Jones Family - Heard from Sam Jones (dad) with great memories of being part of the team back in the 80s. Sam and Vicki live in Tulsa and forwarded an update on the family.
Chaz Jones - Oklahoma State University (MBA, 98), Vice President Equity Research, Morgan Keegan, Memphis, TN, married (Heather), two sons (Harrison turns 3 in April/07 and Chaz II will be 1 in July/07). Harrison is fast and athletic like his father and at 50 lbs - he is already making a big splash in the pool. Chaz II is kicking up a storm trying to stay away for his older brother.
Mindi Jones - Indinia University ( MFA, 99), Metal Smith Artist and Mom, married (Daniel Moore), one daughter ( Maeson turns 4 in June/07), one son (Quinn turns 3 in April/07). Maeson and Quinn are very tall (takes after Dan) and started swimming. Mindi & Dan (also a Swimmer) think Maeson is the World's Fastest (4-Under BackStroker....you probably never had Swim Parents like that Chuckle,chuckle.
Mindi and the crew live in Little Rock, AR.
Sam Jones - George Washington University (BS, 90), University of Oklahoma ( DDS, 95), Louisiana State University (MD, 02), Medical Doctor specialty in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oklahoma City, OK, married ( Zeneida), one son (Dylan turns 3 in July). Dylan is smart like his mom and dad and he thinks he can swim!
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Doralynne Di Pasquale - graduated Staples High School ('92) and Georgetown University ('96). She held the 8 and under record for the 50 yard breaststroke for over 10 years and currently holds the 8 and under record for the 25 yard breaststroke. She returned to the Westport YMCA as coach of a Swim Clinic in 2001. She currently swims with the Bay Ridge Masters Aquatic Team. She lives in New York with her husband and will be graduating medical school in May 2007. |
| Sandi Miller - Sandi contacted us recently from Atlanta where she has been living recently and will be relocating to NY to get her BS in Nursing. She has a 2 year old son (Caiden) and had been living in the Keys previously. She reports brothers Eddie and David when into the Navy and now have relocated to the area. Mom and dad are doing well and have homes in the Catskills and Edgewater Park. |
| David Kaemmerlen - Staples HS ('88) and Tufts ('92), recently swam from Europe to Africa as part of "Straitswim '05". The event was to raise funds for cancer reasearch UK. David is one of only 124 people to complete the swim. He currently lives on the southern coast of Spain along with his wife, Adrienne, and their two children. |
| Amy Danneman - Fairfield HS ('94). I live in Spring Hill, FL with my husband, Andy. I've been working for GE Consumer Finance (in Tampa) for almost 7 years. We have 2 children - Andrew (Drew) Richard, 4/28/00 and Ansley Elizabeth, 1/13/04. Twins are on the way expecting in January 2007. Sister Christy (now Swetckie), her husband Chris and their son Will (4/11/05) live in Charleston, SC. Brother Rob and his wife, Alli, live in Charlotte, NC. Our parents are doing very well. They moved to Charlotte about 2 years ago. |
| Leon Sargeant - Leon stopped by the Y to visit recently. Graduated 2004 in Engineering/Science. Lives in Carlton, Victoria, Australia. Sister Edwina graduated 2002 in Commerce/Arts. Living in Melbourne, working for government, studying her masters. Brother Rodney graduated 2000 in Commerce/Engineering. Lives in Glasgow, but moving back to Canberra. Mom, Jenny is in Melbourne working as a personal trainer. Dad, Danny is in Sydney. |
| Neil Takacs - Andrew Warde HS (75) and UCONN (79) stopped in recently to pick Bob's brain about out of bounds skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho. Neil is a former YMCA swimmer and coach that lives in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and splits his time between Ohio, California and Idaho. Neil has a 15 month old son, Owen, that he plans to get on the slopes soon. |
| Brittany Lefkoe
- Brittany visited recently on a visit from her new home in Fairfax,
California. She has her driving permit and plays water polo for Drake
HS where she is currently finishing her sophomore year. |
| Justin Dardani
- Joel Barlow HS (92) and Washington & Lee (96). Justin is in
Charlotte, NC and has been working for Wachovia for nearly 2 years.
Justin still holds the 10/under team record in the 100 Free. |
| Gia Dardani - Joel Barlow
HS (93) and Wake Forest (97). Gia has been living in NYC for 5 years
and is a 6th grade integration teacher in Alphabet City. She also
just finished her masters in social work. |
Caragh Moynihan
- New Canaan HS (98) and Georgetown University (02).
Caragh represented Georgetown University for all her four years and
was team co-captain her junior and senior years. Caragh still has
her name listed on the record board - for both the Water Rats and
Georgetown. Caragh is living and enjoying life in New York City and
working at Sports Illustrated in Advertising Sales. |
Brendan Moynihan -
New Canaan HS (96) and Georgetown University (00).
Swimming is definitely in the Moynihan blood as Brendan also swam
for Georgetown. He is listed on the Georgetown All Time Top 10 list
in a number of events. Brendan was team co-captain his senior year.
Brendan too is living and enjoying life in New York City. On the weekends
Brendan is busy traveling to various NFL games - it's his job. |
| Caleb Hellerman -
Weston HS (88), Columbia University (92). We ran into Caleb in the
YMCA pool during Thanksgiving. Caleb spent 5 years working for CNN,
then 5 years at ABC and has just started back at CNN in Atlanta, as
producer for Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Caleb just celebrated his 5th anniversary
with his wife, Daphne Copeland, and they are expecting their first
child in April 2004. Mom and Dad still live in Weston and Susan can
been seen at the YMCA daily. Caleb's brother Simeon is a physicist. |
| LTJG Kelly Welsh
- Is the Training Officer onboard a Frigate out of Mayport, FL. This
is her second tour with her first deployment being in the Arabian
Gulf following 9/11 and then off the coast of South America conducting
counter-drug operations. Kelly reports that sister Megan is a 2/C
Midshipmen at the Naval Academy and completed her summer cruise onboard
the USS MCINERNEY with Kelly as her Training Officer. Kelly says her
brother, JD is 6'3" and mom and dad are well. Kelly still holds
many team records. |
| Sean O'Connor - New
Cannan HS (99), Gettysburg College (03), landed a job with the Herbert
Jamison Insurance Company of New Jersey. Sean is making the commute.
Jane is a
freshman at Villanova. Cara is a junior at Notre Dame University and
is doing a semester abroad in England. |
| Rick Love - Rick
grew up on Pumpkin Hill Road in Westport and joined the Westport Weston Family Y
swim team in 1963 when he was 8 years old. He swam all the way through
the program and captained the Staples High School team in 1973. He
presently lives in South Windsor and has three children: 18 year old
Cate who attends UConn, 16 year old Emily who is a Junior at South
Windsor High School (and just competed in the High School Girls Open
meet in the backstroke) and 13 year old Ben who competes in special
olympic meets. Rick is the coach of the local special olympic team
the "Enfield Stars." While a member of the YMCA team, Rick
is credited for inventing the famous "Bug Man" cheer. Rick
works at TRC Engineering. |
| JP Ellis - Staples
HS (99), Columbia University (03), is home in Westport preparing to
attend Officers Candidate School for the US Navy. JP, who is famous
for designing many WRAT t-shirts, just completed his degree in International
Affairs at Columbia. His sister Pippa is on the Staples HS swim team. |
| Margaret Donofrio
- Former Water Rat Parent, was awarded a USA Swimming Lifetime Membership
from CT Swimming at the 2003 USA Swimming House of Delegates in San
Diego, CA. Margaret has stayed involved in swimming as a member of
the USAS Convention Committee as well as being hospitality chair for
USA Swimming events. |
Taylor
Cooper - Staples HS (80), Long Beach St. Saw Taylor at the
USA Swimming Convention. Taylor is still coaching with the Sandhills
Sandsharks in Pine Hurst, NC. Taylor is involved also with adapted
& open water swimming events. |
| Matt Yacco - Fairfield
HS ('99), University of Florida ('03), was named co-captain of the
men's varsity team at Florida his senior year. Florida was 5th at
last year's NCAA Div. 1 Championships. Matt was home for the summer
coaching with the Water Rats and now is back in Gainsville as an assistant
coach with the Gators. Matt was the 1999 YMCA National Champion in
the 1650yd Freestyle. |
| Sue Seith (Sue-Lin Day)
- St. Joe's HS ('91), Virginia Tech ('96), University of Michigan
(MS, '01). Sue is a former Water Rat swimmer and coach who is now
an athletic trainer at the University of Hartford. Sue has worked
with West Virginia University, Yale University and the University
of Michigan. She and husband Jeff have moved back into their home
in Orange. |
| Tara Sadera (McKenna)
- Staples HS, Boston College. Tara popped in for a visit recently.
Tara is a mother of 3 and lives in a suburb of Chicago. The pictures
came out and we all looked much younger. Tara also visited Coach Mike
Krein at NCY. |
| Mark Franks - Staples
HS ('88-'90), Zurich International School ('91), University of Illinois
('91-'93), Southern Illinois ('94-'96). Currently living in Sydney,
Australia and has been moving across the continent for the past 6
1/2 years. Found an Ozzie wife (Justine) in Perth, and got married
on November 23, 2001. Mark, who "retired" from swimming
6 years ago is now training for a 20km
open water swim leaving from the beaches of Perth to Rottnest
Island. Sister Jane is also living in Sydney. Parents Margie &
Paul are just settling in Nashville, TN. Mark visited recently on
a break from work to travel around the world, literally....and we
were glad he stopped by. Mark stills holds many WRAT team records. |
| Leigh Metcalf Ances -
Former Water Rat coach had her first child born on December 7, 2002.
Hunter Michael Ances was 8 pounds. Bill stopped and visited with Leigh,
her husband Mike and the newborn on Christmas Eve. Leigh had to get
rid of her Mustang, and they now have the family SUV. Leigh lives
on the same street as Bill's sister. Leigh misses coaching and asked
to be remembered to everyone. She got updates on all of the WRAT swimmers. |
| Katie Gussen - Fairfield
HS ('97), Fairfield University ('01), is in her second year of law
school at North Western in Chicago. Katie is a former Water Rat and
worked for the YMCA as a swim instructor and Hafaday counselor. Katie
stopped in to the Y with her brother Tripp while she is home for the
holiday. |
| Brian Carey - Staples
HS ('02), Williams College ('06), is playing water polo and swimming
for the Eph's, which was recently named the number one division three
sports school in America by Sports Illustrated. Brian is majoring
in Political Economy. |
| Kevin Strong - Staples
HS ('88), Duke University ('92), recently returned to the area. Kevin
returns with his M.D. specializing in General Pediatrics. Kevin is
partnered with Dr. Charles Hemenway Jr. and their practice is in Fairfield.
Kevin still holds several team and CT records and ran a leg of the
1984 Olympic Torch Relay on it's way to the Games of the XXIII Olympiad
in Los Angeles. |
