June 25, 2013 First off the Seahawks coaches would like to welcome you back as well as all new families and swimmers to the 2013 DUSO season. We are excited about this season and defending our title as DUSO champions! We would also like to thank the Board for all their hard work. A special shout out goes to Kevin “LB” Saunders for joining the Board this year. Welcome aboard LB. Getting To Know Your Coaches Coach Glenn “Geeber” LaPolt Seahawks head coach from 1989 to 1996. Coach Glenn came out of retirement in 2010 to serve as C0-Head Coach. Coach Glenn is a certified USA Swimming Coach and also serves as a coach for the Hawks Swim Club. He began his swimming career in 1975, as a young starry eyed Mark Spitz loving Seahawks 8 and under. Coach Glenn still competes and has completed the Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon, Lake Placid Ironman, the Two Bridges 5k Hudson water swim, Rock the Ridge 50 mile endurance run, the American Zofingen Ironman Time Trial, and is two time finisher of the Blue Hill Cabin Challenge…the hardest cycling event in NYS. Coach Glenn is a history teacher at Wallkill High School. Coach Melissa “Mel” Gruver Coach Mel started her swimming at age 6 for the Chenango Aquatics Club. She swam on the Chenango Forks Varsity team and also swam four years for SUNY Cortland where she was an accomplished varsity swimmer. Coach Mel was the New Paltz High School girls and boys varsity coach for over 10 years. She has produced 11 state champions (including coaches Luke and Moose) and won countless section and league championships. This is her 13th year as a head coach of the Seahawks. She is a USA Swimming certified coach. She also is a coach of the New Paltz Hawks Swimming Club. Mel still competes and has completed the Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon, Musselman Half Ironman, and numerous sprint and Olympic distances races. Coach Mel is a Health teacher at New Paltz Middle School. Luke “Stro” Strothenke Luke started swimming as a four year old on the Seahawks where he turned in an unprecedented 15 year run. He swam 5 years as a Varsity swimmer for New Paltz High School where he was a two time NYS champion as well as a two time All American. Coach Luke also holds DUSO records, Section 9 records and SUNYAC Conference records. He is currently swimming for SUNY Cortland and is starting his fourth year as a coach of the Seahawks. Luke is majoring in Physical Education. Matt “Moose” Hasbrouck Matt swam on Seahawks from the age of 5 to 18. In addition to his 14 years as a Seahawk, Coach Matt swam for 6 years with New Paltz High School Varsity, where he was twice named Captain. Moose is a two time High School All American and a former NYS champion. He currently swims for Cortland where he set numerous pool records and set a new school record for Cortland at SUNYAC Championships in the 200 Butterfly. The previous record was 32 years old!!! This is Coach Matt’s first year as a Seahawks coach. Moose is majoring in Biology. Interesting Seahawks Facts: The old Moriello pool was located in the parking lot. You can still see the edges of the pool deck right at the base of the hill directly below the playground. It had three sides with an open end to the lake, which is now the swamp to your left if you were looking up at the playground. New Paltz High School is the reigning State champion in the 200 IM relay. All four members of the relay started their swimming careers on this team and in this pool. Their names are Aodhan Fogarty, Emile Kuyl, Hudson Carroll, and Jackson Beveridge; they are still on the Seahawks team and will be swimming this summer. Check out their style! For the first 25 years of our existence the team had no name. We were just referred to as the New Paltz swim team. However, in the early 90s it was decided that we needed an official name. Two factions emerged…the New Paltz Seahawks contingent led by Coach Glenn and the New Paltz TSA (Talented Swim Association) led by Pool Director Bill Russell. With Russell fanning the flames of agitation the tension was as thick as pea soup and both sides were spoiling for a good fight. In a hotly contested election the team came within one vote of being named the TSA. However, in the end, on a hot and humid morning in July of 1991 the forces of good triumphed over the dark forces of pool Director Bill Russell and the New Paltz Seahawks was born. We lost some good men that day. In the early days of Seahawks, a fun day consisted of a full team Battle Royal in the shallow end. The practice came to a stop in the 1990s as injuries mounted and people became more litigious. Now we play dead fish and sharks and minnows. Quote “The only side effect of too much training is that you get into better shape. There is nothing wrong with that.” Mark Spitz Stay Classy Seahawks The Coaches
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:27:15 +0000
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