“Be kind, for everyone you meet is involved in a great struggle."  --Philo of Alexandria

“You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”   --Coach John Wooden, UCLA Basketball

Of Interest:

For parents who may be interested in helping at meets by assisting with officiating...there is a pdf manual now available for usage/training/interest on the new page, Officials Info, on the Coach Contacts page of this webpage.  There is also a link for an online training course offered through NFHS: https://nfhslearn.com/courses/officiating-swimming-and-diving

GSHL Top 30 swims for the season are now being posted, with several RAL, MM swimmers making the posting.  Girls are listed first, boys times are about halfway through the entire posting.   Link:  https://sites.google.com/view/gshleagueswimming  

**Meet Results are posted to the Meet Results page.  Generally, the last two meets will be available.

**Letter Points are posted under the Swimmer Page, updated each week by Sun evening.

*** A quick note for parents/spectators new to swimming:  all of our home meets are posted to the app Meet Mobile, which can be searched by the meet name, or the filter "Meets Near Me".  It is a free download, will show meet heat sheets, events your athlete is in, approximate times they are likely to occur.  You can also get results but Meet Mobile charges a small fee for that.  Since this is available now, we do not sell or charge for printed heat sheets (programs) anymore.

Booster Club Opportunity!!

For MM and RAL parents:  the Booster Clubs for both schools still appreciate and need volunteers for their concession stands at other events, football, basketball, volleyball and wrestling specifically, and later this season for our swimming SWW Invitational.  It would be nice to have some swim presence at these since we do go to the respective booster clubs for assistance when needed.

FYI:  swim meet results are reported to The Daily News, The Columbian, and to BlastzoneMedia, at  http://www.blastzonemedia.com/ This is a venture by a local reporter, focusing on local athletes and sports.

Upcoming Events

MM/RAL/WHS Girls:

Aug 24, 2026, Monday:  First Day Girls Swim, 2026 

 ***please note:  this first day will be planned to be in the water, so should have suit with you.  Also, please note practice begins BEFORE fall classes start, so best to complete registration with Final Forms before the end of the school year.  The office will NOT be open during the summer to assist with this if needed.

*** A VERY preliminary girls meet schedule for fall, 2026 is now posted to this website.  Preliminary #3 already, with more iterations likely to follow.

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Follow-up recognition to EOS Meeting:  Julia Barella, Hannah Hack, and Paige Wirtz have been officially recognized as All-American Academic Swimmers by NISCA (National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.)  Approximately 3% of swimmers nationally qualify for this recognition, entails team leadership, team contribution, athletic performance and very high academic standards achievement.  Congratulations.

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Suggestion:  Put your teacup someplace where you will see it every day, and especially in times of stress, so you will be reminded of what it represents.

MM/RAL Boys:

First Day:  Nov 16, 2026

***If you have not yet purchased your shirt, please do so quickly so that can be wrapped up.***

***A once-in-every-25-years event!!  We are planning a school record exchange ceremony on Tues, April 21, 2:30pm at the pool.  Should be short, but likely lots of pictures.  Anakin will be there to participate and Steven Branch, previous record holder from about 25 years ago will be there to acknowledge the new record.  All are welcome to attend***

Possible Evergreen State College Pool Closure

And another follow-up issue, not mentioned at the EOS Wrap-Up Meeting:  The Evergreen State College is considered closing its pool.  We have used that facility for the girls District champs meet in the past, and it is currently in use by several high schools in the area and at least one age group/club program.  Closing of that pool would be devastating to those programs, especially the high schools who currently practice and host meets there, and would have few, if any, other options available to them.  This could have a dire impact on those programs.  

Following is a link to a petition you can sign, if you are in agreement/sympathy with this.   I have signed.  While we are not directly impacted by this, I feel that any loss of facility use is a detriment to our greater swimming community.  

I just signed the petition “Keep the Evergreen State College pool open” and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 2,500 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

https://c.org/dsdKK6DPSt 

Suggestion:  Put your teacup someplace where you will see it every day, and especially in times of stress, so you will be reminded of what it represents.

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***Running start Students:  check the new sport webpage on your school's website.  Download and complete the Running Start Eligibility Form and Plan, and submit to your school office so soon as possible.  A link for this form is:

https://wiaa.com/conDocs/Con1901/2020-2021%20Running%20Start%20Contract.pdf

**If you have gotten a letter re: China Cultural Exchange, check my note on the Parent Resources page of this website.**

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Parents/Swimmers:  please note the "snow days" practice policies here.  Changes to practice times will be posted to this webpage so soon as they become available.

Snow Days:  with the possibility of school closures due to snow/inclement weather approaching, here is school policy for swim practice on those days:

In the event that there is no school due to snow/weather related closure:

This is a review of Longview’s policy regarding athletics during school closures due to weather.

·        Contests are postponed until a later date. 

·        Practices may be held and it must be shared with athletes and their families that practices are optional.

·        Practices are to start no earlier than 9 and need to be completed by 4.

Announcements will appear on this website:  generally expect to start practice at 11 am, run till 1 pm.  If it is not safe for you to travel, then do not attend practice.  If it is safe for you to travel, then you should attend practice.