Von der Lippe, Smith and Strand Lead the Way as 15 More US Masters Marks Fall on Day 3 of USMS Nationals

By Phillip Whitten

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., May 13. IT was a classic case of “another day, same results.” Fifteen USMS national records fell on Day 3 of the USMS Short Course National Championships in Coral Springs, Florida, bringing the three-day total to 35, but the names of most of the record-breakers were familiar.

Three swimmers – Sue von der Lippe, Paul Smith and Bob Strand – each set two national records, bringing their totals to four, four and three, respectively. But there were five events among the 14 contested today in which no records were broken. As was the case yesterday, the breaststroke events saw the greatest number of records. Yesterday it was the 200-yard race, today the 100.

Olympian Sue von der Lippe again led the way for the women with record-shattering performances in the 100 breast and the 100 fly for women 40-44. And once again her victims were former record-holders Caroline Krattli and Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen.

In the 100 breast, von der Lippe, representing Colorado Masters, split 30.06 before touching in 1:03.09, well under Krattli’s 1:04.30 from 2002. In the 100 fly she posted a strong 55.64, well under Pipes-Neilsen’s 56.36 from four years ago.

Tall Paul Smith, another Coloradan, sprinted through 50 yards of freestyle in 21.29 seconds, devastating his own record of 21.78 seconds for men 45-49 set last year. Later, swimming the 200 IM – a relatively new event for him – he crashed through the 2-minute barrier with a 1:58.92, becoming the oldest person ever to break two minutes. Tom Reudy had the old record at 2:01.21, set in 2001.

Bob Strand, who knocked eight seconds off the 200 breast record for men 60-64 yesterday, sliced more than two from the 100 breast today. Touching in 1:05.57 (split: 30.25), Strand destroyed Kim Bernard’s year-old standard of 1:07.68.

It was more of the same in the 200 IM, where Strand’s 2:17.60 easily shattered both Dru Gallagher’s 2:20.29 from 1999 and his own pending 2:20.24, swum in April.

Fast Women
Brigitte Heuer (WMST) and Charlotte Davis (PNA) lowered the 50 free marks in their respective age groups. Heuer popped a 24.71, just under Penny Noyes’ 24.89 standard for the 45-49 division. In the 55-59 age group, Davis finally broke a record after several close misses when she touched in 27.28, two-tenths of a second under Nancy Ridout’s eight-year-old record.

Ginger Pierson, MACO, carved more than a second from Joann Leilich’s 100 breaststroke record for women 60-64 with her time of 1:20.19. The previous record, set in 2000, was 1:21.55.

The final women’s mark was set in the 35+ 200 yard medley relay, and once again, the record-setter was Colorado Masters. The team of Sheri Hart, Susan von der Lippe, Ellen Campbell and Kathy Garnier clocked 1:48.55, bettering the 1:49.20 swum by the Rocky Mountain Masters in 2003.

Speedy Dudes
Clay Britt has always been known as a backstroke sprinter, but he’s not too shabby at the 200 distance either. Swimming for the Ancient Mariners, Britt broke the men’s 45-49 200 yard backstroke mark to go along with the 100 yard record he set yesterday. The former Texas great split 56.34 on his way to a 1:59.75. Bill Specht was second today in 2:02.12.

The 50 free saw Cav Cavanaugh, of the Florida Gold Coast Masters, clock a record-breaking 25.41, shattering Don Hill’s 70-74 mark of 25.99 from 2002.

In the 200 breast, Gary Marshall, TOC, who swam a 1:58 200 breast yesterday, stroked a 54.65 (split: 25.96) for the 100 today, destroying Mike Burton’s record of 55.86 for the youngest age group, the 18-24.

Adam Jerger, SPM, lowered the men’s 25-29 standard from the 55.99 swum by former Texas All American Jeff Commings in 2003 with a swift 55.66.
(split: 25.82).

Yesterday Jon Blank and David Guthrie waged a thrilling battle in the 200 breast. Guthrie let Blank get too far ahead, and his rush on the final two laps was a case of too little, too late. So today the Texan switched strategies and took the race out hard, splitting 28.11 at the 50 to Blank’s 28.49. The result: the same as yesterday. Only this time it was Blank who had the most gas in his tank over the second half of the race, and it was Blank who touched first in 59.19, wrecking his own mark of 59.70 from last year. Guthrie had to content himself with a 1:00.29 and another silver medal.

There were several near-record swims today, most notably in the men’s 65-69 100 breast, where Mike Freshley’s 1:13.81 was a mere 3-hundredths shy of the USMS mark of 1:13.78 set by Canadian Nick Templeman in 1997; and the 200 back for men 55-59, where Tod Spieker’s mark of 2:07.64 proved to be 13-hundredths of a second beyond the reach of Jim McConica.

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