Aquianas Place two on Junior National Team 

            The New Canaan YMCA Aquianas Synchronized Swimming Team sent four athletes to the 2008 U.S. Junior National Team Trials held May 25-27^th in Santa Clara, CA.  High school juniors Colleen Courtmanche, Madison Crocker, Megan Hansley, and Kelsey Smith participated in the trials. In the California-dominated world of synchronized swimming, it is almost unheard of for a smaller club to have four athletes qualify for trials.  To then actually place athletes on the national team is very unusual.

To make the national team, athletes perform different skills in four phases of competition. At each phase, the number of athletes is reduced to reach a final number of twelve.  In the final, most difficult phase, 21 athletes had to individually complete an endurance set and then immediately after perform a choreographed routine.  They also had to perform compulsory figures in front of a panel of judges. “It was so hard swimming a routine by myself; I always have at least one other person with me. I definitely don’t like being a soloist,” said Hansley. Then the athletes were ranked and the top 16 moved on to the last phase:  the group swims.  Each athlete swam in groups of two or three as the judges compared each swimmer’s ability to execute and perform. “It is a grueling process, with the number of athletes being cut down after each phase. There is not much room for mistakes.  Any little error seems so much bigger when you are comparing a small number of really talented athletes,” said Head Coach Sandra Mahoney.  “All of our athletes performed extremely well, and in such an elite group, they should all feel so proud to even be here.”

Madison Crocker and Megan Hansley were named to the U.S. Junior National Team in 2^nd and 10^th place, respectively. “It really is a dream come true,” said Hansley. “I placed 23^rd last year, so I worked even harder this past year so I could make the team.” Crocker and Hansley will be joined by ten Californians on the team. ”I am so glad that Megan made the team too.  It is much easier to have at least one familiar teammate there with you,” said Crocker. The long-time duet partners will also be joined by another familiar face, New Canaan Head Coach, Sandra Mahoney. Mahoney was named head figure coach for the Junior National team. “It is a huge honor to coach a national team and a big responsibility,” said Mahoney.  The U.S. team is looking to improve on their 9^th place finish at the 2006 Junior Worlds held in China.

Crocker and Hansley began training in California on May 15^th, swimming 7am – 4pm Monday through Friday and a half day on Saturday. The 2008 Junior Team will compete in St. Petersburg, Russia in July against an international field, including teams from Spain, France, Russia, China, Canada, Japan and South America.