The Second Annual Terrapin Cup was held on July 8th and was by all accounts a huge success. Entries totaled about 135 (roughly a 40% increase); more events and relays were added; and several Terrapins marked their return to competitive swimming. Courtney Bush showed she is a glutton for punishment by swimming both the 200 IM and the 200 back (remember this is long course we’re talking about). Meghan Gibbons swam a couple back to back relays and kept a close lookout for old men with dislocated shoulders. Steve Payne marked his return by swimming the 200 free and the 400 free, plus relays. Coach Inbal Levavi even joined in the spirit by swimming several individual events and relays, although through some inadvertence, she missed her heat for the 200 fly. Other participants from the team included “Rusty” Reynolds; Mr. and Mrs. Muppet Grover (two Sesame Street references in one nickname – they are made for each other); Andy “(was) the Bod” Ellis; Bill Shipp; Mike Goodison; Deb Nordlund; Meredith Stakham; Noble “Big Tuna” Jarrell; Barney “Keep the Grass Trimmed Neat on the Playground” Lynch; Craig “(Now) the Bod” Dewing; Michael Lee; and the “Great White” Nordlund.

The Terps all competed hard and placed well. Many participants commented to Meet Director Lee and others that they really enjoyed having the meet at UMD and look forward to future meets at our home pool. Special thanks goes to all the volunteers who helped with the meet including Meet Director Lee; Announcer Goodison; Timer Coordinator Crowder; Raffle and Awards Committee Meghan Gibbons and Allyson Adams; Relay Coordinator Stakeham; and general deckhands Shipp; Ellis; Voorhees; Lynch and Jarrell. Thanks of course goes to Aquatics Director Carrie Tupper and her staff for scheduling and hosting the meet, along with the Meet Officials for running the meet so smoothly. We received several compliments on the overall pace of the meet.

Oh yes, the Chicks Rule story. The most memorable event of the day was the 400 free relay. The Terrapin men had two relays entered with line ups calculated to result in close, competitive results to see which group of Terrapins defeated the other. Terrapin Men’s A was comprised of Dewing, Jarrell, Strahota and Lee. Terrapin Men’s B was comprised of Shipp, Payne, Goodison and Ellis. Surely one of these mighty men’s teams would thrash the other and lay claim to a year’s worth of bragging rights. The stage was set, a duel to be settled. An epic battle of Testosterone Titans. Well – now who would have guessed --- that when the last leg was swum and the waves dissipated, it was clearly the Terrapin Women’s team of Voorhees, Grover, Levavi, and Stakham that stood victorious before boys. In fact, rumor has it the women may have been out of the pool and dried off before the men finished their hapless little duel. Egos crushed, the pathetic posse of not-so-Bad Boys, slinked off the deck to thunderous cheers of “Chicks Rule”.

Well done Terrapin FemBots!