DCST News

First Day Of Practice

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:57:14 GMT

The Winter 2026 season has begun!

Below are important upcoming practice dates. Please see the practice group page for a complete schedule of practice times and dryland times , the Meet Schedule page for a calendar of our Winter 2026 meets that can be added to your own calendar, and the Team Schedule page for a calendar of meets and other team events.

Important October Dates:

Terrier , Golden Retriever , Greyhound , and Husky practices begin Monday, October 5th
St. Bernard , Labrador , and Newfoundland groups begin dryland on Tuesday, October 6th
Fall Classic runs from Friday, October 9th to Sunday, October 11th at the Fox Valley YMCA. This meet has a gymnasium area for camping similar to the DCST Sports Court, bring chairs! Concessions will be available during the Saturday and Sunday sessions.
Safe Sport Training for Parents online MS Teams training on Wednesday, October 14th at 7pm.
Entries for the ILVY/OTTY @ DCST Meet close in Captyn on Thursday, October 15th at 8pm
ILVY/OTTY @ DCST Meet will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The meet starts at 9:45, with warmups occurring beforehand. This meet will be bleacher seating only, no camping in the Sports Court. The livestream will be available on YouTube .

New Parent? Never Been To A Swim Meet?

There are a few useful guides under Parent Resources to help you know what meets will be like.

Swim Meet Basics
A welcoming, first-time family guide to swim meets. It covers what to pack, when to arrive, warmups, finding event/heat/lane assignments, supporting swimmers between races, meet etiquette, results, relays, and the key rules parents need to know for a smooth meet day.
Cheat Sheet
A quick, at-a-glance reference for swim-meet parents. Use this practical checklist to pack efficiently, arrive prepared, understand event/heat/lane numbers, help swimmers get to races on time, and remember essential reminders about relays, pool-deck access, and meet-day etiquette.
Understanding Heat Sheets and Meet Mobile
A focused guide to reading heat sheets, using Meet Mobile, and writing event information on a swimmer’s arm. It explains how event, heat, lane, seed-time, and relay details work so families can confidently track races and know where swimmers need to be throughout the meet.
What Are Prelims and Finals?
What Championship Meets Can My Swimmer Participate In?

Still Have Questions?

Ask your coach or any other DCST parent!

Back to DCST Night

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 17:00:08 GMT

DCST families, we’re kicking off the season together! Join us for Back to DCST Night — an afternoon designed to get swimmers and parents ready, connected, and excited for another great season!

�� Sunday, October 4, 2026

⏰ 2:00–4:00 PM

�� Kishwaukee Family YMCA

Swimmer Photos Will Be Taken!

Individual swimmer photos and our team group photo will take place during the event, so come ready for picture day!
* Pictures will be taken in your new team shirt that will be handed out during the event

Explore Our Booths & Resources!

Stop by, meet other DCST families and learn more about everything available to our Pack, including:

Meet the Coaches
New Parent Information & Swim Meet Tips
Season Goal Wall & Bag Tags
DCST Apparel & Orders
Nutrition & Health
Mental Health & Swimmer Well-Being
Volunteer Opportunities
Ellsmore Swim Try-On
Tips, Resources & MORE!

Whether you’re a longtime DCST family or brand new to the Pack, we want you there!

Come take photos, meet your coaches, connect with other families, set some goals and get ready for an AMAZING season.

Rookie Meet Today

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:13:57 GMT

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

DCST Rookie Week is September 28–October 2 and is the perfect opportunity for kids interested in swimming to experience DeKalb County Swim Team, meet our coaches, learn new skills and see what being part of a swim team is all about.

New swimmers are welcome!

No competitive swim experience needed!

Come meet the coaches & other swimmers!

Give swim team a try before committing!

Monday–Thursday | 5:00–6:00 PM

Rookie Mock Meet | Friday | 6:00–7:30 PM

Kishwaukee Family YMCA

If your child enjoys the water and is ready to try something new, come swim with the PACK!

DCST Earns National Recognition for Age Group Excellence

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 04:06:54 GMT

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 Starts Today!

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:54:05 GMT

Stroke Clinic

Stroke Clinic is a great way to learn more about all four competitive strokes. This is highly encouraged for anyone who wants to join our team.

September 15 - 24 - Tuesday - Thursday
New Swimmers: 5:00 - 5:45 PM, Bickner Lap Pool
Returning DCST Swimmers: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Terriers, Golden Retrievers, Greyhounds & Huskies

Rookie Week

Rookie Week is a chance for new swimmers to experience DCST practices, meet the coaches, and see what being part of the team is like before committing to a full season. The week concludes with a mock swim meet on Friday evening.

September 28 - October 1
Practices: 5:00 - 6:00 PM at the Bickner Lap Pool

Friday, October 2
Mock Meet: 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Bickner Lap Pool

Welcome Back!

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:32:34 GMT

The Winter 2026 season begins Tuesday, September 8!

Important September Dates:

St. Bernard , Labrador , Newfoundland , Great Dane , Bulldog , and National Training Group practice begins on Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Great Dane , Bulldog , and National Training Group dryland begins the week of September 8 with rotations being assigned
Terrier , Golden Retriever , Greyhound , and Husky groups can attend Stroke Clinic starting on Tuesday, September 15
St. Bernard , Labrador , and Newfoundland practices will be moved to 7-8pm on Tuesday-Thursday September 15-17 and Tuesday-Thursday September 22-24
Swimmers who would like additional training are welcome to continue working with me alongside the Bulldog and National groups until 8:30 PM.
These swimmers are also welcome to join the Great Dane, Bulldog, and National groups Saturday from 8:00–10:00 AM during these weeks.

Important October Dates:

All practices end at 6pm on Friday, October 2nd for the Rookie Meet. All returning swimmers are encouraged to attend this meet!
Terrier , Golden Retriever , Greyhound , and Husky practices begin Monday, October 5th
St. Bernard , Labrador , and Newfoundland groups begin dryland on Tuesday, October 6th

Celebrating Our Summer Season

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 16:49:07 GMT

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.

The Pack Takes Care Of Its Own

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:03:16 GMT

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

Welcome Coach Quinn

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:28:36 GMT

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!

Paula Hastings New Illinois YMCA Officials Chair

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 05:06:13 GMT

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!

Winter 2026 Registration Is Now Open

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 20:22:58 GMT

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

Become A Swim Official

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:59:46 GMT

DCST Needs You! Become a Swim Official!

Have you ever wished for a better seat at swim meets? Want a front-row view of your swimmer’s races while making a difference for our team?

The DeKalb County Swim Team is looking for parent volunteers to become certified USA Swimming Officials!

Why become an official?

Get closer to the action on deck
Learn more about the sport your child loves
Support fair and successful swim meets
Meet great people and become more involved with the swim community
Enjoy food, drinks, and the best seat in the house!

The best part? Training is now available online and can be completed mostly on your own schedule. No prior experience is necessary—just a willingness to learn and support our swimmers.

Our team cannot host quality meets without the dedication of volunteers, and becoming an official is one of the most impactful ways you can help DCST continue to grow and thrive.

Every official started as a swim parent. Why not you?

DCST Wins NW District Championship 2025-2026

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:48:49 GMT

second year nw district champions

DCST continued on to win the NW District Championship. The team won by 173 points. The team's top scorer was Amelia Oland with 113 points total.

A few standout events from the weekend: Norah Shearer earned her first and second YMCA Long Course Nationals cuts. Rosemary McMahon and Jackson Rouse dropped over a minute in a half each in their mile Friday night earning State qualifying times. Rebekah Butzow dropped over a minute in her 400 IM. Tate Seldal dropped 15 seconds on his 200 freestyle.

The team ended with 60 State Qualifiers.

Big Dog Pride

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:14:19 GMT

�� BIG DOG PRIDE ��

We are beyond excited to congratulate Norah Shearer on being elected as the new Illinois YMCA Swimming Athlete State Representative! ��‍♀️

This is an incredible achievement and an important leadership role. As a representative, Norah will help coordinate and support YMCA swim teams across Illinois while serving as the voice for YMCA swimmers at the national level—communicating directly with the national YMCA Swimming Committee.

Norah’s dedication, leadership, and passion for the sport make her the perfect choice for this role. We are so very proud of her and know she will represent the Big Dogs with excellence, integrity, and heart. ��

Congratulations , Norah—we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you accomplish! ��

DCST Attends 2025 YMCA LC NATIONALS

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:53:35 GMT

dcst brings 7 athletes to summer lc nationals

Chloe Domroes, Luke Oland, Sean Harrelson, Alex Skrzypek, Will Dukes, Logan Borth, and Justin Wu attend the 2025 YMCA LC Nationals meet... More information to come.

DCST Attends the 2025 SC YMCA Nationals Meet

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:47:26 GMT

2025 sc ymca national championship

DCST attended the 2025 Short Course YMCA National meet in Greensboro, NC April 1 ^st through April 4 ^th . The four boys showcased their hard work after competing at their SIXTH championship meet this season. Facing some of the fastest in the country, they delivered standout performances with multiple time drops over 5 seconds, and another LC National cut for this upcoming summer.

Sean Harrelson

Qualified for 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, 200 Freestyle Relay, 200 Medley Relay

Time Trials Swam:

100 Butterfly: 53.53

200 IM: 2:10.77--> 2:03.97

100 Breaststroke: 59.68--> 59.48

Luke Oland

Qualified for the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 200 Medley Relay

Time Trials Swam:

100 Backstroke: 1:05.69--> 1:00.23

50 Freestyle: 22.75

200 IM: 2:20.09--> 2:10.04

100 Breaststroke: 1:14.99--> 1:09.01

Alex Skrzypek

Qualified for the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 200 Medley Relay

Time Trials Swam:

200 Freestyle: 1:56.91--> 1:49.70

50 Freestyle: 22.31

100 Backstroke: 54.20

100 Breaststroke: 1:22.28--> 1:06.82

Kevin Sullivan

Qualified for the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 200 Medley Relay

Time Trials Swam:

200 Backstroke: 2:01.24

50 Freestyle: 23.17

100 Backstroke: 54.77

100 Breaststroke: 1:02.74--> 1:00.94

Smashing Times at Futures

kkozlowski@kishymca.org (Swim DCST) — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:25:22 GMT

big wins

The DeKalb County Swim Team competed at the Futures meet in Madison Wisconsin from July 23rd through July 26th. DCST brought 5 athletes, Quinn Cynor, Jacob Gramer, Jared VanderSchee, Alex Skrzypek, and Noah Johnson. Jacob Gramer competed in the in the 100 Freestyle, 50 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly and 50 Butterfly events - winning the 50 Butterfly with a time of 24.24. This time was the fastest across all the Futures meets in the nation. Quinn Cynor competed in the 100 Freestyle, 50 Butterfly, 100 Butterfly, 200 IM, and 200 Freestyle - finishing 2nd overall in his 200 Freestyle with a time of 1:50.81. Both 200 and 400 Freestyle relays placed 9th overall. They will be finishing out the summer season with a few swims at Senior Champs and YMCA LC Nationals.