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You don’t have to already be a competitive swimmer to join the pack!

The DeKalb County Swim Team has been recognized by USA Swimming as one of the top age group programs in Illinois and across the country! In the inaugural USA Swimming Age Group Excellence program, DCST finished 5th in Illinois and 86th nationally , earning 630 points for the 2026 season. USA Swimming launched Age Group Excellence at the conclusion of the 2026 season to recognize clubs doing an outstanding job developing swimmers age 14 and under. Created by USA Swimming’s Age Group Development Committee with support from its Data Science team, the program looks beyond championship results to evaluate the overall development and experience of age group swimmers. Clubs can earn up to 1,000 points, with 200 points available in each of five equally weighted areas: Exposure – introducing new athletes to competitive swimming Meet Participation – keeping swimmers engaged through competition Improvement – measuring athletes’ year-to-year performance development IMX/R Participation – developing competency and legal swimming in all four strokes Retention – keeping athletes involved in the sport from one season to the next DCST earned 630 points , including 195.7 points for Retention, 157.4 for Meet Participation, 126.6 for IMX/R Participation, 80.5 for Exposure and 69.5 for Improvement. Those five areas reflect many of the goals at the heart of age group swimming: bringing kids into the sport, encouraging them to compete, helping them improve, developing all four strokes and giving them an experience that keeps them swimming. USA Swimming will recognize the top 10% of clubs within each club-size category , allowing programs to be evaluated among similarly sized peers. The Age Group Excellence program will be awarded annually, with scoring completed automatically using USA Swimming participation and performance data. Finishing 5th among Illinois Swimming clubs and 86th nationally in the program’s very first year is an exciting accomplishment for DCST and a reflection of the work our swimmers, coaches and families put into the program every day.

Stroke Clinic

The Winter 2026 season begins Tuesday, September 8!

On Sunday, August 30, our DCST family gathered at our home pool at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA to celebrate an incredible 2026 summer season! We recognized the hard work, improvement, sportsmanship and accomplishments of our swimmers — and, of course, finished the celebration the best way we know how: ice cream and a swim! Congratulations to ALL of our swimmers! We are so proud of the work you put in, the way you supported your teammates and everything you accomplished this summer. 

There are people whose work is highly visible at a swim meet, and there are others who quietly spend countless hours behind the scenes making sure everything works. Stephanie Walters is one of those people, and she has been extraordinarily important to DCST. For years, Steph has given her time, knowledge, energy, and heart to our swimmers and our program. She has served DCST as an Administrative Official, Officials Chair, and member of our volunteer leadership, and she has worked behind the table at some of our biggest meets and championships. Most swimmers and families may never see everything an Administrative Official does. But when a swimmer touches the wall, sees a time on the scoreboard, celebrates a personal best, finds an official result, or has that performance properly recorded, there is an entire operation behind it. Steph has repeatedly been one of the people entrusted with making sure that operation is done correctly. In other words, Steph has spent a lot of years taking care of our swimmers. Right now, she needs some people taking care of her. Steph is facing serious medical challenges that will require an extended period away from work without sufficient paid leave. Paula Hastings, Steph’s longtime friend and another person who has given so much to DCST, has very thoughtfully created a GoFundMe to help Steph through this period. I want to personally thank Paula for recognizing the need and taking the initiative to give all of us a way to help. We would love to see our DCST family rally around Steph. There is absolutely no expectation that anyone contribute a particular amount, or financially at all. Five dollars matters. Twenty-five dollars matters. Sharing the page matters. A kind message matters. And so do encouragement, prayers, good thoughts, and simply letting Steph know that the Pack is standing beside her. If your family is in a position to contribute, you can find Paula’s GoFundMe for Steph below

We are incredibly excited to announce that Quinn Cynor has been named the new Director of Competitive Swimming for the DeKalb County Swim Team! For DCST, this is an especially exciting homecoming. Coach Quinn is a DCST alumnus who went on to compete as an NCAA Division I swimmer and qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials! Quinn also brings a strong educational background with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Health Promotion. This summer, our swimmers have already had the opportunity to work with him as both a strength and swim coach, allowing him to get to know our athletes, families, team culture, and community. As he steps into this leadership role, Coach Quinn will focus on developing swimmers at every age and ability level, with an emphasis on technical excellence, progressive strength training, athlete development, and creating more competitive opportunities for our swimmers. Once a Big Dog, always a Big Dog! We couldn’t be more excited to welcome one of our own into this new role and see where Coach Quinn leads DCST next!

The DeKalb County Swim Team is proud to congratulate Paula Hastings on her election as the Illinois YMCA Swimming Officials Chair! Paula has been an important part of DCST’s competitive swimming program for many years. She has generously shared her time, experience, and leadership in numerous capacities—including Entry Chairperson, Meet Referee, Administrative Referee, Officials Coordinator and Northwest District State Committee representative. Whether she has been managing meet entries and administrative details, coordinating officials or serving on deck, Paula’s work has helped DCST conduct organized, professional and fair competitions for our swimmers and visiting teams. Much of the work required to run a successful swim meet happens behind the scenes, and we sincerely thank Paula for everything she has done—and continues to do—for DCST and the Kishwaukee Family YMCA swimming community. Her election as Illinois YMCA Swimming Officials Chair recognizes her knowledge, dedication and longstanding commitment to swimmers, coaches and officials throughout Illinois. DCST looks forward to continuing to work with Paula at upcoming YMCA and USA Swimming-sanctioned DCST meets, including welcoming her back as a Meet Referee whenever assignments, schedules, and availability allow. Please join the entire DCST community in congratulating Paula on this well-deserved statewide leadership position!

Registration for Stroke Clinic, Rookie Week, and for the Winter 2026 season is now open.