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Pacific Update
Week of April 18, 2022
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Hello!
In this issue, you will find information on upcoming swimming events and stories that will interest the swimming community.
The Short Course Champs in Morgan Hill was a rousing success. Read the recap and results. Congratulations to Dana Kirk for winning the Coach of the Year and to Heidi George and David Boatwright for both winning the Laura Val Swimmer of the Year award. Best of luck to those competing at Nationals. Start planning ahead for upcoming summer events.
The next issue of the Update will appear on May 2, 2022. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
Stay fit,
The Pacific Masters Swimming Committee
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USMS Spring Nationals (SCY)
April 28 - May 1
Registration is now closed
The 2022 USMS Spring Nationals will be returning to the Northside ISD Swim Center in San Antonio, Texas, from April 28 to May 1.
For those Pacific Masters members who are attending, the Editors of the Update wish you good luck! Information
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USMS Stroke Development Clinic - Menlo Park
Sunday, May 15
Registration is now closed
USMS is sponsoring a USMS stroke development and improvement clinic for swimmers of all abilities. This class is full, and registration is now closed. Information
If you missed this one, find additional classes and clinics here.
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Lake Berryessa Open Water Swims
Saturday, June 4
Registration for the 2022 DAM sponsored Lake Berryessa Open Water Swims is open! Lake Berryessa is one of the best-attended and iconic swims on our schedule. The event includes both the 1-mile and 2-mile looped swims in Lake Berryessa, Napa County, CA.
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Del Valle Open Water Festival
Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12
Save the date for the 2022 Del Valle Open Water Festival with the 5K USMS Long Distance National Championship taking place on Saturday and the 2.5K/1.2K on Sunday. Online registration for the 5K closes 11:59 PM on June 9, 2022, or whenever the participant limit of 350 swimmers is reached.
This year, a Just for Fun Division is being offered (for 1.2K and 2.5K events only): Fins or pull buoy will be allowed.
Proceeds from this event will benefit a charity to be determined. Registration coming soon!
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Silver State Long Course Meet
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Noticing the lack of long course meets, Carson City Masters, CCM, and Sierra Nevada Masters, SNM, have joined forces to host a long course meet at the beautiful Carson City Aquatics Center, Carson City, Nevada, on Sunday, July 10. Start planning a weekend getaway. Details to follow.
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2022 Pacific Masters SCY Championships
Recap and Results
The Dennis Kennedy Aquatic Center in Morgan Hill hosted the 2022 Short Course Championships, April 1-3, drawing together enthusiastic competitors for the first time in three years. We thank the City of Morgan Hill, Michael Greymont for his great announcing, and all the Morgan Hill volunteers for giving their time to run the meet.
We appreciate our meet officials who did an outstanding job of monitoring the proceedings, adhering to the rules while kindly making adjustments when swimmers needed gentle reminders of meet protocols after such a long time not competing.
Congratulations to all 544 swimmers who raced, making it an exciting meet to watch. Santa Rosa Masters (SRM) combined their individual efforts to win first place for small teams. Davis Aquatic Masters (DAM) pooled their results to triumph in the medium team division. A special shout-out goes to Marcia Benjamin who rallied her MEMO troops and amassed an astounding 9,936 points to take home the top prize for large teams.
It was an awesome weekend, full of camaraderie and competition, showcasing what Pacific Masters does best. Event results are here. Team standings are here. Full results can be found on the Pacific Masters Pool Competition Results page. Enjoy some images from the Champs: Photo Gallery
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Upcoming 2022 Summer Events
Start Making Your Plans!
- Silver State Long Course Meet, CCM and SNM, Carson City Aquatic Center, Carson City, July 10
- Santa Cruz Open Water Weekend, CRUZ, Cowell Beach, Santa Cruz, CA, July 30-31
- USMS Summer Nationals, USMS, Richmond, VA, August 3-7
- Donner Lake, SNM, Donner Lake, Truckee, CA, August 13
- Whiskeytown Open water Swims, RAD, Whiskeytown National Park, Redding, CA, September 11
- Keller Cove Swim for Kids' Sake. RPM, Miller/Knox Regional Park, Richmond, CA, September 17
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Pacific Masters Coach of the Year Award
Congratulations, Dana Kirk!
At the Morgan Hill SCY Championships, Carol Nip, our VP of Clubs and Coaches awarded the Pacific Masters Coach of the Year Award to Dana Kirk.
Dana has been the long-time coach of Fremont Hills Masters and is beloved by her swimmers. She inspires them daily, tunes their strokes with skill and thoughtfulness, and encourages swimmers of all abilities to be their best selves.
As Dana wrote in a thank you note to her team, "It is such an honor to be named Coach of the Year and to know that it comes directly from the letters and sentiments of the people that I coach. This award is unique in that I truly feel that it represents what the athletes are feeling. So, thank you all so very much!"
Congratulations Dana!
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Pacific Masters Laura Val Swimmer of the Year Award
Congratulations, Heidi George and David Boatwright!
Congratulations to Heidi and David who were each awarded the Laura Val Swimmer of the Year Award for their efforts in 2021. These awards were announced and presented at our recent SCY Championships. Both Heidi and David broke several very challenging records for their age groups.
Heidi George, swimming unattached, competed in the 45-49 age group. She broke six FINA World Records! George was also named, along with Laura Val, as one of Swimming World's Top-12 Masters Swimmers of 2021. See the complete list: Top-12.
David Boatwright, swimming for Walnut Creek Masters in the 60-64 age group, broke two SCM Pacific Masters records and five LCM Pacific Masters records!
Way to go, Heidi and David!
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Why is it Called
The Laura Val Swimmer of the Year Award?
Six years ago, Pacific Masters Swimming rebranded the LMSC’s top award for competitive swimming. Laura Val had dominated this award for years. Consider the fact that to accomplish this, she had to break her own records year after year. Who among us can swim faster and faster as we get older? This is a remarkable feat.
Pacific Masters and Laura realized that it was important to recognize other Pacific Masters swimmers as well, so Laura graciously stepped aside, withdrawing her name from consideration. Wanting to acknowledge her unprecedented achievements, Pacific Masters renamed the award for her. Hence, The Laura Val Swimmer of the Year Award. Our "caps" are off to Laura Val.
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2022 Annual Coach Appreciation Week
May 1-7
Our coaches have always been the backbone of Pacific Masters, but never more so than these past crazy years. Many of us depended on our coaches to keep us together as a community - even if we couldn't have regular workouts.
Whether it is providing stroke instruction, helping us stay injury free, or just keeping us sane, our coaches are an essential element of our swimming routine.
Despite their importance, it is easy to take our coaches for granted and forget to thank them for their efforts. For this reason, Pacific Masters Swimming established the Annual Pacific Masters Coach Appreciation Week designated as the week beginning with the first Sunday in May, this year, May 1-7.
While we encourage our members to regularly thank their coaches, please consider Coach Appreciation Week as an opportunity to let them know how much you value their efforts. Here are some ideas:
- A card or email telling the coach how their instruction helped you accomplish a goal
- A gift card for coffee, ice cream, a movie, or other treat
- Flowers, candy, book, wine, or whatever you think your coach may enjoy
- A massage or spa day
- A certificate for a weekend getaway or special meal
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Help Pacific Masters Grow
Win a Pacific Masters Towel!
Swimming is one of the best exercises we can do for ourselves. Since word of mouth is the best advertising, tell everyone you know about Pacific Masters Swimming.
If you bring a friend to join your club, and Pacific Masters, you can enter a monthly drawing for a Sports 20 in. X 36 in. microfiber towel. The towel will have the Pacific Masters logo on it and will tell other swimmers that you helped grow Masters Swimming.
Just get a new member, or bring back a swimmer who has not been a PacMasters swimmer in the past four years (2018-2021), to join Pacific Masters. Then enter their name, your name, and the club name at New Member Towel Drawing.
There will be a drawing for towels on the last day of the month, from April through October. If you bring in a new swimmer from March 1st, 2022 to the end of October, 2022, you are eligible for the drawing.
Good luck and thank you for spreading the word about the benefits of swimming, while helping to grow Pacific Masters!
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Pacific Masters Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, April 20, Doors Open at 6:45, Meeting at 7 PM
Join us Wednesday, April 20, for our monthly meeting via the Zoom platform. 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.
Our monthly meeting reminder email will provide the Zoom link. If you are not on that list and would like to attend, please send an email to [email protected] for details. All members are encouraged to participate.
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Coach Certification, Level 2
Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15
Calling all coaches looking to achieve USMS Level 2 certification. The cost for the May 14-15 event is $125. Pacific Masters will reimburse 80% of the cost for all coaches who take this course and pass. According to Pacific’s 2022 Clubs Survey, it was found that clubs with 100+ members are staffed by men and women who have USMS Level 2 certification, or higher. Register HERE for the classroom session. Register HERE for the Clinic Course for Coaches.
We've had thirteen participants complete Level 1 Certification so far in the first quarter of 2022, equaling all certifications for 2020 and 2021. This is a great start! What would we do without our Coaches? Click here for a complete list of those who have completed this course: USMS Certified Coaches.
If you have Level 2, but need a refresher course, please hold your spot on our waiting list by contacting [email protected] - we will contact you in early May.
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April is "Learn-to-Swim" Month
Swim For Your Life
The Pacific Masters organization is all about swimming. However, outside of our group, there are many who do not know how to swim or understand the basics of water safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 37 percent of American adults can’t swim the length of a pool and anyone within that group is at risk for becoming one of the 8 to 10 people who drown every day in the U.S.
Drowning can occur anywhere and to anyone in a matter of minutes. Our goal is to prevent any more tragedies. No one is ever too old to learn this life saving skill. Now in its second year, the "April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month” campaign from the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation and U.S. Masters Swimming, continues as pools, lakes, and beaches start opening for the warmer months.
USMS has also launched its Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor Certification Program for adults who want to teach other adults how to swim. “Teaching adults requires a different approach than teaching kids, so we’re going after this problem on two fronts: bringing awareness and training instructors” says Rob Butcher, USMS’s former executive director.
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