Orinda Aquatics
Encyclopedia
| Established | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Head Coaches | |
| Team Manager | |
| Sponsors | Nike, NorCal Swim Shop |
| Board Members | |
| Website | http://www.orindaaquatics.org |
Orinda Aquatics (OAPB) is a year-round swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
program located in Moraga, California
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
. The community program serves nearly 1,000 swimmers in the Lamorinda
Lamorinda
Lamorinda refers an area within Contra Costa County, California in the United States. The name is a portmanteau from the names of the three cities that make up the region: Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda....
area including Orinda
Orinda, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Orinda had a population of 17,643. The population density was 1,389.5 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Orinda was 14,533 White, 149 African American, 22 Native American, 2,016 Asian, 24 Pacific Islander, 122 from other races, and...
, Moraga
Moraga, California
Moraga is a suburban incorporated town located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is named in honor of Joaquin Moraga, whose grandfather was José Joaquin Moraga, second in command to Juan Bautista de Anza...
, Lafayette
Lafayette, California
Lafayette is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 23,893. It was named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero of the American Revolutionary War...
, and the surrounding areas. It is a non-profit organization directed at all levels of swimming and dedicated to the maximum development of each swimmer as an athlete and as an individual. Orinda Aquatics has approximately 115 year-round swimmers, 30+ College swimmers, over 550 Fall (summer-recreational) swimmers, 125 high school pre-season swimmers, and swimmers who participate in its spring clinics. In addition, it has a Masters program for swimmers who are ages 19 and up.
Orinda Aquatics has won Junior Nationals, Long Course Sectionals, Far Westerns, and the Pacific Swimming Age-Group Championships. The team has developed or trained over ten Olympic Trial swimmers and developed over 100 National level or High School All-American swimmers. Additionally, and perhaps the team's most significant accomplishment is that over ninety percent of its graduating swimmers go on to swim in collegiate programs. The team recently achieved a Silver Medal Recognition, ranking 34th in the nation last year (among over 8,500 teams) in the USA Swimming
USA Swimming
USA Swimming is the national governing body for competitive swimming in the United States. It is charged with selecting the United States Olympic Swimming team and any other teams which officially represent the United States, as well as the overall organization and operation of the sport within the...
Club Excellence program. The home of Orinda Aquatics is the Soda Aquatic Center at Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School is a public high school located in Moraga, California, and is in the Acalanes Union High School District. Campolindo offers an advanced education system in the Acalanes School District, with particular emphasis on its participation in the Advanced Placement Program.In 2003,...
in Moraga, CA.
Recent Meets
San Diego President's Day Classic
During President's Day weekend, 2007, Orinda Aquatics sent 50 high school athletes to compete in the San Diego Imperial President's Day Classic hosted by North Coast Aquatics. Having placed third during the 2006 competition behind the Mexican national team and the host team NCA, Orinda Aquatics as a whole swam above expectations and won the meet by over 100 points. At the meet, two Miramonte High SchoolMiramonte High School
Miramonte High School is a public high school located in Orinda, California. It is part of the Acalanes Union High School District, which has a college preparatory program, with 15 Advanced Placement courses offered. Over 98% of its graduates go on to college. 320 students graduated in 2005, with...
alums made guest appearances: Kris Kao and Geoff Honda.
Short Course Sectionals (Bakersfield, CA)
Orinda Aquatics also sent 12 swimmers from the Senior 3 group to Long Beach, CA to compete in the SpeedoSpeedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
Champions Series California-Nevada Spring Championships.
North Coast Championships (CIF)
The high school season concluded on May 18–19, 2007 with the NCS championships. Orinda Aquatic swimmers were among the swimmers on several high school teams placing in the top 8. In the boys division, Campolindo High SchoolCampolindo High School
Campolindo High School is a public high school located in Moraga, California, and is in the Acalanes Union High School District. Campolindo offers an advanced education system in the Acalanes School District, with particular emphasis on its participation in the Advanced Placement Program.In 2003,...
placed first overall. Other boys teams with OA swimmers; San Ramon High School-3rd, Miramonte High School
Miramonte High School
Miramonte High School is a public high school located in Orinda, California. It is part of the Acalanes Union High School District, which has a college preparatory program, with 15 Advanced Placement courses offered. Over 98% of its graduates go on to college. 320 students graduated in 2005, with...
-5th and De La Salle-8th. In the women's, Orinda Aquatic swimmers were represented on 2nd Place finisher Carondelet High School
Carondelet High School
Carondelet High School is an all-girls private Catholic high school in Concord, California. Carondelet High School was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The school of about 800 students was founded in 1965. It shares some resources with the all-boys school, De La Salle High School, which is...
, Las Lomas High School
Las Lomas High School
Las Lomas High School was founded in 1951 by Acalanes Union High School District, and the new school opened its doors in the fall of 1952 to its first graduating class. Las Lomas was the second of five schools built within the Acalanes Union High School District...
-3rd, Campolindo-4th and Monte Vista High School
Monte Vista High School (Danville, California)
Monte Vista High School is a comprehensive, National Blue Ribbon of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, as well as a California Distinguished School and fully WASC-accredited 9-12 public school of more than 2000 students. The school is located in the Town of Danville, CA in the San Ramon Valley,...
-5th.
Orinda Aquatic Top 8 Finalists
- Max Parrague - 50 Free 1st (21.15) and 100 Free 2nd (46.67)
- Shelbi Luchini - 200 Free 7th (1:53.74) and 500 Free 7th (5:05.50)
- Tommy Dowley - 200 Free 6th (1:43.98)
- Nate Erickson - 200 IM 7th (1:58.06)
- Chelsea Pfhol - 100 Fly 4th (57.34)
- Caroline Lukins - 100 Fly 8th (58.00)
- Shane Tutass - 100 Fly 5th (51.73) and 500 Free 7th (4:40.70)
- Kelsey Lewis - 500 Free 6th (5:04.28)
- Dustin Luchini - 100 Breast 4th (57.74)
- Chris Chuck - 100 Breast 8th (59.71)
Breakout Swims
- Chuck, Chris- NCS 100 Breast 59.31, 200 IM 2:01.38
- Dorr, John- Long Beach 200 Breast 2:01.26 (1st overall)
- Dowley, Tommy- NCS 200 Free 1:43.98, 500 Free 4:46.82
- Erickson, Nate- Long Beach 100 Back 53.45, 200 Back 1:55.37 (20th overall), 200 IM 1:57.69 400 IM 4:09.99 (20th overall), 100 Free 48.21 (Relay Split), 200 Free 1:47.08 (Relay Split)
- Higgins, Ryan- San Diego 400 IM 4:38
- Liang, Vincent- San Diego 400 IM 4:25.41
- Luchini, Dustin- John Swett Dual Meet 50 FR 21.9
- Luchini, Shelbi- San Diego 50 Free 25.33, 100 Free 54.41, 200 Free 1:56.59, 500 Free 5:11.03, 200 IM 2:10.34, 100 Fly 1:00.65 Long Beach 100 Free 54.23
- O'Hara, Brian- DFAL 50 Free 23.60, 100 Free 51.85
- Tutass, Shane- San Diego 200 Fly 1:54.53 (1st place overall) Long Beach 200 Fly 1:52.80 (Junior National Qualifier, 6th place overall), 400 IM 4:14.13, 200 Free 1:48.08 (Relay split) NCS 100 Fly 51.73, 500 Free 4:40.70
Training Groups
Orinda Aquatics has three training groups. The junior group, coached by Matt Ehrenberger, is a training group for pre-high school athletes. Junior group swimmers usually practice between 3 and 6 times a week, and emphasize technique and moderate training. Steven Stumph, who joined Orinda Aquatics junior group during the fall of 2006, after only a few months of year-round training, quickly boosted himself into the top rankings in the nation in the breakstroke and individual medley events.The senior group, composed of high school swimmers from Miramonte High School
Miramonte High School
Miramonte High School is a public high school located in Orinda, California. It is part of the Acalanes Union High School District, which has a college preparatory program, with 15 Advanced Placement courses offered. Over 98% of its graduates go on to college. 320 students graduated in 2005, with...
, Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School
Campolindo High School is a public high school located in Moraga, California, and is in the Acalanes Union High School District. Campolindo offers an advanced education system in the Acalanes School District, with particular emphasis on its participation in the Advanced Placement Program.In 2003,...
, De La Salle High School
De La Salle High School (Concord, California)
De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
, Acalanes High School
Acalanes High School
Acalanes High School was the first of several high schools in the Acalanes Union High School District in Lafayette, California. It was built in 1940 on what was then a tomato field. The school was built with federal money through the work of the Works Project Administration through the Roosevelt...
, John Swett High School
John Swett High School
John Swett High School is located in Crockett, California, USA, and serves the communities of Crockett, Port Costa, Rodeo, and the Foxboro area of Hercules. It is named after John Swett, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, elected in 1863. John Swett High School was established...
, and others is Orinda's second training group. It is split into two sub-training groups, the senior 1/2 group, and the senior 3/4 group. Athletes from the senior 1/2 training group may be moved to the senior 3/4 group if s/he shows intense focus and dedication to the sport. Athletes in the senior 3 group should progress from California-Nevada Sectional time standards on to national level swimming. In addition to being focused, mature, technically proficient, and dedicated to training, every swimmer in this group is expected to attend each team meet and practice (nine a week), and act with the utmost integrity on a daily basis.
The "John Dorr" Effect
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
under head coach Dave Salo
Dave Salo
David Clark "Dave" Salo is a swimming coach based in Southern California, USA. Currently, he is the head coach of the University of Southern California men's and women's swimming team, as well as USC's club team: Trojan Swim Club. Prior to his becoming the USC coach, he was the head coach of Irvine...
. At USC, some of his training partners are Olympians Lenny Krayzelburg
Lenny Krayzelburg
Lenny Krayzelburg is an American backstroke swimmer, and Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder. He swam in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He won a total of 4 Olympic gold medals....
and Amanda Beard
Amanda Beard
Amanda Ray Beard is an American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic medalist . She is a former world record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke ....
, as well as NCAA champion Oussama Mellouli
Oussama Mellouli
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He currently is an African Record holder, and trains with the USA club based at the University of Southern California, where he went to school and swam, collegiately....
.
2008 Olympic Trials Qualifiers
- Lindsey Sharp (Washington)- 50 Free
- Tyler Angelo (Notre Dame) - 200 meter Breaststroke
- Katie Arnold (UCLA) - 100 meter Backstroke & 200 Meter Backstroke
- Lauren Beaudreau (University of Richmond) - 200 meter Breaststroke, 200 meter IM & 400 meter IM
- Zach Disbrow (West Point) - 100 meter Butterfly
- John Dorr (UC Berkeley Alum) - 100 meter Breaststroke & 200 meter IM
- Lindsey Hart (Harvard)-200 meter backstroke
- Scott Lathrope (Stanford) - 400 meter IM & 200 meter Butterfly
- Kim Vandenberg (UCLA Alum) - 50 meter Free, 100 meter Free, 200 meter Free, 100 meter Butterfly, 200 meter Butterfly and 200 meter IM
- Peter Varellas (Stanford Alum) - Waterpolo
- Heather White (UC Berkeley) - 200 meter Backstroke & 200 meter IM
- Michael Sharf (UC Berkeley) - member of USA Water Polo Senior National Team
2007 FINA World Championships
Orinda Aquatics is being reprented by two swimmers in the 2007 FINA World Aquatics Championships. Peter VarellasPeter Varellas
Peter Varellas is an American water polo player. He was a member of the United States men's national water polo team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the championship game, the USA team won the silver medal, defeated by Hungary....
(water polo) and Kim Vandenberg
Kim Vandenberg
Kimberly Vandenberg is an American swimmer. She was part of the bronze medal winning team of the 4x200 m freestyle relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She also won a silver medal at the 2007 World Swimming Championships in the 200 m butterfly....
(swimming)are both representing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the world championships in Melbourne, Australia. According to the FINA world rankings, Vandenberg ended the 2006 season No. 6 in the world in the 200-meter butterfly, a position she solidified at the U.S. Summer Nationals last August. Peter, a Stanford graduate, has been playing international matches in Savona, Italy. The event takes place from March 17-April 1, 2007.
In Kim Vandenberg's trials race of the 200 meter butterfly, she qualified for 3rd place with a time of 2:08.63, behind Canada's Audrey Lacroix
Audrey Lacroix
Audrey Lacroix is a Canadian swimmer from Montreal, Quebec. She is the Canadian record holder in the 100 metre butterfly , 200 metre butterfly . She is also the world record holder in the short-course 4x100 medley relay event with her fellow teammates, Katy Murdoch, Annamay Pierse, and Victoria Poon...
and Poland's Otylia Jędrzejczak
Otylia Jedrzejczak
Otylia Jędrzejczak is a Polish swimmer. She is the Olympic champion from Athens 2004 in the 200 metre butterfly. She finished 4th in this event in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She also swam in a third Olympiad, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In Athens 2004 she also silvered in...
, easily qualifying her for finals.
In Kim's finals race of the 200 fly, she placed second and won the silver medal, behind the current world record holder in the event, Jessicah Schipper
Jessicah Schipper
Jessicah Lee Schipper OAM is an Australian swimmer. She trained at the Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton club in Brisbane, under veteran coach Ken Wood up until the conclusion of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Schipper now trains under the guidance of Stephan Widmer with the Commercial Swimming Club...
. Kim swam a lifetime best time- 2:06.71, narrowly defeating the defending Olympic champion, Otylia Jędrzejczak
Otylia Jedrzejczak
Otylia Jędrzejczak is a Polish swimmer. She is the Olympic champion from Athens 2004 in the 200 metre butterfly. She finished 4th in this event in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She also swam in a third Olympiad, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In Athens 2004 she also silvered in...
. Vandenberg's time of 2:06.71 is the third fastest all-time by an American woman. The top two, Misty Hyman
Misty Hyman
Misty Dawn Marie Hyman is a former American swimmer who won the gold medal in the 200 m butterfly at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-1996 Olympic Trials:...
and Mary T. Meagher were World record holders, Olympians and Olympic Gold Medalists.
In water polo action, Stanford and Campolindo High Alum Peter Varellas was one of the key ingredients in team USA's success. Peter scored four goals in six games to help the United States to a 9th place finish and a 4-2 record. The team succeeded in holding off tough competition with wins over Australia (twice), South Africa, and Canada. Their only two losses came from 6th place finisher Germany, and a narrow 10-8 defeat to eventual World Champion Croatia.
Open Water
On October 1, 2006, four Orinda Aquatics swimmers participated in the RCP Tiburon Mile Swim. The RCP Tiburon Mile swim is an annual open waterOpen Water
Open Water is a 2003 horror film loosely based on the true story of an American couple, Tom and Eileen Lonergan, who in 1998 went out with a scuba diving group, Outer Edge Dive Company, on the Great Barrier Reef, and were accidentally left behind because the dive-boat crew failed to take an...
swim race that starts on Angel Island and ends on the ports of Tiburon
Tiburon
Tiburon may refer to:Places* Tiburon, California* Tiburón Golf Club Naples, Florida* Tiburón Island, an island in the Gulf of California* Tiburon Peninsula, a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California...
. Orinda Aquatics was represented by Chris Chuck, Tommy Dowley, Matt Martinez and Mark Shveyd. Rick Arnason of BEAR Swimming coached the Orinda Aquatics swimmers in order to prepare them for the event. The Tiburon Mile takes an abundance of mental strength, in order to finish. During the swim the water was measured at a chilling 55 degrees. Some other notable swimmers that participated in the event included: P.H. Mullen, Brooke Bennet, Klete Keller
Klete Keller
Klete Keller is an American freestyle swimmer who won medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 400 m freestyle and the 4x200 m freestyle relay. In the 4x200 m freestyle relay, Keller held off a charging Ian Thorpe in the anchor leg to win the race by 0.13 seconds...
, Erik Vendt
Erik Vendt
Erik Vendt is a retired American swimmer. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 2004 Summer Olympics...
, and Chloe Sutton. The 2006 winner of the RCP Tiburon Mile was Vladimir Dyatchine who tackled the leader, Thomas Lurz
Thomas Lurz
Thomas Lurz is a German swimmer who specializes is long-distance freestyle swimming, especially open water swimming...
on the beach side finish in order to win the prize money.
Triathlon
Some Orinda Aquatics swimmers will be participating in the upcoming Triathlon in Moraga. The first annual Moraga Triathlon will be held April 28, 2007. It is a sprint triathlon with a 400 meter swim, 14 mile bike ride and 5K run - starting at the Soda Aquatic Center. It inaugural event is a fun way to try a triathlon - and swimmers will be supporting the Soda Scoreboard Fund in the process. The Moraga Treeline Triathlon turned out to be a successful experience for Orinda Aquatic's Roger Ward, as he won the Men's 18 and under division.Inspirational Awards
Virginia Hall and Reagan Perry were two outstanding individuals on Orinda Aquatics. For their demonstration of unconditional friendship to Ron and Don Heidary and a selfless dedication to the sport of swimming, Ron, Don, and Orinda Aquatics created two inspirational awards: Virginia Hall (female) and Reagan Perry (male). These two awards are for one male and one female swimmer who most embodies unconditional commitment, integrity, and sportsmanship. The awards are given annually at the Orinda Aquatics Awards Banquet.2006 Recipients
Male- Kristofer Kao (currently attending UCSD)Female- Shelbi Luchini (a sophomore at Campolindo High School)