USMS Short Course Nationals, Day 3: Abrahams, Davis and Boak Set Two National Marks Each to Highlight Masters Nationals

FORT LAUDERDALE Florida, May 21. TEN more national records fell on Day 3 of the USMS Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, with several dozen other marks withstanding strong challenges.

Once again, Rich Abrahams, Charlotte Davis and Carolyn Boak led the way with two national records apiece. Abrahams completed his six-event program in the Sunshine State with a phenomenal six records in six events. And he didn't just break the old marks — with one exception, he absolutely crushed them.

Here are today's record-breaking highlights:

100-yard individual medley
The Big Three all scored record-setting wins in the 100 IM. Abrahams had his closest brush with mere mortals, slicing just one-hundredth of a second off Robert Smith's old standard of 1:01.51 set last year.

But while Abrahams took a surgeon's knife to the record book, Charlotte Davis and Carolyn Boak came on like Lizzy Borden, ax and all. Davis clocked 1:09.27 to wrest the 55-59 record away from Boak, whose 1:10.04 had stood for five years. Not one to cry over broken records, Boak came back with a new one of her own in the 60-64 division, where her 1:13.19 left Jayne Bruner's 1997 standard of 1:16.66 in its wake.

200-yard breaststroke
Two men's records fell in the 200 breast, while the women were unable to lower any standards.

North Carolina's Jon Blank carved 27-hundredths of a second off David Gray's 2:14.64 from last year to set a 45-49 record. In the 70-74 division, Mani Sanguily out-dueled Bob Patten, 2:53.91 to 2:55.62, as he dropped John Kortheuer's standard of 2:55.34 from 2002.

100-yard freestyle
In the 100 free, the Big Three struck yet again, as all three dropped the record in their respective age group by huge amounts.

Once again, Rich Abrahams took a 60-64 record to a new dimension as he blazed the 100 free in 49.14 seconds (23.23 split), almost three full seconds under Olympian Jeff Farrell's 52.03 that had remained unchallenged for eight years.

Charlotte Davis became the oldest woman to break a minute for 100 free when she touched in 59.08 seconds, well under the old 55-59 mark of 1:00.49 by Carolyn Boak from 2001.

Once again, Boak compensated by setting a 60-64 record, clocking 1:03.95, slashing Jayne Bruner's 1:04.87 set eight years ago.

50-yard backstroke
Two men lowered a 50-yard backstroke record — both in the same age group. last year, Fritz Lehman clocked 25.59 to set a 45-49 record. This year, Lehman was just a tad slower, but two other men were fractions of a second faster. Bill Specht got his hand on the wall first in 25.34, with Steve Wood right behind in 25.39.

200-yard butterfly
It may not take a village, but apparently it does take an Olympian…to break a Karlyn Pipes-Nielsen record, that is. In the women's 35-39 division, 1992 Olympian Susan van der Lippe clocked 2:03.48 for the 200 fly, easing Pipes-Nielsen's 1997 time of 2:04.88 from the record book.

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