ATHL E TICS
MAC Masters Lead Oregon Swimmers at Meet
T
he MAC masters swim team had a quiet autumn after the long- course and open-water seasons ended in late summer. There were only a few swim meets in September, October and November, and they were in other cities like Bend and Seattle. Instead of traveling to those meets, MAC swimmers stayed with their training to get ready for the last big meet of the year.
MAC swimmers Lauren Thies, Eric
Wan, Brent Washburne and new member Brendan Lyons-Keefe joined four other Oregon swimmers from local clubs to compete in a three-day swim meet in Long Beach, Calif. The Southern Pacific Masters Association (SPMA) short-course meters championships were held Dec. 3-5 at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool. This meet has become a national-level competi- tion, drawing hundreds of swimmers from across the country and even from nearby countries. This year, there were 543 swimmers from 52 clubs. Although the combined Oregon team was small, it placed 11th overall and was the third-highest scoring team from outside of California.
Championships results
Thies came in first place overall (out of 22) in the women’s 30-34 age group by winning all six of her events. She even set Northwest Zone and Oregon state records for each event: 50 and 100 butterfly, 100, 200 and 400 freestyle, and 200 individual medley.
The oldest record was set 22 years ago in 1988, and Thies broke that 100 butterfly time by more than three seconds. The next oldest record was set in 1990, and she shattered that 200 freestyle record by more than nine seconds. She broke a 15-year- old 50 butterfly record by more than two seconds; demolished the six-year-old 400 freestyle record by about 12 seconds; and smashed a two-year-old 200 individual medley record by more than 11 seconds. She even broke her own 100 freestyle zone record, set last year, by more than two seconds. In all, she took more than 40 seconds off of the SCM zone records. Lyons-Keefe came in fifth place overall (out of 20) in the men’s 25-29 age group, winning all three of his events: 200, 400 and 800 freestyle. Wan came in seventh place overall (out of 36) in the men’s 40-44
age group. He came in second in the 50 freestyle and third in the 50 butterfly and the 100 and 200 freestyle. Washburne came in ninth place overall (out of 36) in the men’s 45-49 age group. He came in third in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the 50 backstroke, 100 butterfly, 200 backstroke and 400 free- style.
MAC masters in 2011
The MAC masters now turn their sights towards the 2011 swim seasons. The short-course yards season started in January, with meets in Chehalem and Canby, and ends Sunday, May 1 at spring nationals in Mesa, Ariz. The long-course season follows immediately and ends Saturday, Aug. 6 at summer nationals in Auburn, Ala. The pool season wraps up the year with the short-course meters season, which are again at the SPMA meet in December.
The distance swimmers start 2011 with the January One-Hour Postal Championships and the February Fitness Challenge. The USMS 5- and 10-Kilometer Postal Championships run from May 15 to Sept. 15, and the USMS 3000/6000 yard Postal Championships run from Sept. 15 through Nov. 15. Open-water season starts in May and goes through August.
Oregon swimmers at the SPMA championship were, front row from left: Allen Stark, Ginger Pierson and David Hathaway; and back row from left: Eric Wan, Brent Washburne, Brendan Lyons-Keefe, Arlene Delmage and Lauren Thies.
54 | The Wınged M | FEBRUARY 2011
Fitness swimming continues year-round, as the MAC masters are adding a fourth member coach to offer even more coached workouts and to help out at the swimming events. Triathletes have been taking advan- tage of the distance training, and beginners have been joining in during practice to work on their technique. Even athletes who are recovering from sports injuries are enjoying the therapeutic effects of swim- ming. Swimmers of all abilities are invited to take advantage of the club’s pools and the many coached practice times. For more information on MAC swimming, call the Aquatics Office at 503-517-7500 or go to
theMAC.com. WM
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