San Diego Swimmers Set Masters World Marks

LONG BEACH, Cal., Dec. 13. THREE San Diego swimmers set a total of 10 age group world and national records this past weekend during the Southern Pacific Short Course Meters Regional Championships held at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, December 8-10.

Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, 38, led the way with a total of four new world records in addition to two personal best times. Pipes-Neilsen broke Sandy Nielsen-Bell’s 100 meter free record of 57.71 set in 1994 with a time 57.65. She also established a new world best in the 50 meter fly with a time of 29.08, bettering the previous world record of 29.28 set by Traci Moll in 1998.

Pipes-Neilsen also assaulted records she already owned. In the individual medleys, Pipes-Neilsen swam a speedy 1:05.40 in the 100 meter IM, bettering the old mark of 1:05.74. She then proceeded to lower her own 200 meter IM world record she set in 1998 of 2:20.79 by over second and a half with a blistering time of 2:19.08.

The women’s field for the 200 IM, which was arguably the most exciting race of the meet, was stacked as Pipes-Neilsen finished a mere tenth of a second behind 31 year-old "youngster," Wenke Hansen. Hansen broke Pipes-Neilsen’s 30-34 world record, but not her faster USMS record which still stands at a 2:18.79. Jill Hernandez, 40, also set new world mark in this heat for the 40-44 age group with an extremely fast 2:22.08. Hernandez time hacked over 10 seconds off the old mark set by Laura Val.

Caroline Krattli, 38, set three world records in the breaststroke events for women 35-39. Krattli’s posted a new world best in the 50 meter breaststroke with a time of 33.03, taking almost a second off the record she set a few weeks ago at 33.98. Her time in the 100 meter breast–1:11.97–set a new world mark by over 3 seconds. In addition, Krattli shattered another of her own records in the 200-meter breaststroke with a very quick 2:36.04. Krattli’s time in the 200 breaststroke lowered her previous world best by over seven seconds, a record she just posted just one month ago.

A relative newcomer to Masters swimming, Michael Ahern, 55, established three new world records in the men's 55-59 age group. Ahern set a mark in the 50 meter free with a time of 26.39, bettering the previous world best of 26.60. Ahern’s also posted a time of 57.85 for the 100 meter free, which sliced 1.64 seconds off the old record of 59.49. In addition, he set in the 100-meter individual medley with a time of 1:08.00, lowering the previous world mark of 1:09.02. Ahern had never set a world or national record prior to this meet.

Many additional world and USMS national records were set at Long Beach. We will report on them shortly.

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