Recent News
All Star Challenge Silent Auction
Feb 6th
YCF Diving is sponsoring The 25th Annual All Star Challenge on February 16-19th and we realize that you are likely:
Lying awake at night wondering how you can help out the YCF Divers through the All Star Challenge Silent Auction? We can help!
Been dying to extract a favor from that neighbor, boss or in-law for a charitable gift or service to benefit our young diving stars?? That will work too!
Realizing that the Van Gogh is clashing with the new wallpaper & the cherry ’46 Chief motorcycle is just cluttering up the garage? It’s your lucky day!
Any stand-alone auction items that you can provide or help us to wrangle will be greatly appreciated and, as you know, will directly benefit our daring, damp athletes
But wait!! There’s less…
The Silent Auction Federation and Global Council (SAFGC) … OK, it’s really just two of us … are gathering smaller items as well to either:
A) Combine to create a single auction item
OR
B) Fit into 1 of 5 baskets to be auctioned
Dive into Chocolate Best of Orlando
Wine and Dine
Bath & Beauty
Diver’s Pick (favorite items of YCF divers)
If you want to create your own basket, we will scream and dance like 5th grade girls at a Justin Bieber concert … well, Rick promised he would anyway, right Rick? (I would just look silly)
Any and all suggestions, leads, item donations, help, donations of items, ideas, donations/items or dona(item)tions are welcome and appreciated. We also need donations of various auction items, as I may have forgotten to mention that before.
Please feel free to e-mail or call either…
Royal Riedinger (407) 701-5982 / royal@toonwerks.us
Or
Rick Cable (407) 252-2382 / rick@theparkpress.com
We have also attached a copy of the sponsorship letter to use when approaching donors and rabid mongoose … Note: I have personally found it less than helpful with the later.
Good luck and please help!
With Confidence,
Rick and Royal
SAFGC
Moving Up & New Members
Oct 4th
Congratulation to the following divers for learning the skills necessary to advance to the next level. Congratulations divers and keep up the great work!
Lessons to JO1:
- Shannon Douglas
- Nicholas Jackson
JO1 to JO2:
- Rebecca Koch
We would like to extend a warm Welcome to all the new members of the YCF Diving Team. We are exited to have you and your family as a part of our organization!
Lessons:
- Brandan Imes
- Bailey Imes
- Robbie Skjersaa
- Andrew Dent
- Ally King
JO2:
- Karly Smith
- Taylor Brittain
Season Recap
Sep 11th
Exactly one year ago, two-time Olympian Mark Ruiz took over as head coach of the
newly formed Orlando-based YCF Diving. In just one short year, Coach Ruiz, along
with his assistant coaches Courtney McClow and Aleia Monden, have not only nearly
tripled the size of their team, but they are in the process of closing the book on a very
successful dive season.
In its inaugural year as a competitive diving team, YCF Diving made quite a splash in
a year filled with impressive results, both as a team and individually. During the 2011
competitive diving season, the team brought home both the spring and summer regional
championship banners that hang proudly at the YMCA Aquatic Center on International
Drive, where the team trains. In addition, they can add the Summer Zone B Team
Championship Runner Up, the East National Team Championship Runner Up and a
respectable seventh place finish at the Junior National Championships this past August.
YCF Diving arrived on the scene and within its first twelve months was able to
announce itself as one of the elite diving programs in the country and a force to be
reckoned with in the future. Just this year, two of its members, Joseph Dowd and
Cherrie Hammond, secured FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) diving
championships. Three graduating members of the team were awarded college
scholarships and will be diving as freshman at Texas A&M, Auburn, and Clemson
universities. Wallace Layland, Joseph Dowd and Mya Kraeger all brought home YMCA
national championships this summer. Joseph’s victory came on platform, Mya secured
titles on both platform and 3 meter, and Wallace swept all three of her events; 1 meter,
3 meter, and platform.
Fourteen of its members qualified for the Spring National Championships held in
Knoxville, at the University of Tennessee this past March and eleven returned to UT this
summer to compete at the Junior National Diving Championships. Two members of the
team that competed at Nationals brought home championship titles. Wallace Layland
(14-15 division) clinched two gold medals on both of her platform events, individual and
synchro; and Rafeal Quintero (16-18 division) is the newly-crowned national champion
for his individual platform performance. Wallace’s accomplishment qualifies her for the
USA National team. She will travel to Medellin, Colombia this September to represent
the United States in the 2011 Pan-American Games.
Two members of the team, Wallace Layland and Justin Dumais, have qualified to
compete for a spot to represent the United States in London at the 2012 summer
games. The Olympic trials will be held near Seattle in June of 2012 at the Wyerhaeuser
King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. More than 100 divers are
expected to compete.
YCF Diving offers programs for all age and experience levels. For more information,
please visit us at the website www.ycfdiving.com or contact Coach Ruiz directly at (407)
363-1911.
Junior Nationals
Sep 11th
YCF came out strong after competing in our first JO National Championships the first week of August in Knoxville. In overall team standings we finished seventh and we had several standout performances! Special congratulations to our two National Champions Wallace Layland and Rafael Quintero. Wallace first won the womens 14-18 platform synchronized title and then followed it up the next night with a 14-15 girls platform championship! With Wally’s victory she qualified for the US National Team and will compete at Jr Pan American Games in Coloumbia in September. In his first apperance at JO Nationals, Rafael easily won the boys 16-18 mens’ platform compeition. Rafa will also be competing in the Pan Am Games for Puerto Rico. We also had great performances by Mya Kreager and Grace Cable who finaled in all 3 events in their age group and Grayson Kim and Maggie Merrimen who also were finalists. Overall we did a great job! Congratulations to everyone.
Moving Up
Sep 11th
Congratulation to the following divers for learning the skills necessary to advance to the next level. Congratulations divers and keep up the great work!
Lessons to JO1: Chris Smith
L’Wren Johnson
JO1 to JO2: Taylor Morris
Welcome back YCF divers and parents!
Sep 11th
Welcome back YCF divers and parents!
Courtney, Aleia, and I are very excited to start the new diving season with a great group of divers. We look forward to a second great year of YCF diving and already have several fun events planned!
Our first fundraiser of the year will be held at SAK comedy lab on September 30th at 7:30. SAK has a skilled group of comedians who perform a live improv show that is fun for all ages. We are selling tickets for $20 with proceeds going to the YCF diving funds. Please see Tammy Kraeger (tamikraeger@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining us in what will be a fun night.
Our first in-house diving meet will be on Saturday, October 1st at 10:00 am. This is open to all diving team members and is a great way to meet your fellow teammates. Family and friends are welcome to come out and cheer on the divers. Following the meet we will have a pizza party for all of the competitors.
Mark your calendars! Our second annual YCF Dive-A-Thon which is our biggest fundraising event of the year is slated for Saturday, December 3rd. More information to come about this event in the near future.
Just a side note, this Monday, September 5th, there will be no practice during the Labor Day holiday. Please make sure to turn in your September diving fees to the front desk. I would like everyone to fill out the receipt when the payment is turned in so that we have proof of payment.
Finally I wanted to wish Wallace Layland luck as she travels to Columbia next week to compete for the USA team at Junior Pan American Games. Wally will be competing on the girls 14-15 platform event. Fellow YCF diver Rafael Quintero will also be competing in the boys 16-18 events representing Puerto Rico. We wish them the best of luck!!
Thanks!
Mark Ruiz
2011 USA Diving Summer Junior Zone D Championships
Jul 20th
As most of you know last week we had our Zones Championships in Moultrie, GA which is the qualifying meet for Junior Olympic Nationals. The top 6 finishers on each event qualify for Junior Nationals while 7-12 qualify for the Age Group Championships. Our team had several great performances resulting in 10 divers quaifying for JO Nationals and 3 qualifying for Age Groups. As a team YCF Diving finished 2nd place and will be one of the biggest teams going into nationals! It was a phenomal week for us! Our kids have put in a lot of hard work and made a lot sacrifices to get to this point. I’m proud of them and I look forward to seeing them all flourish at Nationals. Here’s the list of divers who qualified from our team:
Age Group Championships Qualifiers
Name Events
Jack Dowd 1m,3m, platform
Abby Howell 1m
Sarah Frongoul Platform
Junior National Qualifers Age Group Championships Qualifiers
Name Events
Maggie Merriman 1m,3m & platform (1st time qualifer)
Grace Cable 1m ,3m & platform (1st time qualifer)
Grayson Kim 1m,3m & platform (1st time qualifer)
Emma Kraeger 1m,3m & platform (1st time qualifer)
Mya Kraeger 1m,3m & platform
Wallace Layland 1m,3m & platform
Abby Howell 3m & platform
Riley Knox 1m & 3m
Joey Dowd 1m,3m & platform
Rafael Quintero 1m,3m & platform (1st time qualifer)
Team Standing
YCF Diving 2nd Place
WAY TO GO EVERYONE!!
Special Congratulations: Emma Kraeger
Jun 20th
Emma fell off of a 3 meter ladder in late 2008. She fractured her
skull, damaged her ear rendering her deaf on one side, and sustained a brain injury that left her eyes unable to stay focused. Emma was hospitalized for about a month, she actually had to live in a brain injury rehab facility in Albany, NY. She could not return home nor go to school. Through months of physical and psychological therapy Emma regained her sight and balance. One year later she was able to start training again but Emma still had one more hurdle to go and that was the complicated ear surgery last October. The doctors successfully reconstructed her ear, boosted her hearing up to 70%. Three months after that, Emma was back on the boards, training harder than ever. Throughout this nightmare, Emma stayed focused and determined to dive.
2011 Summer Schedule
Jun 4th
The YCF Diving summer schedule will begin on Monday, June 13th. With the addition of our new Coach Aleia, we are able to offer more Lessons and JO1 times! In addition to the Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday classes we have added two Wednesday/Friday class options.
*Parents please email Coach Courtney at CMcClow@cfymca.org as soon as possible to reserve your divers spot! Group numbers are limited.*
The summer schedule is as follows:
| Lessons |
Monday/Wednesday: 2-3 , 4-5 Tuesday/Thursday: 10-11 , 11-12 , 2-3 , 3-4 Wednesday/Friday: 10-11 , 3-4 |
|---|
| JO1 |
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 11-12 Tuesday/Thursday: 4-5:30 |
|---|
| JO2 |
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11-12:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 2:30-4 |
|---|
I-Drive 5K Dive Show
Jun 3rd
As a Thank you to the International Drive hotels and businesses that donated over $14,000 to the Aquatic Center for the scholarship fund, our team will be doing a diving show at the follow up luncheon. The dive show will take place on June 15th at 11:15 am. All divers are welcome to dive in the show. Please let Coach Courtney know if you are interested in participating. Parents, family, and friends are welcome to come and enjoy the show.
