After a slow start putting relays together for Saturday, April 22, we got our act together and organized a complete slate of relays to involve everyone on the team for Sunday, April 23. Relays were financially supported by Terrapin Masters with a generous personal contribution by Jeff Strahota. James Crowder and Jeff Strahota organized the bulk of the relays.

Nineteen Terrapins participated at the Short Course Yards (SCY) Colonies Zones, which for many on the team is the final swim meet for the 2006 SCY season. Just here in the local area, a total of seven meets were sanctioned either by Maryland Masters or Potomac Valley Master between January 21st and April 23rd. Virginia Masters also held a meet in Richmond. That’s a total of eight swim meets in 13 short weeks. As well, during this time, those Terrapins who enjoy socializing and swimming at meets also participated in meets outside of the region (e.g., Delaware Valley swim meets). For those who swim meets – thankfully, that’s an average of at least a meet every two to three weeks (or better)! What an opportunity!

But, back to relays – it’s a good thing we got organized and involved everybody for Sunday, because a mere 14 points separated the final score for first place team and the second place team. That's right – the points from a single relay put us over the top – and Terrapin Masters came home with the first place trophy in the Colonies Zones medium team division. We needed everybody on the team to make this happen.

One relay several of us were looking forward to organizing was the mixed relay of Deb Nordlund, Carolyn Voorhees, Eric Nordlund, and Michael Lee – but, alas, this team relay was not meant to be (yet!). Noble too was looking forward to participating on a mixed relay.

Participants
On the women's side, Lilian Hnath, Deborah Morrin-Nordlund, Meredith Stakem, Kelly Bowman, and Carolyn Voorhees swam tremendously well.

The guys showed up with Bob Costello, Charlie Hoffman, Bill Shipp, and Curt Reynolds -- who, by the way, established the team's first 45 plus relay record! In the 200 Medley, Reynolds, Hoffman, Shipp, and Costello swam with a time of 2:00.51!

Emad Elshafei, Andrew Ellis, Michael Lee, Craig Dewing, Chris Benedick, Barney Lynch, Noble Jarrell, Pete Fehring, James Crowder and Jeff Strahota also came to the meet to rib each other, watch each other’s swims, and swim with guts!

New Records on the Individual Front
Kelly Bowman beat Jane Kleine's 1995 200 free time by about 2 seconds – but NOT Jane’s 500 free time! The legend of the Grande Dame continues! Carolyn Voorhees beat her own 50 fly time by 0.16 seconds.

Peter Fehring’s 100 and 200 breast times are faster than a lot of folks freestyle times. He's amazing – he also swam a sub-50 second 100 freestyle on the 400 free relay!

Thankfully, Emad's providing some diversity in the 40 to 45 year old records, beating Curt's times in the 50, 100, and 200 back, as well as the 100 IM. Emad’s 100 IM swim was the fastest for the team this year. Note he also made mincemeat out of MLee coming home on the final lap of the IM – swimming freestyle no less!

Also, Bill Shipp claimed the team's record in the 100 freestyle for 45 to 49 year old men for all of about two minutes. Curt swam the event a couple heats later and put 100 free record in his pocket with a time of 52.18 -- as well as beating his own records for the 100 IM and 200 IM.

Nevertheless, Shipp keeps on getting faster – dropping three seconds off his 200 free time and just staying on this side of two-double-oh (no!) for the event! Indeed, up until last year, the sprinter Shipp’s time for the 200 would have been the team’s record for the event!

It was also good to see Benedick and Barney Lynch at the meet. And speaking of looking good -- that Craig Dewing joined the team's sub-5:20 500 free Banditos!

Bob Costello continues to do amazingly well in his 50 free: what-a-sprinter!

Relay Records