This Saturday, January 28th, the ANA Synchers unveiled their routines for the 2006 competitive season at the New England Junior & Senior Championships held in Worcester, Massachusetts. The ANA Synchers, the synchronized swimming team based out of the Andover/North Andover branch of the Merrimack Valley YMCA, proved once again that they are the dominant team in the New England Association. The Synchers took gold in eleven out of fourteen categories that they entered in this weekend’s competition, and silver in the rest. They competed against teams including Cambridge Synchro, the North Shore Selkies, the Synchro-Maids of Central Massachusetts, New Hampshire Aquamarines, and the Aqua Divas (based in Watertown). Their creative choreography, variety of musical selections and depth of skill mesmerized the audience, as the Synchers swam their way to overall success, including winning the Senior Championship high-point trophy for the 4th year in a row.

Among the day's notable performances, new team member with significant international experience, Stephanie Garcia- Restrepo, 16, of Billerica scored the "Grand Slam of synchronized swimming" by winning four gold medals in the senior competition. Andover High senior Rita Gillan, 17, earned two gold and two silver medals, close at the heels of teammate Garcia-Restrepo. In all the Synchers earned eight of the top ten places in technical figures, including a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place sweep. New duet pair Jessica Mancini, 14, of Andover, and Claire Rudder, 14, of Sudbury, led the ANA junior team to success. Mancini took home three gold medals, one each in team, trio, and duet competition, and a 2nd place in technical figures. Rudder followed right behind, winning gold in team and duet and silver in solo, and also placing 3rd in technical figures.

Over three divisions of team competitions, the unstoppable ANA Synchers entered a total of four teams, and scored three gold medals and one silver medal. Rita Gillan was joined by teammates Charlotte Gorski, of Manchester, NH, Ashley Cohen, Beth O’Connor, Faryn Shiro and Kelly Mahoney, of Andover, and Meaghan Arsenault, and Maggie Conlon, of Methuen, in earning the gold for their senior team routine. Junior team members Erica Potts, Molly Trerotola, Rachel Veznaian, Sheila Cremin and Emily Stone, of Andover and Amber Blum, of North Andover joined Mancini and Rudder in capturing the gold for their team routine. Also winning the gold for the 12-13 team routine were swimmers Alison Ziel, Caitlyn MacGregor, Alice Rodgers, Yuka Fuchino and Laina Gray of North Andover, Jennifer Meli and Alyson Arsenault of Methuen, and Marian Crockett, of Andover..

With this exhilarating start to the season, 2006 promises to be the most successful yet for the ANA Synchers. This weekend's strong showing bodes well for the upcoming East Zone Junior Championship in Tonawanda, New York where the Synchers will compete against the most talented junior teams in the northeast. They are favored to place in the medals in several events at that meet, and are training hard to prepare.

Click HERE for detailed meet results.