{"id":504763,"date":"2022-05-01T17:22:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T00:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=504763"},"modified":"2022-05-09T04:48:39","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T11:48:39","slug":"u-s-masters-spring-nationals-zach-fong-returns-to-swimming-11-records-fall-on-final-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-masters-spring-nationals-zach-fong-returns-to-swimming-11-records-fall-on-final-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Luma Lanes Performance of the Week: U.S. Masters Spring Nationals: Zach Fong Returns to Swimming; 11 Records Fall on Final Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Masters Spring Nationals: Zach Fong Retuns to Swimming; 11 Records Fall on Final Day<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Performance of the Week, Sponsored by Luma Lanes<\/em><\/p>\n

By Daniel Paulling<\/em><\/p>\n

Zach Fong<\/strong>\u2019s return to swimming went well.<\/p>\n

After taking a three-year break following his swimming career at the University of Virginia, Fong won all six of his races at the 2022 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship, his first meet back. The New York Athletic Club member also set a USMS record in the men\u2019s 18-24 200 butterfly with a time of 1:44.08.<\/p>\n

\"luma<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really cool,\u201d Fong says. \u201cI did my last [200 butterfly] a little over three years ago in college, and I was not sure I was ever going to do another. I really surprised myself in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fong\u2019s record was one of 57 set during the four-day Spring Nationals. Puget Sound Masters member Rick Colella<\/strong>, Sarasota Sharks member Diann Uustal,<\/strong> and Tamalpais Aquatic Masters member Laura Val<\/strong> were the top record-setters with six apiece.<\/p>\n

Other swimmers who set multiple records include New England Masters Swim Club\u2019s Chuck Barnes, North Carolina Masters Swimming’s Erika Braun<\/strong>, Off Piste Aquatics\u2019 Katie Glenn<\/strong>, Lone Star Masters\u2019 David Guthrie<\/strong>, Sarasota Sharks\u2019 Susan Meyers<\/strong>, Sarasota Sharks\u2019 Arnaldo Perez<\/strong>, and Novaquatics Masters\u2019 Steve West<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Colorado Masters Swimming won the regional club competition with 1,728 points, ahead of runner-up North Carolina Masters Swimming\u2019s 760 points and third-place finisher Wisconsin Masters\u2019 718. Lone Star Masters won the local club competition with 1,944 points, ahead of New York Athletic Club\u2019s 1,281 points and Swim Fort Lauderdale\u2019s 1,231 points.<\/p>\n

Meyers\u2019 three records at Spring Nationals, combined with the two she set earlier this year, were the first five she\u2019s broken. She admits to being surprised by her success.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not anything I ever expected to do because I\u2019m not that good a swimmer,\u201d Meyers says. \u201cIt\u2019s been an unexpected pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meyers, 80, is downplaying her abilities. After starting swimming 25 years ago, she\u2019s recorded 703 individual USMS Top 10s and is a 10-time individual pool USMS All-American.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Masters meet drew seven Olympians, including Josh Prenot,<\/strong> who won a silver medal in the 200 breaststroke at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The Olympic Club member, who says he doesn\u2019t think he\u2019ll attempt to swim again in a professional capacity, won all three of his races, which included a 53.93 in the men\u2019s 25-29 100 breaststroke, despite just swimming once a week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been great to be out here competing with old friends, getting to be on relays with guys from Stanford [University],\u201d says Prenot, 28, who swam at the University of California \u2013 Berkeley, a bitter rival of Stanford\u2019s. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d ever get a chance to do that. It\u2019s really nice to have this as an option to get that competitive fire going again. It\u2019s really cool to see that it\u2019s a lifelong sport for everyone. Everyone here just loves competing. That\u2019s why we\u2019re all here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Competition is what drew Fong back into swimming.<\/p>\n

After the last race of his college career, a 200 butterfly that made him an NCAA All-American, he wasn\u2019t sure whether he would compete again. But after taking what he describes as a much-needed break, he realized he wanted to compete again, which brought him to Spring Nationals.<\/p>\n

Fong, 24, plans to keep going for more records when he ages up next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to try,\u201d he says. \u201cI went through the traditional college and high school circuit\u2014a lot of stress and angst. But I think the attitude here, everyone\u2019s really enjoying themselves, and it\u2019s a very supportive community. I think that\u2019s really cool. I\u2019m always a believer that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer, and that\u2019s just the culture at a meet like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so many amazing people. Watching some 90-year-olds doing 100 IMs, it\u2019s so impressive. It motivates you in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Results<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 More meet coverage<\/a><\/p>\n

US Masters Records Broken”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, April 28<\/strong><\/p>\n