Starz Roundup: Tuesday, July 1 and Tonight's Home Meet vs. Huntington

Good Morning, Starz Families!

 

One meet, then a holiday weekend. We can do it! At the end of this (long) email, you’ll find swimmer and worker lists for tonight’s home meet vs. Huntington. You'll find LOTS of other important info first (including some deadlines you won't want to miss), so please read on!

 

WHAT KIND OF TEAM DO WE WANT TO BE?

In my non-swim life, I’m a high school teacher. I’ve worked in the same district for almost twenty years, and in that time, I’ve seen plenty of educational catchphrases and slogans come and go. The only one that’s really stuck with me is our high school’s motto: by our deeds we are known.

We are what we do. What we do as individuals shapes not only how others see each of us, but our team, too. I have seen some incredible examples of thoughtfulness and character this summer from swimmers, parents, and coaches alike. I’ve seen people step up to help, doing more than what’s expected, to give our kids a great experience. I’ve seen patience shown in times of stress and frustration. I’ve seen sportsmanship and friendship, I’ve seen heartfelt celebration of one another’s successes and comfort shown in times of disappointment. THIS is who we want to be, and this is the vast majority of our team, the vast majority of the time.

We also have areas in which we can improve, though. I receive multiple reports every week of dangerous driving in and around the Stillwater parking lot. I continue to see parents picking up and dropping off swimmers in the fire lane in front of our pool despite repeated requests that they park their cars for the safety of our swimmers. Unfortunately, I also received a report yesterday from my fellow NSC rep at Ashbury that several swimmers (not necessarily ours) broke numerous branches from their trees, throwing these (and rocks) through the fence of a neighbor’s property.

By our deeds we are known. Stillwater must be known as the team that cares about its members and about others. Please, let your behavior behind the wheel, and at all times, reflect these values and be an example to others--including our young athletes. Slow down on our neighborhood streets and in our parking lot; many of our members walk and bike to the pool. Park your cars and keep the fire lane clear. No one will scold you or your child for being late, and no one is above the rules. Encourage our swimmers to behave with thoughtfulness and respect at home and away; this is who we are.

 

ASHBURY INVITE WRAP-UP

Our family joined the Starz in 2017. In all the years we’ve attended the South Side Invitational at Ashbury, our team has finished third. Some years, we barely had enough swimmers declared for the meet to cover all events, and putting relays together was a real challenge.

The 2025 South Side Invitational was a tremendous meet for the Starz. Finishing second this year to a very large, very strong Breckenridge team was thrilling for me—and for you, too, I hope! We notched many new personal bests, saw top heats filled with Starz swimmers, 7/8 Emma Verdoorn brought two meet records home to Stillwater, and our relays were dominant. We WON the girls division, placed second in the boys, and our second-place finish overall was closer to the win than to third.

Trophies are fun. Heck, I drove around town with ours belted in my passenger seat on Friday morning. What’s most exciting to me about our invite performance, though, isn’t the trophy or the placing itself; it’s what it means about our team.

Over the years, we’ve grown in numbers, but we’ve also grown in skill. More and more of our swimmers, excited by their summer swim experience, are sticking with the sport. They’re returning to the Starz summer after summer and sometimes choosing to grow year-round through club swimming. This year’s team performance at Ashbury is the culmination of a half dozen years of hard work by a group of people who love this team and what it does for our kids and community.

When the team does well (at Ashbury, at Classic, at City), it builds excitement. The kind of growth we saw on Thursday gives our swimmers a reason to return and a target for the future. It shows them what can happen if we stay the course, trust the process, and work hard. That’s certainly what Thursday night showed me. I already can’t wait for next year's invite!

 

TIME DROPS

Congratulations to the following Starz swimmers who each had one or more time drops at Thursday’s South Side Invitational at Ashbury!

Anshika Arulbabu	Molly Asch	Anastasia Cornbleet
Madison Cummings	Macy Dalo	Chloe Dela Cruz
Lucy Eggert	Zoe Fortkamp	Nyra Kawdia
Jessica Kram	Ola Kurpiewski	Emma Madsen
Dalila Magomedova	Maddie O’Toole	Mithra Ranjith
Emerson Reed	Saanvi Sadhu	Emily Salg
Viona Samy	Arden Spychala	Mikayla Szweda
Molly Szweda	Emma Todevski	Arianna Tucci
Emma Verdoorn	Emi Yu	Owen Brown
Henry Fortkamp	Landon Frias	Reyansh Gupta
Parker Jules	Avyan Kawdia	Hunter Li
Oliver Li	George Murphy	Lucas Nadtochiy
Leandros Papadimitriou	Dharan Prasanna	Kaushal Pratury
Mithun Ranjith	Rory Ryan	Nikhil Shankar
Nelson Spychala	Srikumaran Sundararaman	Sriram Sundararaman
James Szweda	Luke Szweda	Kai Todevski
Lincoln Wenner	Max Wenner	Shane Zhao

 

NEW CITY QUALIFIERS

Nothing’s more exciting than a championship meet! Congratulations to the following Starz who earned new City qualifying times at Ashbury’s South Side Invitational. The full lists of time qualifiers can be found on our website, HERE. Times earned at Ashbury appear in red.

Please remember to sign up for your swimmer’s Championship meet, Classic or City, TODAY!

City Qualifying Times: South Side Invitational at Ashbury

Chloe Dela Cruz (25FR)

Lucy Eggert (50FR)

Arden Spychala (50FR)

George Murphy (50FR)

Rory Ryan (25BR) ***New City Qualifier***

Charlie Yu (50BR)

Shane Zhao (50BR)

 

CLASSIC AND CITY DECLARATIONS NEEDED BY THURSDAY

While declarations for Classic and City don’t officially close until July 13 and 17, the Classic and City meet committees use swimmer estimates provided by each team to plan parent worker numbers for the two meets. They have requested our team's estimates by the Fourth of July holiday.

The best way for me to provide an accurate estimate is to work from actual numbers, so I am asking for your help.

Please declare your swimmers for Classic or City (one or the other) BY THURSDAY of this week. If your swimmer’s status changes (if an unavoidable conflict arises or your swimmer earns a City time) you WILL be able to change your swimmer’s status until the official declaration deadline for each meet.

If your swimmers have participated, or will participate, in three or more regular reason meets this season, we ask that they represent the Starz in the championship meet for which they are qualified.

• If your swimmer has two or more City qualifying times and/or is 13/14 or older, please declare for the City Championship meet.
• If your swimmer has one City qualifying time, please discuss your options with Coach Mary, and choose the meet that you decide is best for your swimmer.
• If your swimmer does not have a City qualifying time, please declare for the Classic Championship meet.

Again, please declare your swimmer for Classic or City by this THURSDAY. For more information on the two meets, please visit our website.

 

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN PACK on JULY 10

At 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, Starz coaches, parents, and swimmers will join forces at Aurora's Feed My Starving Children to pack nourishing meals for kids in need! Please sign up NOW on our website or the SportsEngineMotion app if you can attend this service event. Sign-up CLOSES on Thursday, July 3. When you commit your swimmers, please add the names of parent volunteers and participating kids' ages in the notes. If you’ve already registered and missed this step, please add this information now.

Packing is a LOT of fun, and it’s a great way to encourage our kids to be thoughtful, global citizens! Children must be at least five years of age, and each group of participating swimmers MUST volunteer with a parent. We encourage coach participation, too!

If you can't make it or would like to do more, the Stillwater Starz will also be making a donation to FMSC in addition to our pack. Please Venmo @Kathryn-Rosensweet if you wish to contribute. In the note please write, “FMSC.” FMSC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thanks for your generosity!

 

THE STARZ 2^nd ANNUAL “TRY-A-TRI” PRACTICE TRIATHLON: THURSDAY

On Thursday, July 3, regular morning practice will be replaced with the 2nd Annual Stillwater Starz Try-a-Tri: an all-team practice triathlon! The Starz Try-a-Tri is open to all registered Starz swimmers (AM and PM groups). If your athlete would prefer NOT to participate in the Tri-a-Tri, a lane will be held open for regular practice during all age groups.

 

Need to Know:
 
Come dressed in your swimsuit but bring a bag with shorts and a t-shirt to wear on top of your swimsuit after you finish the swim.  You'll also need a pair of gym shoes and socks in addition to your bike & helmet. Bike helmets are required for all participants!
 
When you arrive at the pool, the parking lot to the left of the clubhouse will be marked off for bikes ("BIKES" on map).  You can park your bike, helmet, and run clothing/shoes/socks anywhere in this designated transition area.
 
After the triathlon is finished, we will have snacks for the kids.

 
Helpful Hints:

***Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your practice time so you have enough time to drop off your bike.  The triathlon will begin at your practice time***
 
If your swimmer will not be participating, we will reserve a lane of the pool to conduct regular practices.  Please let us know if this is your swimmer's preference so that we have enough space.
 
We're looking forward to a fun day!  If you have any questions, please reach out to Melissa Jones ([email protected])

 

Course Details:

We will be riding bikes on sidewalks and running on sidewalks or grass.  Parent volunteers will be spread throughout the course making sure everyone is staying safe. The Naperville Police Department is aware of the event and has offered an officer and squad car at the Stillwater Club parking lot (87th Street) to bring added visibility.
 

Swim:

11&up: 1/2 mile (32 laps, 800yds)

9&10: 1/4 mile (16 laps, 400 yds)

7/8: 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile (16 laps, 400 yds or 8 laps, 200 yds)

6&u: 1/8 mile or 1/16 mile (8 laps, 200 yds or 4 laps, 100 yds)

 

Bike:  

11&up: 3 Comstock Loops

9/10: 2 Comstock Loops

7/8: 1 Comstock Loop

6&u: 1 Wellsley Loop

 

Run:  

11&up: 1 Comstock Loop

9/10: 1 Comstock Loop

7/8: 1 Wellsley Loop

6&u: 1 Wellsley Loop

 

 

TONIGHT’S HOME MEET:

Huntington at Stillwater

Positive Check-in Opens: 4:30PM

Warm-ups begin/Check-in closes: 4:45PM (Swimmers arriving after 4:45 p.m. will be scratched from the meet.)

Worker Check-in: 4:45PM, following swimmer check-in (On the pool deck, near the small pool, with Asheley)

Meet Starts: 5:30PM

 

DECLARED SWIMMERS:

HOME vs. HUNTINGTON (TONIGHT)

The following swimmers have been declared for this meet. No swimmers can be added at this time. If your swimmer is declared but an illness or emergency prevents his or her participation tonight, please email Head Coach Mary ASAP.

At the meet, please check both the left AND right column of the posted entry report to ensure you’ve recorded ALL your swimmers’ events. Please pay careful attention to RELAYS, and don’t leave the meet without checking out with a coach to ensure that ALL your swimmer’s events, including relays, are complete!

 

PARENT WORKERS:

HOME vs. HUNTINGTON (TONIGHT)

Announcer

Sundararaman, Vikram

 

Backup/Sub Timer

Shinde, Bhagwat

 

Bag Tag Distributor

Dalo, Kim/Jeff

Conner, Katie

 

Bullpen

Paramonov, Alexander (Daria Lagankina)

Barboza, Michelle

English, Jordan

Freudenberg, Jared

McKee, Kimberly

 

Computer and Scoring

Rosensweet, Katie

Dubash, Roxana

 

Concessions

Sundararaman, Soumya

Schurr, Cassandra

House, Jason

House, Lisa

Melnyk, Darya

 

Concessions Assistant

Ramachandran, Ranjith

 

Concessions Chairperson

Cook, Kimberly

Madsen, Lisa

 

Floater

Prabakaran, Arul

Unizycki, Rob

 

Griller

Endres, Anna

 

Grill Helper/Runner

Tsang, Autumn

Mohan, Rakesh

 

Head Clerk/Bull Pen Chief

Spychala, Heather

 

Head Timer

Jules, Desiree

 

Meet Director

Fortkamp, Lea

 

Meet Runner

Barr, Jennifer

 

Officials (stroke and turn)

Jones, Eric

Verdoorn, Vicki

Frias, Rainel

Cummings, Dan

 

Official (starter)

Murphy, Paul

 

Scorer

Sultan, Neha

 

Setup/Cleanup/Tear Down

Li, Jialin

 

Timer

Zakharova, Kateryna

Solomon, Sharlene (Prean Reddy)

Eggert, Laura/Mike

Kathuria, Himanshu (Preeni Kathuria)

Mastny, Sarah (2)

Zhao, Yan

Bandlamudi, Srikanth

Loegel Jaishankar, Elisabeth

Gupta, Santosh

Wojdyla, Adam

Kawdia, Akash/Niti

 

Volunteer Coordinator

Kram, Asheley

 

That’s it for now! Have a great day, thanks for reading, and we’ll see many of you tonight!

 

Lea

Stillwater Starz Parent Board