2020-21 SENIOR BANQUET PROGR AM
STAR SENIOR TEAM BANQUET
ORDER OF EVENTS
introduction
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Jen Eisenmann DINNER Sit-Down Service Style STAR 2020-21 SEASON P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Head Coach TJ Day SALUTE TO OUR GRADUATING SENIORS Allie Bashor, Shannon Belote, Karly Bray, Andrew Clough, Jason Creed, Isabella DeMeo, Kyle Dean, Zach Eisenmann, Olivia Heltz, Max Kruglov, Nick Renzoni, Alex Switalski SWIMMER INTRODUCTIONS & AWARDS P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Coach TJ & Coach Mark TEAM RECORD BREAKERS
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P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Coach TJ & Coach Mark SPECIAL “5 CORE VALUES” AWARDS P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Coach TJ Day ATHLETES OF THE YEAR P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Coach TJ Day REV. BOB MATLACK VOLUNTEER AWARD P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Jen Eisenmann COACH APPRECIATION P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Allie Bashor and Zach Eisenmann PRIZES AND RAFFLE TICKET DRAWING P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Meg Hewett
FOND FAREWELLS P R E S E N T E D B Y:
Coach TJ & Jen Eisenmann SLIDESHOW PHOTOS, SLIDESHOW & DIGITAL PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT AJARMEDIA.COM/STAR
Message from the President
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’d like to welcome all of our families to the 2020-21 STAR team banquet! We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate and convene together. I would like to congratulate all of our athletes for their successes over this past year. We have many new team records as well as countless personal athlete milestones that have been accomplished. Your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed; your passion is a motivating force for the whole team! A huge THANK YOU to all of the parents who have stepped up in so many significant ways to help make our team great! Your volunteer efforts at our meets allow us to train at a fantastic facility and hire an outstanding coaching staff. Together we are better! Thank you to my fellow board members for all of your efforts in helping to manage the business side of the club. It is my pleasure to work alongside each of you! STAR is rooted in traditions of excellence in character, in training, in performance and in team spirit. As we move forward into the next year, let us hold these traditions close, while also allowing ourselves to dream about the exciting future in store for STAR Swimming! —Jen Eisenmann STAR Team President
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We inspire and empower athletes to become champions both in and out of the water
A Salute to Our Graduating Seniors Our seniors have written heartfelt farewells and well-wishes to their friends, family and coaches. As in life, you begin by turning the page…
Behind you, all your memories; before you, all your dreams. All around you, all who love you; within you, all you need.” →
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ALLIE BASHOR
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any people have asked why I swim and it’s something I’ve never been able to put into words. Swimming has made me into the person I am today, and who I hope to be. About four years ago I was in a different club. Without getting into too much detail, it got pretty rough and I stopped enjoying the sport. I had to pull myself out of a dark place mentally and physically. When I was allowed to swim again, I told my mom I wanted to go and swim on STAR again, and it’s the best decision I ever made. The first time I met Coach TJ was at a Tim Hortons, and I remembered talking to him about how I didn’t know if I was going to be able to swim, but I wanted to try. He told me that he would be there every step of the way and would help however he could and that’s exactly what he has done. He has helped remind me why I love the sport. He has helped me through a lot and has taught me that it’s okay to ask for help because he and my team will always have my back. I look up to my coach and I hope that I can help people like he has helped me. Next, Coach Ted, who would have thought we would end up on the same team again? He is the coach who taught me to have fun and work hard. I still remember playing dodgeball and driving him crazy with endless questions about random things and getting yelled at for going down to the bottom of the pool during the set. Thank you for the ladder 50s, birthday practices, and aggressive water polo. You had such a powerful impact on my life and it has been an honor to have you as a coach. Coach Mark, thank you for all of the 75s and expanding my music tastes. When I was on STAR
as a young kid, Mark used to pull me up every once and a while to do relays with his group. I never had a chance to say it back then, but thank you, because it made me feel special. I always wanted to work harder so Coach Mark would give me another chance. He really cares about us all as people first and athletes second. When I was 8, I had a very hard time in school. I just never understood what was going on. Mark knew this and would always check in on me and ask how the reading was going. Coach Phil, thank you for always giving me a race plan and reminding me to work harder and think when I swim. I am going to miss hearing you come up to me and go, “Hey,” in that deep voice that always makes me smile. The best thing swimming has brought me is my friends. I can’t tell you how much they mean to me. Whenever I am in a bad mood or having an “off” practice and I hear Ian and Aaron yelling something stupid across the pool, it brings me back to reality and makes me remember why I am here. One of my favorite things about the senior group is the way you guys cheer. It’s actually amazing when you hear a bunch of kids yelling and see them jumping around on the side. It’s adrenaline-pumping and you have to join in. I am going to miss getting
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The best thing swimming has brought me is my friends.” -BIG AL
Even at practice we manage to have more fun than we’re supposed to. Shannon and I are always the last ones in the pool because we got distracted with dancing, or didn’t realize we needed wiffles, or talking to Jude about our love for L’il Baby. It’s been an honor to be in the Back of the Lane Squad. I am going to miss talking about what happened on the Bachelor and Bachelorette with Em and saying, “Silly Blaise, Trix are for kids!” When you spend around 17 hours a week with the same group of people you form a bond that will last forever. Shout out KASEBZ, for being my favorite people on the planet and becoming my second family. All of you have made me into a better teammate and leader. You are the funniest group of friends I will ever have and the energy every single one of you brings into my life and the pool is unmatched. I love you all so much (Bahamas 2022).
To all of the new swimmers that have joined our group, you guys are all so unbelievably talented and have made our team a better place and I can’t wait to come back and see all of the amazing things you accomplish. Finally, I would like to thank my family for introducing me to the sport I love. For being my parents first and foremost. You were always supportive, even if you wanted to tell me what I could do better. Thank you for spending endless hours with me in the car driving to and from practice. Dad, thank you for taking off the coach’s hat every once and a while and being my dad first and coach second. Mom, thank you for being my first swim coach, for showing me that swimming is fun and showing me that Rabbits, Rats and Raccoons in the back pool is the best game ever. You have started me and so many other kids along this swimming path and you are amazing at it. Bobby and Colby, thank you for being my biggest fans and spending your days in those stands. This team is amazing. You have all made me feel a part of something bigger than myself and I am forever thankful to STAR and everything it has given to me. I started my swim journey on this team and I am honored to end it with this amazing team. Love, Big Al
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to see all of your faces every day. The culture that you all have created makes for an amazing environment, filled with constant laughter and encouragement. Even outside the pool, my teammates are who I choose to spend my time with. Hanging out with the squad in Bird’s basement or going out to breakfast after practice are my favorite memories.
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star seniors
SHANNON BELOTE
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have had the hardest time trying to find the right words to describe my swimming journey. Swimming has been the biggest constant in my life since I was three years old. The pool is truly a second home for me. It’s cliché to say that time moves too fast, but it’s so true. I never thought I would be a senior having to write this essay. Every swim banquet that I have been to I have seen how emotional and heartfelt things are for the seniors. I guess I never understood that feeling until now. My swimming career has had its many ups and downs, but my years on STAR have been nothing short of amazing. If I am being honest, I was extremely nervous for my first practice. I had no idea what 90 percent of the stuff we were doing was. I had never used wiffles or done paddle-push or had any idea what the heck creatine phosphate was. That’s why a big shoutout goes to Gabby Studebaker. She isn’t on the team anymore, but she really took me under her wing my first few months on STAR and helped me a lot. I don’t think I would have known any of what I was supposed to be doing if it wasn’t for her. With that being said, a huge thank you goes out to all the coaches. Thank you for being patient with me and teaching me so many new things. You have all given me the most knowledgeable advice and the most amazing perspective on swimming. TJ: Thank you for the energy and enthusiasm you always bring to the pool deck and for writing all the practices for us. I am always eager to see what
the practice will be each day and I will miss that so much. You have helped me through many highs and lows, and I thank you for that. I will also miss talking about our baking show every day. Mark: Oh Mark, thank you for making me laugh and for being the only coach I know who will play both classical and classic rock music during the same practice. You have coached on this team for so many years and I am so glad that I have been able to be a part of a few of those. Phil: Thank you for all the life advice and for being able to be serious with us and yet make things so fun at the same time. Also thank you so much for those cough drops.
You guys never fail to make me laugh and I cherish all the memories we have together.” — S H A N N O N B ELOT E
Ted: Wow, where do I even begin? You have quite literally seen my swimming career evolve into what it is today. Thank you for being just as fun and awesome as you were when I was 10 years old. Thank you for letting us play dodgeball and kickball during drylands and for letting us play water polo. You have influenced my swimming career so much and I cannot thank you enough for that. I am so glad I have had you around for my senior year.
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Mrs. Bashor: Thank you for all you have ever done for me and my family in and out of the pool. You have brought such a positive light into my swimming career, and you have given me some pretty great advice. Thank you for being so amazing to me. *My sincerest apologies to each coach that has ever yelled at me for being the last person in the pool!* As most people know, I am actually a very quiet and shy person at first. Because of that when I first came to STAR, I didn’t know if I would be able to make close friends, but boy was I wrong. I will never forget my first practice when I walked in, and Karly shouted my name and said hi from the stands during drylands. I don’t think she realized how welcomed that made me feel. In the last three years the friendships and bonds I have made on this team are basically indescribable. It will be so hard not seeing all my best friends every day. You all have made swimming so fun and make me look forward to coming to practice every day. I’ll miss the little things at practice like tea time with KASE, getting in last every day with Allie, waving to my buddy Zach and hearing him say,
“Hi Pal,” hearing Bird cheer everyone on and scream people’s names before they race, hearing Emily say, “You’re a wizard, Harry,” every time we use kick sticks, calling Max and Jude “Maxy and Judy,” just because it makes me laugh, looking at Karly and just dying laughing, and hearing Jason screaming, “Back of the Lane Squad!” A lot of my most favorite moments have been with all of you in and out of the pool. You guys never fail to make me laugh and I cherish all the memories we have together. I am looking forward to all our future adventures together, and for the Bahamas, of course. (Extra special shoutout to KASEBZ, I love you!) Swimming has given me so much more than I could have ever asked for. Three-year-old me would be pretty dang happy with how my swimming career has turned out. I have been given countless opportunities to travel, meet new people, learn, and grow as an individual. It’s bittersweet to look back on how crazy this journey has been, but I know it’s nowhere near the end. Thank you STAR for changing my life, I am forever grateful.
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star seniors
KARLY BRAY
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remember 8-year-old me sitting at the STAR banquet reading these beautiful essays wishing for it to be my turn. Now that I am here writing my senior essay, I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to enjoy the moment of being young because sooner than later I would be saying goodbye to something so amazing. STAR has impacted my life in ways I wish I could describe. During my time on this amazing team, I have created friendships that will last a lifetime, the most amazing memories, and learned countless lessons that I will carry on with me in and out of the pool. It’s been a fun 10 years and trying to express how much this team truly means to me is nearly impossible so bear with me. My swimming journey on STAR started when I was 8 years old. My older brother was on the Senior Team at the time and my parents decided to sign me up. I remember my first practice like it was yesterday. It was a long course practice with the Blue Team and, man, these kids were fast. I was in awe of how fast
and hard-working these other swimmers were and I wanted to be just like them. When I first joined I couldn’t complete a 100 without stopping and I can now say confidently I can complete a 100. My time on the Blue Team was spent under Coach Nate and I want to thank him for showing me how amazing this sport is. Blue Team is where I fell in love with the sport of swimming and made some of my closest friends. This is where I met Emily Blake and we quickly became best of friends. We would get yelled at for talking while the coach was talking, and we would be put in separate lanes at practice, but this didn’t stop us from having tea parties at the bottom of the pool and concerts underwater. I also grew close with Jenna Sherlock, Kya Pawli, and Ellie Tesluk and I know these friendships will last a lifetime. Blue Team was super fun and I was sad to say goodbye, but it was my time to move up to Senior Prep with Coach Mark VanRemmen. Before talking about my time on Senior Prep, I just want to give a huge thank you to Coach Mark for teaching me the meaning of discipline and hard work. You have had a tremendous impact on my life and I cannot thank you enough. Swimming on Senior
Enjoy the moment of being young.” - K A R LY B R AY
Prep under Coach Mark is something I am extremely thankful for. Although his Kick Day Wednesdays and Race Day Saturdays were very hard, I would do anything for just one more 6x100 fast from the block on an early Saturday morning, wondering who I’d be racing and hoping for a personal best even if it didn’t count. The team bonding that formed on these Saturdays was like no other. Teammates cheering, relays, and get-out swims made everyone closer as a whole. I made amazing friendships and memories that I will cherish forever. These friendships include Ellie and Emily, and we instantly became inseparable and we called ourselves the JUB Club and I am forever grateful for them. The memories I made on Senior Prep will last a lifetime and I have enjoyed every moment spent on that team. My time soon came to an end and it was time for me to move onto the Senior Team. Little 8th grade me, only being 13, was terrified. I looked up to the older swimmers as long as I could
STAR day you find a friend where you look at them and you start laughing uncontrollably. Your sense of humor is like no other and I wouldn’t be able to get through practices without your jokes. Birdman (Josh Stegner), you have become a brother to me. The impact you not only have had on my life, but those around you is so amazing and inspiring. I never met anyone who always knows exactly what to say and who loves One Direction like you do. I will miss our carpool karaokes, lunch car rides, and your jokes. Thanks for being my best friend. To all of my other teammates, thank you for everything. I probably would have quit a long time ago if I didn’t have amazing teammates like you. You all deserve the world and I cannot wait to see what you all will accomplish in the future. Finally, I would like to thank my family. I am so blessed to have two amazing parents that believe in me no matter what. Whether I have a good meet or a bad meet, I know my parents will be proud of me no matter what. You both deserve an award for traveling to all my meets and spending countless hours at ECC. To Spencer and Libby, thank you for constantly being there for me and always cheering me on. Your support doesn’t go unnoticed and I cannot thank you enough. Now that my time here on STAR is coming to an end, I would like to thank all my teammates I have had, coaches that coached me, parents, and meet volunteers that have made all of this possible. You all have made my time on STAR the absolute best and you all have impacted my life in the most beautiful way. Winnie the Pooh once said, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” It’s truly been a blessing to be a part of such an amazing team like STAR. Thanks so much for everything, this team is truly a family!
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remember and to be able to swim with them was a dream come true. It was something I looked forward to but never thought my time would come. My first year was spent under Coach Rick Aronberg and I would like to thank Rick for teaching me life-long lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The majority of my time on the Senior team has been spent under Coach TJ Day. I want to thank TJ for always believing in me. The passion you have for this team radiates off of you and onto everyone else and I always look forward to swim meets because you’re always the loudest coach cheering. You have impacted my life in such a positive way and I thank you for that. Lastly, I want to thank Coach Phil for always listening to whatever I have to say and for giving me the best advice. Thank you for everything. My time on the Senior Team has been the best time of my life. From Indy trips, to Darien Lake day, to fourday meets, to threshold sets, the memories I have made are priceless and I will cherish these memories with me forever. To my teammates, I would not be where I am today without you and my time on STAR would not have been the same. Thank you all so much for pushing me each and everyday to be the very best version of myself in and out of the pool. To Emily Blake, it’s crazy to think that our friendship has come so far. From 8 years old to now, you have stuck by my side through everything and I cannot thank you enough. You are my soul sister (Bruno Mars) and I would not be able to do life without you. Allie Bashor, I remember when we were eight, swimming in the warmdown pool with our crocs on and now we have graduated and are going to college. Your kind heart is like no other and you inspire me everyday. Shannon Belote, it’s not every
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star seniors
JASON CREED
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ater, a pretty normal substance. What a journey water has taken me on. From learning to swim in Thailand, to swimming in my first meet in California, to helping me adjust moving to Buffalo—water has been a constant companion. It is not always friendly, but has helped me make friends along the way. I joined STAR later than most. I had a history of coaches falling out of clubs which made me hop teams too often, but STAR was the first time I actually felt I belonged. I recall the first day I ever went to practice with STAR. There were many familiar faces from previous teams I had been on, or people I had just met through meets, so I was not completely unfamiliar with the atmosphere. I was able to make quick acquaintances with many people just because of a shared history and small talk at swim meets, but Joe said something my first day which has cascaded into a barrage of abhorrent
(Shout out Bird for the vocab word) nicknames. He said, “Hey Creed.” Who knew these two simple words would source numerous names such as JCreed, JCrizzle, Crizzle Creed, and my personal favorite, JCrizzlet. Realizing that I’m leaving for college has really made me miss moments like when Bird would sauce me with his tik tok dance moves, Shannon almost killing me in her car taking those sharp turns, Aaron with his signature, “Really,” Zach and Allie turning into fantastic coaches getting that payroll, Karly saying sorry way too often, Andrew and his unbearably awkward jokes, Emily not snapchatting anyone ever, Jude and Ian not realizing I dust them in breaststroke, and Max… being Max.
When you work hard enough with the right people, today and tomorrow will come easy.” - J C R I Z ZL E
My time at STAR has really helped me appreciate the value of hard work and how friendship really fuels hard work. I realize it is a cliche conjoining hard work and friendship, but I never really understood what it meant to have powerful friendships until I joined STAR. To playing volleyball before practice, to arguing with Max over the most random things, to blasting music for the whole Burt Flickinger building to hear; these all motivated me to work harder and all things I will appreciate from STAR before I head off to college. Master Oogway once said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it the present,” but he fails to capture just how much yesterday impacts today and tomorrow. STAR has helped me figure out that when you work hard enough with the right people, today and tomorrow will come easy in all aspects of life, not just swimming. Thank you to everybody who has helped me develop these memories and friendships that I will never forget about. I will always love my time at STAR and never forget how much everybody has
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impacted my life before I head to college. Thank you Sir Theodore Samuel Eimstad. It was a fantastic time swimming under you on both Velocity and STAR and I can’t wait for Zia and Milo to grow up knowing they will have a fantastic father. Thank you Coach Nate, you were always supportive and I can’t wait to see Declan grow up as well. Thank you Coach Phil, it was an honor swimming under the Section 6 Orchard Park High School Boys Varsity Champion Head Coach—Phil Aronica. You weren’t just a great coach, you are also a great friend and I am glad to have built a connection with you these past two years. Thank you Coach Mark for being extremely supportive and one of the happiest coaches I have ever met. I also want to thank you for stealing the speaker whenever possible, and can’t wait for the next 8x50’s set. Finally Thank you Coach TJ for believing in me, especially when I couldn’t. I know I can be a Debbie Downer when I don’t perform very well and appreciate your constant optimism, even if it was very loud sometimes. I really enjoy your constant motivation and have always appreciated you as a coach and will miss you very much when I leave. Some parting words: Shoutout Bird, again; Go follow Shriner_auto on insta; JCrizzle out.
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star seniors
ZACH EISENMANN
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t is hard to imagine my life without swimming at STAR practice every day. I mean I got a little taste of it last year with the pandemic, but next year is going to be different. The reality is that this time there is not going to be another full year of STAR training for me. My eight-year journey of swimming full time for this club is finally at an end. I really don’t believe the words that I’m typing right now. But here I am, writing my very own Senior essay, the same type that I have read dozens of times every year from the swimmers that have come through the club before me. (I also know that approximately 70 percent of people will just be skimming through this essay.) It’s really bittersweet. I know that I can’t include every memory that has been flooding into my head as I have been reflecting back on my STAR career, but I’ll try my best to include the best highlights. I first joined STAR with the Blue Team at the time when I was 10. My first coach was Nate and it’s hard to think of someone more welcoming and kinder to a new incoming swimmer as him. I can distinctly remember my first day of practice. We were all sitting on the bleachers near the high diving board. Nate introduced me to this new group of swimmers and had everyone share three fun things about themselves. Although I was a bit overwhelmed walking into this giant facility I was quickly assured that I had walked onto a great team with lots of fun and kind teammates. I also have so many other memories from swimming with Nate. For example, he used to always give the Swedish Fish out at the end of every practice to the kid he thought performed the best in practice. This was considered one of the
highest honors back in that day, so much so that you would have thought who had won the fish had just won gold at the Olympics. I also remember the days of practicing at Frontier middle school. Whether we were catching passes off the diving board from Nate or he was hoping to swim a practice with us there were so many great experiences that I will truly cherish forever. Thank you, Nate. A few years after joining it was finally time for me to move up to the pristine Senior Prep Group run by the wily old man who went by the title of Coach Mark. I had heard a lot of stories about him and his practices from my cousin in the car ride home from practice. She would talk about how difficult practice was on any given day or how Mark had threatened to “Rip someone’s heart out with an Old Rusty Wooden Spoon” during the main set. So let me tell you, I was a tad nervous. But when I eventually got up under Mark’s command, I met with a man who was truly dedicated to get the best out of each one of his swimmers. I remember his weekly talks, pulling the whole group out of the pool and sitting us all down on the bleachers where Mark would talk about how we should only be here if we really wanted to get better and really cared about the sport. Meanwhile we would all be focused on the clock trying to figure out how much of the practice we would get to miss because of this old man’s lecture. (Sorry, Mark!) I can also remember how Mark would come into practice and leave his practice notebook somewhere around the pool deck while he went off to talk to the other coaches before practice started. We would all run over to it and huddle around the page of that day’s installment of the practice. Some days it was 6x500’s where me and the kid they called Birdman would pace off each other for the entire set. Or on Wednesday we would have to see the type of kick sets that were in store for the legendary Kick Wednesday. But if we were lucky, we would have a survivor set where only the toughest of swimmers could hang on to complete the set in its entirety. But through Mark’s practices I learned how to really train the right way. I learned to always take each day and each set by the horns and tackle them one lap at a time grinding through every stroke. And for that I have to say thank you Mark. The next coach I’ll talk about is the one and only Phil Aronica. Although he has never really been my main coach, he has been on the team for as long as I remember. He is someone that has always brought energy and life to the deck, getting the atmosphere on our bench electric at big meets. He puts up with us senior boys and all our nonsense, like when we tell him to check out that pace clock because there is a funny number that comes up. He is someone that has pushed me to be the best swimmer and teammate that I can be. I can remember us having a conversation when we were
—Z A C H EI S EN M A N N
Eventually in my first year of senior team, the club hired TJ to become the next head coach of STAR. At first it was weird hearing from this guy who had such a strong middle western accent and kept yelling the word “y’all” all the time. He brought with him so many new types of drills and equipment—not to mention a completely different type of training method—that it was hard to keep up. But when we got to our first champs with him as coach, the energy and passion that he brought with him for each swimmer on the team was unparalleled to any other coach on the deck. From then on it was clear that this guy was here, and he was here to stay. TJ has truly become one of the main people in my life that I look up to. I wouldn’t be the swimmer or person that I am today without him. He lives out the core values that he has set for the team and demonstrates them to us every day. I can remember during the pandemic last year getting the chance to play a round of golf with TJ and just talk to him about stuff, like the uncertain future of the club or my college search. He was always optimistic and was very appreciative of any
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Trust the team, trust the training, and trust the culture.”
suggestions that I had for him. He also almost beat me, which was a little nerve-racking being that he hadn’t played a round of golf in nearly a year, and I had already played two rounds that week. But I could not imagine myself and my journey without the positive impact of TJ as my coach. It is with the utmost gratitude that I say thank you, TJ. I finally need to shout out some of my closest teammates from these past few seasons. Thank you to Ian and Aaron for reminding me not to take anything too seriously and have a fun time always. Jason, thanks for always looking so cute and cuddly on the deck. Emily, thanks for always putting a smile on my face with your never-ending energy, and Karly, thank you for always giving me joy with your sincerity and kindness for everyone. Max, I thank you for always being you and putting up with me no matter how annoying I have been to you. Shannon, thank you for always laughing at my jokes, pal, and Judey Booty, thank you for always making me laugh and for being like my little brother. Allie, thank you for being my payroll buddy and always looking after me and taking care of me. Bird, thank you for always being there for me and always helping me through any and every situation. You guys have all shaped me into the person I am today one way or another and I appreciate you all for it so much. Again, it’s hard to believe that this is it. These are some of the last words that I will write as a full-time STAR swimmer. My final words of advice for anyone that needs to hear them are this. Trust the team, trust the training, and trust the culture. I wouldn’t be in the situation I’m in today without selling into the team that I have been surrounded by. I know that it can be a challenge on some days, but now looking back at it, I’m so grateful for everything that has happened to me, even the bad parts. Lastly, enjoy those that surround you on the team, who knows they might just turn out to be the most important people in your life. Finally, although it was both shocking and abhorrent that I could not use my shower this year, it is with pillage that I pass the keys of Shower One to Birdman, may you keep it safe.
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between head coaches at the time. There was a banner on the wall that said that STAR was a silver medal club according to USA Swimming. I asked him about it and he told me that the year the club was given that status was one of the last years of swimming. He told me that the way that the team got to that status and speed wasn’t just a one-man effort, it was a group project of every day putting the work in and having each swimmer push all the other swimmers in the group whether it be through encouraging each other on the wall or showing max effort in the water. Then he finished by saying that we can get to that level again, but it has got to start here. Ever since, I have taken that conversation to heart and practiced with that goal in mind each day, not to just focus on myself, but try to make every swimmer on the team better. It has made me the person I am today and am so thankful for it. Thank you, Phil.
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team banquet
star seniors
MAXIM KRUGLOV
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ater is a crazy substance to think about. We are surrounded by lots of it. We drink it, use it to cook, use it to cool things, and even play with it. Water is within everything that we indulge in. However, when put face-to-face with it, there is no feeling like it. Getting ready to enter the water for a race or for practice is like getting ready to fight with a beast. When entering the water, the beast bares its fangs and truly starts what is to come forth. For as long as I can remember, swimming has been a part of my life. I began the sport when I was four and it has made me feel the most emotion than ever before. Swimming is something that
Swimming is something that I take pride in and has helped me with many faults and issues I have had to deal with.” — S H R I N ER
I take pride in and has helped me with many faults and issues that I have had to deal with within my lifetime. At the end of the day, I thank the friends and coaches that I have made along the way. Especially the team that I have stuck with for most of my journey, STAR Swimming. Beginning in what was called the Red Team, I was introduced to Coach Brandi. She helped me transition and begin my passion with the sport. My parents first put me into the sport to waste my energy. Of course, I wasn’t in love with it right from the get-go, however, as time went by I began to love the sport. But, I really began to think this way when I moved onto Nate’s team. Blue Team was an exciting time for me as a swimmer as it showed me what it truly meant to have goals and focus on them. I still believe that I was too young to understand the meaning of focusing. I enjoyed playing in the water and would be scolded for fooling around during practices. That all changed when I finally moved on to Senior Prep with Coach Mark and I actually put in work that I initially never cared for. As I write this now, it is hard to fathom the amount and variety of people that I have met along the way within the sport of swimming. I met people
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that were very passionate about the sport and others that had felt like it was a drag. Swimming is not a sport for everyone and especially for those that aren’t willing to push their limits. Before all the madness with Covid occurred, all was going right for me. I had been preparing for NCSA Junior Nationals and Niagara Championships. However, when the news broke that we weren’t going to be competing, it broke me. I was put into the worst
state that I had ever been in in my entire life. That was going to be the year that I would prove myself and go to a higher level. As time went by, I came to the understanding that it was uncontrollable. Things aren’t always going to go in the right direction and that’s alright. In that situation, all I needed to do was push forward. Make light of the situation and keep focusing on my goals. As things come to being a little more normal, I still reminisce on the days when things were simpler. When Zach, Owen, Blaise, Joe, Graeme, and I would all get together for Basketball or Volleyball. However, hearing Ian asking, “What did Carter say in the group chat,” Birdman using some intricate word like abhorrent, and occasionally getting into heated arguments with Jason are things that I am going to miss even more. The idea that we were able to shed light on the difficult times and make the most of it was what made it even more meaningful. I have no clue where I would be right now without the people on this team. Nevertheless, I am thankful for all the people that I have met and each one of them has brought me closer to the sport that I love now more than ever. Overall, I’m thankful for the opportunity that STAR Swimming has given me throughout the years. For some parting words, shout out to Bird. Signing off, Shriner.
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NICK RENZONI
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ife is a roller coaster. There are ups and downs, good times and bad times. That’s just how life works. Being in STAR definitely had its fair share of ups and downs for me. I joined STAR in 2014, seven years ago, feels like longer. I used to love the Blue Team practices at Frontier Middle School pool. Even though the water was warm, it was always fun because Nate or Brandon would let us play a game at the end of practice as long as we finished our workout. Do you know the common thought a lot of kids think? “When I’m older everything will be easier.” News flash: it’s not even close. The last two years I finally learned to work my butt off if I wanted results. When I did, I was shocked at how much better I was doing in meets, in practice, and even swimming for my high school team. Recently, I dropped 54 seconds in a long course event. I always had slow turns and breathed off every wall. But I practiced faster turns and holding my breath longer in practice, which improved the areas in my event that were costing me so much time. I was so happy about the results. Even better, I was recognized by people I hadn’t met on the team yet, and got to know them better. I have always been very friendly with people. I’m the type of guy that will approach a complete stranger, say hi, and introduce myself. My goal for the end of long course is to meet every swimmer on the Senior Team and have at least
Thank you, everyone from STAR, for helping mold me into the person I am today.” —T H E R EN ZO N E
one conversation with them. You guys are so supportive of each other and so comfortable as well. I may not know most of you that well, but I hope by meeting with you and talking with you that I will leave a lasting impression. I don’t know where it came from, nor does anyone else I’ve asked, but most people on the team call me Renzone. I guess if you’re on the team long enough you get a nickname. I was hesitant at first, but grew to accept my new nickname. This summer, I’ve looked forward to practices not for the practice, but for friends there, and Coach Mark saying: “Uh oh! The Renzone is here!” I will always remember the amount of cheer and laughter this brought me. These past few years, the Senior Team coaches have been my favorite group so far. Coach TJ is always raring and ready to go when we come in, as well as always chomping at the bit at swim meets. Coach Mark is always trying to tease TJ, doing his “TJ impression,” and bringing enthusiasm and an optimistic attitude to every practice. Thank you coaches for all the advice, criticism, and encouragement that you’ve given me over the years I have spent as a part of STAR.
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My favorite memory of STAR would be from a recent swim meet. It was the last short-course meet of the season. A younger swimmer from another team was doing an event for the first time. I had just finished talking with my dad, who was officiating that day, when all of a sudden I heard cheering. It was the STAR Senior Team. They were all lined up against the rope on the side of the pool deck, cheering the kid on as he swam his heart out. I joined them, clapping and cheering him on. That night, my mom showed me an email that had been shared with the STAR team. It was a message from the swimmer’s mom, saying how grateful she was that we cheered on her son, and thanking us. That is what STAR is all about. Sure we’re competitive with other teams and our teammates, but we also build each other up. We try to spread our positive attitude and optimistic feelings to everyone, and that makes us one big family. I’m sad that I have to leave that family this coming fall, but I’m optimistic that I will be seeing the team again. After all, I’m going to ECC. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be lifeguarding for the team. Thank you, everyone from STAR, for helping mold me into the person I am today. I will never forget you.
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ALEX SWITALSKI star seniors
I knew on the first day of my trial that STAR would be the right move to make.”
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— A L E X S W I TA L SK I
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lthough I have only been on STAR for the past two of my fourteen years of swimming competitively, I have so many fond memories from this team. I knew on the first day of my trial that STAR would be the right move to make. From the very beginning it was made apparent to me that, not only was STAR a team on the surface, but it was a team, through-and-through. It is the way that everyone has such pride in not only themselves, but each other, that makes this team so special. The environment on deck is always supportive and no one hesitates to help one another out when it is needed. A pivotal memory of mine is actually from my first week on the team. It was near the end of my first Saturday morning practice with the team and Coach TJ called everyone out of the pool. He announced that there was going to be a Get-Out Swim, and that I was the one to be swimming it. While I was nervous, as teammates I had yet to know lined themselves on the side of the pool with kick sticks to bang on the ground as a form
of cheering, I began to relax. This demonstration of support made by people of whom I barely knew at the time had made me so happy to be there and just soak in the moment. Luckily, I made the time that was set for me and it was a practice record for me, and I went home smiling. This practice really set the tone for what it would be like on STAR and I could not wait to see what was to come. Today, I am proud to say that I truly do feel as though I am a part of the team. Through trials and tribulations, there always seemed to be someone to lean on, giving advice, or even just asking how I was doing. There are always teammates there to cheer you on and cheer you up no matter if you have a good race or a bad one. I hope that we all realize just how special of an environment we have created amongst ourselves, for it is not one that you come across often.
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STAR TEAM RECORD BREAKERS
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team records
SHORT COURSE YARDS 2020-21
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WOMEN 13 & OVER RELAYS 200 FREE RELAY — 1:37.51 Natalie Killion, Emily Blake, Zoey Griffin, Allie Bashor 400 FREE RELAY — 3:33.34 Emily Blake, Natalie Killion, Zoey Griffin, Allie Bashor 400 MEDLEY RELAY — 3:53.08 Zoey Griffin, Jess Humby, Allie Bashor, Natalie Killion MEN 13 & OVER RELAYS 200 FREE RELAY — 1:26.81 Josh Stegner, Andrew Clough, Kyle Dean, Aaron Gasiewicz 400 FREE RELAY — 3:10.45 Kyle Dean, Aaron Gasiewicz, Josh Stegner, Andrew Clough 200 MEDLEY RELAY — 1:33.44 Ian Hewett, Zach Eisenmann, Andrew Clough, Kyle Dean 400 MEDLEY RELAY — 3:25.42 Ian Hewett, Zach Eisenmann, Andrew Clough, Kyle Dean AGES 15-16 100 FREE — 51.73 Natalie Killion 50 BACK — 26.97 Zoey Griffin 100 BACK — 56.15 Natalie Killion 200 BACK — 2:01.73 Natalie Killion 200 BACK — 1:50.13 Ian Hewett
AGES 17-18 100 BREAST — 55.95 Andrew Clough 100 FLY — 49.45 Andrew Clough 200 FLY — 1:50.59 Andrew Clough 200 IM — 1:50.17 Andrew Clough 400 IM — 3:57.55 Andrew Clough
2020-21 SCY SEASON
USA Swimming Motivational Time Standards A A A A SWIMMERS Andrew Clough, Aaron Gasiewicz, Zoey Griffin, Natalie Killion A A A SWIMMERS Allie Bashor, Emily Blake, Jason Creed, Kyle Dean, Zachary Eisenmann, Ian Hewett, Jessica Humby, Mira Keller, Maxim Kruglov, Madison McKinney, Joshua Stegner, Jude Strittmatter A A SWIMMERS Shannon Belote, Sarah Carlson, Emily Chung, Madeline Domster, Nathan Eaton, RJ Helt, Aidan Losito, Vanessa Mintz, Emma Sauer, Alexandra Switalski, Roman Tedeschi, Grace Vogt, Matthew Woyksnar, Zoe Zawodzinski A SWIMMERS Karly Bray, Amelia Colder, Isabella DeMeo, Amelia McDonnell, Dominic Mintz, Phillip Monteiro, Sophia Pirigyi
FOND FAREWELL TO A VERY SPECIAL STAR FAMILY
Steven, Karen, Spencer, Libby, & Karly Bray A sincere thank you and farewell to a very special STAR family who has been with us since 2009. The Bray family’s contributions to our team have been tremendous. Your kindness, smiles, and laughter were contagious and we will remember you all with warm thoughts and memories. We will sorely miss you all!
BB SWIMMERS Keara Cotter, Aidan Domster, Abigail Eisenmann, Marissa Gachette, Olivia Heltz, Colin Kobielski, Madison Lee, Morgan Malush, Fiona Reilly, Nicholas Renzoni, Tarin Rietz, Andrew Scalfani-Cohen, Aidan Vogt B SWIMMERS Daphne Adams, Aloysia Finton, Mylie Philbrick, Olivia Renzoni, Grace Rivera, Katherine Tothero SENIOR TEAM SWIMMERS Arielle McNitt, Maggie Regan
STAR Gives Back to the Community Taffy’s Food Truck / CBRE Sponsored Event
Kevin Guest House June 2020
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S TA R f a m i l i e s g r a c i o u s l y d o n a t e d m o r e t h a n 5 0 0 l b s . o f f o o d t o F e e d M o r e W N Y !
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STAR SWIMMING VOLUNTEER AWARD RECIPIENTS 2007 Bob Matlack 2008 Larry Lichota 2009 John Marchese 2010 Joe Deren 2011 Katherine McCauley 2012 Donna Westermeier 2013 Catherine Kibler 2014 Dorothy Maurer 2015 Bob Bender 2016 Lynda Blake 2017 Micki Staples 2018 Megan Hurley 2019 Randy & Kristen Matteson 2020 COVID-19 2021 Can you guess???
Thank you for your support!
Coach TJ Day, Coach Mark VanRemmen, the STAR coaching staff and their families STAR Board of Directors Erie Community College Vince McCarthy, ECC Aquatic Director ECC security staff Jason Tedeschi, ajar media Avanti Mansion Tony Martin Awards All of our amazing volunteers at our swim meets! Banquet Coordinators: Jen Eisenmann, Shana Stegner, Nicole Domster Banquet Program: Nicole Domster and Jason Tedeschi Raffle Basket & Gift Contributors: Reilly Family, Losito Family, Kruglov Family, Stegner Family, Eisenmann Family, Woyksnar Family, Killion Family, Griffin Family, Belote Family, Helt Family, Leighton Family, Hewett Family, Tothero Family, Strittmatter Family, Creed Family, and the Gasiewicz Family Check-in Table Greeters: Ally & Ella Stegner
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2021 photos
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WE ARE ONE TEAM. WE ARE ONE STAR. 2020-21