PHOENIX, Arizona, November 21. AT the second annual Ron Johnson Invitational short course meters meet in Tempe, Ariz., seven swimmers swam faster than 14 Masters world record times at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. Two relays also swam under existing world marks.
Roque Santos, a 1992 Olympian in the 200 breast representing Walnut Creek Masters, walked away from the meet with four new swims under world record time in the 40-44 age group: 100 breast (1:03.54), 100 IM (58.94), 200 IM (2:07.94) and 400 IM (4:32.05). His times in the 100 breast, 100 IM and 200 IM dipped under the records by less than three tenths each.
On the other side of the coin, Santos, 40, was just two-hundredths of a second slower than Wolfgang Jarmer's world record of 29.49 in the 50 breast with a 29.51. He also missed Alberto Montini's 200 breast record of 2:18.16 when he swam a 2:18.59.
Susan von der Lippe, a three-time Olympian who competed in this year's US Olympic Trials, swam faster than the world marks in four events in the 40-44 age group: 100 fly (1:02.13), 100 IM (1:04.25), 100 free (57.55) and 200 breast (2:32.37). Von der Lippe, 43, swam for Colorado Masters and holds the record in all three breaststroke distances, all three butterfly distances and the 100 and 200 IMs in this age group.
Laura Val of Tamalpais Masters bettered two world records in the 55-59 age group: 100 IM (1:13.80) and 100 back (1:12.23). Val, 57, holds the short course meters world records in all but three events in the 55-59 age group – the 50, 100 and 200 breaststrokes.
Beating one world record time each were:
Richard Burns, 65, Tamalpais Masters, 200 IM (2:42.48) in the 65-69 age group;
Sheri Hart, 37, Colorado Masters, 50 back (29.40) in the 35-39 age group;
Jeff Dash, 28, of Arizona Masters, 100 fly (53.82) in the 25-29 age group;
Noriko Inada, 30, of Arizona Masters, 100 back (1:02.42), in the 30-34 age group.
Longhorn Aquatics swan under the world marks in two relays. The team of Ande Rasmussen, Todd Bartee, Tyler Blessing and Mike Varozza swam a 1:45.13 in the 200 medley relay for the 160-199 age group. Blessing, Varozza and Rasmussen teamed with Maxwell Stinchcombe to swim a 1:35.44 in the 200 free relay.
Notably, Rasmussen almost swam under the world record in the 100 IM for the 45-49 age group. Rasmussen swam a 1:00.32, just missing Marco Colombo's record of 1:00.29.
