Due to great team effort, the SaddleBrooke Masters won another State Championship swim meet up in Tempe on Nov. 20 and 21. It was close, with only 22 points between first and second place. Every swim was important in securing this victory. SaddleBrooke had 37 swimmers, and we competed against 254 different swimmers from 43 different teams. Not only did we win the meet, but six of our swimmers won high-point awards for scoring the most points within their age group. These outstanding athletes are Martha Winn, age 85+ (who swam after a five-year absence from the team); Glenn Tewksbury, another age 85+; and Doug Springer, Jack Allison, and Wendy Weinberg (all in younger age groups).
Doug Springer organized all the relays (13 in all) and provided the team with shelter, encouragement, and advice. Joan Pierce (with great help from Lyn Moreno) provided the oversight and gentle reminders to help us get to our relay events on time. Terry Heggy, our new swim coach, was there all the way to give advice and support. Molly Collins came in as a last-minute substitute and drove all the way to the meet on Sunday to swim one 50 freestyle relay so we could get points from one additional relay.
In addition to being able to watch great athletes set records, it’s also inspiring to watch people of all ages and abilities enjoy the meet experience, especially those who stepped up to join in their very first competition.