Dear Piranha Families:

What a week! From soggy relays, to sizzling grills, and lip sync performances, here are highlights in no particular order.

Lip Sync Battle 2025 (or should we say…Candy Toss 2025?) Songs were loud, candy was flying, and Lara Macdonald’s laptop is now covered in glitter. 

• 1st went to 13-14 boys for coordinated costumes and routine.
• 8-Under girls took 2nd, while Norch earned unofficial honors as best stage mom.
• Shout out to Rory Crider and Emma Hill for stand-out costume and choreography.
• Our Piranha Grill Team pumped out a record number of cheeseburgers (thanks to the large number consumed by 13-14 boys celebrating their win).

All-Star Relays: Epic x2. Before thunderstorms shut it down, our 13-14 girls 200 medley relay team (Emerson, Alina, CC, Amelia) blazed into 1st Place in the NVSL! A first in Piranha history! Though we’re sad not all of our teams got to race, the image of Piranhas huddled together in the cafeteria of Holmes Run MS will go down into epic team history too.

A new team record is on the books! At Monday’s B meet, Emerson Mancari broke a 30-year-old team record in girls 13-14 free with a time of 28.59!

Saturday’s Meet at Rolling Hills: It wasn’t the win we hoped for, but there were plenty of memorable moments:

• Parklawn’s only sweep of the meet: Amelia Young, Cami Sonn, and Jessie Snow in 13-14 fly (third sweep this season with varying members of the squad…we are a Piranha fly powerhouse team!)
• 8U boys showing off their abs (courtesy of Sharpie)
• A super close 13-14 boys medley finish, with Eddie Boynton, Seth Kirk, Quade Corbett, and Tag Schuerfeld bringing it home for 1st.
• And a shoutout from the Rolling Hills Sno Cone operator: “Your team is so kind and respectful.” Piranha pride!

Progressive Dinner was a huge hit. A big thanks to Pam Townsend and Jenness Simler for organizing, and to our generous host homes:

• Schuerfeld-Simler Family
• Sonn Family
• Manegold Family
• Corbett Family
• Shea Family

Stay tuned next week for Viking Dinner coverage in our final newsletter of the season.

On with the week ahead!

Practice Notes

Hard to believe, but it’s our last week of summer practice. Practices end Friday.

• No practice Wednesday due to the Kings Dominion trip.
• Friday = Fancy Breakfast! After each practice session, we’ll celebrate with pancakes (and alll the toppings).

Swimmers of the Week and Lightning Award Winners

Congratulations to our swimmers of the week, Miller Supple and Charlotte Goldwater, who bring leadership, excitement, and team spirit to practices and meets.

Our lightning awards go to Levi Kirk (11% improvement in backstroke), and Adely Muth (10% improvement in breaststroke). Nice work Piranhas!

Last B Meet Monday Night - Alumni Night!

Our last B meet is a home meet with Forest Hollow. See Amanda Hungerford's email for details. 

We will also remember Dr. Carl Smearman. Carl was a beloved Piranha who tragically passed away this year at age 28. In his memory, the Piranha Power Boosters have created a scholarship fund in his name. On Monday evening, we will float lanterns in the pool as a way to remember Carl.

We encourage families to talk with swimmers in advance about this moment. Coming together as a team and a community means a lot for those who knew and loved Carl. It’s a quiet, respectful way to honor a Piranha we’ve lost. 

Thank You Business Sponsors and Piranha Power Boosters

We want to thank our business sponsors EatYogaDrink, Rocket Fizz, The Reef Team, Neverland Destinations, Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant, Koralaide Consulting, and the Piranha Power Boosters for fueling our season. Their generosity:

• Offsets the cost of suits and swim caps
• Supplies kickboards and other gear
• Funds team-building events
• Supports coach development
• Helps keep our program strong and accessible for all swimmers

You can be a part of the Piranha Power Boosters by making a financial contribution or supporting one of our local business sponsors. Every bit helps us build a stronger and more spirited Piranha team. 

Division 6 Sportsmanship Award

13 & Over swimmers can cast a vote for Division 6 Sportsmanship Award. Each team gets three votes - a 13+O vote, a coaches vote, and a team rep vote. Please resist the urge to vote for Parklawn :)

Divisional Meet

Divisional Meet is Saturday, hosted by Poplar Heights. Those entered will be notified Monday night. Division 6 team reps will meet midweek to fill empty lanes. Please look for a text or call from Karen Corbett to immediately confirm if you want the lane.

Division 6 T-Shirts Are For Sale

Show off your Division 6 pride! Pre-order 2025 Division t-shirts now (a limited number will be available on Saturday).

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Pre-ordered T-Shirts are $15 a shirt ($20 at the meet)

2. The T-shirt is white with a small front image and a large back image.

3. Order deadline: 12 Noon on Tuesday, 7/15

4. Sizes available: YM, YL, AS, AM, AL, AXL, A2XL.

6. Shirts will be available for pick up on Divisional Meet Day.

End of Season Banquet

Join us Sunday, July 20th at Parklawn at 6pm for our End of Season Banquet.

We’ll honor a great season, recognize every swimmer with an award, present our named awards, and give a big shoutout to some of our amazing volunteers. And of course, we’ll wrap things up with our end-of-season slide show!

Food will be provided, but here's what you need to bring:

• Your own drinks
• Your own camp chairs 

Parklawn Winter Swim Program

Want to keep those hard-earned swim skills sharp all year long? The Parklawn Winter swim program will start up the first week of October. This is a way to stay connected to our coaches and fellow Piranhas, and maintain the progress from the summer season. More details coming soon.

That's all for now, Piranhas. See you on deck.