NORWICH – The newly expanded USA Swimming team representing all of Chenango County will be holding registration for swimmers for the spring-summer 2012 season. Registration will take place on Monday, Feb. 27 in two locations. Swimmers toward the south end of the county may choose to register at the Greene High School pool lobby from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Swimmers toward the north end of the county may choose to register at Norwich’s Guernsey Memorial Library from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The USA swim season begins April 16 and will end in July 2012.

The USA Swimming team, in the past known as Greene Aquatics, is expanding to include swimmers from Norwich, Oxford, and towns in and around Chenango County. Different from all other swim programs, USA Swimming is recognized nationally as the premier swimming organization, and known for developing highly skilled swimmers, including Olympians. College and university recruiters also tend to look more closely at USA swimmers than those of other organizations.

“We were so pleased to see others around the county interested in growing Greene Aquatics into a county-wide team,” said outgoing Greene Aquatics President Kim Tanzini. “This is going to be a great program for our county and our kids.”

Also joining to lead the swimmers is former Norwich YMCA Dolphins swim coach Saundra Gantt. During several years as the Dolphins’ head coach, Gantt developed dozens of swimmers, including a number of New York state champions and national top-16 finishers. Many of her former swimmers still succeed in competitive swimming today. “I am excited about the opportunity to be able to coach swimmers from all over the county, and help develop each swimmer individually,” Gantt said.

Coach Gantt also has nearly completed a sports training degree at SUNY Morrisville, which she began specifically to help develop area swimmers. “These kids will benefit from what I’ve learned the past couple of years in school, and I look forward to seeing them succeed in meeting their goals,” she said.

Those with competitive swimming experience are strongly encouraged to register, though youth of all ages and abilities are welcome. Team size may be limited depending on the level of interest. Also, in the spirit of developing a county-wide team, practices during the week will be split between pools located in Greene and in Norwich. For more information about registration, contact Cindy Voce at (607) 843-5122.