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Swimmers interested in JOs must email us before Sunday, July 18. No further additions or changes can be made after that deadline.

July 8 JOs and LIE

LIE meet entries are up.
For JO meet - here is the eligibility report: click. We will only enter swimmers who email us. Make sure to list the days and the events you would like to swim. As this is a busy time of year, we will enter those who can attend on the days they are available.

July 1 Empire Gear

If you are planning to order Empire Gear from Swim NJ via the internet you'll need a password = use empswim to access the Empire products available online.

June 23 California here we come.

We want to thank all of you for the terrific past two years on Empire. It's hard to believe that it's only been two years. We have made so many great friends and have had such great times with all of you. Now we have to say goodbye and begin anew in California. Caroline and Scott will continue to swim and will be on the Terrapins Swim Team in Walnut Creek, California. We open our doors to any families and individuals in the San Fransisco area. Our new address:

June 1

Team Parties -
The Age Group and Development parties are next week. CLICK HERE FOR INFO.

Florida Meet -
The list of swimmers has been updated. Please double check and notify us immediately if there is an error.

May 26 Florida Hotel Info

We have a hotel block at the Bahia Mar hotel for the Ft Lauderdale International Meet in June.
Please call: 888-264-9824 and make your reservation in the "Empire Swimming" block.
The Bahia Mar is walking distance from the pool, many restaurants and, of course, the beach.

May 17 - update reminder & empire gear

Remember to look at the changes below and on the May calendar. Practices adjusted at Hackley due to school activities. NO CHANGES AT M'VILLE. Also, we're expecting dome repair at Hackley at some point. When we know more there will be web updates and announcements made at practice.

As the summer approaches, we have some Empire Gear to offer for outdoor fun.
Sunkissed men's & women's shorts $25 each. Empire Towels $20, and a few of the windbreaker/pullovers (limited sizes) for $42. Please email Ilan if you'd like something. He will arrange delivery for you at your practice time.

May 13 - calendar update

Next week there will be changes at Hackley on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Tuesday - Xtreme only 430-630, no AG
Wednesday - there will be Xtreme morning practice. In the afternoon AG 430-6, no Xtreme
Thursday - Xtreme only 430-630, no AG. There is no morning practice on this day.

May 11 - LIE Meet & Empire Gala

There is some confusing info regarding the session times for the LIE meet at Hofstra this weekend. Here is the correct session info:
Friday (13+) 4:00 warm up / 5:00 start
Sat & Sun 8:00/9:00 for 11-12 & 13-14
Sat & Sun 3:00/4:00 for 10u & 15+

The EMPIRE GALA is fast approaching. Over 150 people have responded with plans to attend, and we're hoping you'll come too! link

The following is an excerpt from alumni coordinator Jackie Pangilinan which highlights some of our silent auction items:

I just wanted to send out an email to 1. convince you that the Empire Gala is something you definitely don't want to miss and 2. clear up some issues/questions people may have. First of all, our Empire Booster Club has put together a truly amazing evening filled with dancing, food, OPEN BAR, and mostly importantly--friends ( currently nearly 200 of them). On top of the usual festivities, the committee has also organized a silent auction with packages including but not limited to:

For those of you who have questions about ticket purchases, tickets are STILL AVAILABLE and being sold on the website until May 20th. We have to give the Marriot a final headcount about a week before the event so you have until then to procrastinate and make your decision. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to myself, Ilan, or Jaime ( both of who have been cc'd). For tickets please visit http://www.empireswimming.com/empireboosters/gala2010.htm

If you were lucky enough to attend M20, expect this event to be bigger and better-- Don't miss out on a chance to reunite with friends and family!!

May 6 - Senior Banquet

Thanks to the 11+1 seniors who spoke last night. Our annual Senior / Sunkissed banquet continues to be one of the most special nights of the year. The 2010 graduates revisited their favorite moments and offered thanks to family, coaches and friends. Thanks to Allison, Ariel, Alex, Tavy, Will, Lauren, Matt, Michelle, Maggie, Claire, Michael and special guest Kees. You all did a wonderful job.

April 30 - 1st week of MAY

here's the breakdown for practices for the upcoming week. The calendar will be posted Monday

Saturday 5/1 = Torpedo/Rocket practice 9-10, all other practices canceled due to the PAT meet
Sunday 5/2 = No practices. PAT meet
Monday 5/3 = regular practices, with SR am
Tuesday 5/4 = regular practices
Wednesday 5/5 = SR am PRACTICE ONLY. All evening practices are off due to Sr/Sunkissed banquet
Thursday 5/6 = NO am, all evening practices regular times
Friday 5/7 = regular practices
Saturday 5/8 = regular practices with Xtreme going 10:00-12:30. this will be the xtreme practice time through June.

April 26 updates

The Senior / Sunkissed banquet is next Wednesday 5/5. Please bring in your $ to confirm your spot.

The FLORIDA meet page has been updated. Swimmers who have sent their intent to go are highighted in yellow. Please let us know ASAP if there's a mistake.

Our first LC meet is this weekend - May 1&2. Please check the times & entries on the meets page.

April 16 TEAM PARTIES!!! click here

April 15 Web Updates

Look at the PICTURE TAB on the home page for dozens of SUNKISSED photos.
Team Records Updated
Spring Meet info updates
Empire Gear is now offered through SwimNJ. Click the link on our home page or here and click the "empire" tab on the top!

April 7 LONG COURSE MEETS

Meet calendar is updated. We will have an update on the FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MEET. Swimmers who wish to be entered must email us ASAP. Look for the update later today. IT'S UP! (2pm)

March 16 MANHATTANVILLE OPEN! ALL PRACTICES ARE ON, REGULAR TIMES, BOTH POOLS.

March 15 NO PRACTICE AT MANHATTANVILLE TODAY

M'ville has lost power and their pool is closed today. No Rockets or Xcel practice today. Xcel swimmers are invited to attend either the Xtreme practice 430-630 or the Age Group practice 630-8.

March 9 IMPORTANT HACKLEY DRIVING UPDATE

Thanks to all EMPIRE drivers for your patience and assistance in helping us with the traffic flow at Hackley. Remember, after dropping off your swimmers, cars should proceed around the campus loop.
Please note the change to MONDAY schedule at Hackley - Xtreme workout is 430-630, AgeGroup 630-8. This time change will run throughout the Spring Schedule.

February 27 PRACTICE SUNDAY IS ON - XTREME WORKOUT 730-930am

Due to the snow, Manhattanville is closed today (friday) and Hackley is experiencing a power outage. As a result, there will be no practices today or tomorrow morning. We are working with Hackley to try to arrange an XTREME practice on Sunday morning, 730 to 930am. Please check the web site for updates.

We will allow our swimmers to wear their choice of performance suits at the Sunkissed Meet. Empire will not be outfitting everyone with a Nike performance suit at this time. We will offer Nike practice/drag suits as part of the clothing package.

February 11 EMPIRE GALA

February 9 Elm City Invite (CT meet this weekend)

February? Yes, we're here already! The calendar is up. Region I and Sonoco entries were updated.
Notes -
1) we will not attend the HMST 8 & under meet as it is a "Connecticut only" meet, we will attend the WILTON 9&under meet in March.
2) SPRING SCHEDULE begins in March. The change will impact Hackley practices: Monday AG 430-6, XTR 6-8. Tues-Fri XTR 430-630, AG 630-8.

January 26- PICTURE TAB

Click the "PICTURE" tab on our home page - you'll get to see Brian's collage from the MIT meet and one from his recent trip to North Carolina. We'll be uploading more here as the year continues. (picture page)

January 22 - SUNDAY PRACTICE CHANGE

January 15 February meet entries posted

January 8 NYSA Meet TIMES CHANGED FOR SATURDAY!

January 5 Region I Info (entries are on our meets page)

Region I Championships - February 12, 13, 14, 15. Schenectady, NY - Union College

Rate $124.00/night (good for arrival 2/12, through departure 2/15)
Hampton Inn Schenectady
450 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305

USA

518-377-4500
Reservations are cancellable up to 24hours prior to arrival
Cutoff date to receive this rate in our block is January 13th.

Hotel Amenities include:
Complimentary hot and cold buffet breakfast is served each morning (opens at 6am) Indoor pool, Jacuzzi and a fitness center, Complimentary wireless Internet, throughout hotel, Business center, Free Parking.

January 4 Happy New Year

The January Calendar is posted. There are changes due to Hackley events, our meets and MLK day (1/18).
Our first meet of 2010 is at NYSA this weekend. Please read the meet info carefully. Some swimmers are in the "middle sessions." Make sure you're there at the right time!
Ilan and Brian will be taking about 20 Xtreme swimmers to North Carolina for the January Jubilee Meet on MLK weekend and six swimmers will be swimming the 1650 at the Middies' Distance Meet on 1/18.
We have two meets on 1/23. First, the Westport Pentathlon, where swimmers compete in 5 events - one of each stroke + an IM - and awards are given based on their combined time. Our 8&unders will head to Mt Kisco for a meet at the Boys&Girls Club.
On the final weekend of January, there is a three day senior meet hosted by Condors

December 30

January Calendar is up with practice times through 1/9. Reminder: tomorrow (12/31) is SENIOR 9-12am

December 26

Reminder! No practice tomorrow morning. All workouts are at Hackley this coming week. We're back to regular schedule starting January 4th. Look later this week for the January calendar.
2 meets were added in January - the Middies meet on MLK day will be a few swimmers in the 1650. The Condors meet later in the month is for senior qualifiers.

December 15

NO AGE GROUP PRACTICE WEDNESDAY (tomorrow) due to Hackley home swim meet. Xtreme swims 6:30-8:30. Remember to keep an eye on the December Calendar as there are many changes between now and the new year.

December 12

PRACTICE CHANGE WEDNESDAY 12/9 = Age Group 5:15-6:15, Xtreme 6:15-7:15.

November 25 Calendar

The December calendar is up. Please note the changes during holiday times. ALSO - Thunder/Lightning will practice 5:30-7:00pm starting Monday November 30. The Xtreme practice will remain 6:45-8:45. There are no practices for ANY groups during the MIT meet (thurs - mon)

The GAEL meet entry was updated. We were asked to cut swimmers to 3 events instead of 4.

November 21 Suits

Here is the link to USA Swimming's page regarding allowable suits. The link to the FINA list is on this page.

November 20

Reminder! No practices tonight for any groups. Saturday morning = 7-9, Lit & Xcel 9-10, Tor & Rok. Xtreme swims 1-3pm tomorrow. This is a one time switch for the Xtreme group.

UPDATE! Due to Hackley concerts MONDAY 11/23 we will need to change our practice times. There is no change to M'ville Monday
THUNDER / LIGHTNING: 5:15-6:30, XTREME 6:30-8:15

November 17

November 13 MIT UPDATES

Entries are posted, hotel info updated.

November 10 Darien Distance Meet Update

Sorry for any confusion! Only girls are entered in the 1000 free at Darien. The boys are entered in the 1650 at the Condors meet that same evening.

November 9

Thank you to all of our volunteers this weekend. We had about 180 swimmers and almost 1,500 Empire races over the three days at Felix Festa. Whew!
Remember that winter schedule starts today. Thu/Lit = 5:15-6:45, Xtreme 6:45-8:45.
There are no changes to the Manahttanville practice times during the winter schedule. Also, the 7-9am and 9-10am practices on Saturday @ Hackley remain the same. Xtreme Saturday practice is 12:00-2:00pm. These changes are due to the Hackley swim team practices and we will return to our normal times when their season ends. Please keep an eye on the calendar for changes in workout times.
ALSO - this WEDNESDAY, 11/11, is our SWIM 4 EMPIRE. We hope everyone can come to participate, parents and fans are welcome!

November 4 THINK GREEN

Parents & Swimmers: It's important for athletes to have something to drink at practice and we encourage the Thunder, Lightning, Xcel and Xtreme swimmers to have a water bottle with them at every practice. However, the disposable / recyclable bottles have become a mess. We would like everyone to bring their own refillable bottle instead. There are cold water fountains at both pools available for our use.
The coaches & the planet thank you for your assistance.

November 3

October 29 - UPDATES FOR EMPIRE FAMILIES

1)       SWIMSUIT ORDERS - Gulbenkian Swim will be dropping off all suits and apparel tomorrow (Friday) at Hackley around 5:30/6:00PM. Thunder, Lightning and Xtreme swimmers who are in attendance Friday will be given their suits and apparel then. Those who are not in attendance, as well as Torpedoes, Rockets and Xcel swimmers, can pick theirs up on Saturday morning.

2)       IMPACT SPORTS - please visit our website to learn more about the apparel we are offering through Impact Sports. Orders must be placed by
November 9th!

3)     TIMING ASSIGNMENTS - as co-hosts of next weekend's New York Sharks / Empire Meet, we are required to provide ALL timers for ALL sessions! We are asking that each family attending the meet choose AT LEAST ONE SESSION to time at. After reviewing your child's entries and the meet information, please e-mail us by Sunday, November 1st and indicate which session (day and time) you are available to time!

4)       WINTER PRACTICE SCHEDULE / HACKLEY - The winter schedule for Hackley workouts will begin on November 9th. This will impact the time of the Thunder/Lightning and Xtreme practices. Beginning November 9th, Thunder and Lightning will practice from 5:15PM to 6:45PM and Xtreme will practice from 6:45 to 8:45PM. Saturday mornings at Hackley will remain the same for Torpedoes, Rockets, Thunder, Lightning and Xcel. Xtreme, however, will practice from 12PM to 2PM on Saturdays.

5)       SWIM 4 EMPIRE - all swimmers should have brought home the schedule, pledge sheet and prize package information regarding our upcoming "Swim 4 Empire" fund raiser. The date of the event is Wednesday, November 11th. We are looking forward to great participation that day and hope you can be a part of it! Please let us know if you have any questions about "Swim 4 Empire!"

Scholastic ALL AMERICANS

October 27 Swim For Empire

Information Packets for our 11/11 Swim-For-Empire event went home with the swimmers. Please make sure to read them! This will be a fun event for ALL GROUPS on that Wednesday - ALL GROUPS WILL SWIM AT HACKLEY, the schedule is on the packet.

Also - updated entry for NYSA meet is up, as are entry for GAEL meet and results from our two meets this past weekend. SENIOR team qualifiers will attend a METRO SENIOR CIRCUIT meet on 11/15, info is posted on our meets page. (link)
NOTE: the GAEL entry posted early Tuesday afternoon was replaced with an update on Tuesday night.

October 22 Empire Gear from IMPACT SPORTS

Order your stuff today! Read this form first - you'll need the EMPIRE CODE from this page to access the web site. Order through the site (here)
Remember all orders are done through Impact Sports. Their contact info is on their web site. Please use it to ask them any questions you have. The ordering period begins today and closes November 1st. After that date all orders will be processed & shipped to YOU.

October 20

Big crowd at the Senior meeting last night! Thanks to all who attended. Remember - email us if you'd like a copy of Bill's notes on college recruiting / application process.

LIE meet entries were updated. Those who were pulled from FRIDAY night's events will be contacted by their coaches.
The directions page (link) was updated with directions to our away meets.

October 15 THREE IMPORTANT ITEMS

1) PARENTS MEETINGS: MONDAY -Xtreme & Xcel TUESDAY - Torpedoes, Rockets, Thunder, Lightning
Both meetings will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Tarrytown (right near the intersection of Benedict & 119)
NOTE - MONDAY: No PM Xtreme or Xcel practice. (Thunder, Lightning & Rockets = regular times and there IS morning practice)
NOTE - TUESDAY: No Thunder, Lightning or Torpedoes practice. (Xcel & Xtreme = regular times)
Monday - Xtreme and Xcel, 7:00PM (cash bar and appetizers served!)
* Items to be discussed: Season overview, meets, practice expectations, attendance and time standards, college process, graduates sharing their experiences and more.

Tuesday - Torpedoes/Rockets/Thunder/Lightning, 7:00PM (cash bar and appetizers served!)
* Items to be discussed: Season overview, meets, practice expectations, attendance and time standards, program philosophy of progression/development, alumni parent discussing program benefits and more.

2) MEET ENTRIES: FAST 8&under meet and NYSA meet entries are up.
Look for an update to the LIE meet coming in the next few days. The meet host made adjustments to the FRIDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. Many swimmers were cut from events. We will make the changes to the EMPIRE entry and post the update ASAP.

October 6 Meet Schedule Updates

The entries for the LIE meet later this month are posted. Click the "EAST" link on the right side to view our team entries. Click on the meet name for info regarding session times. We expect all our swimmers to be on deck at least 15 minutes before the posted warm up time.

There are 2 new meets on the calendar. Our 8 & under swimmers will compete on Friday, 10/23 at the FAST meet. We plan to attend the FRIDAY sessions of the Thanksgiving Meet at Middies. And we're doing entries for all meets through the end of November this week. If you have plans that conflict with our meet days, please let us know as soon as possible. We will not be attending the NYCOpen meet at AGUA.

October 1 Calendar Posted

September 27 - DATES & TIMES

Monday, September 28, morning workout will be 7:00-8:30am, not 5:00-6:30am. ALL AFTERNOON PRACTICES WILL BE AT THEIR NORMAL TIMES.

September 24 - Swim Suit Fitting & October 3/4 Weekend

The weekend of October 3&4 we will NOT HAVE SATURDAY PRACTICES. Instead, all groups will practice on SUNDAY 10/4. The SWIM SUIT VENDOR will be at Hackley Sunday morning for all groups to purchase team suits and other apparel. The practice times will be:

Xtreme & Xcel 7:00-9:00am
Rockets & Torpedoes 9:00-10:00am
Thunder & Lightning 10:00-11:30am

The Senior groups should plan to visit the vendor after practice. Tor&Rock can shop between 8:30 and 9 or after practice. Thu&Lit can do their purchases before practice or immediately after. PLEASE ARRANGE YOUR SCHEDULE SO THAT THE SWIMMERS ARE NOT WITH THE VENDOR DURING THEIR PRACTICE TIME.

September 18 - Meet Schedule Posted

Check out our meet schedule. Remember you can go to www.empireswimming.com/meets to reach the page quickly!
When MEET INFO is available, you will find the links on the calendar.
Please take a look at which group(s) will be attending each meet. Note that there are some meets for swimmers age 9 and older, some for age 8 & under. At times an 8 & under swimmer will be entered in 10&under events. These athletes will be notified by their coaches.
Remember, SR means SENIOR - Xtreme AND Xcel, AG means AGE-GROUP - Thunder AND Lightning.
This represents our plan for the year. There may be adjustments to the meet schedule as the year progresses.
Sometimes meet sessions are adjusted. As we get closer to meet dates, be sure to check the page for updates to session times and updates to Empire entries.

As we get closer to our first SATURDAY practices here are a few notes:
1. Please be on time! Xcel/Lightning practice begins at 7am sharp.
2. Parking rules at Hackley apply at all times. Empire cars should not be parked in front of the pool or the athletic building across the road.

September 14 - Practice Begins

Ready to get wet? Today is the first day of practice! (Torpedoes begin tomorrow)
If you're heading to Mahnattanville, please let the Gate Guard know you're there for Empire practice. You'll receive a parking pass from the coaches at practice. If you're off to Hackley, please remember to help us with the traffic flow. Do not park in front of the buildings at any time.

Need fins? Thunder, Lightning, Xcel & Xtreme swimmers will use fins at practice. We suggest this site: swimoutlet.com Anything in the top row is perfect. Please DO NOT bring zoomers.

September 2 - Web Update

Welcome to a new season and an updated web site. We're working on many changes to help things look better and make your browsing easier. Please be patient with us!

You can now visit pages on our site quickly - try it! empireswimming.com/coaches or empireswimming.com/news or empireswimming.com/records. Soon we'll have more available.

If you haven't yet, please fill out and mail the registration forms (link) We need to have all paperwork submitted BEFORE practice begins.

Ben Rubenstein	Christina Costa	Maggie D'Arcy
Lauren Flower	Michelle Hogan	Ryan Marynowski
Alexandra Panzarino	Stacey Rogers	Caroline Weston

July 28 - JO meet times changed

NEW TIMES CLICK HERE

July 13 - regarding JOs