Dave Malbrough, Aug 12, 2001

[ Return to Stories index ]

from SwimInfo.com (Swim Magazine's website)

Dave Malbrough , Masters All-American, Dies at 88 -- August 6, 2001

August 6. DAVE Malbrough, 88, a frequent USMS national champion and All-American, died yesterday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Dave lived in South Bend, Indiana, and swam with the Florida Maverick Masters. He and his teammates recently were featured in SWIM Magazine as one of the oldest relay teams in swimming history.

Dave was born in Chicago and began swimming competitively at Lindblom High School. He also played golf and competed in speed skating. He swam on the varsity team at Grinnell College in Iowa for four years and never lost a backstroke race. During his sophomore year, his undefeated team won the Missouri Valley Conference, beating both Iowa State and the University of Nebraska. As a junior, he set the conference record in the 150 yard backstroke.

Dave returned to swimming 45 years after his college graduation and in 1976 swam in his first national meet. Since then, he won numerous national championships and was a USMS All American 33 times since 1993.

In June 1994, Dave competed at the World Championships in Montreal and was disappointed with his slow times. His doctor diagnosed him with asthma but that didn't keep him out of the water.

He aged up to 85 just in time for 1998 YMCA Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. His most meaningful swims at that meet were breaking Tom Cureton's 12-year-old record in the 50 yard back (46.81) and Gus Langer's 500 yard free record (9:55.12).

He joined the Florida Mavericks for the Long Course Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale that summer and won all six of his events, set the national record in the 50 meter back (53.24), and helped his men's small team repeat as national champions.

Last summer at Long Course Nationals in Baltimore, he won the 50 meter breaststroke and joined his teammates Regan Kenner , Don McCullough , and Jean Troy to set a USMS record in the 320+ Mixed Medley Relay, breaking the previous record by 12 seconds with their time of 3:44.07.

Dave was a steadfast supporter of Grinnell College through the Men's and Women's Swim Teams. He competed in his last meet at the college in November 2000 as a member of the Grinnell Alumni Swim Team (GAST).

A memorial service is planned for later this month in South Bend, Indiana. Please contact Mark Waltz at 219-243-3500, extension 306 for further information.

--Penny Bates and Mike Daley

from the Maverick Masters newsletter

Born in Chicago, Illinois on March 30, 1913, Dave Malbrough, first entered the world of competitive swimmer at Lindblom High School. Although he swam the 50 yd. breast while a freshman, he soon discovered his forte in the backstroke. While a senior, he held the top ranking in his backstroke event. In high school, Dave also competed in speed ice skating, and participated in the finals of the famous Chicago Tribune Silver Skates. As a member of the Golf Team, he played for two city high school championships and in his junior year, won the individual title.

In 1932, he enrolled at Grinnell College, 650 students, in Grinnell, Iowa. He swam on the varsity team all four years and never lost a backstroke race. During his sophomore year, his undefeated team won the Missouri Valley Conference, beating both Iowa State and U. of Nebraska, which tied for the Big Six Swimming Title. As a junior, he set the conference record in the 150 back. In 1935, Grinnell, in the midst of the depression, could not finance a full time swim coach, so Dave coached the freshman and varsity teams.

After graduation, 45 years passed before Dave resumed competitive swimming. He lived in the Chicago area and joined the Illinois Masters team. In 1976, he swam in his first National meet, in St. Louis. Dave swam the 100 m back in 1:39.17; 17 years later, he swam it in 1:45.81, missing the world record by .40 sec. A few months later, he broke the SCM record in the 50 m back. In 1988, he swam for Holmes Lumber Jax in Brisbane, Aus., and helped them win the World Title.

In June, 1994, Dave competed at the Worlds in Montreal, and expressed disappointment with his slow times--from 2.50 seconds on his 50 m back to over 16 seconds on his 200. His doctor diagnosed him as asthmatic. That kept him out of the water, temporarily, but, he again returned to Masters competition. Malbrough aged up to 85, just in time for Y Nationals, at Ft. Lauderdale, in April, 1998. His most meaningful swims were breaking Tom. K. Cureton's 12 year old record in the 50 yd. back, 46.81; and Gus Langer's 500 yd. free, 9:55.12. As a longtime member of Illinois Masters, he helped organize their efforts to win the large team SCY National Championship in Indy, in all three divisions, plus, he won all six events. He joined the Florida Mavericks for the LCM Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. He won all six events, set the national record in the 50 m back, 53.24, and helped his men's small team repeat as National Champs.

Cureton, Professor Emeriti, U. of Illinois, founder of one of the first physical fitness laboratories and Advisor to the US President's Physical Fitness Council, became Malbrough's mentor and friend, after he began Masters swimming. In the early 40Os Cureton set up the national swimming program for the YMCAs and advocated Vitamin E. He advised Dave to follow a food supplement program, and along with his food selections, to drink only skim milk, and continue his swimming workouts. Although not a doctor or nutritionalist, he feels that these two aspects of his life as a Masters swimmer have greatly contributed to slowing down the aging process. In 17 years, his time only increased in the 100 m back by 6.64 sec. (see paragraph 3). Those years include ages 63-80, when aging normally speeds up, and swimming times slow down.

Dave lives in South Bend, Indiana, and swims with the Florida Maverick Masters. The Mavericks are indebted to Dave, an entrepreneur business man, for his excellent job of getting the monogrammed towels for the 1997 Top Ten and All American team awards. Thanks, Dave