Laura Val Steals the Show on Day Two of US Masters LC Nationals

By Scott Rabalais

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. Aug. 17. LAURA Val, 50, swimming for Tamalpais Aquatic Masters, crushed two world records on Friday at the USMS Long Course Championships
at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center.

She kicked off her meet with an astounding 200 freestyle win in 2:15.37, nearly 10 seconds off the
previous world and USMS record set by Barbara Dunbar. She followed later in the day with an amazing world-record time of 1:07.81, hacking six seconds from Ardeth Mueller's record of 1:13.86.

Val also swam the anchor leg on TAM's world-record setting 200 free relay in the 200-239 age group, which covered the distance in 2:06.52. The other members of the relay team were 1968 Olympian Susan Jones-Roy, USMS
President Nancy Ridout and Shirley Cazalet.

Graham Johnson, Team Texas, continued his record-setting ways, posting two more world marks in the 70-74 age group. His 2:29.45 in the 200 freestyle and his 6:34.43 in the 400 IM were both easily under the previous marks.

June Krauser matched Johnson's number of world marks through the second day of competition with two world bests in the 75-79 women. Krauser's 100 butterfly time was 1:56.69, while her 400 IM was completed in 8:14.89. Krauser, a Hall of Fame inductee, competes for Gold Coast Masters and has attended every Masters Nationals meet since 1971.

The greatest number of records was set in the 100 breast, with no fewer than four world and five USMS records posted:

Men 55-59 Bob Strand, 55, The Olympic Club
1:14.80 (previous 1:17.18) World/USMS

Men 70-74 John Kortheuer, 70, North Carolina Masters
1:29.59 (previous 1:31.05) World/USMS

Women 35-39 Caroline Krattli, 39, San Diego Swim Masters
1:13.81 (previous 1:16.36) World/USMS

Women 50-54 Dot Munger, 50, 1776
1:26.45 (previous 1:26.60) World/USMS

Women 65-69 Jayne Bruner, 67, DC Masters
1:39.20 (previous 1:40.81) USMS

Two races in the men's 40-44 age group, considered by many to be the most competitive age group at the meet, featured several swimmers under world record times. In the 200 freestyle, Paul Smith, Vail Swimming, who was third at the 100 meter mark in 59.23, blazed home in nearly the same split to win in a world-record time of 1:58.61. Second-place finisher Paul Carter, Southern California Aquatics, was also under the world record.

The 100 butterfly was no less spectacular as Carter sought revenge with a 57.57 win and a new world record. Dennis Baker, second in 58.66, and Paul
Smith, third at 58.70, rounded out the top three.

Also on the men's side, the 400 IM provided great drama in the 50-54 age group. First, Jim McConica, Ventura County Masters, touched in 5:11.25, setting a new world and USMS record. Lawrence Day, Michigan Masters, finished six seconds behind McConica, also breaking the existing record of 5:20.78. In the following heat, Rick Colella, a U.S. Olympian in the 200 breast in the '72 and '76 Olympic Games, used a blistering 100 breast split of 1:23.57 on his way to a 5:05.82 victory and record swim.

Other world or USMS records set Friday were:

Women
50-54 50 Back Barb Gundred, 50, Pacific Northwest Masters
36.15 USMS record

80-84 50 Back Bunny Cederland, 80, Space Coast Masters
48.24 World/USMS record

80-84 100 Breast Betty Christian, 80, Missouri Valley
2:16.55 USMS record

45-49 400 IM Collette Crabbe, Oregon Masters
5:44.80 World/USMS record

Men
35-39 200 Free Richard Saeger, 37, Unattached
1:54.86 World/USMS record

50-54 100 Fly Lawrence Day, 50, Michigan Masters
1:01.94 World/USMS record

60-64 100 Fly Bert Petersen, 63, Oregon Masters
1:12.34 USMS record

45-49 400 IM Jamie Hemmerell, 46, 1776
5:08.18 World/USMS record

Relays
Mixed 240-279 200 Medley Relay
Oregon 2:23.92
Joy Ward, Janet Gettling, Bert Petersen, David Ratcliff
USMS Record

Men 240-279 200 Free Relay
Gold Coast Masters 1:52.76
Jerry Greenberg, Alan Rapperport, Cav Cavanaugh, George Schmidt
World/USMS Record

Complete results may be viewed at
http://www.usms.org/comp/lcnats01/realtime.

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