Pacific Update Week of September 13th, 2021

Hello!   In this issue, you will find information on upcoming swimming events. This September we have our final ePostal challenge. Make note: the September 15 monthly meeting will take place at 4 PM. Please don’t forget there are also in-person events! For open water enthusiasts, there is the Keller Cove Swim for Kids' Sake event on Saturday, September 18th. Check it out! The next issue of the Update will appear on Monday, September 27, 2021. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 22, 2021.    Stay fit, The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee

EVENTS AND CLINICS

Richmond Plunge Masters: 11th Annual Keller Cove Swim for Kids' Sake Saturday, September 18 In what is traditionally the last local open water swim of the season, the Keller Cove event, hosted by Richmond Plunge Masters, offers three distances: 1/2-mile; 1-mile; and 2-miles. This fundraiser swim benefits Richmond's youth USA Swimming Team, the Sailfish. Information and Registration

Pacific Masters Swimming: Kerry O'Brien SCM Championships October 15 - 17 Hosted by Walnut Creek Masters, this three-day meet will take place at Clarke Swim Center. Swimmers can enter up to six events per day. Relay events are planned for the middle and end of each day. Swimmers earn points depending on how they place in the race. Awards will be given to swimmers placing first to eighth, as well as for swimmers who earn the most points in their gender and age category. The top three teams in the small, medium, and large divisions will win team awards. The meet will follow Contra Costa County and the city of Walnut Creek's Covid guidelines, including wearing masks in the locker rooms and other indoor spaces. Registration is now open and ends on October 6 at 11:59 PM PST. Information and Registration.

17th Annual Alan Liu Memorial SCM Meet Cancellation After an extensive discussion and taking into consideration the health and safety of the participants, volunteers, and wider community, the Mountain View Masters board made the difficult decision to cancel this year's Alan Liu meet. They look forward to hosting us next year.

Pacific Masters Swimming: September ePostal Pandemic Challenge September 1 - 30 Our Pandemic ePostal Challenge Series will come to an end with this September Challenge: a 500 yard or a 400 meter free swim. Throughout the Challenge Series we have designated this event as your return-to-fitness benchmark. Swim it one last time in this competition or swim it for the first time and benchmark your current fitness level. Information and Registration For general information and current standings, check out the links below:  Challenge Series Information and Standings

USMS Adult Learn to Swim (ALTS) Instructor Certification Sunday, October 3, 2021, Davis, CA  SAVE THE DATE! For the first time in over two years, USMS will be holding an ALTS Instructor Certification course for Pacific Masters! When: October 3, 2021, 9AM - 3PM Where: Davis Civic Center Pool, 599 B St., Davis, CA. 95616 (Free parking) Cost: $250 (Good for life) Class size: Limited to 12 participants Format: 3-hour classroom lecture, 30-minute lunch (Included), 2-hour in-pool training USMS Instructor: Cokie Lepinski Registration Due to COVID concerns, only pre-packaged snacks, water, and Starbucks boxed coffee will be provided. Attendees are responsible for any special needs and more substantial lunch, if desired. Please note: If you received an ALTS Grant in 2020 or 2021 and did not redeem your free “ALTS Instructor Certification”, please contact Kim Elsbach at alts@pacificmasters.org for a coupon code. Please include documentation of your ALTS grant in your email.

2021 USMS Long Course Championships October 7-10, Geneva, Ohio The 2021 USMS Long Course National Championship is planned for October 7-10 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. This event, renamed from Summer Nationals just for this year, was postponed from August 5-8 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Precautions will be in place, though unlike Short Course Nationals the meet will not be split into sessions, spectators are welcome, and we are planning to include relays! We look forward to safely welcoming Masters swimmers back to this annual championship. Click here for more information. 

PACIFIC MASTERS NEWS

Adult Learn-To-Swim Mentors Available If you are interested, the ALTS Programming Committee at USMS is offering mentors to help start or grow ALTS programs in the Pacific Masters region. For more information, please contact Carrie Stolar at coachcarriestolar@gmail.com. Nominations Open for Pacific Masters Awards Due October 1 Do you know a Pacific Masters member who has gone above and beyond this past year? Nominations are open for our 2021 Service Awards. Pacific Masters is a vibrant community with swimmers and non-swimmers who enjoy officiating, organizing, or supporting the community in many ways. At our annual meeting, we recognize those who participate or contribute in an exceptional way.  We convey: Personal Achievement Award Nancy Ridout Award for Distinguished Service Contributor of the Year Award Appreciation Award Peggy Lucchesi Award See the Nomination Guide for details of each award. Past award winners are here. Whom do you know that is deserving? Please think about this and send nominations to our Chair by October 1st.

One Year Later: Conny's Ultra Alcatraz IM Swim On September 10th, 2020, Conny Bleuh-Grohlke completed an Ultra Alcatraz IM swim in honor of her childhood coach and friend, Rudi Junicke (pictured right with Conny). Her 5.2-mile swim consisted of four 1.3-mile laps: Aquatic Park to Alcatraz Island and back again, twice! She swam each lap a different stroke, in IM order (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and finally freestyle). Conny finished in two hours and 16 minutes. Read more about her swim in an upcoming article on our website.

Pacific Masters Monthly Meeting September 15, Doors Open at 3:45, Meeting at 4 PM (TIME CHANGED) Join us Wednesday, September 15 for our monthly meeting via the Zoom platform. Due to Yom Kippur celebrations, this month's meeting will begin promptly at 4:00 PM. If this is your first time Zooming, we suggest you sign on a little early to ask questions and address technical issues. Even if you are familiar with Zoom, sign on early to say "hi" to your fellow swimmers. All members are encouraged to participate. Our monthly meeting reminder email will provide the Zoom link. If you are not on that list and would like to attend, please contact Chris Ottati, Administrator, for details.

Pacific Masters Annual Celebration and Meeting  November 14  SAVE THE DATE for the Pacific Masters Annual Celebration and Meeting: Sunday afternoon, November 14. The meeting will be virtual again this year. More information to come!

Elections for Pacific Masters Officers November 14   In odd-numbered years, Pacific Masters is required to hold elections for our Pacific Masters officers. This year, we will hold the elections at our Annual Celebration and Meeting on November 14. Per our Bylaws, a nominating subcommittee is formed and presents a list (slate) of at least one nominee for each office at the Pacific Masters Committee meeting prior to the Annual Meeting. Our bylaws also allow for additional nominations. The 2021 Pacific Masters nominating subcommittee will present this year's slate at our September 15, 2021 monthly meeting. The slate will then be posted on our website on September 16 and listed in the next UPDATE newsletter published September 27. Due to the virtual nature of our Annual Meeting this year, we have put some processes in place to assure a smooth election. If, after the publication of our 2021 slate of candidates, a Pacific Masters member wishes to make an additional nomination for one of the elected positions, they may do so from September 27 to October 15 by following the guidelines listed below and sending them to the 2021 nominating subcommittee. 103.5.5.D. Additional nominees shall be accepted at the Annual Meeting upon nomination by two (2) individual members of Pacific Masters Swimming and written consent of the nominee(s). 

CLUBS AND COACHES

Are you interested in becoming a USMS certified coach?   USMS has a 4-Level Coach Certification program, and Level 1 can now be taken online! The fee for the Level 1 class is $125 and Pacific Masters offers an 80% scholarship ($100) to USA swim coaches, lifeguards who work at a USAS or USMS club, and to those already coaching Masters swimmers at their club. You do not have to hold a coaching position to apply. Plans for 2022 are in order, and as Pacific Masters builds our base of coaches, we want you to be a part of our growth. Contact Chris Ottati with questions or to apply.

The Craft of Coaching with Teri McKeever Wednesday, October 6, 7 PM For coaches only. Join us for a talk with Teri McKeever, the 29-year head coach of the Cal swim team and one of the most successful coaches in the sport, about developing and refining the craft of coaching. McKeever is known for coaching Cal and Olympic greats including Natalie Coughlin, Missy Franklin, and 2020 Olympians Abbey Weitzel and Katie McLaughlin. Her pedigree also includes the honor of being the first woman head coach for a US Olympic swim team as well as leading many national teams at the Olympics and World Championships. McKeever's unique coaching techniques include dryland activities such as hip-hop dancing and rehabbing burnt-out swimmers. As she explained in a 2019 interview, the swimmers already have a Bachelor's degree in swimming; she's trying to help them earn their Master’s or Ph.D. At the end of the talk, there will be a Q and A session. Click here to register for the event.

Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club Seeks Masters Coach Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club is looking for a new enthusiastic Masters Coach for their MWF 5:30-6:30 am group. The pool is a unique 33.3 yards long, and the USMS masters group is a good mix of triathletes, long-time swimmers, and new members. The job includes use of the club and the option to coach Saturday morning Masters. Anyone interested needs to be CPR certified and can e-mail shelbi@lgsrc.com to apply.

Temescal Masters Seeks Head and Assistant Coaches Temescal Aquatic Masters in Oakland is seeking candidates for its Head Coach and Assistant Coach positions. A key leader of the team, the Head Coach should be an experienced coach and swimmer who motivates swimmers and other coaches through effective communication and reinforcement. The Assistant Coach coaches a minimum of two practices weekly (currently weekday mornings). In this leadership role, the Assistant Coach should be an experienced coach and swimmer who loves the sport and enjoys helping adults become better swimmers and achieve their fitness goals. Check out the links for the complete job description for the Head Coach position and the Assistant Coach position. 

EDITOR'S NOTE

Editor's Note Paralympics Highlights The 2020 Paralympic Games featured ten days of exciting swims. There were thrilling performances and finishes by both veterans and first-time Paralympians. By the end of the competition, 69 World and 124 Paralympic records had been broken. Athletes are divided into different classifications labeled S/SM/SB depending on the stroke they are swimming. The number of the classification (1-14) is based on their impairment and how it affects their swimming. For more information about the sport check out this link. Below are highlights from the 2020 Paralympics:

Dominant Performances: The first medal for Team USA was won by 17-year old Anastasia Pagonis in the 400m freestyle S11 race. In the process, she broke the world record and was over 10 seconds ahead of the second-place swimmer, Lisette Bruinsma of the Netherlands.   Veteran Jessica Long won six medals at these Games. She now has 29 Paralympic medals and continues her reign as the second-most decorated U.S. Paralympian of all time. One of the six medals was a gold in the 4x100 medley relay (featuring fellow gold medalists Hannah Aspden, Mikaela Jenkins, and Morgan Stickney) where Stickney had a ‘miraculous’ freestyle leg swim to make up significant ground and bypass the Russian Paralympic Committee team.

Now-retired Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias (pictured below) finished his career with three bronze medals in his S5 events. This brings his total career medals up to 27. S/SM13 Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki won five gold medals 200m IM, 400m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 100m backstroke, and 100m butterfly.

Chinese swimmers topped the overall swimming medal tally. The team included Zheng Tao, who won four gold medals, setting a World or Paralympic record in each of his individual events. He swam in the S5 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and the 4x50m mixed freestyle relay. Chinese teen sensation, Jiang Yuyan won the 50m butterfly S6 classification. She broke the world record for this event during her swim in the heats. She also won the 400m freestyle S6 event, as well as earned a silver and bronze in the 100m backstroke S6 and 100m freestyle S7 events, respectively.

USMS Swimmers:  Six Paralympians are also registered USMS swimmers: Jamal Hill; Mallory Weggemann (pictured); Colleen Young; Zach Shattuck; Martha Ruether; and Robert Griswold. The swimmers made it to several finals, winning four golds, two silvers, and two bronze.   Leading this medal count was three-time Paralympian, Weggemann, who won gold in the 200m IM SM7 and the 100m backstroke S7 events, as well as a silver in the 50m butterfly S7 event. The backstroke race came down to the final meters as Weggemann sprinted home for an exciting come from behind victory over Canadian Danielle Dorris that broke the Paralympic record. For the men, Griswold won two gold in both the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke S8 classification. His backstroke swim broke the world record. The other medalists of the USMS six were bronze medalist Hill, a first-time Paralympian, in the 50m freestyle S9 race, and Young, who won silver in the 100m breaststroke SB13 event and bronze in the 200m IM SM13 event.