Twenty Masters National Records Fall on Final Day of USMS Short Course Nationals; Muhammad, Spieker Notch Two Apiece

By Phillip Whitten

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, April 25. SABIR Muhammad, 28, and Tod Spieker, 55, each set two USMS national records today, the final day of competition at the USMS National Short Course Championships at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.

A total of 20 records fell this day, as the annual gathering of the nation’s top Masters swimmers came to a close.

Muhammad, representing The Race Club in Islamorada in the Florida Keys, had the crowd on its feet, whooping and hollering as he devastated two very solid records in the men’s 25-29 division. The 6’7” Stanford grad and 2004 Olympic hopeful, who yesterday swam a lifetime best in winning the 100 free in a record 42.91, began by wiping out Robert Peel’s 11 year-old standard of 19.83 seconds in the 50 free with a super-fast 19.44. Teammate Aaron Ciarla, an NCAA 50 free champion at Auburn in his own right, was second in 20.08, while four-time Olympic gold medalist Gary Hall, Jr. and South African.Olympian Herman Louw tied for third in 20.15.

Not satisfied, Muhammad later came back to clock a breath-taking 21.15 in the 50 fly, slashing Neil Pfeiffer’s 22.16 set just last year. Once again, Ciarla was second in 22.46 while Pfeiffer finished third in 22.67.

Spieker attracted less attention for his record-breaking swims, but they were impressive just the same. Interestingly, both of the records he broke had been held by his Olympic Club teammate Tim Birnie.

In the 200 backstroke, Spieker’s 2:07.54 chopped nearly two seconds from Birnie’s 55-59 standard of 2:09.26 set in 2001. Spieker nearly even-split his race, going out in 1:02.37 and coming home in 1:03.17.

Spieker set the only record In the meet’s final event, the 500 yard free. Touching the pads in 5:12.60, Spieker took nearly a second off Birnie’s 5:13.45 mark set in 2001.

Aside from the two double winners, there were a number of other spectacular, record-breaking swims:

200 yard backstroke
a beardless Rich Burns clocked 2:17.33 in the men’s 60-64 age group, erasing the old mark of 2:18.20 set by his Tamalpais Masters teammate, Ed Cazalet just last year.

In the men’s 90-94 division, James Triolo lit up the boards in 4:47.64, just 32-hundredths under Joe Kaufman’s old mark set in 1996.

50 yard freestyle
Muhammad was one of four swimmers to set national records in the 50 free. Maria Doelger, Badger Swim Club, blazed a 23.73 to win the 40-44 competition, erasing the old record of 23.94 by Anna Pettis-Scott set last year in Phoenix.

In the men’s 40-44 division, Paul Smith continued his red-hot swimming as he clocked 20.95 seconds, wiping out rival John Smith’s 21.08 from 2002. John was second today in 21.25. Smith, 44, ages up next year.

In the 45-49 age group, St. Pete’s Steve Albritton tied the record of 21.86 set by Jack Groselle in 2001. Groselle was second today in 22.18.

200 yard individual medley
Jackie Marr, who wound up with six USMS national marks in six events, ended her best-ever meet with a women’s 60-64 record in the 200 IM> Marr’s 2:48.80 made history of Jayne Bruner’s 2:50.10 set seven years ago.

50 yard butterfly
Muhammad was only one of four record-breakers in the 50 yard fly. Race Club teammate Nadine Rolland, 28, a Canadian Olympian, took down the toughest women’s record in this event when she clocked 24.46. The time erased Chinese Olympian Liu Limin’s 24.69 from 2001.

Trip Hedrick continued his amazing odyssey from heart attack victim to national champion. Swimming in the 50-54 age group, Hedrick touched in 23.19 seconds, wiping out Greg Shaw’s 24.04 set last year. Shaw was second today in 24.31.

In the men’s 60-64 age group, two men swam well under Jeff Farrell’s 27.12 standard that had weathered all challengers for six years. First to the wall was Keefe Lodwig in 26.23, followed by Robert Smith in 26.95.

100 yard breaststroke
Five records for the 100 yard breaststroke were ripped from the record book today.

Olympian Susan von der Lippe, 38, took down one of the toughest with her 1:04.25 in the women’s 35-39 division. Caroline Krattli owned the old mark at 1:04.96 from 2001.

Multnomah’s Ginger Pierson lowered her own 55-59 record set last year from 1:18.18 to 1:17.43.

In the 65-69 age group, Virginia Masters’ Joann Leilich completed her sweep of the breaststroke marks with a 1:23.95. Jayne Bruner had held the record at 1:26.53 for four years.

In the men’s 30-34 age group, Jeff Commings blazed a 56.11, taking down David Lundberg’s 13 year-old standard of 56.58.

Finally, Dave Gildea and Peter Andersen both smashed Dru Gallagher’s 1999 record for men 60-64 of 1:09.35. Anderson touched in 1:08.69 by Gildea was even faster at 1:08.20.

200 yard mixed freestyle relay
The Indy SwimFit 19+ team clocked a very fast 1:30.81 as the top eieght teams bettered the listed mark of 1:38.68 set by Holmes Lumber in 1992.

Rocky Mountain Masters’ 35+ team was even faster, touching in 1:30.17 to obliterate the old mark of 1:36.90 set five years ago.

Olympian Roque Santos and daughter root for mom, Debbie Santos at USMS Nationals, IUPUI 2004

Sabir Muhammad at 2004 USMS Nationals, Indy

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