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In This Issue
Relay of Friendship
State Meet photos
Frist Day at Chatfield
Chatfield Gravel Pond to Open May 1st
2013 USMS Spring National Championships
2013 Pan-American Masters Championship
Check off Challenge 2013
Go the Distance 2013
Whats Happening at USMS
Quick Links



Upcoming Events 
 


May 5, 2013 
Cinco de Mayo Distance Classic
1500M 3000 M
George Meyer Pool, Arvada 
 

May 9-12, 2013

USMS Spring National Championship 

IU Natatorium

Indianapolis, IN 

meet info and registration 

 

 

June 1, 2013 

10th Annual SWM Masters Long Course Masters Invitational
Lowry Pool, Denver

meet info and registration 

 

 

June 5-12, 2013

2013 Pan -American Masters Championship

meet info  

 

August 18, 2013 

Horsetooth Openwater Swim
10K, 2.4 mile or 1.2 mile swims
Horsetoth Reservoir, Ft Collins  

online registration  

event flyer 

 

 

 

 Ongoing Events

  

Go the Distance 2013
more info  

Check off Challenge  2013 
 more info and registration 
 Contact
May 2013 

Greetings!,  

Happy Cinco de Mayo! For  those swimming the
Cinco de Mayo Distance Classic 1500M or 3000M today, good luck!

And for those swimming at the USMS SCY National Championships next weekend in Indy, have fun and represent Colorado well!

Heide Crino

[email protected]

Relay of Friendship

 Relay of Friendship 

 

The COMSA State Swimming Championships were held last month and one of the participants swam the event with a special purpose in mind.

 

On Friday evening Peter Harding looked up from the pool and told me that the mile swim he had just completed was his first time swimming that event.  Peter was 65 and so at the time I thought it was just one more highly motivated, inspiring and healthy masters swimmer.

 

Later on in the session, Peter let me know he swam the event to honor his friend, David Hopkins because David's health was failing and his specialty was long distance swimming events.  Peter explained that even though he himself had always preferred sprinting, the meditative state he could reach swimming the mile allowed him to reminisce about his good buddy David. 

 

During the warm-up for the first session on Saturday I saw my new friend Peter and came over to wish him luck for the day.  Peter seemed a little distant and very quiet compared to the happy person I had met the previous evening and when I saw him after one of his races later in the session I learned why.

 

Peter explained to me that after he had finished his mile swim the previous evening, he called his friend to share a laugh about his race just as he had countless times over the past 50 years of their friendship only to learn from David's wife, Carol that David had passed away just prior to Peter's race.  It was very difficult for Peter to talk to me about this as it became clear that he had a lifelong kinship with David all around swimming.

 

Peter Harding, David Hopkins and Whitney Mills were all raised in Cleveland, OH and attended The University School together.  They became close mates because of their love for swimming, fireworks, laughter and girls.  Bonded together for life now, they all became accomplished swimmers matriculating at top academic institutions. Peter became the 2nd fastest breaststroker in the U.S. and 7th fastest in the world in 1965.  His mates were also outstanding swimmers. 

 

David's passing surely fed Peter's competitive spirit as he swam in eleven events and won the high point trophy for men 65-69.  As I handed Peter all his winnings (highpoint, sprint squad and brute squad) he told me that he was happy it was the mile he would be swimming for his remaining years to honor his friendship with David and Whitney as it will give him almost enough time to recall all the joy they have shared together. 

 

When I called Peter to verify that I had the names and other facts of the story accurately portrayed, he was on his way to David's funeral.  He told me that he was no longer sad about not having that last phone conversation with David and that in retrospect he realized that during his mile swim at State he was having a conversation with David that represented a hand-off.   Instead of Peter honoring David by continuing to swim David's race, David bestowed upon Peter the honor of swimming it with him...
peter harding results 
Written by Pat Burke 
COMSA SCY State Meet 2012
State meet 2012
 
First Day at Chatfield    May 1, 2012
first day of Chatfield  Swimmers:  Craig Lenning, Jeff Hulett, Jodi Jackson, Cliff Crozier, and Jesse Smith
 
Monitors:  Jeff Hulett, Judy Campbell, Beverly Sunie, and Reynold Kalstrom
Chatfield Gravel Pond Opened  May 1st

The Ice has Melted!!  But the Snow has not!!! 

 

This year the pond  opened on May 1, a Wednesday evening. The closing day will be Monday, Sept 30th.

 

We will again be asking that everyone who swims at the pond volunteer a half session (1.25 hours) to help with the monitoring of the swimmers. Be watching for the emails from SignUp Genius asking for your help with this task.

 

In addition, COMSA is in need of an Open Water Chair (or co-chairs) who will, among other things, coordinate the scheduling of the monitors. We had over 900 members participate last season at Chatfield, and each year this number increases. However, to keep this a successful activity, volunteer help is needed. If you are willing to coordinate monitors for one month of the five that we are open, maybe four others would also be interested. If you are willing to help with this, contact the COMSA chairperson, Brian Hoyt, ([email protected]) , or Marcia Anziano, the registrar ([email protected]) for more information and let them know that you are willing to help out. Please help COMSA make this another great summer at the pond.

 

2013 USMS Spring National Championships
May 9-12, 2013
2013 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship  spring masters logo
IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 9-12, 2013
Short Course Yards
 meet info,qual. times and order of events

CMS Team members:
RELAYS:
Chris Nolte has volunteered to coordinate relays this year.  If you'd like to participate in relays, please send Chris your name, age, your 50 yard times in each of the 4 strokes (or those you'd like to swim), days you would like to swim relays and any  requests for relay partners.  Thanks Chris!!
[email protected]
2013 Pan -American Masters Championship
June 5-12, 2013
Pan -American logo

"U.S. Masters Swimming is pleased to host the 2013 Pan American Masters Championship. The Championship, awarded by Union American de Natacion, will be hosted in partnership with the Sarasota Family YMCA, in Sarasota, Fla. Our Travel page includes our Letter of Invitation.

 

Masters synchronized swimming and pool swimming competition will be held at the Selby Aquatic Center adjacent to the Sarasota Y's Evalyn Sadlier Jones branch in Sarasota, Fla. The synchro event dates are June 1-4, and swimming events June 5-12. An open water swim will be hosted June 13 at Siesta Key in Sarasota, Fla.

 

This will be the first time the USA has hosted the biennial event. The Championship is expected to attract up to 2,000 adult swimmers from the South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada and the USA."  Pan-American Masters Championship meet page

 
Check off Challenge 2013
check off challenge

"2013 Check-Off Challenge

The CHECK-OFF CHALLENGE is a postal event designed to motivate swimmers to complete 19 "pool" events and an "open water swim" during the 2013 calendar year. It challenges all levels of swimmers. Novice swimmers can swim new events. Experienced swimmers can try for their personal best times in as many events as practical. Simply "Check-off" each swim on your t-shirt when you complete the event."  USMS website


 read more and register here.
Go The Distance 2013
go the distance
"Go the Distance in 2013

Nike GTD is a self-directed program intended to encourage Masters swimmers to regularly exercise and track their progress. There's no time limit for the distance milestones, except that they must be achieved in the calendar year. Speed doesn't count-just the effort to attain whatever goal you set for yourself.

Nike GTD is on the honor system-you track the distance you swim. Daily, weekly, or monthly, enter that information into your online Fitness Log (FLOG). When you achieve certain milestones, you'll be recognized on the U.S. Masters Swimming website and receive special prizes from Nike Swim, our title sponsor for the event." USMS website


 more info and registration
What's Happening at U.S.M.S.
As members of COMSA, you are also members of U. S. Masters Swimming. Check that website for information on Fitness Events, Coaching tips, Competitions nation wide, and many other areas of interest to swimmers everywhere .... U. S. Masters Swimming