Kentucky
In August 1976 the first Kentucky Masters meet was held at Lakeside Swim Club in Louisville. This long course meters meet, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2001, was sponsored by Jack Thompson and Gary Weisenthal and had an attendance of 25 or so swimmers. In 1981 Jack Thompson called a meeting of interested adults from swim clubs in the Louisville area to form the Kentucky Local Masters Swimming Committee (KY-LMSC). Representatives were Joanne Tingley, Gary Weisenthal, Don Eckard, and John Crider from Lakeside Swim Club; William Tingley (Bill to his friends!) from Lexington Masters; George Dodge from Plantation Country Club; and Mary Graves nee Tingley from E.P."Tom" Sawyer State Park. Bill accepted the chairmanship and Joanne the positions of secretary, registrar, and treasurer; the Board of Directors consisted of the rest of the representatives. Bylaws were drawn up to form the KY-LMSC. The first clubs were Lakeside Masters, Plantation Masters, and Lexington Masters, each club being autonomous and sending two delegates to the KY-LMSC.
At present the KY-LMSC has 10 registered clubs throughout the state. KY-LMSC registers an average of over 500 swimmers each year. The public pool at Crescent Hill formed a Masters club in 1991. In 1998 this pool was rebuilt with a permanent structure and named the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center. The Crescent Hill Masters (http://www.swimlouisville.com/chms/html) host a 50 meter invitational meet in June. Lakeside Masters
(http://www.lakesideswim.org/LakesideMastershome.html) continues to hold the long course invitational meet in August; it's one of the oldest Masters meets held in the United States at the same pool. Lexington Masters, founded by Bill Tingley in 1978, moved to Lancaster Aquatic Center at the University of Kentucky in 1989 and were renamed Wildcat Masters (http://www.kylmsc.org/wildcat.htm). They host the state championship short course yards meet in March. In Bowling Green, Ky., the Western Kentucky Green Gators (http://www.kylmsc.org/wkgginfo.htm) were formed in 1983 and hold a short course yards meet in January. The new pool built at the Mercy Health Center in Owensboro, Ky., in 1999 is home to Owensboro Marlin Masters, which hosts a short course meters meet in November. See: Kentucky LMSC Home Page.
In 1997 the KY-LMSC introduced sanctioned mini-meets - one held during each season, October, February, and July. These meets are for KY-LMSC registered swimmers only, and present an opportunity for all registered clubs in Kentucky to hold a meet in their own pool, using the same format; the results are then merged by computer. Swimmers can compete, establish times, and follow their progress. Coaches find this helpful in developing their swimmers' efficiency and encouraging competition. In 1991 Kentucky Masters hosted the Long Course National Championships at the Elizabethtown Swim Center, Elizabethtown, Ky., in August, and in September the USAS convention was held at the Galt House in Louisville, Ky. Both of these events were under the direction of Bill Tingley and Kentucky Masters Swimming.
Kentucky sends two delegates to the USAS convention each year: Tom Mester (Coaches Committee) and Mike Lemke (Officials Committee), both of Crescent Hill Masters. In addition, Meg Smath of Wildcat Masters serves as chair of the Rule Book Committee, Bill Tingley of Lakeside Masters sits on the Rules Committee, and Joanne Tingley of Lakeside Masters is a delegate-at-large and serves on the Convention Committee.
Awards earned by Kentucky Masters include Bill Tingley (Coach of the Year
and The
Ransom Arthur
Award). Service Awards have been presented to Joanne
Tingley and Meg Smath. The KY-LMSC boasts many Top Ten swimmers and relays
each year.
All-Americans listed by club are: Lakeside Masters: Amy Pope , Dorothy Riordan , Gary Weisenthal, Pam Martin , Al Gilsdorf, Gina Gatti , Melinda Schmitt , William Tingley, Carol Ferguson , Mary C. Curl, Jean Rueff , Alice Wright Belknap , Dale Mercker , Richard Scheu , and John Nolan .
Wildcat Masters: Susan Bradley-Cox , Wendy Knox , Margo Lynch , Stacy Fingalson, and Kara Kelly .
Crescent Hill Masters: John M. Graham, Tony Siebel , Abraham Solano , Donna Johnson, Rhona Feltzer , Jeff Feltzer , Bill Polk, and Manuel Nieto .
This history has been compiled by Joanne Tingley with the assistance of Kentucky Masters friends and officers. On a personal note, my family includes me and three active Masters: Bill and Mary with Kentucky Masters and Jack (former American record holder, NCAA and USS champion at 1650 yards, and founder of BeachSports Youth Camps of Redondo Beach, Calif.), who lives in California but is loyally registered with Kentucky Masters. The next generation includes Bill's sons (Michael at Michigan State and Chris at the University of Missouri with swimming scholarships), Mary's son, Paul (a USA swimmer, who holds state records, and is soon to become an NCAA swimmer as a college freshman in 2001), and Mary's daughter, Laura (a senior swimmer with the Lakeside SeaHawks). Lakeside Swim Club is where my family learned to swim, compete, and develop the love of aquatic sports. Bill has been the Masters coach at Lakeside since 1982 and is a Kentucky high school referee, USA Swimming national championship official, and Masters swimming referee/starter at local and national levels. Mary is the assistant general manager of Lakeside Swim Club, a high school swim coach, and a referee/starter for Kentucky high school, USA, and Masters swimming meets. I am a stroke and turn judge for Masters, USA, and high school. Not to forget my daughter, Linda, who teaches adult private lessons at Lakeside and has an aquatic teaching background with the Girl Scouts of America. Yes, we are a swimming family and know that this sport is for a lifetime of health and great friendships!
