John Smith Smashes Backstroke Mark as Masters YMCA Nationals Come to an End

FORT LAUDERDALE, April 19. The four-day YMCA National Masters Short Course Championships finished with a flourish on Sunday, with an even dozen national YMCA records falling on the final day of competition.

In the team competition, Anne Arundel (MD) Y won the women’s large team category with 1675 points, well ahead of the Arthur Jordan (IN) Y with 1339. The women’s small team crown went to West Broward (FL) Y with 921 points, followed by Andover (MA), 612, and South Hills (PA) with 586.

West Broward won the men’s large team crown with 1376 points, as it was the only team in that division. Jordan won the small teams race with 765 points, followed by Anne Arundel with 683.5 and Sarasota with 544.

While no official scores were posted, it appears that West Broward won the combined title for large teams with 2297 points. Following close behind were Anne Arundel with 2258.5 and Arthur Jordan with 2104. Andover appears to be the combined team champion among small teams with 1120.5 points. South Hills is second with 1008 and Orlando third with 961.5.

Sarasota’s John Smith turned in the day’s most outstanding swim, as he completed his sweep of the men’s 65-69 backstroke records. Swimming the 100 back, Smith clocked 1:05.03. That time erased Yoshi Oyakawa’s Y record of 1:07.17 from 2001 as well as his national USMS standard of 1:05.58 from 1999. Smith’s 100 back was the only national USMS record broken this day.

Two other backstroke records fell: Terry Freerks completed her sweep of the women’s 50-54 dorsal marks with her 1:07.66, erasing Betty Bennett’s 1:10.58. In the men’s 50-54 age group, Jeff Perout clocked 58.27, to slash his own standard of 59.46 from last year.

The 100 fly saw four Y records .bite the dust. Jordan Y’s Joni Davidson notched her second record at the expense of Sue Brenner. Swimming in the 19-24 division, Joni went 59.03 to erase Brenner’s 13 year-old mark of 59.95.

In the men’s 50-54 division, Orlando’s John McCall swam 54.40, 26-hundredths under the former mark he set last year and just 9-hundredths slower than the national USMS record.

Joel Burns became the first YMCA swimmer over 55 to break a minute as his 57.56 shattered Jack Geoghegan’s 1:00.69 for men 55-59 from 1998.

In the men’s 70-74 division, Wally Dobler hacked almost two seconds off Joe Kurzman’s 1996 record of 1:16.54, as he touched in 1:14.64.

Peter Berndt(men 40-44) and Tim Shead (men 50-54) both added to their record collection with YMCA standards in the 200 IM. Berndt cracked the 2-minute barrier with his 1:59.19, four seconds faster than the previous mark, 2:13.39. His West Broward teammate, Shead, touched in 2:07.68 breaking John McCall’s 2:11.70. McCall was second in this race.

Joann Leilich lowered the women’s 65-69 record in the 50 breast from 40.23 to 39.93. In the same age group, Nancy Brown reduced her own three year-old 200 free standard from 2:45.82 to 2:45.23.

The final mark fell to the Sarasota Y, which won the mixed 200 free relay in the 45+ age group in 1:42.68.

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