Short course meters season brings 3 Indiana meets

The University of Indianapolis, Valparaiso Masters and the IUPUI Natatorium each will hold short-course meters meets this fall.

Up first, the University of Indianapolis will hold its first masters meet on Saturday Oct. 9. It’s only $10 if mailed by Sept. 30 and $15 at the door. It benefits the university swim teams.

Find the entry here: https://grinswim.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/uofimeet2010.pdf

GRIN will host its annual Fall Classic Oct. 30-31. Online entry is due Oct. 27 and paper entries are due Oct. 22.  It’s $50 online and $45 by mail.  

There is no deck entry.

Check here for more information: https://grinswim.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/2010fallclassicentry.pdf

Valpo Masters will have a meet Dec. 4 at Valparaiso High School, 2727 N. Campbell St.  More information will be available soon, and entries will be posted here and at valpomasters.org

Advertisement

Swimmers endure Chicago 5K, 2.5K

Lake Michigan challenged Indiana swimmers with cold and wavy water Sept. 11.

The Big Shoulders 5K and 2.5K brought along its largest challenges in decades, forcing many swimmers to quit early. The majority hung in there to tackle the tough conditions.

Preliminary results show 394 swimmers completed the 5K and 174 finished the 2.5K. Just over 800 swimmers started the race. Many 5K swimmers cut it short with one lap of the two lap course.

Many of the swimmers wore wetsuits, as the rules allowed entrants to don them if water dipped below 65. The water on race day was 61-62, depending on who you asked. The waves bothered many swimmers too, brought in to the shore along with an early morning shower.

Not everyone struggled. Long distance champion Jim Barber, 51, is at home in these conditions!  He posted a 1:12.18, good for 16th overall and tops in his age group.

Fellow YMCA Indy SwimFit members Adam Dawkins, 35, and Chris Clarke, 42, came in second and third overall, posting times of 1:06.25 and 1:08.27.

SwimFit had a good showing. Victoria Rian,44, was 18th overall with a 1:12.58; Susie Shuck, 45, was 21st overall with a 1:13.56 and Mallory Mead, 24, was 25th overall with a 1:15.32.

You can find results here http://www.bigshoulders.org/PastEvents/index.htm

Thanks to Rob for the cool pics he took DURING HIS SWIM, and check out his cool blog at http://robaquatics.com

Indy SwimFit stallions cross Catalina Channel

Mallory Mead

Mallory Mead, 24, swam the Catalina Channel on Aug. 9 in the fastest time of the year, covering the nearly 21 mile crossing in 8 hours and 36 minutes.

Jim Barber and Victoria Rian take a break after swiming for 8 hours and 43 minutes.

Just three days earlier, Jim Barber, 50, and Victoria Rian, 44, crossed together in 8 hours and 43 minutes.

The three have been swiming tens of thousands of meters every week in Morse Reservoir and at local pools. They also competed in the USMS 10K National Championships in Morse this July, with all three finishing in the top 10.

Jim Barber and Victoria Rian finish the Catalina Channel.

Barber has now completed the Triple Crown of swimming. According to The Daily News of Open Water Swimming,  he has swam around Manhattan Island Marathon three times:  in 1988, 1989 and 1991. He also has swam the English Channel in 2006, crossing in nine hours and six minutes.

Mead has blogged about the event here. http://mallorymead.com/2010/08/422/

She also has swum the English Channel and plans to swim five more seas.

Check out this YouTube video of Rian’s and Barber’s experience at Catalina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvuydCPo4_Y

The three next will compete Sept. 11 at Big Shoulders 5K in Chicago – a sprint!