Results: Swim Age Group Champs
Despite record low temperatures this weekend, on Sunday [Dec.18] over 40 swimmers stripped down to bare skin in the driving rain to honour Roy Allan-Burch and the Bermuda Masters Swimming Association, by competing in the inaugural National Age Group Championships.
And the much hyped “Roy Relay Race” where the swimmer took on five teams all containing four swimmers doing 25m legs while he did the whole 100m, was a spectators delight, with Roy-Allan Burch winning the race, leading from start to finish.
Burch also took part in three individual events, the 50m Freestyle, the 50m Butterfly and the 100m Backstroke. In an attempt to break National Records in those events and make them official, he took his full body suit off. He duly won them all, the 50m free in a time of 25.12sec beating the Herring brothers – Matt in 28.06sec and older bro Jonathan in 28.08sec.
The 50m Freestyle proved to be the most popular event in terms of competitors with National Age Group Champions being crowned in 13 different age categories including Colleen Nelson in the women’s 60-64 group [35.29sec which is world class for her age] and Sandra Dallas who won the women’s 70-74 age group in 73.84sec. Dallas also won Titles in her age category in the 50m Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke.
Cora Starzomski was the fastest female of the night in the 50m free when she claimed the National Title and Age Group record in the 35-39 bracket, clocking 31.30sec. Raynor also won a National Title in the 35-39 bracket clocking a stunning 26.31sec.
Another thrilling title won along with a National Age Group record, was by Ashley Aitken who won the 50m Butterfly in her age category [25-29] in a time of 31.52sec – just 3 secs slower than the Open National Record she holds for the race which she set nearly six years ago in Canada while in full training mode.
Other impressive National Title winners and Age Group record makers included 44-year-old Christiane Wehmeyer who climbed off her sick bed to win three individual crowns in the 100m IM, the 50m Backstroke and the 100m Backstroke.
Prominent ocean swimmer and triathlete Tony Hall picked up three Titles also in the 30-24 Age group for the 100m IM [1.21.30sec]; 50m Butterfly [34.03sec] and the 50m free [30.70sec], while local boy Bryce Williams collected a treble of titles too including the 100m free in 67.04sec, in the 20-24 Age Group.
Legendary triathlete Karen Smith won two races in the 40-44 Age Group; the 100m free in 74.15sec and the 50m free in 33.93sec. Ric Chapman won two Titles in the 50-55 Age Group – 100m in 67.18sec and the 100m Breaststroke in 1.29.83sec.
Current National Open Triathlon Champion Jonathan Herring won an Age Group Title in the 100m Freestyle clocking a stunning 60.39sec in the 25-29 Age category, while at the other end of the spectrum, Margaret Marshall won three events in the 65-69 Age Group.
BMSA President and famed Ocean swimmer Nick Strong, one of the heavyweights behind organising this inaugural Championship event, was also rewarded with a duo of National Age Group Titles in the 100m Freestyle [62.91sec]and 100 IM [75.12sec]. He competes in the 35-39 age Group.
The full list of results will be published on the BASA.bm website.
