1974 Masters Nationals, Swimming World, Buck Dawson
1974 MASTERS NATIONALS
Highlight of Busiest Hall of Fame Spring
By Buck Dawson, for SWIMMING WORLD
"See the Masters Touch" or was it "See the Masters Race" on the marquee at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort. Lauderdale. There were ten age groups, all over 25, swimming 16 events in 16 lanes of timed finals at the Hall of Fame Pool.
"Silver Hair and Gold Medals" the newspaper headlined it, and they could have called it "Dad's Day on Ft. Lauderdale Beach" because this was the only group of people anywhere who are over 25 and look good in the new skin suits! I was 14 the last time I felt this way about older women, but alas, I'm now too far gone for the feeling to be mutual.
These enthusiastic and beautiful people are in shape, and they are not coy about it. They are fifty years and older, holding hands as they walk down the street in their tank suits. You have to see to believe, and now that I've seen, I'm a 100% convert to Masters Swimming. The National AAU Men's and Women's Masters Short Course Nationals at the Hall of Fame Pool in Fort Lauderdale were more of a thrill for me than any meet since my daughter Connie won her first age group medal at six. She won five in this meet, at 26.
For any young squirts who would snicker at the old Masters, try these times on for size: 100 yd Free - 46.12, and 200 yd free -1:43.70, by Lt. Fred Schlicher (USN). And 18:29 for the 1650 by 43-year old Bill Williams. These times should send to the showers the concept that competitive swimming is too tough on the adult libido to be anything but a Kindergarten sport!
Ransom Arthur
,
John Spannuth
, Hamilton &
Mildred Anderson
, Judge Beach, Bumpy Jones,
Ted Haartz
,
June Krauser
, and everyone else who had a stake in promoting and administrating Masters Swimming can
be intensely proud. Masters has to be the most significant program the AAU has ever fostered. This is not
oldsters riding around in golf carts or drinking a Schlitz with great gusto after reeling in a gamefish - but a
true program for adult endurance exercise. As such, it fills a social need that is second to none in our affluent
but flabby Western World. This program puts exercise into the adult way of life, and a beautiful way of life
it is.
There were 561 beautiful people swimming in this Fort Lauderdale Masters Nationals and I'm sure there were 561 different motives for swimming. Two things were in common: Every swimmer was self-motivated and the Masters program gave a legitimate excuse for all the training, travel expense, and time off from work to go swim in these Nationals. Not one swimmer came because his age-group mother made him swim, or "to hold his college scholarship." And, since most of these Master Swimmers are self-trained, they are not swimming because they are in love with their coaches--they are in love with swimming.
About one-third never swam in competition until Masters, another third were high school swimmers only, and the remaining third range from almost-college-letter winners to Olympic Champions. 1968 Olympic Champion Carl Robie, now a Sarasota lawyer, was getting fat, and besides, "I feel better when I work out a little." Two-time Olympian George Breen , now University of Pennsylvania swim coach, shaved down for the first time in his career. "I thought it was silly when they did it on the 1960 Olympic Team" he said, "but this feels great." Nina Harmer, a 1960 Olympian who did shave down, kidded that she'd been trying to convince Breen for years.
In 1950, Breen edged out John duPont, who slept on a yacht tied to a palm tree next to the pool, but Breen's wife Nancy, a so-so performer in her youth, won more medals. Breen's kids wanted Dad to hurry up so they could get back to the beach! Breen, holder of six World records in his not-so-distant past, lost out in his heat to Bill Williams, a 43-year old Denver man, whose time of 18:29 would have given Ford Konno a good race back in 1952, when Williams was a few minutes slower than his current time. Jody Alderman, of 1948 and 1952 Olympic fame, is swimming again because her old Olympic teammates want her back on their relays. Mary Jane Sears, the Walter Reed great in the early 1950s, is having trouble with her children who can't understand how Mom could have been as great as Dad says she was, and sometimes come in second now against all those other old mothers.
Olympian Gail (Peters) Roper did her career best in the 200 I.M. in Ft. Lauderdale, which she thought might please her seven children. When 41 year old Dr. Burwell (Bumpy) Jones, one of five ex-Michigan captains swimming in the meet, was told his physique looked better than when he was a world record holder and on the 1952 Olympic team, he replied seriously, "Yes, in those days swimmers were supposed to carry a little more flesh." Jack Calhoun and Vic Zoble, old time diving greats, settled for swimming medals for need of more Masters Diving.
There is a lot of reunion to Masters Swimming. Vee Toner, who served on the 1956 Olympic Committee with Mildred Anderson, and was chaperone manager, came to officiate so she could see Mary Jane Sears, Jody Alderson, Betty Mullen Brey, and Barbara Jensen Reeves, but didn't know Mildred would be there swimming. Besides Bumpy Jones and Jack Calhoun, the 1952 Olympic team had gold medalist Gay Rosser swimming freestyle .
1955 Pan Am Champion Wanda Werner swam herself, then watched her husband Cav Cavanaugh set a Masters record. Olympian Sperry Jones Rademacher set two new Masters records, and Don Kane won a couple of breastroke races.
The Fogle girls--mother Florence (Sis), June (Krauser) and Joan (Cynthia Bruce)--had quite a meet. Sis and
June won more races than eight-time National Senior AAU Champion Joan, who was disqualified by nephew
Larry, who ran a good tight meet. "Aunt Cynthia was ahead, but she didn't hit the touch pad."
Sis Fogle
won with six National records, but said "When you're past seventy, its a matter of staying afloat."
We'd like to report that the Masters program is not only "staying afloat: it's here to stay as America's most substantial contribution yet to adult physical fitness. It's fun to report on the big names who were in the water at these Masters Nationals. That's what the Hall of Fame is all about. We'd like to have the meet back next year, and have our Hall of Fame honoree ceremonies at the same time. To have more of the famous swimmers re-run their races is a thrill for us all, but the real guts of Masters is the unknown, never-was swimmer going their best in a slow heat...the man who took up Masters Swimming "to get back into shape" lost 100 lbs. Lets keep the program timed finals for any old timer "who wants an excuse to get back in shape" even if it means adding another day.
