Allard YMCA hosts awesome Super Bowl mini-meet

UV Rays ready to race: Olivia Jaras, Ariana Moradi, Christian Avard and Alex Muni

By Christian Avard

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — Good news: Super Bowl Sunday mini-meets are back.

If you’re a long-time New England Masters swimmer, you’ll probably remember going to the Roger Nekton Championship Pool every year on Super Bowl Sunday at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. Hosted by the Great Bay Masters Swim Club (GBM), the mini-meet was a popular one for New England Masters swimmers. It was always that last tune-up meet to squeeze in before the New England Short Course Yards Championships at Harvard University. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and Phillips Exeter decided to no longer host the annual meet. Thankfully, a new team and new facility will be keeping that tradition alive.

The Granite Y Masters Swim Team (GYM) and the YMCA Allard Center in Goffstown, N.H. put on a great meet on Feb. 12 … and afterwards, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35, to win their third Super Bowl championship in franchise history.

Granite State Penguins: Chris French, Kysa Crusco, Erik Shessler, Beth Hillman and Chris Dainiak

Forty-seven swimmers from nine clubs and workout groups competed, according to meet organizer and Granite Y Aquatics Director Adam Gaulin. GYM had the highest number of number of swimmers competing: 14. Other teams that showed up were Boston Masters Swimming (BOSMS), Boston University (BUMS), Charles River Aquatics (CRA), Granite State Penguins (GSP), Connecticut Masters (CONN), Maine Masters Swim Club (MESC), Upper Valley Rays (UVRA), New England Masters (NEM), and unattached swimmers.

“It was suggested that we try to keep this meet on Super Bowl Sunday going forward and I am going to do my best to make that happen,” Gaulin said after the meet. “We have a lot of demand for meets between having essentially five teams that swim out of the facility (Granite YMCA Masters, Tiger Sharks (a USA Swimming team), Goffstown High School, Bedford High School, and Bishop Brady High Schools. We also have played host to the Manchester High School Swim Teams for a meet as well. I will be doing my best to juggle and make sure that every team and group get the usage that they need from the competitive side of things.”

The YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown is part of the Granite YMCA, the largest YMCA in Northern New England. The Granite YMCA comprises six facility branches in Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, Rochester, and Portsmouth, N.H. Located just 13 miles northwest of Manchester, N.H., the YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown pool is 25 yards with six lanes and it has stadium-like seating to watch the action. It’s a nice facility and plans are also in the works to build a five-lane 25-yard outdoor pool. It is scheduled to be completed this summer, according to Gaulin.

“Masters and adult swim meets are a relatively new concept here at the Granite YMCA Allard Center,” Gaulin said. “(We have) one of the nicest pools in the area in my personal opinion and we hope to host at least one masters-type meet in the summer as well. Whether you are just starting or an Olympian we would love to have you participate in one of our meets. I never want to turn away anyone that wants to swim.” 

UV Rays host largest Leaf Peepers Meet ever

Tasty prizes by Susan Reid

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT — The 13th Annual Leaf Peepers Masters Swim Meet was a huge success. How successful was it? Let’s go through the recap.

Held on Oct. 30, 2022 at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, Vt., this year’s meet attracted 102 swimmers, its largest yet according to Upper Valley Rays Head Coach Barbara Hummel.

“I would attribute this to the fact that UVAC's masters team, the UVRays, is larger than it’s ever been (100+ members) and there was a lot of enthusiasm among the team to swim in the meet,” Hummel said. “Twenty-nine UVRays ended up competing, which is a record for us, and another 29 helped out as volunteers.”

Jonathan Chatinover of Martha Vineyard’s Masters

Other teams who had strong numbers at this year’s meet were UMASS Masters (UMAMA) with 13 swimmers and Edge Masters Swim Team (EDGE) of South Burlington, Vt. with 12 swimmers. Pittsfield YMCA Polar Bears (PITY) of Pittsfield, Ma. came with five swimmers and Granite State Penguins (GSP) of Nashua, Londonderry, and Salem, NH came with four.

Other highlights included two brothers swimming, John Radimer from Vermont and Richard Radimer from Connecticut); a father and son, Jonathan and Keith Chatinover from Martha's Vineyard; two Lewis & Clark College alums, Sam Raphel, Class of 2020, and Christian Avard, Class of 1996. And of course, the big highlight was the sweets: pumpkin pies, apple pies, apple crisps, cupcakes, and more from local chef Susan Reid.

Dan Rogacki of PITY set a new New England Masters Swimming record in the Mens' 75-79 50 breast with a time of 38.89. Forty-eight meet records were also broken at this year’s Leaf Peepers Meet. That’s because the meet was swam at 25 yards as opposed to its original distance at 25 meters. The switch to yards in 2022 was a UVAC management decision, according to Hummel.

UMAMA at UVAC

The following swimmers set new meet records in 2022.

Women’s records: Rayna Rampalli, UVRAY, W 25-29 500 yard freestyle, 6:51:51; Monica Foley, KEEN, W 35-39 200 free, 2:17:29 and 500 free, 6:09:57; Megan Riley, UN-NE, W 40-44 100 free, 1:06:81, and 50 butterfly, 34:06; Brianne Slover, EDGE, W 40-44 50 backstroke, 38:51; Sara Mathieu, EDGE W 40-44 100 Individual Medley, 1:16:47 and 200 I.M., 2:43:80; Denise Leckenby, UMAMA, 100 free, 57:72; Gretchen Van Winkle, UVRAY, W 50-54 200 I.M., 3:22:52; Heather Ayres, UVRAY, W 55-59 50 free, 31:06 and 50 back, 38:87; Denise Spence, UMAMA, W 60-64 100 free, 1:11:98; Cheryl Elinsky, UVRAY, W 60-64 200 free, 2:41:63, and 500 free, 7:03:85; Lee Ann Banks, EDGE, W 60-64 50 back, 35:04, and 100 back, 1:14:04; and Katherine Branch, NEM, W 65-69 100 free, 1:17:06, and 200 free, 2:39:49.

Men’s records: Sam Raphael, UN-NE, M 18-24 50 free, 24:09; Alex Muni, UVRAY, M 25-29 100 breaststroke, 1:11:13; Aron Reynolds, GSP, M 30-34 100 back, 57:69, 50 breast, 32:38, and 200 I.M., 2:11:44; Adam Lefari, EDGE, M 30-34 100 breast, 1:10:80, and 200 breast, 2:35:23; Ken Riley, UN-NE, M 40-44 100 breast, 1:13:70; John Gardiner, NEM, M 50-54 50 free, 26:15; Scott Gilbert, UN-NE, M 50-54 200 free, 2:14:23, and 200 I.M., 2:36:67; Todd Silberstein, KEEN, M 50-54 50 breast, 36:00; Roman Adl, CONN, M 55-59 50 free, 24:73, and 100 free, 55:11; Jack Fabian, KEEN, M 55-59, 100 fly, 1:11:20, and 200 I.M., 2:40:77; Gerald Burbank, CONN, M 60-64 100 back, 1:13:19, 200 back, 2:37:44, and 100 I.M., 1:11:54; Keith Cataldo, XCEL, M 60-64 50 breast, 35:05, and 100 breast, 1:19:42; John Dolan, UVRAY, M 65-69 50 free, 29:27; Russ Yarworth, UMAMA, M 65-69 100 free, 58:55, and 50 fly, 29:49; John Radimer, UVM, M 70-74 50 free, 28:88, and 100 free, 1:05:90; Fred Schlicher, CRM, M 70-74 100 back, 1:13:28; and Dan Rogacki, PITY, M 75-79 50 free, 31:26, and 50 back, 37:45. 

Contributed by Christian Avard. Christian swims for the UV Rays and competed at his first USMS Nationals in Richmond, VA in August 2022.

Trip to Lake Placid for 2022 USMS Open Water 2 Mile Cable Swim

Rachel and Aron Reynolds at Lake Placid

Contributed by Rachel Reynolds

The 2022 USMS Open Water 2 Mile Cable Swim was hosted in Lake Placid, NY on August 13th, 2022. It was a crisp morning which came as a relief after the weeks of intense heat and humidity that we had become accustomed to in New England this summer. The swim attracted 114 swimmers from New York to Ohio and everywhere in between. The race is well organized with heat sheets being published the night before. There were 2 heats that consisted of 10 person waves (waves in the first heat and 5 in the second heat) . The waves were staggered 10 seconds apart and all swimmers started from the water.

If you are someone who is wary of open water swims this is the race for you. From the seeded waves to the staggered start there wasn't the normal jostling to get to a spot that many open water races are known for. The swim is also unique in that you follow a cable that lies just below the surface, attached to buoys that you can see from above the surface. No need to lift your head to sight because there were pink ribbons on the end of the cable to indicate that you were close to the turnaround buoy on each end! The course is 1/4 a mile so you have to go down and back 4 times....this can be daunting but between the fresh water and cable it makes the race feel like a breeze! There were post race refreshments and the town of Lake Placid has tons to offer from restaurants, breweries and shops.

Overall, if you are an experienced open water swimmer or someone just getting your feet, this is a race for you. Plus, all the serious triathletes who are training for an Ironman also train on this same course so you will definitely walk away feeling accomplished!

12th Annual David's Old Silver Swim raises money for ALS

Since 2011, David’s Old Silver Swim has raised money for Compassionate Care ALS, a nonprofit organization that supports people diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), their families and communities as they navigate the complexities, both physical and emotional, associated with the disease. The swim honors David Garber, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2009.

This year, the 12th Annual David’s Old Silver Swim brought 231 swimmers, ages 7 to 97, to North Falmouth, Cape Cod from across the country. In the clear warm waters of Buzzards Bay, swimmers completed either a 2-loop, 1-mile swim; a 1-loop, 0.5-mile swim; or a non-competitive 1-loop 0.5 mile swim. Timothy Johnson, of Brewster, MA, finished first in the 1 mile swim with a time of 23:58. Maya Reynoso Williams, of Somerville, MA, finished first for women in the 1 mile with a time of 25:21. Samuel Raynor, of Bourne, MA and Annie Pfeufer of East Falmouth, MA took 1st and 2nd in the .5 mile. More results here.

Details from David’s Old Silver Swim for next years swim:

What: Our 13th annual open ocean swim along the beautiful shoreline of Old Silver Beach, in North Falmouth, Cape Cod. Join us in the clear warm waters of Buzzards Bay for our 12th annual charity swim. Choose either a 2-loop, 1-mile swim; a 1-loop, 0.5-mile swim; or a non-competitive 1-loop 0.5 mile swim. Chip timing will be provided by RaceWire.

Where: The Sea Crest Beach Hotel, 350 Quaker Rd., North Falmouth, MA, 02556

When: Saturday, August 12th, 2023 at 9:30 AM

Why: To raise money for Compassionate Care ALS in honor of David Garber, and others living with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  David is a life long Falmouth resident, Dentist, former Falmouth Life Guard, and avid swimmer.  Until his ALS diagnosis, David swam every day – year round from his home on Buzzards Bay.  To honor his love for swimming and to support the care givers that provide critical support to ALS patients, a group of friends and family began the David’s Old Silver Swim 12 years ago.  To date we have raised nearly $1M with all proceeds going to Compassionate Care ALS, an organization that provides a unique of services and support for ALS patients Home - Compassionate Care ALS (ccals.org)

Long time masters swimmer, first time nationals swimmer at USMS Summer Nationals

By Christian Avard

Christian Avard at USMS Summer Nationals

RICHMOND, VA - It’s been weeks since I returned from the 2022 U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals at the Collegiate School Aquatics Center in Richmond, Va. Every now and then I sing to myself the first two lines of Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” (If I could turn back time … if I could find a way …) and re-live the memories of my first experience at nationals. That’s how special it was.

Things came together last December at the NE-LMSC & Colonies Zone SCM Championships at WPI. I hated backstroke. It wasn’t my favorite stroke when I swam competitively as a youngster, but somehow it was the first event I qualified for. In April (at WPI again), I qualified in one more event at the NE-LMSC SCY Championships: the 100 yard freestyle. With two bonus events to swim in (50 free and 50 breast) I was on my way to the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring Nationals in San Antonio, Texas until the worst happened. Days before I was about to fly out, I tested positive for COVID-19. I was devastated. Another dream dashed by circumstances beyond my control.
I regrouped for the LCM Summer Nationals. Raising money for summer nationals was difficult. Just when I was about to give up, a couple of friends suggested I raise funds online, like a Kickstarter campaign. I was reluctant at first. It felt awkward asking for money for something that wasn’t exactly for a special cause, but my friends assured me it was all good. I raised the funds in a matter of days and my training continued.

There’s a powerful feeling people have when they summit a mountain, see a sunrise or sunset on a beach, witness the birth of a child, etc. and realize how wonderful life is. I experienced that same feeling when I walked into the Collegiate School Aquatics Center on the first day of competition.

I swam for the Nashua YMCA Prospectors Swim Team growing up. I never made it to the YMCA National Championships, like some of my friends and teammates did, and it hurt for years. That chip on my shoulder, that resentment, finally came off at summer nationals and I was at peace.

NEM Men’s 280+ 200 m free relay: Christian Avard, Mark Keil, Jim Pope and Dick Hutchings

My first event was the 50 meter freestyle. I finished 15th overall in the M 50-54 age group and beat my seed time (31:72) by over a second with a final time of 30:35. Then came the 50 meter backstroke, the stroke I hated. To my surprise, I not only won my heat, I placed 7th overall in my age group and beat my seed time (37:17) by over a second (again) with a final time of 35:69. I also placed 10th overall in my age group in the 50 meter breaststroke (seed time: 38:59, final time: 38:01) and the other highlight was swimming in the Men’s 280+ 200 M free relay with Mark Keil, Andover, Ma.; Jim Pope, Lowell, Ma.; and Dick Hutchings, Hubbardston, Ma. Our relay placed fourth overall and swimming with the three of them was an inspiration.

It took me 10 years to qualify for the masters swimming national championships. I tried to make the national qualifying times in several events but something always got in the way, whether it was a slow start, missing the wall on a flip-turn, weight problems, bad jobs that took me away from swimming, divorce, moving, or the COVID-19 pandemic. For years, I swam unattached, without a team, without any camaraderie, and without anyone to push me to swim faster. Last August, I moved to Lebanon, NH so I could teach in the Upper Valley and I joined the Upper Valley Rays Masters Swim Club where I got to train with Head Coach Barbara Hummel, masters swimming world record holder Fritz Bedford, and other talented swimmers. Being on a masters swim team, in my opinion, made a huge difference.

I also want to thank all the friends I’ve met through New England Masters Swimming. There are too many of you to name. I’ve met so many of you from writing meet recaps for NEM newsletters, from the numerous swim meets I competed at, and from post-swim meet parties. What a wonderful community … and in the words of Granite State Penguins masters swimmer Steve Carroll, “Rowdy! Rowdy!”

The Glen Lake Swim, Episode 4: The Beast from Loch Glennie. A celebration of the Goffstown Giant’s relationship to Scotland’s Nessie.

Winner of the two mile race, Eric Nilsson from Boston, MA swims alongside support kayaker Dave Delahunty (Ed Smith Photo)

GOFFSTOWN, NH: The Glen Lake Swim, Episode 4: The Beast from Loch Glennie was held in Goffstown, NH on August 14th. It was a beautiful sunny day with water temperatures at 77 degrees, making it perfect for swimming. The Glen Lake Swim comes with a subtitle each year. The first year was “The Search For Glennie,” episode 2 was called “Glennie Rises.” Last year was “Glennie Strikes Back,” which put a Star Wars spin on the Glennie story. Glennie is the friendly plesiosaur-like creature that has been trapped in Glen Lake since the Gregg’s Falls Dam was constructed in 1918. A full description and history of the mysterious creature, along with photos and several videos, is posted at the event website.

The 2022 “Beast From Loch Glennie” event was a tribute to Nessie, from Loch Ness in Scotland, the granddaddy of all lake monsters. As such, the swimmers were greeted by Jeff Rowan, a Sottish bagpiper in full kilt and regalia as they exited the water.

Master Swimmer turned announcer, Tracy Grilli, interviews One-Mile winners Sean Carter and Kysa Crusco. (Gary Girolimon Photo)

“At any race, running, cycling, or swimming, there are a group of competitors that are trying to win,” says race director Gary Girolimon. “The rest of the participants are there to challenge themselves and have to fun. By creating a theme we are enhancing the fun by making them part of an adventure.” And if the comments received after the race from many participants are any indication, this goal was achieved. Those who were there to race were not disappointed, either. The course was a mile-long narrow triangular circuit, lined with brightly-colored course marker buoys. Large orange buoys marked the turns and yellow buoys lined the straightaways.

Safety was, and always is, a priority at the Glen Lake Swim. Race support was provided by more than a dozen kayakers and paddle boarders that paralleled the swimmers as they navigated the lake. Another dozen kayakers were certified life guards that took up assigned positions on the course. New Hampshire Marine Patrol was on the lake to keep recreational boat traffic away from the course, and the Goffstown Fire Department was on the water to provide assistance if any was needed. The event also had two volunteer boats on the course, one of which transported Dr. David Lewis, a physician and the organizing committee’s safety representative. Goffstown CERT was shore-side ready to provide any assistance necessary. Luckily no assistance was necessary on the water or on dry land.

Jeff Rowan, Scottish Bag Piper greets the swimmers as they exit the water. (Dave Belliveau Photo)

Swimming to victory in the one mile race was Sean Carter, Deerfield, NH (skins), finishing in 26:18. Winning the women’s skins division was Kysa Crusco, Manchester, NH at 26:45. In the wetsuit division, Christian Avard, Lebanon, NH took top honors for males at 29:36, and the women's wetsuit competition was won by Jocelyn Nokes, Nashua, NH at 30:04.

In the two mile race Eric Nilsson, Boston , MA (skins) was first out of the water after swimming a blistering 42:09 – besting his record time from last year by over two minutes. First overall female was Katie Chevalier, Meredith, NH (skins) at 56:42. First male wetsuit swimmer was Stuart Cromarty, Foster, RI at 46:14 and the first female wetsuit swimmer was Meredith Wegener, Nashua, NH at 1:07:34. Full results are posted at https://www.glenlakeswim.com.

After the swim, the festivities continued at the “Mini Glennie Expo” with raffles, dancing, awards and exhibits. In keeping with the theme, the trophies were gold, silver, and bronze Glennies. At noon the festivities moved to the Mountain Base Brewery-sponsored after-party, where the theme of the 2023 Glen Lake Swim was revealed: Viva Las Glennie – proving that Glennie does indeed rock!

Goffstown Television covered the event with a multi-camera shoot that included two drones. The footage is being edited down into a program that they plan to premiere at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester, NH later in the year, followed by online availability. The premier will be free to all swim participants, volunteers and their families.

Swimmers traversing Glen Lake as viewed from above. (Mark Nigro Photo)

Top prizes for the event were furnished by SwimOutlet.com, DICK’S Sporting Goods, and Runner’s Alley/Marathon Sports. Many other local and regional sponsors contributed to the event’s success, including: Eversource, New Wave Swim Buoy, Executive Health & Sports Center, Northeast Delta Dental, Fidium Fiber, Sully's Superette, SweetWater Swim Studio, Chunky's Cinema Pub, Mountain Base Brewery, Pelmac Industries, St. Mary's Bank, Lewis Physical Medicine, Staples - Bedford, NH, Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc., Picky Bars, Panera Bread, Stonyfield Farms, Goldenrod Restaurant, Goffstown ACE Hardware, Goffstown Hannaford, Picky Bars, Trek Bicycles, and Domino's Pizza, Goffstown.

The Glen Lake Swim is organized by the Granite State Health & Fitness Foundation, an independent, volunteer operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization striving to promote and support health, fitness, and wellness opportunities in the community.

Contact: Gary Girolimon, Race Director, gary@gshff.org

12th Annual UVAC Leaf Peepers Masters SCM Meet

Meet Results

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT — Masters swimming is back at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center (UVAC) in White River Junction, Vermont.

Sue Jensen and Beth Estel celebrate their 200 fly N.E. records. Photo: Rachel Reynolds

The 12th Annual Leaf Peepers Masters Swim Meet returned on November 20th after a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masters swimmers from all over New England and beyond made it to the Green Mountain State that was one of the best in recent years.

Several records were broken. Beth Estel, of the Granite State Penguins, broke the USMS Short Course Meters (SCM) record in the Women’s 65-69 50 meter breaststroke with a time of 41.39. Estel also set three other New England SCM records in the 200 meter butterfly, 3:31:38; 100 meter breaststroke, 1:32:00; and the 400 meter freestyle, 5:37:53.

Rachel Reynolds and Aron Reynolds face off in the 200 IM

Sue Jensen of the Charles River Aquatics Masters also set a New England SCM record in the Women’s 60-64 200 meter butterfly with a time of 3:17:23. Greg Weissman of New England Masters set a New England SCM record in the Men’s 60-64 50 free with a time of 27.91 and Rachel Reynolds of the Granite State Penguins set a New England SCM record in the Women’s 30-34 100 meter backstroke with a time of 1:08:91.    

Upper Valley Rays swimmer Lili Leonard-Heath, 32, also knocked it out of the park in the 50, 100, and 200 meter breaststroke events. Leonard-Heath will travel to Florida next year to represent New Hampshire at the Special Olympics USA Games and she will join seven other New Hampshire swimmers and 300 swimmers from around the United States and its territories.  

According to meet organizer and Upper Valley Rays Head Coach Barbara Hummel, there were 92 entries and 83 swimmers competing. The Upper Valley Rays had the team with the most entries at 23.

“Not our biggest meet, but it was among the biggest,” Hummel said. “We have many new Upper Valley Rays on the team, and a lot of them were eager to see what a Masters meet is all about. So, about 25% of the meet entries were from UVRays. For swim meet veterans, there have not been many Masters meets during the pandemic, so people were eager to compete and to see their friends again.”

The youngest swimmer at this year’s meet was Keith Chatinover, 21, who also travelled the farthest. Chatinover swims for the Mountain View Masters in Silicon Valley, California.  

The oldest swimmer was Donald McDermott, 85, from Maine. McDermott swims with the Maine Masters Swim Club and he competed in three events: 200 meter backstroke, 50 meter backstroke, and the 100 meter freestyle.

Prize treats baked by Susan Reid

One of the best things about the Leaf Peepers swim meet are the baked treats. Almost every swimmer went home with an apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate chip cookies, and other assorted goodies. Susan Reid baked all these goods for months and she outdid herself with this year’s “awards table,” for which the meet is famous.

New England Local Masters Swimming Committee Hall of Fame chairwoman Tracy Grilli was happy to return to the Leaf Peepers swim meet.

“Whether I swim well or not, it’s a wonderful opportunity to see swimming friends, new and old and of course there are the baked goods … yum,” Grilli said.

“I like how well-run the meet is,” said Crystie McGrail of the Great Bay Masters Swim Team. “Everything goes very smoothly. (UVAC) is a nice pool and there was great communication before and after the meet by the hosts. It's a friendly bunch of people and I definitely recommend showing up.”

Christian Avard is a long-time masters swimmer and NEM newsletter contributor.

The Glen Lake Swim, Episode 3: Glennie Strikes Back Is An Out-of-This-World Experience

For Immediate Release

Contact: Gary Girolimon, Race Director

Date: September 6, 2021

The Glen Lake Swim, Episode 3: Glennie Strikes Back Is an Out-of-This-World Experience

Results

Contributed by Gary Girolimon, Race Director

Two mile swimmers preparing for the start. (Dave Beliveau Photo)

GOFFSTOWN, NH — The Glen Lake Swim, Episode 3: Glennie Strikes Back was held in Goffstown, NH on August 15th. It was a beautiful sunny day, and with water temperatures in the 77 degree range, was perfect for swimming. The Glen Lake Swim, a USMS-sanctioned event, comes with a subtitle each year. The first year was “The Search For Glennie,” and episode 2 was called “Glennie Rises.” Glennie is the friendly plesiosaur-like creature that has been trapped in the lake since the Gregg’s Falls Dam was constructed in 1918. A full description and history of the mysterious creature, along with photos and several videos, is posted at the event website, glenlakeswim.com.

Mando and Grogu from the Mandalorian visited Glen Lake. This is the way. (Mindy Randall Photo)

The 2021 “Glennie Strikes Back” event was inspired by Star Wars, and tells the tale of Glennie being kidnapped and frozen in carbonite. Luckily, the 501st New England Garrison of Star Wars Troopers were able to retrieve Glennie. With the help of the Glen Lake swimmers, the carbonite slab was flash thawed at the Eversource substation that overlooks the lake, and Glennie was released back into the waters. This story can be affirmed by any of this year’s swim participants who climbed out of the water, were handed a light saber, and got to pose with storm troopers, Mando, Grogu, Luke and other characters in front of the now-empty slab of carbonite.

“At any race, running, cycling, or swimming, there are a group of competitors that are trying to win,” says race director Gary Girolimon. “The rest of the participants are there to challenge themselves and have to fun. By creating a theme we are enhancing the fun by making them part of an adventure.” And if the comments received after the race from many participants are any indication, this goal was achieved.

Those who were there to race were not disappointed either. The course was a mile-long narrow triangular loop lined with 10 course marker buoys. Large orange buoys marked the turns and yellow buoys lined the straightaways.

The Two Mile competition begins. (Dave Beliveau Photo)

Support kayaks being deployed. (Mindy Randall Photo)

Safety was, and always is, a priority at the Glen Lake Swim. Race support was provided by more than a dozen kayakers and paddle boarders that took up assigned positions on the course. Half of these kayakers were certified life guards. New Hampshire Marine Patrol was on the lake to keep recreational boat traffic away from the course, and the Goffstown Fire Department was on the waters to provide assistance if any was needed. The event also had two volunteer boats on the course, one of which transported Bob Ouellette, the event Safety Director and New England LMSC Coaches Chair. Ouellette, the lifeguards in Kayaks, the Fire Department, and Goffstown CERT, all possessed walkie talkies for rapid communication.

Swimming to victory in the one mile race was Stacy Sweetser (skins), finishing in 25:47. Winning the male skins division in a photo finish was Michael Giraldi in 27:20, besting Jesse Stevens by mere seconds. Giraldi is a frequent flyer at the Glen Lake swim, earning a top finishing position at each of his three appearances. In the wetsuit division "Big Al" Prescott came in first at 29:55, and Jocelyn Nokes won the women's wetsuit contest in 30:38.

First out of the water in the one mile race, Stacy Sweetser from Amherst, NH. (Mindy Randall Photo)

Bedford, NH's Michael Giraldi edges out Jesse Stevens from Sweden, ME in the One Mile race. (Mindy Randall Photo)

Winner of the two mile race, Eric Nilsson from Boston, MA. (Mindy Randall Photo)

In the two mile race Eric Nilsson (skins) was first out of the water after swimming a blistering 44:17 - finishing eight minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, Travis Harker. First overall female was Carlyn Soares (skins), who received her light saber in 51:19. First male wetsuit swimmer was Matteo Caputo finishing at 52:41 and first female wetsuit swimmer was Brooke O'Connor at 54:54. Full results are posted at https://www.glenlakeswim.com.

After the swim the festivities continued at the “Mini Glennie Expo” with raffles, dancing, exhibits, face painting, and Glennie coloring for the kids. There was a “roar like a wookiee” contest (won by Meghan Bilz) and In keeping with the theme, the trophies were hand crafted miniature replicas of Glennie in Carbonite. At noon the festivities moved to the Harpoon Brewery-sponsored after-party at the Village Trestle in town, where Molly Zahr (second place female wetsuit), won the coveted Star Wars Trivia Contest.

Goffstown Television covered the event with a multi-camera shoot that included two drones. The footage is being edited down into a program that they plan to premiere at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester, NH followed by online availability. The premier will be free to all swim participants, volunteers and their families.

“Next year we’re exploring Glennie’s darker and scarier roots in Episode 4: The Beast from Loch Glennie,” says Race Director Girolimon. “We already have themes in mind for several years to come and they are all unique, and fun. And who knows, maybe there’s another Star Wars adventure in our future.”

Race Director Gary Girolimon surrounded by the troopers from the 501st New England Garrison. (Mindy Randall Photo)

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The Glen Lake Swim

www.glenlakeswim.com

Tel:  (603) 494-8774

Email: info@glenlakeswim.com

Granite State Health & Fitness Foundation

PO Box 933

Manchester, NH 03105

Penguins and Friends Mini Meet Results

View Results

SALEM, NH — On May 22, the Granite State Penguins hosted New England’s first open Masters Swimming meet in over a year. Despite the long gap between meets, over 60 swimmers showed up to race, and they did not disappoint. In addition to having a great time and raising $720 for Swim With A Mission, five swimmers broke New England LMSC or USMS age group records.

• Chuck Barnes (NEM-SWMR) broke the USMS men’s 40-44 record for the 50 fly with a 22.56, surpassing the previous mark of 22.60 from 2018.

• The versatile Beth Estel (NEM-GSP) set three New England records in the women’s 65-69 age group. Beth went 38.48 in the 50 breaststroke, besting the 2015 record of 39.58, and 1:23.87 in the 100 breaststroke (prior record 1:25.14). Finally, she set the 1000 free record in 13:02.81.

• Rachel Flinn (NEM-GSP) broke the New England women’s 25-29 50 backstroke record, taking the 2009 record of 27.74 down to 26.66.

• Stuart Cromarty (NEM-SWMR) swam a 5:20.81 to set the New England men’s 55-59 500 free record, which was previously held by Penguin Bob Tyler (5:24.39).

• Bill Ryan (NEM) broke the New England men's 70-74 1000 free record with a 13:04.71, besting a 1997 record of 13:18.62.

Meet Director Kysa Crusco thanks and credits the whole support team for a successful meet: Marilyn Soraghan for all the work preparing entries and results, Tracy Grilli for assisting with the entries and meet planning, Brendan Wright and Erik Reynolds for running the timing system, and our awesome meet officials: Paul Memont, Betsy Russell, Carol Prescott, and Suzanne Hoey. Thanks also to all our volunteer timers, the Workout Club, and the Ray's Parent Board.

Building a Better Freestyle Clinic with Bill Meier on June 13

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