US Masters Short Course Nationals, Set to Begin Next Week, Draws Olympians Old and New and Is Dedicated to “Doc” Counsilman

By Phillip Whitten

INDIANAPOLIS, April 12. SOME 1,562 of the fastest Masters swimmers in the nation, representing 157 clubs, are scheduled to compete at the USMS Short Course National Championships, to be held at the IUPUI Natatorium, April 22-25.

As always, SwimInfo will cover each day’s highlights and carry complete results.

The Masters Nationals – a perennial celebration of fun and fitness – has some unique aspects this year as well.

This year’s meet is being dedicated to Dr. James “Doc” Counsilman, according to Meet Director Mel Goldstein. Counsilman, the legendary Indiana coach, scientist, writer and innovator, passed away in January at the age of 83.

In addition, eight members of The Race Club – created by two-time Olympian Gary Hall, Jr. — will be competing. These include Americans Hall, Sabir Muhammad, Aaron Ciarla, and David Arluck; Australian Michelle Engelsman; Canadian Nadine Rolland; and Cypriot Stavros Michaelides.

Engelsman, 24, is a member of the 2004 Australian Olympic team. After training with The Race Club in Islamorada, Florida, for less than two months, Engelsman dropped her 50 meter free time from 25.70 to 24.80 to qualify for Athens. Carter finished third in the men’s 50 at the Aussie Trials, just missing out on a berth on the Australian Olympic team.

Rolland, 28, is a Canadian national record-holder while Michaelides, 33, is a two-time Olympian for his country of Cyprus.

Hall, 29, Muhammad, 28, Ciarla, 26, and Carter, 29, are all entered in the 50 and 100 free in the 25-29 age group. In the 50, all four are entered with seed times under 20 seconds. The 25-29 record stands at 19.83, set 13 years ago by Robert Peel. Hall, a two-time Olympian with eight Olympic medals – four of them gold – holds the American record in the 50 meter free, 21.76 seconds. Both Muhammad and Ciarla are former NCAA champions.

Also competing for the first time ever at a USMS Nationals – though he has swum at other Masters meets including the Japanese championships – is Rowdy Gaines, 45, a triple gold medalist in Los Angeles in 1984. Gaines will swim only on a Rocky Mountain Masters relay.

The meet also features a number of other Olympians including Peter Berndt (Germany), Mani Sanguily (Cuba), Susan von der Lippe (USA), Roque Santos (USA) and Yoshi Oyakawa (USA).

Dramatically illustrating the family nature of Masters swimming, eleven members of the Rhodenbaugh family have entered the meet and will be swimming as Team Rhodenbaugh.

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