Dolphin News Splash 7/5/2026
Happy Sunday Dolphins!
NOTES FROM THE COACH
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We're back at it this week! We have one dual meet left and only two weeks until Championships. It's hard to believe the season is almost over!
This weekend is our final dual meet against Laguna Creek, and we need all Dolphins there to finish the season strong! This week, we'll continue building endurance while fine-tuning our breaststroke and butterfly technique. Meet attendance deadline is tonight at midnight! Please be sure to declare your swimmer's attendance. If your swimmer has not attended at least two dual meets this season, they must attend this weekend's meet to be eligible for Championships.
As Championships approach, we'll begin talking with our athletes about tapering. Tapering is the practice of reducing training in the days leading up to an important competition so swimmers are rested and ready to perform their best. A successful taper is more than just changes at practice—it's a lifestyle for the next two weeks! We encourage all of our athletes to:
- Eat healthy, nutritious meals.
- Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
- Attend practice consistently.
We'll begin by increasing our training yardage before gradually decreasing it over the next couple of weeks. I'll share more details about our taper plan next week, along with some fun activities we have planned leading up to Championships!
We're also excited to announce that Coach Emily will be our Coach for the Day this Wednesday and will be coaching all age groups. Congratulations, Coach Emily! We can't wait to see you in action on deck!
Meet of Champions
Congratulations to the following swimmers who have already met the qualifying time standards for Meet of Champions!
- Isabel Lunn – 25 Free, 25 Back
- Michael Gormley – 25 Free, 25 Back
- Ottolee Talbert – 25 Back
- Audrey Rector – 25 Fly
- Emily Lederer – 25 Fly
- Eleanor Reinhart – 25 Free, 25 Back, 25 Fly
- Taylor Khov – 50 Breaststroke
- Clayton Navarre – 100 IM, 50 Back, 100 Free, 50 Fly
- Adam Zaretsky – 50 Free, 50 Back, 50 Fly
- Noah Lind – 50 Back
- Mason Ikemire – 100 IM
Remember, swimmers can also qualify for Meet of Champions by finaling at Championships!
If your swimmer has already qualified and plans to attend Meet of Champions, you can register now using the Meet of Champions website.
Championship Shirts
Championship shirt orders are officially open, but not for long! Orders close on July 7, so be sure to submit your order before the deadline. These shirts aren't just for our swimmers we want the entire Arden Park family showing their Dolphin pride at Championships! Moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, and friends are all encouraged to order. Let's fill the stands with Arden Park spirit and show every team what it means to be a Dolphin!
That's all for now. Have a great week, Dolphins! Let's finish the regular season strong! See you at the pool!
Coach Sabrina
Sabrina Henley
AP Dolphins Head Coach
AP CHAMPS JOB SIGN-UPS
Email coming soon from our AP Jobs Coordinator about Champs Job Sign-ups.
PASTA NIGHT
Champs Pasta Night will be Thursday, July 16th at the Arden Park BBQ/Picnic area. Pasta Night is our annual pep rally to get pumped up and carb-loaded for Champs! Please note: there will be no swim practice on Pasta Night.
This year, we will be doing our Pasta Night as a potluck. Stay tuned for the breakdown of what we need each family to bring.
Parent Relays - Start stretching, AP parents! After a season of hard work by all these swimmers, it is going to be your turn to throw on the Speedos and hop in the water for a chance to be on the AP Dolphin Parent Relay at Champs. This will be a perfect opportunity to relive your glory days and get your kids to cheer YOU on for a change. Join us at Pasta Night (July 16th) to race against other AP parents to try to earn a spot on the AP Dolphin Parent Relay. The Champs Parent Relay is a freestyle relay so you only need to know how to swim that stroke.
SENIORS
Help us in celebrating our AP Seniors this Saturday at our last home meet. These athletes have been AP Dolphins since they were 6&Under and we could not be more proud of them.
Sydney Ketsdever
Preston Joyce
Annie Lange
Morgan George
LAPAPALOOZA
Lapapalooza was a huge success! Thank you for helping our team raise a total of $15,732!
Shout out to the top 3 fundraisers! Collectively these three Dolphins raised $2,515.
- 1st Place: Emily Lederer (7/8s)*
- 2nd Place: Daniel Lederer (6Us)
- 3rd Place: Marlow Nelle (6Us)
*As our top fundraiser, Emily Lederer will be Coach for the Day at practice this Wednesday, July 8th. Look out, I heard Coach Emily can be tough!
Top Age Group– The 7/8s raised the most $$ with $4,195! They will get a Popsicle Party at an upcoming swim practice.
Prizes have been ordered and will be showing up poolside soon.
IMPORTANT DATES
- 7/11/26 – Laguna Creek @ Arden Park
- 7/16/26 – Champs Pasta Night/Parent Relay Try-outs/Car Decorating
- 7/18/26-7/19/26 - Gold Rush Swim Championship
- 7/21/26 – AP Awards Night
- 8/1/26-8/2/26 – Sacramento Valley Meet of Championships
All of these dates have been added to the Calendar on the AP Dolphins website and can be found by clicking this link: AP Dolphins Calendar. Please check out our website for more details www.apdolphins.org. Be sure to download the mobile app platform for our site, SwimTopia. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/APDolphinsSwimTeam and on Instagram at https://instagram.com/apdolphins
See you at the pool!
Leah Lind
AP Dolphins Communications