Hi All,

WOW! What a great last meet!! We were so close- the score kept being tied, then us ahead, then them ahead- it was neck and neck the entire meet. Even though we ultimately lost 250-256, but we should all be very proud! It was a great ending to the season.

This week's update:

• Award Ceremony this Thursday 7/17
• Parents Night Out 7/25
• Ribbons
• Saving Grace Fundraiser
• Lessons
• Meet Recap
• Action items

Awards Ceremony- Thursday 7/17 

Will be held at the pool Thursday 7/17. It will be a Potluck with cake provided. We will have water and Gatorade to drink- if you would like anything else it is BYOB.

We will start at 6 with dinner then awards. Kids are free to use the pool except during the awards portion of the Banquet.

* If you have any pictures from the season please forward to me.

** If weather is an issue- we will delay until any storms pass or if it is a complete wash-out we will reschedule to Monday 7/21.

*** As we gear up for our End-of-Season Banquet on Thursday, 7/17 Connie Garkalns is collecting donations as a thank-you to our coaches for all they’ve done. If you’d like to contribute, you can:

• Send via Venmo (@Connie-Garkalns) - please note for coaches
• Or drop cash/check in my folder (GARKALNS) in the kitchen at the pool

If possible, please have donations in by 12 PM Today Wednesday 7/16. Any amount is appreciated, and every dollar will go directly to our coaches as a heartfelt thank-you.

Parent's Night out:

📅 Mark your calendar: Friday, July 25 at 6:00 PM

Need a night out? We’ve got you covered — and your kids will have a blast, too!

Join us for a Parent’s Night Out hosted by Pro3:5 Sports, one of our amazing team sponsors. This 2.5-hour event is packed with supervised fun for the kids — and it supports the Marlins!

Here’s what to expect:

✅ Drop off anytime after 6:00 PM

👟 Kids should wear gym shoes, shorts, and a T-shirt

🍕 Pro3:5 will provide pizza and drinks for dinner

🏀 Fun games, sports, and activities all night long!

💥 Bonus: The Marlins will receive 40% of the profits from this event — so your night out also helps fund our season!

Please spread the word!
This event is open to the Manchester community and our friends — you do not need to be a Marlins swimmer to attend. Friends, neighbors, and classmates are all welcome. The more kids that attend, the more we raise for our team!

It’s a win for parents, a blast for kids, and a boost for the Marlins.

Spots are limited — you’ll need to register using the QR code on the attached flyer.

📎 See the attached flyer for all the details
📨 Questions? Let us know!

Ribbons from last night's meet:

Hopefully we will receive them before tomorrow night's ceremony- if not I can drop off in your mailboxes. 

Saving Grace Fundraiser:

Reminder that we will be collecting items to donate to Saving Grace Animals for Adoption. Collection will take place during our Awards Ceremony on July 17th, or another time that you rearrange with me.

Some items that they always need are: Paper towels, 55 and 13 gallon trash bags, fleece or wool blankets, towels, sheets, small comforters, canned dog food, Purina One dry dog food, Pill Pockets, Hand Sanitizer, Disinfecting Wipes, Dog Shampoo, Treats, and Harris Teeter gift cards.

For other ideas please visit savinggracenc.org - they are a great organization and I know many Manchester dogs are from there! Thank you for any support you can offer.

Lessons:

Although our swim practices have ended, Coaches Sam, Jessie and Andrew will still be available for swim lessons. If you are interested, or know anyone who is, please contact Coach Sam at 919-455-4975. She will assign a coach to the lesson based on swimmer skill level and scheduling availability. Evenings after practice or weekends are the nest time but we can work around your schedule. Cost for members is $20 for individual 30 minute lesson and $30 for group 30 minute lesson. If you have any questions you can also contact me at 919-345-9359.

Meet Recap from 7/15 against Oak Park:

Congrats on a hard fought battle Marlins!! We lost 256-250, but it was a roller coaster!  In all of my 16 years as part of the Marlins family I have never seen a meet this close.  On paper (the pre-meet Psych sheet) we should have been down by over 60 points, but we swam hard, had many personal bests and closed that gap- even traded the lead multiple times throughout the meet. Our sportsmanship and support of each other was once again top-level. 

We had 55 swimmers- the most by far this season. (They had 80 which helped them have all natural relays which was ultimately the deciding factor.) We won more individual points than they did which is a huge accomplishment.

Thank you so much to all of you who attended and volunteered last night. Usually attendance dwindles at the end of the season, but not for us! Thank you so much for your support- especially at an away meet that was a bit of a drive. I sit at most meets and listen to volunteer coordinators struggling at the last minute to fill their volunteer spots- yes, they all have a coordinator which we don't need because you all consistently step up and volunteer/commit yourselves ahead of time. Last night they had 45 families and we had 27- we filled all of our spots with no problem! Thank you all- especially to those families who attended/volunteered even when they did not have kids swimming and to those who volunteered at more than 3 meets- some families had one or both parents help at every meet! You all are the best and I am proud to be a member of this Marlins Family!

Triple Winners:  

• Gavin Ivory
• Carpenter Keigan
• Jessie Miller

Double Winners:

• Andrew Cook
• Adelie Brodzinski
• Mason Curtis
• Abbott Keigan
• Blair Wilson

1st place: we also had the following swimmers place first- Paul Brin (Breast- the only legal 6 and Under!), Nolan Miller (Back), Theo Convissar (Fly), Ruby Parrish (Breast) Hayden Caggiano (Back), Clair Curtis (Breast) 

Swim Ups- This was the only meet this season where we were able to fill all relay teams! It would not have been possible without the following swimmers accepting the challenge and swimming up. Swim ups for this meet were particularly difficult- especially at the end of the meet when it was dark and very hard to see in the pool. It was also very chaotic combining as many relay teams as we did in a small pool. These swimmers gave their all and should be thanked and congratulated:

The swim ups for this meet were:

• Rory Convissar- B 11-12 Medley and Free Relays
• Marshall Miller- B 11-12 Medley and Free Relays
• Sully Lloyd- G 11-12 Medley and Free Relays
• Griffin Ivory- B 13-14 Medley and Free Relays
• Jackie Brin- G 13-14 Medley and Free Relays
• Evelyn Parrish- G 13-14 Medley and Free Relays
• Campbell Keigan- not a true swim up, but so glad to have her participate and help her team! 

One other shout out- to our 15-18 relay teams. It's difficult when it all comes down to the last relay. Our Boys team was seeded 2.49 seconds slower than their team- but they pulled it out and won by .76 seconds! Our Girls team on the other hand was seeded 9.43 seconds slower. They did not win but they closed the gap and came in 2nd by only 2.24 seconds- this is a win in my book. We never gave up and fought hard until the end! 

Action Items:

• Parent Night Out- sign up if you are interested- it's another great way to earn money for our team!
• Send me any pics you have taken during the season
• Bring your potluck item and attend the Awards Ceremony tomorrow night!

Thank you all for everything you have done to support our team this season!

GO MARLINS!
Jackie Miller

Manchester TSA Rep

919-345-9359

[email protected]

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