, Liam, Kady, Meredith, Steven, Alex, Margaret, Hannah and Katie.

The Tri-state team participated in a number of meets including the championships held at the Greenwich YMCA.  These young divers had an opportunity to show off their skills and gather competition experience. We look forward to seeing some of them move up to the JO team next season.

Whirlwind Divers take 5th place at Junior East Nationals

Seven Whirlwind divers competed in the 2008 Junior East Nationals in Rockville, Maryland, on April 25th, 26th and 27th.  Their outstanding performances resulted in an overall 5th place finish for the Whirlwind Diving Team! Competing on both the 1 meter and 3 meter boards were, Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, Lee Christensen, Jake Bowtell, Katie Warburg and Alex Leinroth, while Steven Kreuch and Carlin Dacey competed on the 1 meter and 3 meter boards, respectively.  Congratulations to all divers on a job well done.

Six Whirlwind Divers make the High School All-American list

Congrats to the following Whirlwind Divers who made the High School All-American list-Alex Leinroth, Carolyn DiMarco, Carlin Dacey, Mark O’Connell, Philip Morehouse and Brad Schott.  Way to go, divers!

Whirlwind Boys Take Top Spots in Connecticut State Championships

The top spots in the boys 2008 Connecticut State Championships in Classes LL, L and M went to Whirlwind divers.  On Saturday, March 8th, Mark O’Connell of Greenwich finished first in the Class LL states with a score of 439.60, Brad Schott of Wilton won the Class L with 435.10 points, and Philip Morehouse of Darien took first in the Class M with a score of 453.70.  Whirlwind diver Danny Schott of Wilton finished in 10th place in Class L (305.50), while Andy Rumore of Norwalk finished 12th (324.85) in Class LL. Congratulations to all!

2008 Whirlwind Winter Weekend Diving Invitational

Many thanks to the 180 divers, their coaches and parents, and all the Whirlwind diving parent volunteers for helping to make the 2008 Whirlwind Winter Weekend Diving Invitational a great success.

Tri-State 2007-2008 Competitive Season Comes to a Close

Whirlwind Diving’s Tri-State team finished its competitive season with Championships held Sunday March 2, 2008, in Bridgewater, NJ.  It was a great day for our divers to show off their skills.  This championship is the only time during the year when all teams in the Tri-State league come together to compete against one another.  WWD Tri-State Coordinator, Greg Simoneau, was pleased with all of the divers’ performances.  The strength that Whirlwind’s Tri-state Team brought to this year’s meet made it a battle for the top spot , with Whirlwind coming in a close second to LOB.  Greg looks forward to continued success with the kids through the rest of the year.

Alex Leinroth finals at Camo International meet in Canada.

Congratulations to Whirlwind diver Alex Leinroth for her final finish on both 1 meter and 3 meter boards in the Women’s Group B division at the 2007 Camo International Invitational in Montreal, Canada, held on December 6-9, 2007. Alex finished in 9th place on 3 meter and in 10th place on the 1 meter board.

Congratulations to Spinner Invitational Participants

Congratulations to all Whirlwind divers who participated in the 2007 Spinner Diving Invitational in Philadelphia, Pa. December 8th and 9th.

Whirlwind Dominates Connecticut State and FCIAC Championships

Whirlwind divers had an impressive finish in the November 2, 2007, FCIAC Girl’s Diving Championships.  The three top spots went to Alex Leinroth of Darien (414.45 points), Kara Capossela of Greenwich (397.75), and Jenn Abbott of Wilton (381.20), while Kate Starrett of Fairfield Ludlowe, Annabel Enquist of Greenwich and Hannah Singer of New Canaan finished 7th, 8th and 9th respectively.  Megan Kratky and Charlotte Black of Staples High School were 19th and 20th.

In the Connecticut State Championships held on November 7, 8 &9, 2007, Whirlwind divers finished strong again.  In the Class M Girls States, Alex Leinroth finished 1st (390.70), Jenn Abbott 3rd (349.70), Kate Starrett 6th (316.60), and Hannah Singer 7th (304.60).  Carolyn DiMarco of Weston High School won the Class S States (386.85), and Kara Capossela (392.45), Annabel Enquist (325.20), and Megan Kratky (266.10) took 2nd, 8th and 21st in Class LL.

On Friday, November 16th Whirlwind divers again took top spots at the 2007 State Opens.  Carolyn DiMarco placed 2nd , Alex Leinroth 3rd, Kara Capossela 4th, Jenn Abbott 5th, Hannah Singer 7th, Kate Starrett 22nd and Annabel Enquist 25th.

Whirlwind diver Cassie Ring of John Jay High School in Cross River, N.Y., finished 11th (355.80 points) in the New York State Section One Championships held on November 2, 2007.

First Win of the Season

The Whirlwind JO Team won their first meet of the season at the Lord of the Boards Invitational in Bridgewater, N.J. held November 16-18, 2007.

Tri-State Team hosts first meet of the season

The Whirlwind Diving Tri-State team hosted its first “Tri-Meet” with the Lords of the Boards (LOB) and the Southern Connecticut Diving (SOCO) dive teams on Sunday, November 11, 2007.  WWD coaches Greg Simoneau and Wes Mattice were pleased with the great turnout from the divers and their families.  The Tri-State divers have been working extremely hard, and the coaches were very proud of all the divers many of whom participated on three meter for the first time.

Whirlwind welcomes a new Associate Diving Director

We’re pleased to announce that Sergey Meshcherskiy has joined the Whirlwind Diving family as our Associate Diving Director.  We’re quite excited to welcome a coach with these credentials to our team.  Please visit the Coaches page to read more about Sergey.