COLLEGE PARK, Maryland, August 14. A few swimmers went after world records today at the U.S. Masters Swimming long course national championships, but only David Quiggin was successful in setting a Masters world record.
Quiggin, representing Gold Masters, posted a 1:04.19 in the 100 freestyle to raise the bar in the event in the 70-74 age group. Just three weeks ago, Quiggin had swum a 1:04.60 to erase Richard Burns’ world record of 1:04.85 that was set last year. Quiggin, 70, is now knocking on the door of a sub-1:04 swim.
David Guthrie, one of the 2014 Swimming World Magazine World Masters Swimmers of the Year, just missed out on beating his world record of 30.48 in the 50 breaststroke in the 50-54 age group with a time of 30.57. Guthrie is 54 years old representing Rice Masters and will turn his focus to his world records in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes later in the meet.
Dot Munger of 1776 Masters tied Deb Coellner’s USMS national record of 40.80 in the 50 breast for the 60-64 age group today. Munger is making a return to Masters swimming after an 11-year hiatus. She swam a 39.10 in the 50 breast as a 52-year-old in 2003. Munger still has a little further to go to beat the world record of 38.48 set in 2002 by Germany’s Monika Senftleben.