Masters swimmers make a big splash

Masterton made a huge impact at the 2005 Masters national swimming championships held at Levin, their 14 members featuring so prominently amongst the major placings that the club placed third out of 31 clubs in the team's event.
It was a performance which showed the value of dedication with many of the team not only training each morning on an individual basis but also attending club sessions on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings..
Three of the Masterton swimmers, Richard Swallow, Kirsten Cameron and Cathryn Whyte, became New Zeland champions in their respective age groups while Aflredo Alder was second and Ngaire Clarke third.
Fresh from a swim camp in Australia, Cameron powered to four New Zealand records, two of them previously held by herself and two by former commonwealth games rep Rebecca Perrott.
She smashed a massive 33secs off the 1500m freestyle record in her age group and beat every swimmer, male or female, at the carnival on time in not only that race but also the 800m freestyle and the 400m freestyle.
But Cameron's success did not stop there.She also won freestyle races over 200m, 100m and 50m, ultimately taking out her age group championship by an impressive margin.
In Masters swimming competitors are grouped with others in their time range rather than their age so as to make the actual racing more competitive and that can mean some daunting competition on occasions.
So it was for Richard Swallow and Alfredo Alder who both had the distinction of sharing the pool with former Olympian Dean Kent, Swallow in the 400m individual medley and Alder in a novelty 25m elimination sprint.
Swallow recalled on the backstroke leg seeing Kent (already 50m clear of anyone else at this point)coming toward him."He was getting so high out of the water it looked like he was body surfing" Swallow said.
Alder was delighted in what was his first ever carnival to compete against a swimmer of Kent's class, saying he had managed to hang in "for at least a couple of lengths" with the current international.
Swallow, Adler and Cathryn Whyte won all of their six events but one while new recruit Rebecca Tohill came very close to breaking her own New Zealand 200m breaststroke record and close again to establishing a new 100m breaststroke record as well. She was instrumental in helping the women's medley and freesytyle relay teams annihilate all opposition.
Achieving personal best times was very much a matter of course for the Masterton swimmers with Graeme Corrin managing two, Jo Matthews two, Margaret McGregor two, Liz Brown one and Alfredo Alder one
Masterton coach Jiri Mikolas was understandably delighted with the fine performances registered by all club members with all team members gaining at least one top five placing in an individual event.
Times and placings were:-
Derek Smith (46yrs): 1500m freestyle, second in 22.28.00; 800m freestyle, third in 11.51.45; 400m freestyle, second in 5.42.33; 200m individual medley, second in 3.22.45;
Richard Swallow (49yrs): 800m freestyle, second in 11.11.34; 400m individual medley, first in 5.50.47;200m butterfly, first in 2.37.04; 100m butterfly, first in 1.10.19; 50m butterfly, first in 31.48; 200m breaststroke, first in 3.05,17, first in age group.
Brian Bourke (64yrs): 800m freestyle, fourth in 17.57.35;400m freestyle, fourth in 8.38.40; fifth in 4.00.62; 100m freestyle, fourth in 1.48.47;
Graeme Corrin (56yrs): 800m freestyle, fourth in 12.49.20; 400m freestyle, seventh in 6.13.99;200m freestyle, seventh in 2.49.32; 100m freestyle, third in 1.18.28; 50m freestyle, fourth in 33.67; 200m backstroke, fourth in 3.48.30.
Paul Maguire (57yrs): 800m freestyle, ninth in 14.34.12;200m freestyle,ninth in 3.03.63; 100m freestyle,fourth in 1.22.22; 50m freestyle, sixth. in 35.10.
Alfredo Alder (32yrs): 800m freestyle, first in 13.07.88;200m freestyle, first in 2.44.05; 50m freestyle, first in 30.42; 200m breaststroke, first in 3.16.82; 100m breaststroke, first in 1.28.00; 50m breaststroke, second in 38.11; second in age group.
Kirsten Cameron (32yrs): 1500m freestyle, first in 17.33.36;800m freestyle, first in 9.14.62; 400m freestyle, first in 4.30.60;200m freestyle, first in 2.10.31; 100m freestyle, first in 1.01.38; 50m freestyle, first in 29.38; first in age group.
Liz Brown (46yrs):800m freestyle, 16.17.27;50m freestyle, fourth in 46.02; 200m breaststroke, first in 4.02.05; 100m breaststroke, first in 1.53.21; 50m breaststroke, first in 53.63.
Ngaire Clarke (48yrs): 800m freestyle, fifth in 14.45.93;400m individual medley, first in 8.00.37;200m individual medley, third in 3.49.99; 100m individual medley, third in 1.42.98; 200m butterfly, first in 4.00.05; 100m butterfly, first in 1.50.59; third in age group
Jo Matthews (50yrs):400m individual medley, first in 6.54.24;200m butterfly, first in 3.21.97; 100m butterfly, first in 1.26.82; 200m breaststroke, second in 3.40.01; 50m breaststroke, third in 47.61.
Cathryn Whyte (27yrs):800m freestyle, first in 13.38.92;50m freestyle, second in 35.42; 100m individual medley, first in 1.29.54; 200m backstroke, first in 3.11.91; 100m backstroke, first in 1.30.80; 100m breaststroke, first in 1.39.46; first in age group. Rebecca Tohill (44yrs): 200m breaststroke, second in 3.04.95; 100m breaststroke, first in 1.27.54.
0m freestyle, fourth in 14.01.00; 400m freestyle, fourth in 6.53.72; 200m freestyle, fourth in 3.16.10; 100m individual medley, fourth in 1.52.68; 50m breaststroke, second in 57.36.
Carol Simons (40yrs): 400m freestyle, seventh in 6.32.99; 100m freestyle, fourth in 1.20.13; 50m freestyle, first in 35.22; 100m butterfly, fifth in 1.41.28;50m butterfly, fourth in 41.96; 50m backstroke, second in 46.29.