Oregon Masters Women’s Relay Breaks Masters World Record in 320+ Age Group; Collette Crabbe Lowers Her Own 45-49 Medley Marks

PORTLAND, Oregon, July 22. FOUR USMS records and a venerable world record fell at three separate meets in Oregon this weekend.

Collette Crabbe Gets Two
Competing in the Oregon 11 & Over Age Group Championships, Collette Crabbe, 46, lowered her own standards in the women's 45-49 individual medley events. She swam 5:37.68 in the 400 IM, breaking her own mark of 5:44.80 set at last year's USMS Long Course Championships.

In the 200 IM, she shaved almost eight-tenths of a second off her own standard of 2:38.84, also set at last year's Long Course Nationals, with a 2:38.04.

Collette's times from last year remain as the official FINA world marks, but her new times will be the new American records. Under FINA rules world Masters records can only be set at Masters meet. USMS rules, however, recognize as national marks swims performed at sanctioned USA Swimming meets.

320 Years-Young Relay
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old record for the 800 meter freestyle relay in the women's 320+ age group was cracked by an Oregon Masters quartet competing at the Senior Sports Festival at the Echo Hollow Pool in Eugene.

On July 20, the team of Elfie Stevenin,81; Margaret Wells, 76; Pauline Stangel, 81; and Eva Muller, 90, combined efforts to clock 22:14.53. The old record of 22:37.07 set by St Petersburg Masters had stood since 1994.

The same four women attempted to break the 400 medley relay standard, but just missed.

Left to right in the picture: Margaret Wells, Pauline Stangel, Elfie Stevenin, and Eva Muller.

Pipes-Neilsen Does It Again!
The amazing Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, 40, destroyed the USMS mark in the 200m fly for women 40-44 at the recent Janet Evans Invitational. As with Collette Crabbe's swims, Pipes-Neilsen's will not be certified as a Masters world record because it was done at a non-Masters meet.

Karlyn clocked 2:25.60 for the 200m fly at the JEI. Her time is almost four seconds under the "old" mark –2:29.3 by Suzanne Simpson 2:29.3 at the World Championships in New Zealand in May.

–Phil Whitten, with Robin Parisi and Bill Volckening

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