The US Masters nationals is a truly great event. There’s a ton of fast swimming, loads of camaraderie, inspiration and FUN. This year 1400 have descended upon the historic Marguerite Aquatic Center – home of the Mission Viejo Nadadores – for 5 days of one of the world’s great celebrations of swimming. Here’s some of the sites so far.
Mission Viejo Nadador Katie Moore before the 200 Medley Relay. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Relays are always fun. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
everybody go! (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Masters world record holder Steve West. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Olympian Clark Burckle throwing down lots of fast swims. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Olympian Felipe Delgado with plenty of speed in the fly. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
(Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Olympic champion Dara Torres spends time meeting swimmers of all ages in the vendor village. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Swimming is good for life. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
National record holder Cynthia Lewis takes the title in the 200IM. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
John Whitley of the Wind-n-Sea Masters Swim team is the 100m back champ (70-74). (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
you won’t see this at an age group meet – reading glasses attached to the heat sheet board. An every young Mike Colonnese checking his next race. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
(Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
swim forever indeed. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
swimming 50’s always brings out the smiles. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
(Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Las Vegas Masters Swim Coach Vic Hecker checking the results. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
USMS “On Deck Coaches” on hand to help swimmers who are here w/o their official coaches. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Olympic champion Misty Hyman with the on deck interviews. (Photo: Mike Lewis, Ola Vista Photography – Courtesy US Masters Swimming)
Find out more at the official meet site.
Patrick, did I meet you in Greensboro? I know I met atleast one member of the brundage family through Eney jones i believe. My family has a lot of respect for the brundage clan, as we also are all involved in aquatics, just not at your level.
Cynthia, you should totally do masters. nobody cares about what kind of times you swim except for you and perhaps a few training partners or coaches
I was watching some of the masters swimming the first heat of the women’s 400 im is as slow as I would do today, which is pretty. I did a few masters meet’s back in 2002,2003 and 2004, and surprise myself I was still able to siwm 200 freestyle and 200 breastroke. The 100 meter breaststroke was the best event. Slow as a kid as a swimmer and slower as an adult compared to the national ability swimmers here.
I only made it there for a few hours and a few events, but the Nadadores and USMS have put on another great event.
I just want to find the joker who thought it’d be a good idea to put the pool records in the masters meet program! Still nice to see Mary T holds a pool record there from 1985 and, until Katie Ledecky, Lotte Friis or Lauren Boyle trek out for the Meet of Champions, I think Kate Ziegler’s 1500 pool record will stand for some time.
so disappointed i’ve missed the past 3 champs. i went spring 2012. i hope to be able to go again within the next 5 years. masters swimming is the most fun swimming there is. i think college swimming is more fun, but the whole experience is exhausting. masters is something anyone can enjoy down from the slowest clowniest beginner to former olympic gold medalists.
some advice to anyone interested in swimming masters. Don’t “wait until you are in better shape” or any thing else “for fear of embarrassing ones self” nobody really knows what you used to go. sign up and do it. once you do you’ll never look back