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NEWSLETTER // JANUARY 13, 2026
IMPORTANT NOTE
The next AGUA newsletter will be sent on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
TEAM UPDATES
USA SWIMMING NAMES SCHOLASTIC ALL AMERICA CLASS OF 2025
Huge congratulations to our USA Swimming Scholastic All-America class of 2025! Our athletes earned this recognition by qualifying for Winter Junior Nationals and maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the ninth grade or above.
This year, we are thrilled to announce nine recipients of this prestigious honor, our highest number of honorees since 2019!
Aiden Rhee - three-time honoree (University of Pennsylvania Class of '29)
Spyros Argeros - two-time honoree (AGUA Class of '27)
David Gutin - two-time honoree (University of Chicago Class of '29)
Kayla Bolster - first-time honoree (Villanova University Class of '29)
Veronica McCall - first-time honoree (AGUA Class of '27)
Jonathan Packles - first-time honoree (AGUA Class of '27)
Yahro Pique - first-time honoree, (AGUA Class of '26)
Alegra Teixidor-Salerno - first-time honoree (AGUA Class of '26)
Penny Wheaton - first-time honoree (AGUA Class of '28)
When// Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8, 2026
Where //Felix Festa Middle School
Click here to view the full 2025-2026 short course meet calendar.
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS
January 15
Ishanvi Goswami
Meital Weiner
January 16
Caleb Lo
January 17
Andrew Quach
January 18
Sophie Bejuashvili
Esme Hynes
Max Mulholland
Joanna Wang
January 19
Alexander Yi
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WELCOME, NEW AGUA COACHES!
We are thrilled to introduce two new AGUA assistant coaches to our Battery Park City staff this season: Kelly De Leon and Alex Giganti. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team.
Kelly has been with Asphalt Green since 2014. She began swimming competitively as an adolescent and continued on her college swim team, developing a strong passion for the sport. Since 2017, she has been a dedicated swim instructor, teaching participants of all ages and skill levels. Kelly enjoys helping children grow into confident, strong swimmers and works closely with those preparing to join swim teams.
Alex grew up in Philadelphia, where he first learned to love swimming. He swam competitively in middle and high school (specializing in breaststroke) before attending Syracuse University for his Bachelor's degree. He has been working at Asphalt Green since 2024 as an AGUA Swim Academy Instructor and Deck Coordinator, and is looking forward to joining the AGUA community as an Assistant Coach!
MEAL IDEAS: FROZEN FAVORITES
Don't miss it! Check out these best options for frozen meals from four popular grocery stores, courtesy of our partner Beine Wellness. Even with cleaner brands, check frozen meals for high sodium, low protein/fiber/veggies, and added oils or sauces that can sneak in extra fat, sugar, and fillers.
CONGRATULATIONS, ASHLEY CHAN!
Shoutout to one of our referees, Ashley Chan, on being appointed to the role of Metropolitan Swimming Regional Officials Coordinator. In this position, Ashley will work to develop officials, maintain standards, and support LSC Officials Chairs in managing their local officiating programs, including education and fair application of rules.
AGUA is still looking for more stroke-and-turn judges! Becoming an official is a great way to get involved in your swimmer's life and sport. You will learn the rules of competitive swimming and how meets work.
As we continue the 2025-2026 AGUA season, we want to remind our athletes of locker room policies and best practices:
Locker rooms are shared spaces at both Asphalt Green's Battery Park City and Upper East Side campuses. All AGUA swimmers should speak and behave in alignment with our team values of respect, accountability and discipline.
There are absolutely no photos or videos permitted inside locker rooms, both on campus and during travel meets.
Swimmers should lock their belongings in a locker during practice.
Only swimmers who are Asphalt Green members are permitted to use the member locker rooms at Asphalt Green. There are no exceptions.
REQUIRED ID CARDS
All swimmers must use their ID cards to access our facilities. Swimmers are not permitted to enter the facilities without their ID cards.
ACCESS AGUA'S SWIMOUTLET PORTAL
You can shop for team gear and the entire SwimOutlet catalog at our AGUA team store using the link below:
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