2017-2018 Swim season (10)

2017-2018 swim season ends with 3 Gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze

December 2017 Monica says she does not want to swim for medals anymore.  She has enough medals now.  We have a discussion and decide that it is time to change her written goals (she had goals like wanting to make more swim friends etc) into goal times.  We start the new season with set times as goals and a highly motivated swimmer.

Mom explains to Mica the medals will still be there as it is a visual representation of her achievements and she should not see it in any other way.

Club change:

After three years with Seagulls swimming club, we decide to make a change and join North Coast Dolphins Swim Team.  Coach Dominique Donner does not have a problem that Dad Coach Jan continue to coach Monica. Everything is new – team, kit and it is a great change for Monica.

She loves her new club after meeting them.  What a nice bunch of swimmers! Combine it with the new focus on times vs medals, and we have a highly motivated swimmer.

2017-2018 Swim season overview:

As usual, the season starts with Seals swimming – they are now in Umgungundlovu district.  We decide to enter Seals 2 as there is an Individual Medley on the program which is not on the Seals 1 program.  Monica surprise us and swims some seasonal personal bests.

At TYR Prestige, Monica continues to shine in her age group.  We, however, come home not just with great times, but also flu.  At this stage, we just think is it the normal flu.  Mica is back in the pool and sick six weeks later.  Same symptoms.  It becomes the trend and every six weeks, for the most part of the year, Monica is sick.

It really makes training and swimming quite tough when you deal with a recurring type of flu.  By end September, we discover it is a swine flu strain when Mica contracts bronchopneumonia.  Our Doctor prescribes an anti-viral and we finally see the light with the recurring flu.

A season of the firsts

2017-2018 Swimming season is one of the firsts.  Monica swims her first KZN Premier Champs in December.  This regional Championship doubles up this year as Commonwealth trials which is scheduled for April 2018.  Monica swims 11& Under.  She is still 10 but shines in her own way.

It is also the first year that we swim School Trials.  Monica participates in the January 2018 Umlazi district school trials where she wins all her events and she is selected to represent the Umlazi schools district at KZN Schools Championships.  We have to wait for the KZN Schools Aquatics to announce the team that will represent the KwaZulu Natal province as SA Schools Nationals in 2018.

It is also the first year that Monica competes at the Swimming South Africa Level 3 Championships.  Mom works on contract in Cape Town and we request special permission for Mica to compete at the UWC Championships.  Contractors do not get leave and it is easier for Monica and Dad coach Jan to drive down to Cape Town for swimming than what it is for Mom to take leave to attend Level 3 Championships elsewhere.

In between asthma and flu, we manage the season just fine and Monica achieves most of her goals set at the beginning of the season.  We are very proud of the way she handled a stressful and tough year inside and outside the pool.
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2018/04/03-06 – SSA L3 Championships UWC Cape Town (LCM) 11&U

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SSA L3 Champs UWC Cape Town 2018

400 m Freestyle @ 5:20:37 Gold PB
200 m Freestyle @ 2:33:35 Gold
100 m Freestyle @ 1:08:97 Gold PB
50 m Freestyle @ 31:21 Silver PB
100 m IM @ 2:57:58 Bronze
50 m Breaststroke @ 41:39 5th PB
50 m Backstroke @ 37:96 4th
100 m Butterfly @ 1:27:09 6th
100 m Backstroke @ 1:21:74 7th
200 m Breaststroke @ 3:23:48 7th
200 m Backstroke @ 2:54:33 6th
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2018/03/08 – Age Group 10 (LCM) 11&U
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400 m Freestyle @ 5:32,10
100 m Backstroke @ 1:24,63
200 m Breaststroke @ 3:25,10
100 m Freestyle @ 1:10,01
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2017/12/16-22 – KZN Premier Champs (LCM) 11&U
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Monica’s first KZN Premier Champs in December 2017

50 m Breaststroke @ 41,23 Silver PB
100 m Butterfly @ 1:23,59 4th PB
100 m Backstroke @ 1:20,41 Silver PB
50 m Freestyle @ 32,13 7th
200 m Freestyle @ 2:32:71 Silver PB
200 m Breaststroke @ 3:19,12 3rd (Gold shared with out of province visitor, Mica bronze but placed 3rd overall)
200 m IM @ 2:55,15 Gold (First KZN 11&U swimmer – visitor medal to Gauteng swimmer)
200 m Backstroke @ 2:52,87 Silver PB
100  m Breaststroke @ 1:33,00 5th PB
100 m Freestyle @ 1:09,72 Silver PB
Relays: 12&U 4×50 Freestyle and 4×100 Freestyle (Bronze)
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2017/11/17-19 – TYR Westville sprints (SCM) 10-year-olds
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Top 10-year-old swimmer TYR Westville Sprints 2017

100 m Freestyle @ 1:08,08 Gold, PB
50 m Butterfly @ 36,00 Gold
100 m Breaststroke @ 1:28,45 Silver
50 m Backstroke @ 37,70 Gold
200 m IM @ 2:51,20 Gold
10&U 100 m Butterfly @ 1:23,03 Gold
100 m Backstroke @ 1:20,66 Gold
50 m Freestyle @ 31,24 Gold
50 m Breaststroke @ 41,13 Silver
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2017/11/11 – Age Group 8 (LCM) 11&U
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100 m Breaststroke @ 1:27,16
100 m Butterfly @ 1:26,84
100 m Breaststroke @ 1:37,01
100 m Freestyle @ 1:12,73
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2017/10/28 – KZN Junior Champs (SCM) 10-Year-old
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KZN Jnr Champs Top 10-year-old female swimmer

100 m Freestyle @ 1:09,99 Gold PB
50 m Butterfly @ 36,01 Silver PB
100 m Breaststroke @ 1:31,49 Silver
50 m Backstroke @ 38,25 Gold
200 m Freestyle @ 2:30,30 Gold PB
50 m Freestyle @ 30,73 Gold
100 m Backstroke @ 1:19,71 Gold PB
50 m Breaststroke @ 41,54 Silver PB
100 m butterfly @ 1:22,97 Silver PB
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2017/10/14 – Age Group 7 11&U
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50 m Freestyle @ 31,20
200 m backstroke @ 2:58,88
100 m breaststroke @ 1:34,77
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2017/10/15 to 10/08 – Seagulls (SCM) 9-10

Seagulls Short Course Championships 2017

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50 m Breaststroke @ 42,75 Gold PB
100 m Freestyle @ 1:09,21 Gold PB
100 m Breaststroke @ 1:32,69 Gold
100 m Backstroke @ 1:20,22 Gold PB
50 m Freestyle @ 31,14 Gold PB
50 m Butterfly @ 35:91 Silver
200 m IM @ 2:50,14 Gold PB
50 m Backstroke 36,97 Gold PB
14&U 200-meters:
Freestyle 40/113 @ 2:33,07
Breaststroke 29/52 @ 3:22,50
Backstroke 44/64 @ 2:59,91

13 Medals from 26 heats and finals at TYR Prestige Champs 2018

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2017/7/11 – 15 TYR Prestige Girls 12 & Under
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12&U 200 m Freestyle 15/67 @ 2:33,76
50 m Backstroke @ 37,18 Gold
50 m Breaststroke @ 41,65 Gold
50 m Freestyle @ 31,82 Gold
100 m Fly @ 1:22,81 Gold
200 m IM @ 2:52,75 Gold
100 m Back @ 1:20,93 Silver
50 m Butterly @ @ 35,85 Silver
100 m Breaststroke @ 1:33,18 Gold
100 m Freestyle @ 1:09,89 Gold
14& 200 m Backstroke 38/72 @ 2:58,07
14&U 200 m Breaststroke 28/58 @ 3:24,51
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2017/06/23 uMgungundlovu District Gala 2 (Seals 2) Girls 9-10 SCM
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100-meters freestyle at Umgungundlovu Gala 1

50 Freestyle @ 31:66
50 Backstroke @ 38:21
50 Butterfly @ 35:57
Open 100 IM @ 1:19:36
50 Breaststroke @ 42:38
100 Freestyle @ 1:11:19
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2017/06/10 Age Group 2 Girls 11 & Under
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200 m Backstroke @ 2:55,6
100 m Freestyle @ 1:10,85
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2017/05/27 Age Group 1 Girls 11 & Under
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400 m Freestyle @ 5:25,51
200 m IM @ 2:57,80