Three Michigan Masters swimmers competed at the XII FINA World Masters Swimming Championships in Perth, Australia - from April 15 - 25th, 2008. 

Dan Stephenson won three FINA World Championship meet titles and set a meet record in the 200 meter Free (2:00.82) in the 50 - 54 age group, just missing his own world record by 0.48 seconds.  He also won the 200 IM in 2:25.75 and the 400 Free at 4:18.33; and placed 4th in both the 100 Fly and 200 Fly.

Frank Cody placed in two events and swam to a state record in the 200 meter Breastroke in the 65 - 69 age group (3:31.93).  He placed 6th in the 400 IM and 8th in the 200 Fly.

Thirty Michigan Masters swimmers (25 men, 5 women) attended the 2008 Short Course USMS Nationals held at the Texas Swim Center on the campus of the University of Texas.  1865 swimmers were entered in the meet from 198 teams.  In total, 103 individual and 14 relay USMS National records were set during the course of the meet.  Michigan Masters swimmers set 19 individual and 4 relay State records during the course of the meet.  In the separate divisions, the Michigan Masters Men’s team took 14^th place with 241.5 points and the Women’s team took 38^th place with 71 points.  The Combined team took 21^st place overall with 312.5 points.  Michigan Masters High point winner for the Men’s division was Dan Israel with 36 points and the Michigan Masters High point winner for the Women’s division was Shirley Dacey with 45 points.  These two swimmers were the only Michigan Masters swimmers who both placed and scored in all six events in which they were entered.

Scott Tyler set six State records in the five individual and one relay event that he swam.  Mike Schmitz and Gaard Arneson set three State records each.  Dan Israel, Gary  Bice and Alec Mull each set two State records a piece.  John Allen broke the 200 yard Breastroke record to  complete the total of 19 new State records set during the meet.  Six out of seven relays placed, with both the men’s 35+ and 45+ setting State records in the Free and Medley relays, respectively.  The 35+ relays broke State records set back in 1991.  The men’s team performance was best SCY National placing since 2004.

Go to Michigan Masters results for results of Michigan swimmers by age group with splits and individual scored points

Go to real time results for the entire meet results....

Go to Michigan results by individual swimmer by event, with State Records noted...

Results and Individual Point Totals for the State Meet are now Available

Also.....Team Scores & Record Breakers

Kevin Doak set his 7th USMS National Record in the last five months at the Toyota Grand Prix meet at Ohio State University on Saturday, April 5, 2008. He went :57.00 in the 100 LCM back and broke the USMS National Record of :58.24 by John Keppler set back in 1992. He also went faster than the the FINA World Record of :57.45, but because this swim was not in a USMS Sanction meet, he gets credit for only the USMS Record. His time of :57.00 is under the Olympic Trial standard cut of :57.99 and he is now eligible to swim in the Olympic Trials selection meet in Omaha at the end of June. He becomes the 5th swimmer in Michigan Masters history to make the Olympic Trial standard as a USMS masters swimmer. Rob Peel, Dyne Burrell, Sheila Taormina, and Joe Tristan were the other swimmers to achieve this honor.

Notes from the President of Michigan Masters

The new year brought Masters Swimming a long anticipated reality.  Online registration was activated the third week of January.  Of course some fine tuning still needs to take place, but I am personally aware of two Michigan registrations that were processed with a USMS number provided in three days.  Our program will continue to evolve and be refined so as to insure that masters swimming will no longer be accused of being technically challenged.

With the subject of registration being a key focus of this letter, one could assume I will comment on the good and bad of the current status of the state’s registrations.  First let me say that our registration as of January 31 was at 435.  This figure is ahead of last year at the same time, which was 279.  With six locals and April’s state meet, our hope is to surpass last years total of 524 and return to our 600 member roster.  Many of these meets (Lake Orion, Harper Creek, Brighton, and Grand Haven) had 10 – 15 on site registrations.  Therein lies the biggest headache for meet managers, Janet our registrar and reporting meet results to the our webmaster for our local site and to the National website within a two week time period.

The club sent out 1,400 registration applications in November of 2007.  Online registration is available, meet schedules are established to permit ample time for snail mail to come and go.  We also have 75 registrations from new Masters swimmers who did not receive an application in the mail from the November mailing.  Please encourage anyone who has not registered yet to do so before April 11^th if they plan on swimming in the state meet.  Any swimmer who does not have a USMS 2008 registration by the state meet deadline will not be allowed to enter and swim in the meet.

At last year’s state meet an attempt was made to enter electronically through Hy-Tek Team Manager thus saving tremendous time.  About one-fourth of the entries came in that way.  This year at the state meet at Eastern Michigan University, the host is going to use online meet registration.  If swimmers want to use paper entries instead, these will be accepted. Club Assistant will provide the online system and this is the same company that provides the online membership registration system for USMS. Just so no one is surprised this method mandates a current USMS number.  Entries will not be processed without a valid masters number.  Details will follow with the publication of the meet package.

It is my pleasure to announce that the Michigan Masters Education Fund will be able to provide the funds for the first scholarships outlined on the website.  Please consider a donation to the educational fund with your registration.  Thank You!

Fred Nelis

President, Michigan Masters

It's Time to Renew your USMS REGISTRATION!!!

You will need this registration to swim sanctioned meets, including the State Championship meet....SO DON'T PROCRASTINATE!!! Renew now.....

To renew your USMS membership....or to join USMS for the first time.  You will need a USMS membership card to swim in most Masters swim meets...

The 2008 USMS Membership Application (valid 11/1/07 to 12/31/08).   If you want to swim in the sanctioned meets in 2008, you MUST HAVE A 2008 USMS membership.....

Also...you now have another option- USMS now has an online system for your annual registration - to access the new online system go to http://registration.usms.org/

Please look at the "Places to swim" page and let me know of any corrections that need to be made!!

If you are interested in competing at the National or International level please see our  "links" page for web addresses of USMS and FINA....as well as websites for equipment (suits, goggles, etc...) distributor sites. 

Michigan Masters Swimming is a LMSC (Local Masters Swim Committee) of USMS (United States Masters Swimming).  Geographically it governs both peninsulas of the "Great Lakes State" of Michigan.

USMS is divided into zones.  Each zone contains a number of LMSCs.  Michigan Masters is a member of the Great Lakes Zone.  A Local Swim Group (LSG) is an organized group of swimmers in a geographical area.  They usually have group practices.  The Michigan Masters LMSC is composed of a number of LSG's located throughout the state.

Michigan Masters is charged with the responsibility of arranging meets in the area, sanctioning those meets, collecting USMS fees, governing Masters swimming in the state, keeping Michigan Masters swim records, keeping local team info, and distributing meet entry info through periodic newsletters and this web page.  But most importantly, Michigan Masters, through USMS, provides teams, members and coaches with insurance.

Swim meets are held throughout the year.  There are pool and open water competitions.  Competitions are held at the LMSC, Zone, National and International Meet levels.  The most important LMSC swim meet is the State Meet held in the spring.   Swim Meet information. 

Membership