recaps

On My Calendar in Ink: New England Summer Swims

By Jocelyn Nokes

Every spring I can hardly wait for the lakes in New England to warm up enough to start open water swimming (OWS), and I look forward to planning my summer OWS events calendar.  There are three events I always make sure to mark in ink. I look forward to these events every year for very different reasons.

Swim with a Mission Honor the Fallen Memorial Swim Relay in July 2023

Swim With A Mission (SWAM), held annually in July at beautiful Newfound Lake, NH, offers several different events including 1k, 5k, and 10k individual competitive swims, a 10K competitive relay and a non-competitive 5k “Honor the Fallen” Memorial Swim Relay pulling the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Memorial kayak.  There are other non-swim fundraising events such as paintball.  Funds raised support Veteran Service Organizations. Navy SEALS and their Military Working Dogs line up to give high-fives as you enter and exit the water, Gold Star Families are in attendance to cheer you on, and special guest speakers get the event underway and are a part of the post swim ceremony. If that doesn’t get your patriotic juices flowing, then seeing the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Memorial kayak with name pennants of the fallen fluttering in the breeze will. I have raced this event before, but for the past 2 years I have been part of the “Honor the Fallen” Memorial Relay. As a veteran myself, and with the names of my fallen family members and friends on some of those pennants, this event holds a special place in my heart. The Memorial Relay team members enjoy working together to support swimmers of differing abilities during their turn pulling. Each puller is accompanied by a safety kayak and at least one other swimmer while the others rest and ride on an escort boat.  However, often several of the teammates jump back in the water in a team effort to escort the puller, we enjoy the camaraderie and support involved. I’m pretty sure it’s my imagination but I think I can hear the crowd chanting “USA! USA! USA!” Can you hear it?

Overall female wetsuit 1 mile podium: 1) Jocelyn Nokes; 2) Kelley Ohara; 3) Lindsay Macmahon

Glen Lake Swim, Goffstown, NH is held in August each year and hosts both 1 and 2 mile races. The proceeds from this event help support the Granite State Health and Fitness Foundation supporting local recreational opportunities and aquatic safety. Past proceeds helped with the installation of granite stairs leading into the lake that all participants use. This not only makes the entry/exit point safer, they also help preserve the shoreline. I enjoy the hometown feel and also the creativity that goes into this event each year keeps me coming back! I have raced this event every year since inception and every year there is a different theme, and the directors go all out: “The Search for Glennie,” “Glennie Rises,” “Glennie Strikes Back,” “The Beast from Loch Glennie,” and this year’s “Viva Las Glennie,” was complete with an Elvis impersonator entertaining us with the original Viva Las Glennie song and finisher medals of Viva Las Glennie records on Hawaiian Leis. Even the podium awards creatively reflect each year’s theme, Vegas style dice and framed records were on tap this year! Traditionally, once the theme is announced, videos are created with town leaders and others who are closely associated with the theme posted to the website and social media.  This boosts the anticipation and lead up to the event over several months. On the day of the event local talent leads the National Anthem, leaders from the Abenaki Tribe bless the water, and members of a local dance studio take us through a short on-shore warmup.  Then we are off to the races with the two milers heading out on their two-loop course followed by the one milers.  Historically there has been a sighting of Glennie the lake monster during every race! Don’t worry, she’s friendly!  After the swim there is a Mini-Glennie Expo and awards ceremony. This is a great time to catch up with swim friends and their families and try your luck in winning swim related prizes! Later in the year a movie re-cap of the event is shown at a local theater which ends with the announcement of next year’s theme. It’s so much fun, I can hardly wait, can you?

Jocelyn Nokes completing the Wild Bill Challenge

The Wild Bill Swim Challenge, South Pond, MA is also held in August.  2023 was the event’s second year running and it didn’t disappoint! Who is Wild Bill you ask? That would be the event organizer’s late father, Wild Bill Yorzyk, Olympic gold medalist, 200 fly world record holder and Massachusetts native who didn’t learn to swim until he was 16.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Wild Bill Swim mission: helping children learn to swim and water safety.  Why is this called a challenge? Because it is not actually a race, but a challenge for swimmers of various abilities to give their best effort in whichever distance they choose between 1, 2, 3 miles or 400 yards. The swimmers are well supported throughout their swim and each participant’s name is announced as they finish their individual challenge, arrive back on shore, and receive their participant’s medal.  The Yorzyk family and event volunteers make you feel like you’re a part of their family. It is the family feel of this event that keeps me coming back. Some nice event swag and a raffle fundraiser add to the fun too.  So, are you ready for this challenge?

As the 2023 OWS begins to wrap up, I am on the lookout for more 2024 events. There are many events I’d like to participate in, but these three favorites will be on my calendar in ink!

Memorial for the Fallen at Swim with a Mission in July 2023, Newfound Lake, Bristol, NH

SwimRI Takes on USMS Long Course Nationals

By Sarah Sutton

SwimRI contingent of NEM at USMS Summer Nationals

Sarasota, FL - The first week of August, I hopped a flight to Sarasota, Florida with several of my SwimRI training partners and joined the rest of our NEM team for a reverse snowbird trip to USMS Long Course Nationals.

“Why would you go to Florida in August?” our friends, family, and co-workers, who don’t understand what could possibly drive a person to swim thousands of yards each week, let alone go to swim meets for grownups, asked us.

I won’t lie – I asked myself the same question when we stepped off the plane into a heavy blanket of wet air and the scorching Florida sun.

This meet was going to be an adjustment for us New Englanders – who are used to swimming backstroke under a pool with a roof; who can barely handle a few weeks of humidity in the summer; and who had only managed about 10 days of training in a long course pool before this meet. To make matters worse, the meet started at 7 a.m. most days (with warmups at 6!), a problem for our group as Chuck Barnes is allergic to swimming before noon.

But the water at the Selby Aquatic Center in Sarasota was mercifully cool, and the timers were brave enough to withstand the heat and dump buckets of cold water onto the blocks before each race so we wouldn’t burn our feet.

All in all, it was a strong week of racing for both SwimRI and our NEM teammates. Our little group left the meet with multiple New England and national records, a world record for Chuck in the 100 backstroke, and 10 first place finishes. I lost count of the New England records set by the NEM relay teams. And as a group, the 24 swimmers from New England Masters finished second overall in the regional club category.

I learned several lessons from my first long course meet since high school:

  • The pace you “think” you can keep in the mile in a long course pool is much faster than the pace you will actually be able to keep.

  • It’s possible to completely die in the last ten meters of a 50-meter sprint.

  • It’s not a great idea to use your flip turns to catch your breath, as it will only slow you down and won’t make you any less tired. (My counter in the mile, Tara Mack, told me she thought I was going to stop and say hi every time I approached the wall).

  • The pool feels longer than 50 meters when you’re swimming backstroke and can’t see how far away the wall is.

  • When lightning flashes in the middle of a relay, 9 out of 10 masters swimmers will leap from the blocks and finish the race, so they won’t have to swim it again.

  • Chuck Barnes may look superhuman when he swims… but if you wake him up before 10 a.m., he struggles to even get in the pool to warm up. Coffee doesn’t help.

  • Don’t let Stuart Cromarty show you and your teammates’ races on replay… he’ll freeze frame all your mistakes and you’ll hear about them for months to come!

  • Cheering for your teammates becomes even more fun after you sneak out of the meet for a few beers.

  • Did I already say that the mile in a long course pool is ridiculously hard?

Chuck Barnes, Sarah Sutton and Stuart Cromarty enjoying the beach life.

The best part of the trip may well have been the last day, when, exhausted from 5 days of racing, we split our time between the tiki bar and diving for sand dollars at one of the most beautiful (and warmest) beaches I’ve ever visited.

For those of you who have never been to a USMS Nationals meet, it’s always well worth the trip – to race with your teammates, to be a part of awesome NEM relays, to visit new places, and to meet other swimmers from all over the country. Hope to see more of you at the next one!

Sarah Sutton swims for workout group SwimRI and club team New England Masters.

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.” 

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

Contributed by Gary Girolimon, Race Director

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

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)

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)

The Two Mile competition begins. (Dave Beliveau Photo)

Support kayaks being deployed. (Mindy Randall 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)

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)

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)

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)

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


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

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.

NELMSC Announces Class of 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees

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Contact: Tracy Grilli

(603) 490-3484

NEW ENGLAND LOCAL MASTERS SWIMMING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2020 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

BOSTON, March 3, 2020 — The Board of Directors of the New England Local Masters Swimming Committee (NELMSC) is pleased to announce the NELMSC Hall of Fame induction class of 2020. A brief induction ceremony will take place Sunday afternoon, March 22, during the NELMSC Short Course Yards Championship Meet at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool. The NELMSC Hall of Fame was formed in 2010 by the NELMSC Board of Directors. This is the third induction class.

The Pool Performance category recognizes members based on outstanding swimming accomplishments achieved while a member of the New England LMSC. The Pool Performance class for 2020 includes:

  • Christie Hayes (NEM)

  • Kathy Slifer (NEM)

  • Fritz Bedford (NEM)

  • Ted Haartz (NEM)

The Open Water/Long Distance category recognizes members based on outstanding open water swimming accomplishments achieved while a member of the New England LMSC. The Open Water/Long Distance class for 2020 includes:

  • Jennifer Dutton (NEM)

  • Elaine Howley (NEM)

  • Sharon Beckman (NEM)

  • George Brunstad (NEM)

The Contributor category recognizes members who have contributed significant time and effort to the formation, development and organization of their club or the New England LMSC and/or whose valuable contributions over several years have led to the continued success of their club or the New England LMSC.

This year’s inductees are from the mid-1980s through the early 2000s. The Contributor class for 2020 includes:

  • Esther Lyman (NEM)

  • Tom Lyndon (NEM)

  • Ann Yelmokas McDermott (NEM)

  • Robert Seltzer (NEM)

  • Stephanie Walsh (NEM)

  • Phil Baker (GBM)

  • D Barr Clayson (NEM)

  • Edmund Gendreau (GBM)

  • Kim Goodwin (NEM)

  • David Grilli (NEM)

  • Tracy Grilli (NEM) 

NELMSC Hall of Fame honorees occupy a special place in Masters Swimming. We proudly recognize and record their achievements for Masters swimmers yet to come. Congratulations to all!

About USMS & NELMSC

U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is a membership-operated nonprofit headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. Founded in 1970, USMS is the premier resource for adult aquatic fitness in the United States. Its mission is to promote health, wellness, fitness and competition for adults through swimming. The New England Local Masters Swimming Committee (NELMSC) is a volunteer-run, nonprofit subordinate of USMS that serves as the regional governing body for USMS-registered clubs, workout groups, coaches and swimmers in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The NELMSC Board of Directors consists of elected officers and appointed swimming club representatives.

Downloadable announcement

Building a Better Freestyle Clinic

by Bob Ouellette, NELMSC Coaches Chair

On February 1, twenty-four of our member athletes were treated to an outstanding “Building a Better Freestyle Clinic” put on by USMS Level 4 coach extraordinaire, Bill Meier.

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The clinic focused on the basic components of an effective freestyle stroke, including: balance, body alignment, kicking technique and propulsion. The clinic was attended by swimmers of a wide range of experience and ability, but breaking down the stroke into manageable components resulted in a more efficient stroke for all participants!

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Following the drill work, Bill utilized underwater video to film each swimmer’s stroke and provided a detailed analysis which we reviewed as a group. This process enabled all attendees to better understand the components of an efficient stroke while also utilizing Bill’s feedback to improve individual freestyle technique.

Without question, Bill’s expertise enabled each athlete to come away with a better understanding of their stroke as well as the areas needing improvement.