USMS Short Course Nationals, Day 4: Von der Lippe, Strand and Britt Set Two National Records Apiece

By Phillip Whitten

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., May 14. THE 2006 USMS Short Course Nationals Championships ended Sunday much as they began: with a flurry of national records by familiar names.

The Big Three
Once again there were three swimmers who set two national records this day, and once again, one of the three was Colorado Masters superstar Susan von der Lippe. Better known by her maiden name, Susan Rapp, the 40-year-old, two-time Olympian was a perfect six-for-six in Coral Springs: six events, six records. She also swam on three Colorado Masters record-breaking relay teams.

Bob Strand was a double record-setter today for the second day in a row, while Clay Britt was doubly golden today for the first time. In all, 12 records were washed away this day, bringing the final total for the meet to 45.

Von der Lippe began the day by taking the 50 breast in 29.55 to complete her sweep of Caroline Krattli’s seemingly invincible 40-44 standards. Krattli’s old mark, set in 2002, was 29.94. In her final individual swim, von der Lippe stroked a 58.20 for the 100 IM, just pipping Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen’s 58.29 from 2003.

The Olympic Club’s Bob Strand, swimming in the men’s 60-64 age group, set his two records in the same events. Strand zipped under the 50-yard breaststroke standard of 30.86 by Pete Anderson with a swift 29.32. He backed that up with a 1:00.75 for the 100 IM, cracking both the official record of 1:01.50 by Rich Abrahams and Strand’s own pending mark of 1:01.46.

Clay Britt had already smashed the 100 and 200 yard backstroke marks for men 45-49, so all that was left was the 50. No sweat. He breezed through the two-lap sprint in 24.87 seconds, shaving 27-hundredths off Steve Wood’s 25.14, set last year. Wood was second today in 25.41.

Earlier Britt had taken the 100 IM in record time – 54.56 seconds. Jack Groselle had held the former mark at 55.53.

Seven Swift Swims
The Big Three were by no means the only record-breakers today. The relentless Jim McConica became the oldest swimmer ever to break five minutes for the 500 yard freestyle when he touched in 4:59.74. The new men’s 55-59 record shattered the listed mark of 5:09.48 by Jim Clemmons and McConica’s own pending time of 5:01.27.

Ninety-year-old Austin Newman, Garden State Masters, set his third distance freestyle mark in the 90-94 age group, when he swam the 500 in 10:01.23 with an evenly-split 5:00.37 – 5:00.86. The previous record – 10:20.59 by Gus Langner – had stood since 1993.

Laura Val’s 1:03.83 had stood for nine years as the women’s 45-49 record in the 100 IM. Today, it was bettered by two women. Battling head to head, Lisa Dahl overcame a .33 second deficit at the 50 to out-touch Brigitte Heuer, 1:03.62 to 1:03.69.

Ginger Pierson, MACO, set her second national record of the meet for women 60-64, when she clocked a 2:56.09 for the 200-yard butterfly. Daniela Barnea, who had owned the previous mark at 3:01.31, was second today. Yesterday, Pierson set the 100 yard fly record.

Cav Cavanaugh set his second national record of the meet, swimming the 100-yard freestyle in 57.89 (27.94 – 29.95), dipping under Don Hill’s 2002 record of 58.21 for men 70-74. Yesterday, Cavanaugh took down Hill’s record for the 50 free.

Only one relay mark was broken on this final day of competition and, once again, the Colorado Masters were the perps. In the 45+ 200 yard mixed freestyle relay, the CMS squad of Kathy Garnier, Richard Hess, Corinna Maleike and Mark Johnston clocked 1:36.97, easing under the old record, Arizona Masters’ 1:38.10 set three years ago.

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