This page contains information from the 2022 summer season about team events, practices, meets, etc.; the website had been periodically updated throughout the season.  Although the info is now past, it still remains on this page for reference during the off-season, and for anyone who wants to know more about the Poolesville Piranhas Swim Team.

The 2022 Season is finally here!  This summer the Poolesville Piranhas compete in Division I in the Montgomery County Swim League (MCSL), sponsored by Montgomery County Recreation.  The MCSL is comprised of approximately 90 swim teams spread across 15 divisions (A through O), with 6 teams per division.  The teams are computer-seeded within the divisions according to prior year's performance, so team placement in the divisions are likely to change year to year.  

Team Registration

    The competitive swim team program is open to swimmers 5 to 18 years of age (as of June 1, 2022).  All swimmers on the Piranhas team during the 2021 season are considered returning swimmers and have registration priority.  Placement on the team for those swimmers is guaranteed only if they register.

    Registering to join the team is done via the ActiveMontgomery website, and opens about a month before the summer season begins.

Practices

    Practices begin on Wednesday, June 1 and run on weekdays through Friday, July 22 (there's no practice on June 3 due to new swimmer evaluations):

• 8 & Unders – 5:30 to 6:15 PM
• 9 & 10s – 5:30 to 6:30 PM
• 11 & Overs – 6:30 to 7:30 PM

    Once school's out for the summer, the team practices on weekday mornings, with evening practices available only for those who can't attend in the morning (please no double practices for anyone):

• 13 & Overs – 8:00 to 9:00 AM
• 11 & 12s – 9:00 to 9:45 AM
• 10 & Unders – 9:45 to 10:30 AM

    Evening practices will be offered starting Tuesday, June 21 (the pool will close early on Monday, June 20 so there's no evening practice that day).  Evening practices, only for those who can't attend morning practice, are as follows:

• Mon, Tue, Thu – 8:00 to 9:00 PM

Meets

    See the Schedule & Meet Results page of this website for the 2022 Piranhas team activities, swim meet schedule, meet dress-up themes, and more.

    Swimmers compete in a series of swim meets divided into 2 levels of competition.  The advanced "A" meets are comprised of a limited number of swimmers per team based on times, while the "B" meets are open to any swimmer not competing in the "A" meets. 

    We have a full season of "A" meets on Saturday mornings and "B" meets on Wednesday evenings through June and July, so every swimmer has the opportunity to compete in at least 1 meet per week. 

    Every summer, the Piranhas host the Sarah E. Auer Mini Swim Meet at the Western County Pool in Poolesville.  This special event is held annually in memory of Sarah, who once was an accomplished swimmer; at age 17 she became head coach for the Poolesville Piranhas.  Then in December 2002, she was killed in a tragic automobile accident – she was only 21 years old.

    The Mini Meet helps to raise funds for the Sarah E. Auer Memorial Scholarship. This annual event has awarded over 100 scholarships to graduating seniors from Poolesville High School, the Montgomery County Swim League, and the Poolesville Piranhas Swim Team. 

    The Mini Meet is open to all swimmers aged 10 yrs and under.  The meet is run by both adult and child volunteers.  It's a great opportunity to help younger and older swimmers alike – by giving young swimmers a chance to compete in a fun environment, while raising scholarship funds for older children heading off to college.

Team Apparel

    There is no mandatory team swim suit.  Each season, swimmers have the option to order swim suits.  Please refer to Team App for details.

New Swimmers

The minimum qualifications for new swimmers are as follows:

• 8 & Under Swimmers: Must be able to swim 1 continuous length (25 meters) of the pool using a coordinated stroke and rhythmic breathing, and be able to float on their back.
• 9-12 Year Old Swimmers: Must be able to swim 1 continuous length (25 meters) of legal freestyle with good rhythmic breathing and 1 length (25 meters) of legal backstroke.
• 13 & Over Swimmers: Must be able to swim 2 continuous lengths (50 meters) of legal freestyle with good rhythmic breathing and 2 continuous lengths (50 meters) of legal backstroke.

Note that we do not offer Pre-Team.  Please check with the facility staff at your pool for info on the Montgomery County Recreation swim lesson program or visit the ActiveMontgomery website.

Refer to our Team Handbook for more details on all of the above and much more.