Evendale Eagles - 2025 Champs Edition

Caroline Razzano

July 13, 2025

This special champs night edition of the newsletter is packed with Champs week information. It is time for life in the fast lane. Please also read the championships packet from Norwood. Please note the road closures and the parking areas. The older swimmers will be warming up at the Evendale pool, and parking may be tight when they arrive at Norwood, so please utilize the drop off area and consider carpools.

Check your email Tuesday morning to see if your swimmer is in a relay. These are often sent sometime in the middle of the night. Recall the fastest swimmers are often not placed together in a relay ... it is about optimizing points for the team. 

Also, this year the entrance fee for spectators (including volunteers) is $5/session. If you have swimmers in both Monday morning and afternoon sessions you can pay $8 for the all day pass.  Heat sheets will also be $5/session. This is cash only (with an option to Zelle if needed). There is also a league wide duck race. Ducks can be purchased for $5 each or a flock of 5 ducks for $20.

This week’s dates to know:

Monday, July 14 Championship Prelims @ Norwood

 

10 and under:

7:45 Arrive @ Norwood (no later)

8:00 Walk from tent to pool with coaches

8:15 Warm up with Sprints

9:00 Meet Starts

 

11 and up:

2:00 Arrive @ Evendale Pool for warmups

2:15-2:45 Warmup @ Evendale Pool

2:45-3:15 Drive to Norwood

3:30 Walk from tent to pool with coaches

3:45 Sprints

4:30 Meet Starts

 

Tuesday, July 15 Championship Relays and Finals @ Norwood

11 and up:

11:00 Arrive @ Evendale Pool

11:15-11:45 Warmup @ Evendale Pool

11:45-12:15 Drive to Norwood Pool

12:15 Walk from tent to pool with coaches

12:30 Sprints

1:30 Meet Starts

 

10 and under

12:00 Arrive @ Norwood Pool (no later)

12:15 Walk from tent to pool with coaches

12:30 Warm up with Sprints

1:30 Meet Starts

 

Arrival/Warmup times may change.

July 16: Championship Party following Championships @ Evendale Pool. Menu is Jimmy Johns. Requires sign up and payment for food or you can bring your own.

July 17: Awards @ 6:00pm @ Evendale Rec Center

 

Awards: The time for the award ceremony on Thursday, July 17 has been moved up to 6:00 pm so we can conclude before the Rec Center closes. This end of season wrap-up does not require a reservation.

NSSL Championships: This year, NSSL Championships will be hosted Norwood. Please follow the link for the championship meet packet. This packet has everything you need to know about the meet including where to park, rules for the meet, food, team tent placement and so much more. Please read through the packet.

Arrival at Championships:  Please look over the maps in the championship packet. There are road closures and specific available lots. Street parking is also an option. For swimmers who can drive themselves, it would be a great idea (and preferred by Coach Debbie) to drive several swimmers and drop them off.

Championship Information:

Coaches will be in the tent. Please do not send your 10 and under swimmers directly to clerk of course for their events.  The coaches will collect the 10 and under swimmers and walk with them to clerk of course.  Please stay in the tent so your swimmers can easily be found. The coaches will announce when to go for the older swimmers. 

  • Be PATIENT! It will be hot, and it will be crowded! Let’s do our best to make this a positive experience for all.
  • 8 and Under free relays will be posted at the Pasta Party tonight. All other relays will be decided after swims on Monday (including 8&under medley) and will be sent in an email late Monday evening.  It may be really late. In past years they have been sent as late as 3:40 AM Tuesday morning. 
  • The Monday afternoon session we may have “flyover” starts. This means that when a race is over, all swimmers stay in the water near the wall while the swimmers for the next race get on the blocks and dive in over the swimmer that just completed their race. Once the next race has begun, the swimmers that just completed their race exit the pool. Obviously, this is for all strokes except backstroke. For backstroke, swimmers stay in the pool until all swimmers have completed the race, then exit the pool.
  • SUNSCREEN and stay out of the sun as much as possible!
  • BUG SPRAY
  • Please be courteous in the team area. We have a lot of swimmers plus their families (and coolers, bags, towels) and we need to make sure everyone fits in the shade.
  • Stay hydrated. This definitely goes without saying but make sure everyone stays hydrated. Spray bottles filled with cold water are very helpful in staying cool.
  • PLEASE do not leave the meet Monday morning until you have checked in with Coach Debbie!
  • 6 and Unders only swim on Monday.  Their races are timed final events and may earn points based on placing. The rest of the age groups swim to qualify during Monday prelims. If they qualify, they swim finals on Tuesday and earn points based on placing at finals. All relays are Tuesday, except the 8 under free relay which is on Monday.
  • Finals qualifiers – the top 12 swimmers in each event plus two alternates qualify for finals. The six fastest swimmers swim in the championship heat (places 1-6) in heat two and the next six fastest swimmers will swim in the consolation heat (places 7-12) in heat one. Alternates can only swim in the consolation heat.
  • Make sure you check the results before leaving Monday to see if your swimmer(s) qualified to swim on Tuesday.  Even if you thought your swimmers finished outside the top 14 in a prelim event, there is a chance someone ahead of them scratched.
  • There will be a gate admission of $5 per person, per session and heat sheets will be sold for $5 per session. Children 4 and under, league swimmers and coaches get in free…everyone else (including volunteers/workers) will be charged admission.
    • If you are completely new to swimming this year, heat sheets are a detailed listing of every event. The sheets run in event order then within each event, all heats will be listed with each swimmer’s name and best time for that event. Purchasing a heat sheet is completely optional but it does help you follow along the entire session and know who is swimming what.
  • Volunteers – make sure you know your scheduled time and sign-in location.
  • Championships is a much longer meet than a normal meet so consider bringing card games, small crafts, books and make sure everything is labeled!
  • An extra pair of goggles is never a bad idea but if you find yourself without a spare, Swimville USA will have a tent set up on Monday for all of your last-minute swimming needs.
  • Attire: No tie suits, no zipper suits, no caps for other teams, no watches
  • TECH SUITS – This meet will be following USA Swimming rules for suits.  Swimmers 12-and-under are NOT allowed to wear USA Swimming’s definition of a “tech suit.”  A “tech suit” has bonded seams (not stitched seams) and extends past the hips. Here is a great video explaining tech suits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XYSz8qWUOU

If you have any questions as to whether your swimmer’s suit is legal, you can text or email Rob Razzano (513.532.5139; [email protected]).

  • Parent Relays: If you have any interest in swimming in the parent/coach relay at the end of championships, please let Andrew O’Neill know by the end of the Pasta Party. We need to enter our teams on Monday morning.

GOOD LUCK EAGLES!

After Championships party: At the conclusion of championships Tuesday night, we will have a party at the Evendale pool to celebrate the season! Bring a cooler for your family’s drinks and if you missed the deadline for ordering food, be sure to pack something for your family. Jimmy Johns will be served for families that ordered. Thank you, Molly Hinker, Sara Kennedy, and Rachel Tapp for organizing this event!

IMPORTANT…PLEASE READ! For those of you who have attended an after-championship party, you know that it can get a bit rowdy. In an effort to keep everyone (including lifeguards and swimmers) safe while still having a great time celebrating, there are a few rules we all must follow.

  • Slide – Swimsafe has agreed to leave the slide on as long as everyone abides by the rules. Trains are permitted; however, NO MORE than 3-5 swimmers. If ANYONE does not follow the rules, the slide will be turned off immediately and will remain off for the rest of the night.
  • Throwing people in the pool (swimmers, coaches, innocent bystanders, etc.) – PLEASE talk to your swimmer(s) about throwing people in the pool. Be careful to ensure the area is clear and be especially careful around the diving board end of the pool. PLEASE DO NOT throw anybody in who is attached to a chair. If somebody is resisting going into the pool, please stop.
  • If anybody has any concerns with a swimmer’s behavior, please find Coach Debbie and she will deal with the swimmer(s).
  • Thank you for your help and cooperation. It is one of the best nights of the swim season, but we want to keep it safe for all who attend, including guards. 

Coaches’ gift: If you have not already done so, please consider making a donation to the coaches’ gift. We would like to provide a nice gift for each of them as they have done an outstanding job working with our kids all season. If you would like to contribute, please place an envelope in the lockbox at the pool (with a note indicating the purpose for the donation) or give on-line. No amount is too large or too small. Please make checks payable to Evendale Swim Team and submit as soon as possible, so that the gifts can be prepared prior to Awards Night.

Note: If you have contributions to the newsletter, please email Caroline Razzano at [email protected].