2009 Central Zone Championships

We recently returned from the 2009 Central Zone Championships in Noblesville, Indiana where my daughter competed in 6 individual events and four relay events. Central Zone Champs was her biggest, most important meet so far. The United States is divided into four Zones - Western, Eastern, Southern, and Central. Each Zone has a "Zones Meet" each summer. Both the Southern and Central Zones are divided even further into two separate meets for each Zone. We live in the Central Zone area and our part of the Central Zone includes the following states and geographical areas:

• Arkansas
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Lake Erie region
• Ohio (the rest of Ohio except the Lake Erie region)
• Oklahoma
• Ozark region (Missouri and part of Illinois).

Making the time cuts to go (Zone Cuts) is, by itself, a very impressive accomplishment. For those who know nothing about USA swimming (like myself, a little over a year ago), time standards for individual swim events are divided by age and gender and are ranked according to speed starting on the slower end at "All Times," B, BB, A, AA, AAA, and then AAAA. To attend the Central Zone Championships, a swimmer must have at least a AAA time in an event to swim the event at Zones. My daughter is in the 11-12 age group and was allowed to swim a maximum number of 6 events at Zones (not including relays). By the end of the long-course season, Amber had her maximum number of 6 Zone Cuts! She had Zone Cuts in the following events:

• 50 Long Course Meters Freestyle
• 50 Long Course Meters Backstroke
• 50 Long Course Meters Butterfly
• 100 Long Course Meters Backstroke
• 400 Long Course Meters Freestyle
• 100 Long Course Meters Freestyle.

Many folks attend with even one Zone Cut, so we were incredibly excited (and more than a little proud) that Amber would be able to swim the maximum number of events at Central Zones Champs. I am continually amazed and delighted by Amber's devotion to swimming. While she certainly has natural talent, her accomplishments are a result of her hard work and the excellent coaching she receives. Over the summer she practiced seven times a week for a total of 14 hours a week. She NEVER misses practice - not to do something fun, not when she's not feeling well, not because she doesn't feel like going - she just shows up every practice and swims. The ONLY time she misses is when she is forced to attend an out-of-town educational field trip with her family. The dedication and perseverance that she is learning through her disciplined approach to swimming will serve her well throughout her life.

The Lake Erie team travels to Zones together as a team, eats together as a team, and the team stays together in a hotel. Now, Amber had never been to camp or anything like this before so I was quite nervous about the arrangement. Amber, on the other hand, was very excited. She had to be at the bus drop-off location at 6am last Thursday. My husband and I drove her out and got her on the bus. I forced her to smile for a sweet picture with her dad...

and her roommate.

Amber knew a lot of the swimmers already and we also had three other swimmers from her swim team attending. I also knew the mom who was the 11-12 girl's chaperone for the trip so, overall, I felt pretty comfortable with Amber leaving without us and not being able to stay with us in Indiana.

Kev and I left later in the day for Indiana. Our boys stayed with the grandmas while we were away. Our first hotel was rather disappointing and too far away from Amber's hotel but we were able to stay the other two nights in Carmel, Indiana in a lovely SpringHill Suites. Once we moved, our hotel was only a three minute drive away from the hotel where Amber and the rest of the Lake Erie team was staying. I felt MUCH better being close to where she was staying.

While most of Amber's time was heavily scheduled, even when she wasn't swimming, we were able to visit with her early in the morning before each day's swimming events. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, we took Amber out to breakfast with us at an adorable little place that we found, Brunchies. This little restaurant in Carmel, Indiana, is only open for breakfast and lunch. Brunchies is quite reasonably priced and they have very yummy food. Kev and I shared mushroom and cheddar cheese omelettes, hash browns, bacon, and a Belgian Waffle all three mornings of our stay. Yummy!

The swim meet was held at the Forest Park Aquatic Center in Noblesville, Indiana. We would have much preferred an indoor pool. On the second and third days of the meet, it was HOT, extremely HOT - and the heat was trying for both the swimmers and the spectators. I took a few pictures of the pool, the flags, and Amber warming up in the water.

If you ask Amber how she did at Zones, she will say that she did "OK" but she didn't make her best times in all of her events. If you ask ME how Amber did at Zones, I will gush with details about her fabulous accomplishments! The top 16 times in each event "place" at Zones. First place through 8th place receive medals, and 9th place through 16th place receive ribbons. The really neat thing about Zones is that the medals are awarded during a brief ceremony in which the top 8 swimmers for the event take their places on raised podiums and have their medals placed around their necks.

Amber placed 2nd in the Girls 11-12 50 Long Course Meter Butterfly with a time of 31.53 (AAAA).

Before calling the swimmers up to the podium, a hand-painted surf-board with the event written on it was brought out. The surf-boards were really cute and festive!

This picture shows Amber walking up to her second place position on the podium. She is wearing purple shorts over her swimsuit as she just came from swimming another event.

Here you see Amber bending down to receive her medal. The medals were lovely and we had them engraved for her at the meet.Amber tied for 3rd place in the Girls 11-12 50 Long Course Meter Freestyle with a time of 28.83 (AAAA). She tied with one of her team mates from the Lake Erie team! We were so proud of both of the girls!Amber also placed 2nd in the Girls 11-12 50 Long Course Meter Backstroke. We were so thrilled to see her up on the awards stage for 3 of her 6 individual events!

Amber also placed 10th in the 100 Backstroke and she had her best time yet in that event. She also participated in every 11-12 Girls Relay for the Lake Erie team. The girls took 5th place in the following relays:

• Girls 11-12 200 Long Course Meter Free Relay
• Girls 11-12 200 Long Coure Meter Medley Relay
• Girls 11-12 400 Long Course Meter Medley.

The girls took 9th place in the Girls 11-12 400 Meter Free Relay.

Overall, the whole experience was a wonderful one for Amber. We are so proud of her and are looking forward to the Short-Course season.