Wells Branch Armada

As we dive into the final weekend of the 2026 season, we're preparing for the biggest competitions of the summer! On Saturday, our swimmers will compete in the Division 4 Championship Meet, where every swimmer has the opportunity to help the Armada earn points and compete for the divisional title. Then on Sunday, our fastest swimmers will take on the best competitors from across the Northwest Swim Circuit at the NWSC Invitational Meet, reserved exclusively for swimmers who have achieved qualifying times during the season.
A reminder to all Invitational qualifiers: participation in the Divisional Championship Meet is required in order to compete at Invitationals. Swimmers who achieve a new qualifying time at Divisionals will have an opportunity to register for Invitationals immediately following Saturday's meet.

Whether your swimmer is racing at Divisionals, Invitationals, or both, this weekend represents the culmination of months of hard work, early mornings, personal growth, and team spirit. Let's fill the pool deck with Armada Pride, cheer loudly for every swimmer.

Interested in taking on a larger role with the team? We're always looking for prospective board members, so if you'd like to be considered for a role on the board please fill out our board self-nomination form. Or talk to any board member at the pool. Parents who are committed year-round help keep this special team going. Please consider serving!

by Patrick Ricci, President

Congratulations, Armada! Not only did we make it through another fantastic regular season, but we won our first meet of the year!

As one of the smallest teams in the circuit, we tend to focus more on helping each individual swimmer improve their skills and be the best swimmer they can be—and less on … well, winning swim meets. But our swimmers turned in some of their best performances of the summer and brought home a resounding victory against Rattan Creek!

I especially loved seeing the good sportsmanship on display from both teams, with swimmers congratulating each other after some very close finishes on fast swims. Let's keep that competitive spirit and positive energy going as we head into Divisionals.

And now let's show our coaches how much we appreciate all they do to help our kids swim their best.

This Tuesday (6/23) will be COACHES APPRECIATION DAY at practice. Check out the binder by the file folder boxes or this online list to discover some of your favorite coaches' favorite things. Feel free to express your appreciation in whatever way you desire—write a thank-you note, leave them some candy or a snack, or just tell them how much you've valued their dedication, expertise, and leadership/mentoring throughout the season. You'll see tables set up at practice on Tuesday if you'd like to leave something.

Coaches, on behalf of the Armada board, THANK YOU!

By: Coach Maddie

What an amazing and impressive final home meet! Armada, we won! We beat the Hurricanes!

What a great way to prove all the hard work you've put in this season! You all went out there and made our final home meet count. Across the board, we saw 205 time improvements and celebrated several new invitational qualifiers. We also cheered on some of our youngest swimmers as they competed in their first dual meet of the season. We all also got to watch a pretty fun relay from our aging out swimmers. Each of you truly made the best of this meet and made it count. All the coaches are incredibly proud of your performances.

Keep up the hard work as we head into our final week of practice.

That’s right, we’re in the last week of the season! Let’s finish strong and make it our best week yet. Practices will bring some challenge, and coaches will be encouraging swimmers to chase any remaining goals they’ve set for themselves.

Don’t forget to join us for our final Fun Friday on June 26. Family members and siblings are welcome to join us for the fun!

by DJ Loberg, Meet Director

Get ready for the Divisionals: BCC, Pflugerville Piranhas, and Wells Branch Armada at Rattan Creek Hurricanes, our championship meet!

📍 Key Info:

• Location: Rattan Creek Pool 7617 Elkhorn Mountain Trail, Austin, TX 78729
• Arrival Time: 5:30 AM – Be on time and check in right away
• WBA Warm-ups: 5:55 - 6:15 AM
• Meet Start: 7:05 AM
• Events: Swimmers may compete in up to 3 individual events
• Spirit Theme: Armada Pride (Red, White, & Blue)

📝 If your swimmer cannot attend or needs to scratch, please email us ASAP!

🏗️ Meet Set-Up Times

• Friday, June 26th, 6:00 pm - pack up trailer with tents & equipment
• Saturday, June 27 at 5:00 AM
  More details to be sent out to the setup crew

🚘 Parking Reminder

For directions check the Rattan Creek Pool map. 

Parking is allowed on Elkhorn Mountain and Tamayo as well as in the neighborhood, but please be respectful of neighbors’ driveways, mail boxes, fire lanes and crosswalks.

Pit and Parent Seating Info:

See the map for where our Armada Pits for swimmers and where parents can set up their seating: 

by DJ Loberg, Meet Director

The NWSC Invitationals meet at the Round Rock Aquatics Center, is our last meet of the season! The Invitational Swim Meet is with every team in the circuit, but only swimmers with a qualifying time (2026 Invitational Times) are eligible to compete in this meet. Check the list of events your swimmer qualified so far for the 2026 Invitationals here.

📍 Key Info:

• Location: Round Rock Aquatics Center - 2801 Gattis School Rd, Round Rock, TX 78664
• Setup Time: 7:00 AM – If anyone can help set up, please arrive early
• Arrival Time: 7:45 AM – Be on time and check in right away
• WBA Warm-ups: 8:00–8:20 AM
• Meet Start: 9:30 AM
• Events: Swimmers may compete in up to 4 individual events
• Spirit Theme: Armada Pride (Red, White, & Blue)

📝 If your swimmer cannot attend or needs to scratch, please email/text us ASAP!

🚘 Location Reminder

For directions check the Round Rock Aquatics Center map.

Parking Info:

Parking is available on site and at the adjacent High School. Please do not park in reserved spots with cones unless you have been assigned one of these spots due to your volunteer position.

Those swimmers that qualify for the invitationals at the divisional meet will have the chance to register on Saturday June 27 the afternoon after the divisional meet.

Expect an email with more details during the week.

It's Championship Meet week, and that means it's time to show everyone what Armada Pride looks like!

Break out your favorite red, white, and blue gear, Armada shirts, patriotic accessories, face paint, ribbons, sunglasses, hats, and anything else that shows your team spirit. Whether you're racing, volunteering, coaching, or cheering from the stands, let's fill the pool deck with Armada colors and energy.

This season has been built on hard work, teamwork, determination, and friendship. Now it's time to celebrate everything we've accomplished together and finish the season strong. Cheer loudly, support your teammates, and represent Wells Branch Armada with the sportsmanship and pride that make our team special.

❤️🤍💙 One Team. One Armada. One Final Push. ❤️🤍💙

by Juli Thatcher, Volunteer Coordinator

As we head into our Divisional Championship Meet, I want to take a moment to thank every Armada family who has volunteered throughout the season. From our first practice meet to our final regular-season competition, your time, energy, and dedication have made every meet possible. Whether you worked poolside, helped behind the scenes, set up tents before sunrise, or stayed late to tear everything down, thank you for supporting our swimmers and our team.

Divisionals is our biggest team championship meet of the season and one of the most exciting days of the year. Every swimmer, coach, official, and volunteer plays an important role in helping make the event successful. We still have volunteer positions that need to be filled, and we ask all participating families to sign up as soon as possible so we can finalize staffing plans and ensure a smooth experience for everyone.

This meet is an opportunity for our swimmers to showcase everything they have worked toward all season long. By volunteering, you help create the organized, positive, and supportive environment that allows them to perform their best and enjoy the championship experience.

Thank you again for everything you have done this season. Your commitment, flexibility, and team spirit are what make Wells Branch Armada such a special community.

There’s still time to complete your family's $100 fundraising commitment for the 2026 season. If you have not yet met your goal, you can make a contribution directly through the Armada Swim Shop.

🎟️ Want a chance to win while supporting the team?

We're also offering raffle tickets for two exciting Armada prizes that will be awarded during Awards Night:

🚗 2027 VIP Parking Pass — Reserved parking for the entire 2027 swim season

🏊 2027 Armada Registration — One free swimmer registration for the 2027 season

The more tickets you purchase, the better your chances of winning while helping support the Wells Branch Armada Swim Team.

👉 Purchase your raffle tickets here!

Thank you for helping us keep Armada strong and continue providing an outstanding experience for our swimmers and families.

Don't forget to wear your 2026 Armada team shirt and your biggest smile for our annual team photo during Final Fun Friday!

This is one of our favorite traditions of the season and a chance to capture the entire Armada family together before we wrap up another incredible summer. From our newest swimmers to our veterans, coaches, and volunteers, everyone helps make Armada special, and we want to remember this amazing group.

Be sure to arrive on time so we can get everyone in the picture before the fun and games begin. Years from now, you'll be glad you were part of this snapshot of the 2026 Armada season!

Swimmers and parents, the time has come to celebrate the end of our 2025 season with one last big splash! Mark your calendars for Final Fun Friday on June 27, a high-energy, joy-filled morning packed with relays, games, cannonballs, and plenty of laughs.

Final Fun Friday is a full-team celebration led by your Armada coaches (who will also be jumping in on the fun!). Expect a schedule of creative and wacky relays for all ages, plus friendly competition between swimmers, parents, and coaches. Whether you’re racing in a T-shirt or paddling in a floatie, there is something for everyone.

Parents, bring your suits and goggles! This is your chance to get in the pool and join the fun. Prefer to stay dry? We’ll need volunteers to help run events and serve sno-cones, sign up on SwimTopia or reach out to Ben at [email protected] or (512) 351-1095.

Tentative Schedule:

• 7:30–8:45 AM – Ages 11+ Relays (Rock, Paper, Scissors, Matchbox Car, T-Shirt, and more!)
• 9:15–10:30 AM – All Ages Relays (Family, Parent vs Coaches, Noodle Relays, Ping Pong, and more)
• 10:30 AM – Team Photo (Bring your team shirt!)
• 10:30–11:30 AM – Fun & Games for All (Cannonball Contest, Biggest Splash, Floatie Races)

Grab your swimmer, your camera, and your Armada spirit, and don’t miss the last and most unforgettable practice of 2026!

Join us as we celebrate a season of hard work, team spirit, and incredible swims at the Wells Branch Armada Awards Ceremony on June 30.

We’ll recognize swimmers for their achievements, present High Point Awards, and enjoy one last gathering as a team.

🗓 Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
🕕 Time: 6:30 PM
📍 Location: Wells Branch Community Church 2113 Wells Branch Pkwy #500, Austin, TX 78728. See map.

Mark your calendars - this is a special evening you won’t want to miss!

by Deanna Johnson

Join us on Thursday, July 2, from 6:00–9:00 PM at Hanover’s Draught House for one of Armada’s favorite summer traditions!

This family-friendly event is completely FREE to attend, so bring the whole crew and your friends and settle in for an evening of fun. We’ve got great entertainment lined up that we know you’ll love, including live special appearances from talented performers like Braylen, Phearce, Hallie & Lola, Levi Johnson with the Adventurers, and an exciting closing by Coaches Reese & Caden!

While you’re there, be sure to join in the excitement of the meat raffle, it’s a fast-paced, crowd-favorite experience where you can purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win premium cuts like steaks, briskets, ground beef, and other great prizes. Each round brings a new opportunity to win, lots of cheering, and plenty of friendly competition, all while supporting the Wells Branch Armada.

Two food trucks will be on site if you’d like to grab dinner, making it easy to relax and enjoy the evening.

Bring your family, invite your friends, and enjoy a fun, high-energy, family-friendly night filled with music, meat, and best of all, great Armada memories!

Flyer by Sloan Carreon!

Help us close out an amazing Armada season by joining us at one of Wells Branch's favorite traditions, FourthFest!

Come cheer for the Armada parade car or walk alongside your teammates through the streets of Wells Branch as we celebrate Independence Day in true red, white, and blue style. Wear your Armada gear, decorate your bikes, wagons, and strollers, and help us show off our Armada Pride to the entire community!

After the parade, stick around at Katherine Fleischer Park for free watermelon, family activities, games, local vendors, and plenty of community fun. It's the perfect opportunity to celebrate our swimmers, our neighborhood, and another fantastic summer season together.

📍 Key Info:

• Appointment: Saturday July 4th at 10:00 AM
• Location: Katherine Fleischer Park

❤️🤍💙 We hope to see all Armada families there. Let's finish the season with one more splash of Armada spirit! 

Congratulations to all of our Wells Branch Armada swimmers on an incredible team win against the Hurricanes, 401 to 242!

This victory was truly a full-team effort. Every race, every relay, every personal best, every point scored, and every teammate cheering from the deck helped make this result possible. We are so proud of the hard work, determination, sportsmanship, and Armada Pride our athletes showed throughout the meet.

Way to go, swimmers! You represented Wells Branch Armada beautifully and reminded everyone what this team can do when we race together.

Congratulations to our Divisional and Invitational Champions and all Armada swimmers who competed in this season's Championship Meet! Championship meets bring together the strongest swimmers from across the division, making every heat, every point, and every finish hard-earned. We are incredibly proud of the determination, resilience, and team spirit our swimmers displayed throughout the meet. Whether you stood on the podium, earned points for the team, achieved a personal best, or simply gave your absolute best effort, you helped make this a memorable championship performance. Thank you for representing the Wells Branch Armada with pride, sportsmanship, and heart.

Congratulations to our Divisional and Invitational Champion relay teams for delivering some of the most exciting moments of the Championship Meet! In a meet where every point matters, these swimmers came together to represent Armada at its very best. Through strong starts, smooth exchanges, determined racing, and unforgettable finishes, they demonstrated the teamwork, trust, and competitive spirit that define great relay swimming. We are incredibly proud of these championship performances and of every relay swimmer who contributed to the Armada's success. When four swimmers race as one team, amazing things happen.

As we wrap up another incredible Armada season, we're excited to recognize our final Fast Fishies of the year! Throughout the summer, these awards have celebrated swimmers who made the biggest improvements in the pool, and this week’s winners finished the season with an impressive splash. These swimmers earned recognition by posting the largest cumulative time drops within their age group and category, a testament to months of hard work, determination, and dedication at practice.

Congratulations to all of our Fast Fishies this season. Every time drop, every personal best, and every goal achieved helped make 2026 a memorable year for the Armada.

For more information about the Fast Fishy Award and other weekly recognitions, please visit the Weekly Awards FAQ on the Armada website.

Please join us in celebrating the final Triple Drop Club members of the 2026 season! These swimmers accomplished the impressive feat of improving their personal best times in all three of their individual events at the Championship Meet. Achieving time drops across an entire meet is never easy, especially at the end of a long season when competition is at its toughest. Their success reflects months of hard work, perseverance, and commitment in practice, as well as the confidence to rise to the occasion when it mattered most.

Congratulations to these outstanding swimmers for finishing the season with one of the Armada's most challenging accomplishments. What a fantastic way to close out 2026!

Congratulations to our 2026 Record Breakers! At the final meet of the season, these swimmers earned a permanent place in Armada history by setting new team records that will stand as the official benchmarks until a future Armada swimmer surpasses them. Championship meets bring out the very best competition, making these accomplishments even more impressive.

We are incredibly proud of your hard work, perseverance, and outstanding performances. Thank you for helping make the 2026 season one to remember.

We have one more weekend left to have your name added to our record board!

🏆 Emilia Helgesen - Girls 11–12 50 Backstroke - 34.33 Old: 35.10

🏆 Emilia Helgesen - Girls 11–12 100 Freestyle - 1:05.22 Old: 1:06.35

Congratulations as well to our record-setting relay team, that improved this new record again!

🏆 Boys 11-12 200 Freestyle Relay - 2:00.72 Old: 2:01.02

* D'Zion Booker-Thompson, Darrell Christmas, Hayden Wu, Lucas McGuire

🏆 Girls11-12 200 Freestyle Relay - 2:13.57 Old: 2:14.65

* Audrey Ricci, Vivian Loberg, April Shepard, Emilia Helgesen

Congratulations to our Armada swimmers who earned qualifying times for the 2026 Northwest Swim Circuit Invitational Meet! Qualifying for Invitationals is a major accomplishment and reflects speed, focus, and hard work throughout the season.

These swimmers have earned the opportunity to compete against some of the fastest athletes in the circuit, and we are so proud to have them representing Wells Branch Armada at this exciting end-of-season meet.

Way to go, qualifiers!

The Divisional Championship is your final chance to earn qualifying times for the 2026 NWSC Invitational Meet, so give every race your best effort! Trust your training, stay focused, cheer for your teammates, and leave it all in the pool. Whether you are chasing a qualifying time, a personal best, or one more strong swim for the season, this is the moment to show your Armada Pride