Franklin Knolls Gators

All smiles at warm-ups.

From the Gators' historic first home A meet. Can our coaches cheer or what?

The Gazette covered our team's historic first at-home A meet!
http://www.gazette.net/stories/06232...3144_32556.php

Whether psychological or not, home advantage plays a major role in sports.

The Franklin Knolls swim team experienced that for the first time Saturday, after 48 years of traveling to every one of its Montgomery County Swim League meets. Even a 422-362 loss to Division E foe Cedarbrook in the season opener could not tarnish the momentous occasion.

"The funny thing is, up until [Saturday] no one had known any other way," said Franklin Knolls coach Evan Russell, who joined the team in 1994 at age four. "But it does have an effect on the team. The environment Saturday was unbelievable.

We had a huge turnout of alumni. We had a great opening ceremony where the current coaches and swimmers ran out of the locker room. There were a lot of people from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s. A lot of old families had their kids grow up on that team."

For years, Franklin Knolls did not meet the MCSL's length and width regulations, which require pools to be 25 meters long and fit six lanes across. Franklin Knolls could only fit four lanes.

In addition to preventing the team from hosting meets, practices became increasingly difficult as the team grew. There were only 120 swimmers eight years ago, and well over 200 this summer. As numbers rose, the community started to push for renovations.

After the board denied a large-scale project, construction began in February on a basic widening and lengthening of the pool. When all was said and done, $230,000 went into enabling Franklin Knolls to host its own meets.

"The pool had not been updated for so many years, there was a good bit of change," Russell said. "The pool board pulled it out of money that came from swim team registration and stuff like that."

They posted photos too:
http://clicked.gazette.net/mycapture...istSubAlbums=0

Sunday nights banquet was a wonderful evening with over 200 attendees!  Congratulations to all of our swimmers and special awardees.  Your season was a great success. 


Next year (2010) the Gators will again be in Division E with Merrimack Park, Stonebridge, Cedar Brook, Old Georgetown and Rock Creek.  Perhaps a few of these teams will be visitors at a Gator home meet in 2010! Stay tuned for updates on a proposed pool renovation for the upcoming season.