Lane 9 News Archive: Masters Swimmers Break World Records in California, Texas

Masters Swimmers Break World Records in California, Texas -- December 6, 2011

PHOENIX, Arizona, December 6. MASTERS swimmers were on a record-breaking tear last weekend, setting 25 short course meters world marks in Long Beach, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas.

Laura Val of Tamalpais Masters, who has already set more than a dozen world marks this year, continued her winning ways by breaking six of her own Masters world records in the 60-64 age group at the Southern Pacific Masters championships in Long Beach:

200 IM: 2:43.50 (old record: 2:44.01)

200 back: 2:42.21 (old record: 2:47.97)
100 back: 1:14.48 (old record: 1:15.51)
200 fly: 2:41.25 (old record: 2:43.60)
200 free: 2:20.16 (old record: 2:24.19)
100 IM: 1:16.37 (old record: 1:16.59)

Dawn Heckman, 34 years old and swimming unattached, also performed well in Long Beach, breaking three freestyle world records in the 30-34 age group:

1500 free: 16:29.90 (old record: 17:01.56)
800 free: 8:38.58 (old record: 8:49.93)
400 free: 4:17.82 (old record: 4:18.86)

Robert Strand, coming off recent surgery for prostate cancer, is back in form, completing a breaststroke world record trifecta in the 65-69 age group at age 65:

50 breast: 34.36 (old record: 34.55)
100 breast: 1:16.60 (old record: 1:16.64)
200 breast: 2:49.34 (old record: 2:56.37)

Other world records set in Long Beach:

Cynthia Lewis, 36, Novaquatics: 1:10.64 100 breast in 35-39 age group (old record: 1:11.19)

Alex Kostich, 41, unattached: 8:21.78 800 free in 40-44 age group (old record: 8:25.08)

Jim McConica, 61, Ventura County Masters: 9:31.23 800 free in 60-64 age group (old record: 9:32.74)

Maurine Kornfeld, 90, Mission Viejo Masters: 18:38.60 800 free in 90-94 age group (old record: 18:38.98)

Igor Marchenko, 36, Novaquatics: 54.27 100 fly in 35-39 age group (old record: 54.56)

Steve West, 39, Novaquatics: 2:15.64 200 breast in 35-39 age group (old record: 2:15.90)

Kerns, Gruber, McConica, Blatt of Ventura County Masters: 9:09.49 in mixed 800 free relay for 240-279 age group (old record: 9:39.44)

Kerns, Gruber, McConica, Blatt of Ventura County Masters: 4:07.34 in mixed 400 free relay for 240-279 age group (old record: 4:09.88)

Dorr, Reilly, Bishop, Holsman of The Olympic Club: 3:44.84 in mixed 400 free relay for 110-119 age group (old record: 3:51.49)

Webster, Hoppe, Williams, Kimball of San Diego Masters: 6:57.50 in mixed 400 medley relay for 320-359 age group (old record: 8:26.49)

Three world records fell at the South Central regional championships in San Antonio. Tom Barton, 55, was responsible for two of them, breaking the world mark in the 50 back (28.85) and 100 back (1:03.26) for the 55-59 age group.

The Longhorn Aquatics team of Rasmussen, Guthrie, Sauer and Stinchcombe swam a 4:06.88 in the men's 400 medley relay, breaking the world record of 4:09.29 in the 200-239 age group.

Video footage of Steve West's world record, courtesy of Mike Lewis:

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