Eleven Masters Records Fall in Five Hours

By Jeff Roddin

April 19. ELEVEN Masters records fell at the Albatross Open hosted by the Montgomery Ancient Mariners on the evening of March 31, 2001.

The meet was held at the fast Montgomery Aquatic Center pool where USMS/World Records have fallen each year the Albatross Open has been contested there. Co-meet directors Tom Denes and Jenni Main said that 211 entered swimmers helped contribute to the most successful Albatross Open held since 1993.

Beth Baker (age 40, VMST) set the tone of the meet in the very first heat by breaking the Women’s 40-44 100 scm fly USMS and world records with her 1:05.49 performance. Beth almost set two records in this heat as her first 50 was an unofficial 29.92 – two tenths under the 50 fly records in her age group. Beth later swam the sprint fly event in a blistering 29.68 to officially take down the 50 fly USMS and world records. In between those two events Beth went a perfect two for two with shiny new USMS and world records in the 200 fly (2:26.15) and 100 IM (1:09.20). The old records in those two events were 2:29.19 and 1:11.13, respectively.

While Beth was setting new standards in the Women’s 40-44 age group, newly aged-up Clay Britt (age 40, ANCM) did some damage to the Men’s 40-44 records by establishing three new USMS and world marks and narrowly missing a fourth USMS Record.

Clay began his assault of the record books with his 100m back time of 58.47 (old record was 59.26). The former American record holder and three time NCAA 100 backstroke champion continued on with new USMS and world marks in the 50 back (27.44) and 100 IM (1:00.54), blasting the old times of 27.84 and 1:01.79, respectively. In his fourth event of the evening, Clay touched first of all ages in the 50 free. His time of 24.56 earned him the title of "Fastest Man in the Water" and just missed the USMS Record of 24.40.

Joann Leilich (age 62, DCM) continued her streak of setting new USMS and world Records in the Albatross Open by lowering her own USMS and world records in the women's 60-64 200m breast with her 3:18.25 performance.

She was also part of the DCM Women’s 240-279 400m medley relay team that destroyed the previous USMS record by a whopping 15 seconds. The previous time of 6:24.68 lasted nine years until the DCM ladies swam a fast 6:09.31. The versatile relay team of Barbara Frid, Leilich, Jayne Bruner and Beth Schreiner showed no sign of age a year after setting USMS and world records in the 200 and 400 free relays at the 2000 Albatross Open.

Not to be outdone by her teammates, the enduring Anne Walker (age 85, DCM) swam four individual events and set two new USMS records for women 85-89 while missing a third by just two tenths of a second. Her 50 and 200 back times of 1:01.72 and 4:57.09 smashed the old USMS Records of 1:05.17 and 5:13.33, respectively.

Other notables from the meet included 91 year old Elizabeth Dziadus traveling down from Connecticut to swim the 50 back while Roger Hawkins (age 53, GOLD) traveled up from Florida to attempt to lower his own world record in the 50 Free.

The "Fastest Woman in the Water" special award was given to Dori Kauffman (age 33, FXCM) by virtue of her overall winning time (27.98) in the women’s 50 free.

The "Most Versatile Swimmer" award (fastest handicapped 200 IM) was given to Laurie Hug (age 36, 1776) based on her actual time of 2:34.61.

Complete Results under RESULTS

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