Rick Colella has been a fixture at United States Masters Swimming (USMS) championship meets for decades.
Swimming has been a part of him his entire life. He was so fast in his younger days that he made the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and 1976.
He started swimming USMS in 1990 and continued to excel in the water, breaking more than 50 masters age group records. He was a Masters Swimmer Honoree at the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in 2019.
Colella, swimming for the Puget Sound Masters, continued that dominance at the 2023 USMS Spring Championships, breaking the masters record in the 200 breaststroke for the 70-74 age group on Saturday. He got to the wall in 2:21.03.
His swim was part of 17 records that fell on the third say of the Spring Championships in Irvine, California.
Here is a look at the other USMS records broken on Saturday:
- Jenna Campbell, Colorado Masters Swimming: Women’s 25-29 500 freestyle (4:48.88)
- Alison Zamanian, Walnut Creek Masters: Women’s 50-54 500 freestyle (5:12.67)
- Erika Braun, North Carolina Masters Swimming: Women’s 50-54 100 butterfly (58.83)
- Carlo Travaini, Mission Viejo Masters: Men’s 60-64 200 breaststroke (2:10.08)
- Rick Colella, Puget Sound Masters: Men’s 70-74 200 breaststroke (2:21.03)
- Gabrielle Rose, Santa Barbara Masters: Women’s 45-49 200 breaststroke (2:15.71)
- Markus Rogan, UCLA Bruin Masters: Men’s 40-44 100 IM (50.30)
- Mike Irvin, unattached: Men’s 55-59 100 IM (55.07)
- Carlo Travaini, Mission Viejo Masters: Men’s 60-64 100 IM (56.69)
- Gabrielle Rose, Santa Barbara Masters: Women’s 45-49 100 IM (56.20)
- Erika Braun, North Carolina Masters Swimming: Women’s 50-54 100 IM (1:00.03)
- Joy Ward, Oregon Masters: Women’s 80-84 100 IM (1:39.70)
- Caroline Gmelich, New York Athletic Club: Women’s 18-24 50 backstroke (24.83)
- Joy Ward, Oregon Masters: Women’s 80-84 50 backstroke (42.56)
- New York Athletic Club: Women’s 25+ 200 medley relay (1:44.32)
- Oregon Masters: Women’s 75+ 200 medley relay (2:50.06)
- Oregon Masters: Women’s 75+ 200 freestyle relay (2:27.70)
Note: All records are subject to change pending verification.
Sunday’s final session will include the 400 IM, 50 free, 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 200 free, 50 breast and mixed medley relay.
