As the final day of competition wrapped up in Mission Viejo's world class facility, The Nova Masters completed a year of victories in each of the previous season's SPMA Championships forcefully with record breaking participation by members of the team!

August 2007 Long Course SPMA Championships in Mission Viejo (75 swimmers)

December 2007 Short Course Meters SPMA Champs in Long Beach (85 swimmers)

April 2008 Short Course SPMA Championships in Mission Viejo (119 swimmers)

Short Course SPMA Championships April 11-13, 2008

Results found here:

http://www.spma.net/html.php?bdy=meetresults/2008/2008_mvn_spma_swzone_scy_results.htm

Nova Masters Photo Gallery found here:

http://multisportsoc.smugmug.com/Nova%20Masters/349376

109 REGISTERED NOVA MASTERS SWIMMERS

10 Relay Only Swimmers

119 Total Nova Masters Swimmers Participating 

116 New Nova Team Records

http://www.eteamz.com/novamasters/handouts/index.cfm?cat=82191 

3 National Records

Matt Marshall

50 Back – 23.03

50 Fly – 22.03

100 Fly – 48.36

Age-Group Meet High Point Champions

Christina Venturacci, 18-24   63 pts.

Chris Swanson 18-24           48 pts.

Mike Matz 25-29               54 pts.

Emily Odgers 40-44            52 pts.

Katsuya Takahashi 40-44      61 pts.

Ahelee Sue Osborn 50-54     61 pts.

Dionne Caldwell 75-79 54pts.                                                   

Top 10 Teams

Nova Masters                                      3069.60

Mission Viejo                                       2301.50

Ojai Masters                                        1,296

San Diego Swim Masters                      903

Arizona Masters                                   588

Long Beach Grunions                           401

Heartland                                             346

Ventura                                                339

SoCal Aquatic Masters             334

Rose Bowl Masters                              282

SHORT! FAST! FUN!

The CAL TECH SC Pentathlon is all about fast and fun for Masters swimmers – the fast ones, the new ones and the swimmers just out for a good ol’ time!

The Nova Masters trickled in, warmed up and then began roaring thru the sprints!

Eight new Nova Masters team records were set by:

Gerard Von Hoffman 50-54:

50 Free – 24.30

50 Back – 30.21

Pentathlon Champion

Everett Smethurst 70-74:

50 Back – 48.19

Ahelee Osborn  50-54:

50 Free – 27.09

50 Back – 32.28

50 Breast – 36.14

50 Fly – 31.00

100 IM – 1:07.98

Pentathlon Champion 

Also, Frank Wasko was the Pentathlon Champion in the 45-49 age-group! 

Starting with 23 heats of the 50 Fly, the meet flew by unbelievably - quickly.

The great organization by the CAL TECH Masters and race director, Suzie Dods made the meet whiz forward and before we knew it, we were headed to Johnny‘s World Famous Burgers for the post meet party. I

The morning saw David Hayward aiming at national qualifying times, and Frank Wasko trying to stay legal while swimming pretty fast. Mike Yarwood showed up and reminded us how fast the 5:45AMers swim. 32.92 in the 50 breast!

John Dauser continued his tune-up for The SC Nationals in Austin. 

Paula and Brian danced around in sheer glee over fast times and warm weather. Paula, (I hate short course!) swam some big personal bests. Brian, now in training as a sub-coach is dropping huge chunks of time as he learns more about correct technique and turns in his 1st year of masters swimming.

Gerard tore up the 50-54 age-group with battles in every stroke. Surprisingly the only 2^nd place he took (all others were 1^st) was in the 50 back, where he broke the Nova Masters team record.

Women's Tri-training partners, Krystal (32) and Ahelee experimented in ways to get faster – and hopefully can dial it in by the time the championship races come along. Krystal STILL has not put on a fast-skin suit and is swimming some pretty fast times!

Then there was new young Ben (25) from Nebraska… First meet as a Masters swimmer. Always in the last and fastest heat. Not in top shape but still fast, game and good spirited anyway. Watch out for him. Pray you get him on your relay…

Photos from the day are here:

Results will be found here:

http://www.spma.net/meet_results_scy.php 

Find Nova Masters Team Records here:

http://eteamz.active.com/novamasters/handouts/index.cfm?cat=82191

NEXT STOP?

FAST 50s Friday for Regional Championship Relay placements – WATCH THE PRACTICE CALENDAR FOR THE FRIDAY DATE!

and

Santa Clarita SC Masters Meet on March 29^th

and the finale...

2008 SHORT COURSE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS @ MISSION VIEJO!

APRIL 11-13

Go NOVA! 

This had to be a FAST pool...

It was inspiring enough to get 15 Nova Masters out to brave the shower forecast to swim one of the final short course meets before The Regionals.  But the rain hardly lasted. Before noon, the sun was out and it was almost “Spring feeling” around the deck.  Very happy to have a NOVA swim parka!  

Photo Gallery:

 http://multisportsoc.smugmug.com/gallery/4401201_7NHdA#258476149 

But BEFORE the sun was the 1650 free event.

Dionne Caldwell is writing the Nova record book for the 75-79 age-group each time she swims.  Team record #1 – 30:52.22  

Mike Matz came to practice as a new Nova twice last week. Big Wednesday at SOKA and FAST Friday at WAC.  He showed up early to car-pool over to the meet. We got him!  Shortly after broke the Nova 25-29 age-group record for the 1650 Free! Team record #2 – 20:37.58

13 events in a little more than 2 hours.

Several of the team had participated in Coach Mike’s birthday set the previous day and felt the result of 42 (+2 bonus) swims in honor of his 42^nd birthday during the meet. Thanks Mike and Happy Birthday to you…GGGRRRRRRRRR!!

Swimming well tired shows just how fit we’re getting right Brad A.?

Lets’ talk about things we can control like swim suits.

New Nova Aaron who hasn’t swum in a meet in years couldn’t understand why his times were so off until we pointed out he was swimming in what is recognized as a training drag suit! He was also re-introduced lactic acid in the 200 free.

Erik got a hot new speedy skin suit – swam fast AND legal all meet going home with 4 first places!

Tanya as well was sporting a MUCH faster speed suit and it brought the competitor in her right out! Too bad for the guys racing in the lane next to her...

Ahelee forgot to bring her race suit and swam in a practice (but red!) suit. No big deal unless you have swum in a speed suit and know the difference!

Gerard is skinny again and never stopped shivering. Still he broke 3 Nova Team Records!

Tom A. added a little dignity to the group by showing up and showing us how to sprint the 50 Free and hang on for dear life in the 200 free – with dignity of course! Two new Nova Team Records for the 65-69 age group.

John D. raced “in check” after over-racing breastroke team mate Terry T. and pulling “something” in practice a few days before. Points for showing.

After the meet, Kate now has to go back and reset almost all of her short course season goals. Good competition and stepping up right? Please note, Kate is the new meet relay muse and coordinator when Ahelee has to swim a race. 

Heather found out what it feels like to get aggressive in a race with a solid breastroke race – and by fighting for a lane to swim in the 1650 Free!

New Nova, Krystal got USMS registered with Nova at the beginning of the meet. But she swam in her old team’s suit, claimed the new NOVA swim cap gave off fumes, and missed all the team photos. We’ve still got work on this fast girl who sat under the NOVA team tent and cheered with great team spirit - and came close to several 30-34 Nova team records.

Carolyn and John B. got back to the swim meet scene in style with some strong swims that showed a lot of technique progress from last Summer.  

Good Swimming Nova Masters!

Full Results to be posted here:

NEW NOVA TEAM RECORDS

Gerard Von Hoffman - 51

50 Free            24.40

100 Back         1:06.43

50 Fly              26.10

Tom Angell - 67

50 Free         27.41

200 Free       2:38.02

Dionne Caldwell - 75

1650 Free   30.52.22

Mike Matz - 26

1650 Free   20:37.58

1000 Free  12:22.23

Ahelee Sue Osborn - 49

100 IM   1:10.45

Race Report from NOVA, Brad Arshat!

Photos: http://multisportsoc.smugmug.com/Nova%20Masters/349376

The facility was BEAUTIFUL - indoor pool - and the pool area has heating for the winter and A/C for the summer! Decent, heated locker rooms and showers, swimsuit dryers, pretty much everything you could ask for at a swimming venue. Except - heads up - no food or drinks available, at least at this meet. But a very nicely kept facility.

It was a VERY fast-paced meet - it started at 1:30, and was over before 5:00 - very well run. Attendance overall was modest. The Grunions sent up a HUGE group, and the Coto Coyotes, were well represented. Mission Viejo had a decent contingent. Other than that, it was dribs and drabs from other teams. A decent group of locals as well, but they weren't as well represented as I thought they would be. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm used to these huge southern California teams.

Myself, Mike Murphy, Don Cholodenko and his brother Ira, David Hayward and Carolyn Wong swam for Nova. I think we all had a good meet, and certainly a good time. With the pace of the meet, I wasn't able to keep pace with eveyone's achievements. It seemed like there was more competition in the lower age groups. In 40 and up, it didn't seem like that much. When I'm swimming in some of the faster heats, you know it's a light field.

The meet pace was exhausting, though, at least for me. I swam 6 events in less than 3.5 hours. Very little recovery time between races - some of the events only had 2 or 3 heats. Even the biggest ones only 5 or 6, and only a few of those.

Anyway, it was a fun little meet. A small but enthusiastic group of Novas - a great bunch of teammates to be flying on your wing. Don even threw together a 200 mixed medley relay team, the first event of the meet, and a great way to start off with some team spirit! Thank you, Don! We even pulled off an age group first.

There's another meet - long course - up here later this year. Let's see if we can't get a bigger group up here, and maybe hit the town afterwards. This was a quick turnaround for most of us, so no chance to party afterwards.