USMS SC Nationals – Day 4 Highlights, Photos & Results

500 Free – Men

Mike Shaffer posted the fastest overall time on his way to winning the 500 yard free in the 30-34 age group in 4:39.38. Bobby Patten swam the next fastest time to win the 35-39 in 4:41.30. The third fastest time went to Jim McConica, 49, from Ventura Masters in California. McConica's time of 4:46.63 crushed the old record in the 45-49 age group of 4:51.73. In the 50-54 age group, Jim Clemmons set a new record in a head-to-head battle with the former record-holder Tod Spieker. Clemmons finished in 5:01.81 to Spieker's 5:05.24.

100 Free – Women

52.05 was the fastest women's time, and it was swum by Sarabeth Schweitzer who continued her assault on the 19-24 record book by breaking the 1991 record of 52.08, set by Sudi. Thirty-one-year-old Peggy Gross again bettered the Olympic Trials cut in the 50, with a split time of 23.40, then cruised the second 50 to finish last in the heat. Earlier, she won the 50 in a blazing 23.17.

In the 45-49 age group Laura Val was pushed by Penny Noyes to break her own record, clocking 54.21. Noyes led at the 50 but Val used superior turns and stronger legs over the last 35 yards to take the event and shave a bit off her record of 54.26.

100 Free – Men

Kenneth Heis set the fastest 100 time of the day by winning the 19-24 age group in 45.30. Timothy Boyd, of Ancient Mariners was the next fastest in winning the 25-29 in 45.73. Patrick Hayes of Utah broke Dave Boatwright's 1997 record of 46.14 in the 35-39 age group with a 46.04.

Paul Smith, of Vail Swimming, swam a 47.12 to win the 40-44 division and break the record of 47.23 set by Stu Marvin in 1997. Jack Groselle, of Ohio Masters, continued with his outstanding meet by setting a new record in the 45-49 age group with a swift 47.54. The record of 48.13 was held by Andrew McPherson since 1992.

Rich Abrahams 55, demolished Tim Garton's record of 50.57 by over 2 seconds with a 48.37. The time also bettered his own mark in the 50-54 age group. Frank Piemme swam an impressive 1:03.38 to win the 75-59 age group and break the record of 1:04.30, held by Hall of Famer Kelley Lemmon since 1988.

200 Breast – Women

Once again, breaststroke records were swept away like trailer parks in an Alabama tornado. Wenke Hansen led the way with her third breaststroke record in the 30-34 age group by crushing the old 200 yard record of 2:25.30, held by Laurel Hill, with a 2:17.34. The time also bettered the 2:18.29 Olympic Trial cut.

Caroline Krattli swam a 2:25.4, beating her own record time of 2:25.60, to set her third record of the meet. Dea Joslin also had a "hat-trick" by swimming a 2:29.70 to break her own 40-44 record of 2:33.00 set last year. Utah's Lo Knapp won the 45-49 in 2:40.83, and Susan Jones-Roy, 51, just missed Ginger Pierson's 50-54 record of 2:45.30 by going 2:45.37.

200 Breast – Men

Roque Santos, a 1992 Olympian swimming for Walnut Creek, fell a bit short of making the Olympic Trials standard of 2:02.49, but still had the fastest time of the day with a 2:03.22. The next fastest time of 2:04.87, set by Wally Dicks of the Montgomery Ancient Mariners, was fast enough to break 35-39 record of 2:05.81. Dicks took five strokes on most of his last laps, dropping to six on the final 25.

Two other records fell as well. Peter Andersen of the Illinois Masters swam 2:30.65 to erase Drury Gallagher's 55-59 record of 2:31.23. Bob Patten, 65 and swimming for the Rocky Mountain Masters, swam a
2:43.05 to take nearly 3 seconds off Ron Johnson's record of 2:45.94. It must be good genes, as Bob is father to Bobby Patten, who won several events
in the 35-39 age group and coaches the Dallas Aquatic Masters.

50 Fly – Women

Three age group records fell in the women's 50 Fly:
Jennifer Brooks, 23, from the DOC team in Indiana, set a new 19-24 age group record by going 25.46. The old record was 26.20 by Jamie Raab. Gail Roper, 70, continued to blast her age group's records, by swimming a 35.06, to knock nearly 5 seconds off June Krauser's mark of 39.91 set in 1997. In the 75-79 division, Lois Kivi Nochman swam a 42.06 to take over 5 seconds off Gertrud Zint's 1993 record of 47.97.

50 Fly – Men

Kenneth Heis was fastest overall in winning the 50 Fly in the 19-24 age group with a 22.61. Curtis Sawin won the 25-29 age group with a 22.73. Michael Sorenson took the 30-34 in 22.93.

Bill Specht took the 40-44 age group in 23.45, while Hess won the 45-49 division in 23.91.

Two records fell in the event. Rich Abrahams broke the 25 second barrier with a 24.89 which easily surpassed Keefe Lodwig's record of 25.33, and Frank Piemme blasted Birch Davidson's record of 33.17 in the 75-59 division by zipping to a 31.48.

200 Back – Women

Sarabeth Schweitzer swam 1:59.22 to become the fastest Masters swimmer of all-time in the event. Previously, only Karlyn Pipes-Nielson had been under 2:00. Sara's time destroyed the 2:01.00 record in the 19-24 age group. Only three men had faster times than Sarabeth!

Pipes-Neilsen, 38, had the second fastest time of the day on her way to winning the 35-39 age group in 2:04. Doris Steadman of the Garden State Masters completed her sweep of the 75-79 women's backstroke records by demolishing the old mark of 3:29.83 held by Regan Kenner, by 13 seconds, with her 3:16.35.

200 Back – Men

Bill Specht had the fastest time of 1:55.45 on his way to winning the 40-44 age group. Tod Spieker, of the Olympic Club, took nearly a second off his own 50-54 record of 2:05.90, finishing in 2:04.82. Richard Burns of Tamalpias Masters posted a new record in the 55-59 age group with a 2:13.89 which erased Ed Cazalett's 1998 record of 2:15.33. In the 65-69 age group, Don Brown swam a 2:30.03 to slip past Roger Frank's 1993 record of 2:30.53. Ray Taft continued on his record smashing binge with a 3:06.53 to knock 6 seconds off the 3:12.35 80-84 record held by Ed Shea.

100 IM – Women

Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen broke her own record of 58.60 in the 35-39 age group, with a 58.54, to post the fastest women's time in the event. Wenke Hansen won the 30-34 division in 58.77 to take a hundredth off the record of 58.78 held by Rosemarie Seaman since 1989.
Christina Tillotson won the 19-24 in 59.81 to become the only other woman under the one-minute barrier. Susan Jones-Roy continued her record breaking binge by dropping the 50-54 100 IM record from 1:08.60 to 1:07.74, while Gail Roper, swimming a 1:21.97, crushed the old record of 1:26.80 held by Nancy MacBeth.

Lois Kivi Nochman of Michigan Masters eased past Margery Meyer's record of 1:43.48 in the 75-59 by going 1:42.45. Finally, Walnut Creek's Jean Durston hasn't stopped drinking from her own personal Fountain of Youth as she took over 17 seconds off the 85-89 record with a 2:11.93. The old record held by Marie Kelleher was 2:29.39.

100 IM – Men
Lance Bohlman swam the 100 IM in 51.31 to post the fastest overall time on his way to winning the 25-29 age group. Kenneth Heis had the fastest 19-24 time of 52.84.

Paul Smith set his second record of the day by winning the 40-44 group in 54.07. Both Jack Groselle and Richard Hess were under the 45-49 record of 56.23 held by Robert Smith since 1988. Groselle came up with a narrow victory over Hess (55.43-55.67).

Finally, Frank Piemme took down Ray Taft's 75-79 record of 1:16.12 with his 1:15.22.

200 Medley Relay – Women

Two records fell in the women's Medley Relay. In the 19+ division, North Carolina's foursome of Liz Sullivan, Rebecca Bruch, Heather Hageman, and Jennifer
Mancini swam a 1:50.15 to take over 2 seconds off Raleigh's record of 1:52.20 set in 1992. The other record fell in the 45+ age group when the Tamalpias team of Danielle Ogier, Susan Jones-Roy, Laura Val, and Nancy Ridout sped to 2:00.94 to smash the 2:09.99 record of Colonials 1776 set in 1995.

200 Medley Relay – Men

The fastest time of the day went to the Montgomery Ancient Mariners 25+ team of Clay Britt, Wally Dicks, Jeffrey Rodin, and Michael Fell who posted a 1:33.75 but still were well short of the Lone Star record of :31.54.

The only record to fall came in the 55+ group when the Tamalpais team of Rich Burns,Ken Frost, Robert Olson, and Carl Neuman combined to go 1:50.52, which carved over three seconds off the Olympic Club's record of 1:53.89.

Final Team Standings

Large Team
Women – Illinois Masters
Men – Illinois Masters
Combined – Illinois Masters

Medium Team
Women – Walnut Creek, CA
Men – Walnut Creek, CA
Combined – Walnut Creek, CA

Small Team
Women – DC Masters
Men – Utah Masters
Combined – San Diego Swim Masters

Jack Groselle is happy with his record performance.

Bill Specht led the fly wire to wire.

Sarabeth Schweitzer, center, set several new records in the 19-24 age group.

United States Masters Swimming
http://www.usms.org

Rich Abrahams is happy with a new record.

Bill Specht looks at the clock after another victory at the USMS Nationals.

Sarabeth Schweitzer is happy with her new USMS record.

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