Listed in reverse chronological order
Posted 10/22/07
Posted 4/17/07
NVN Alumni Newsletter
Spring 2007 edition
From Juli Jordan: I was on the NV Nereids team with Coach Colleen and Nikki back in the 90's. In college I changed over to playing water polo at the University of Maryland. I have recently returned to the world of synchronized swimming at graduate school where I coach the University of Pennsylvania club synchronized swimming team. I have enjoyed reading your web site and seeing where all the old swimmers are.
From Catherine Long: Catherine and her family moved to Germany in the summer of 2003. In taking on high school she joined the swim team for two years, and then decided to begin junior year with cross country... quite the humbling experience, but she's looking forward to another season next year. It's been about a year since she began her German ballroom dancing course, and she simply adores every second of it! In between dancing and school, Catherine also joined the community theater for Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" as a spoon, and the town's most modest milkmaid ever. From Italy, France, Scotland [anyone remember the bagpipe routine? Had to try her hand at them in the highlands...], England, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovakia the memories slowly build up, but they will never replace the little soft spot reserved for the little town of Annandale, a home sweet home to be sure. Catherine would love to connect with Kelsey Voss … Kelsey, the newsletter editor has the wrong email address for you … can you send a correct address to: alumninews@nvnsynchro.com. We’ll make sure to send it to Catherine.
Jody Bol writes: It was great to see NVN at the Junior Nat'l meet in southern California. We loved connecting with Cindy and Allison and were impressed to see how well Kara is swimming. Only disappointment was not having the two A's going forward together toward the Jr nat'l team as they did before - traveling two years ago to Walnut Creek- now home. Got to say brief hellos to Kris and Erin.
It was a pleasure and relief to see Alex do well in the meet with her new team. Strange to have this big meet the first opportunity to swim the duet, trio and team in competition. CA synchro is certainly a different animal. She's been spending 30 hours at practice each week - 5 weekdays and Saturdays (with an occasional Sunday thrown in). Tough on homework - never mind any social life or volunteer work.
Her duet and trio (both "B" for WCA) each placed third and her team (WCA's Jr. A team) second. Despite having her two worst figures drawn, she did better her figure ranking by over 40 places compared to last year.
We're looking forward to seeing Liz and Susan at the Sr National meet. Alex's swimming with the Sr B team which is hard as she's the only Junior on it – the rest are 8-10th graders. Again a sign of the different breed of team. She's hoping not to fall too far behind in these 3 weeks as the Bs practice a lot less also. Best wishes to all of you, our home team.
In other alumni news, Anne Grosz (2000 NVN graduate and 2004 University of Mary Washington graduate) is currently finishing her second year in a master’s program at Rutgers University in fashion design. She designed and manufactured the team routine suits for the University of Mary Washington this year!
This editor had the pleasure of reconnecting with the Castle family at the US Collegiate Championships at Wheaton College in March. Daughter Nikki, currently finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, swam for the Nereids for nine years. Gloria served as president of the organization from 1998-1999, and “Cas” made beautiful backdrops for the water show for those years Nikki swam with us. Nikki competed in the team routine with U of A at Collegiates, taking 12th place in that event. Megan Sturm and Sabra Hayes contributed valuable points to the overall score for the newly-formed George Mason University team. The audience gave the new team a standing ovation during the Parade of Athletes! Chelsea Moore’s solo performance placed her in 13th place, which gave her status as pre-swimmer for solo finals. Liz Chinoransky’s UIW team is becoming a force to be reckoned with, clinching 3rd place for a three-peat with an awesome team performance to music from the “Rocky” movie series. Her trio came in 7th, and her honorary duet with fellow PVA swimmer (and Potomac Valley Pearl) Erin Dunne gave them an 8th place score.
The University of Mary Washington water show will take place on Sunday, April 15, 2007 at the Goolrick Pool on their lovely campus in Fredericksburg. George Mason University’s water show will be held on May 5th at the Jim McKay Natatorium on the GMU campus. The University of the Incarnate Word’s synchronized swimming team has one more meet left: the US National Championships in Indianapolis. Along with one soloist from Texas, UIW is the sole South Zone representative at this most elite competition.
Posted 1/2/07
Bill Voss writes: “Kelsey has not been doing synchro for the last 2 years in Montreal since the commitment was 18+ hours a week. She will graduate from high school this year, as they finish after 11th grade in Quebec. We are moving back to DC area end of June and will have her go to NVCC for a year or two before going off to a University since she will be younger than most. Who is still around in the area? We were hoping to stop by at a practice, but looks like everyone we knew might have moved on!” If you would like to contact Kelsey by email, please inquire here at nvnalumninews@nvnsynchro.com.
Liz Chinoransky improved her national ranking from #48 to #24 at the Olympic team trials this past month. Several factors assisted in this vast improvement, not the least of which was her fantastic performance at trials. She advanced to Phase IV of national team trials, which will take place at the U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis at the end of April, 2007. At that time, 10 swimmers will be named to the U.S. National Team II, competing at U.S. Open Championships in Hawaii in July. Liz hopes to be one of those swimmers representing the United States of America.
Former Head Coach Kris Olson was also in attendance at the Olympic Team Trials at the Ohio State University. Liz and her mother were able to visit with Kris, who was elected to the position of Vice President for Olympic International for the sport of synchronized swimming. Kris looks good and is doing very well in retirement. She is enjoying a quieter life on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake with her husband Dave. To be sure, Kris is still heavily involved in the judging aspect of synchro. Kris’s position on the USSS Board is instrumental in helping to choose the composition of the Olympic team. This past autumn she traveled to China to judge at Junior Worlds. She intends to continue to travel extensively in her capacity of Level VIII FINA judge.
Posted 11/28/09
Becky Suarez writes: “Katie is currently out for High School swim team and seems that everyone is wondering "where did we find her?" She is also taking jazz and hip hop dance lessons with one of the current KC Chiefs Cheerleaders... gearing up for a stint on dance team for next year. We are also following her HS Football team to State Finals, this weekend, at the St. Louis Rams Stadium. The funniest thing that happened to Katie, this week, was that she had to stop her car while 4 Turkeys blocked the road. Is that a Missouri thing?” Katie misses synchro but knows, for her, that it was time to move on and use all of the lessons learned from her 6 years in the sport. Synchro will always a be a part of her. One of her close friends dressed up like Katie for a Halloween party.... sweat pants, a synchro shirt and a towel around her neck! We have a designated synchro shrine in our basement along with our KC Chiefs memorabilia!
Jody Bol writes: “A[lex] is still recovering from a torn ankle tendon (no point yet and eggbeatering is tough). Last week they finally announced the results for the junior teams (she wasn't the only one struggling with injury). She did make the A team (and it wasn't a shoe in) … she's got a duet with Caitlin Ellis (her best friend on the team) and Seyeon Min joins them for a trio. She is working hard – four hours a day six days a week.”
Chelsea Moore is enjoying collegiate life at the University of Mary Washington and is ranked the number one swimmer on their team. She placed fourth in “B” figures at the William & Mary Invitational Figure Meet earlier this month, and will compete in a solo, duet, and team routine in competitions this spring.
Megan Sturm and Sabra Hayes are successfully navigating the challenges of starting a new synchro team at George Mason University. Currently with a roster of 9 swimmers, they are coached by Megan’s mother and former NVN coach, Cathy Sturm. Megan won “B” figures and Sabra won “C” figures at the William & Mary Invitational. Sabra will compete in a duet and a trio this year; Megan will swim a solo and join Sabra in her trio, along with a former member of the Cumberland Valley Spiralettes. Both Megan and Sabra assist Cathy in coaching the novices, and Megan is choreographing their team routine as well. The new George Mason Synchro Team practices in the brand-new, state-of-the-art Jim McKay Natatorium, only 15 minutes from the Audrey Moore Rec Center!
All three freshmen will compete in Williamsburg at the William & Mary Invitational on January 27th, along with the team from University of Richmond, and again at the University of Mary Washington Invitational in Fredericksburg on January 28th. Be sure to cheer them on if you have some free time! This is a great opportunity to see Virginia collegiate synchro in action.
Liz Chinoransky continues to excel in synchro as a junior at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Liz will compete in a trio and a team routine this year. She is enjoying swimming with a fellow Potomac Valley Association swimmer, PVP Erin Dunne, who joins the team this year with a trio. Along with six fellow UIW teammates, Liz advances to Phase 3 of National Team Trials. Competition is fierce among the 35 most elite swimmers in the nation as they vie for a spot on one of the two USA national teams. Phase 3 “camp” takes place at the brand-new McCorkle Natatorium at the Ohio State University on Dec. 11-12th. At its conclusion, the top 14 swimmers will be named as the 2007 Pan American/2008 Olympic Team Training Squad; swimmers ranked 15-28 will advance to Phase 4 of Team II trials, to take place at U.S. National Championships in April at Indianapolis.
If you're an Alumni of the Nereids (parent or athlete), please email admin@nvnsynchro.com and tell us what you're up to. Our Alumni News editor will gather information and see that updates are posted.
On her retirement as head coach of the Nereids in 2006, Kris Olsen was presented with a mermaid weather vane. It now proudly flies above her Smith Mountain Lake home.
Congratulations to NVN alumni Liz Chinoransky on being selected for US National Team II !
Liz (front row left) and the other members of USA TEAM II
Northern Virginia Nereids Synchronized Swimming Team
