Yes, we're back.

Dear SBAC swimmers and family members,

I hope everyone had a restful week away from the pool (and me) and is eager for the fall season at SBAC. We do not begin formal swim practice until September 1st, but I want to get a bit of a head start on a few matters so that everyone can be ready to swim when the time comes.

1. We will be having an SBAC age group/senior group athletes only team meeting at the Dos Pueblos pool on Monday August 31st. We will do dryland at 3:45 and have a meeting following dryland. The afternoon will end around 5, but I will be on hand until 5:30 to talk to parents. Every athlete needs to bring a pen or pencil, $3 in CASH, and a freezer ziplock bag to the team meeting.

2. If you are aware of someone that may be interested in joining the program but is insecure about the process of joining please have them e-mail me directly. Swimmers can always join SBAC midseason, but it’s always easier to be there at the beginning.

3. Dryland will be a huge part of the SBAC swim program. Please make sure that proper tennis/fitness shoes are worn on August 31st and every practice thereafter. If you have a particular physical ailment that I need to be aware of that will prevent you from one aspect of training please let me know.

4. Age group practice in September officially begins at 3:45 with 15 minutes of dryland. However, in October, I would like to encourage most of the age group swimmers to start arriving at 3:15 unless there is a school conflict.

5. I would like everyone to start bringing a water bottle to school (and actually drinking the water). Drinking water is a good habit in itself, but it is very important for athletes. You cannot go the entire school day without drinking water and then show up to swim practice able to perform at optimum levels. If you make it a habit this week it will be a natural habit next week.

Summer ends for SBAC athletes

Our age group program completed the summer at the PVST Pirate Invitational, with Erik Lindheim-Marx winning multiple races and establishing new best times while Courtney Nuttall established new times for the future. The novice program completed the summer at the Santa Barbara Novice Championships (held at Dos Pueblos High School) with a tremendous showing at every age level.

It was a tremendously successful summer for all of the swimmers and families at SBAC.

Another big weekend for SBAC swimmers

Santa Barbara Aquatics Club will compete in 2 swim meets this weekend.

Our novice program will participate in a swim meet at Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club on Saturday morning, racing against local novice teams.

A group of our age group swimmers will travel to Camarillo to compete in a swim meet with others from around the Santa Barbara and Ventura County areas.

Check back at this site for results from the competitions!

Katy Freeman is US Open Champion!

SBAC's Katy Freeman hit the wall first in a blistering time of 2:22.51 to win Gold and set a new U.S. Open meet record in the 200 breaststroke meet record by more than three seconds. Her time currently ranks 6th in the World and second in the United States behind Rebecca Soni.
"She was fourth at the turn and just swam an exceptional last 50 to bring it home," said UCSB coach and SBAC director Gregg Wilson. "I'm incredibly happy for Katy. She has worked very hard and this win puts her in some elite international company."

Age Group Test Set 10x100 IM on 3 minutes

A group of swimmers in the age group program at SBAC participated in a test set of 10x100 IM on 3 minutes. Here are their times from the set. For Erik, Regan, and Courtney this was the second time doing this particular test set, and all three athletes had significant improvement on their average times.

Erik 1:30.0, 1:30.8, 1:28.1, 1:29.4, 1:30.9, 1:31.0, 1:29.1, 1:30.8, 1:29.8,1:29.5, 1:21.3
Regan 1:31.29, 1:32.1, 1:32.1, 1:30.6, 1:32.1, 1:32.3, 1:29.3, 1:32.4, 1:30.2, 1:21.3
Courtney 1:29.2, 1:32.1, 1:32.1, 1:30.6, 1:32.1, 1:32.3, 1:29.3, 1:32.4, 1:28.2, 1:26.0
Morgan 2:05.1, 2:02,8, 2:04.9, 2:09.8, 1:59.5, 1:55.9, 2:01.1, 1:59.8, 1:56.7, 2:00.1
Spencer 1:51,0, 1:50.1, 1:50.5, 1:50.7, 1:47.8, 1:47.0, 1:47.6, 1:50.7, 1:52,7, 1:48.4s.

great job SBAC age group program