Tampa Bay Aquatics

March came in like a lamb, so it’s supposed to leave like a lion, right?

The kids on the Westchase swim team are sure helping March go out with a roar! After qualifying eight swimmers for the Florida Spring Junior Olympics, there is certainly a lot of pride around the pool. Right now the swimmers are setting their sights on the Spring Area 3/5 Championships in Sarasota. We should send two dozen Westchase swimmers to this meet and we’re looking to achieve many best times.

We have been lucky to have only a few really cold days this winter, so we were able to keep most of the kids practicing and swimming fast! Swimmers of the month for February were Kendall Allen for the Novice group and Margret Shumake for the Age Groupers. Both of the girls helped keep the pool warm during the cold days – they were on fire! Both achieved multiple best times at the Clearwater meet. Their dedication, drive and positive attitudes have helped them stand out in February as the leaders in their groups.

Our swim team has two separate practice groups. The Novice swimmers practice from 4-5 p.m. daily and also from 9-10:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings. The emphasis in this group is on stroke development and having fun. Our Age Groupers practice from 5-7 p.m. daily and 7-9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. This is a more advanced group, so practices are more challenging and involve a combination of stroke, endurance and speed work.

Summer swim season is just around the corner. In the meantime we anticipate terrific performances from all to close out the month of March like lions.