TEAM ALASKA ROCKS AT WORLDS!

51 individual swims        5 relays
30 state records 5 state records
29 swims in the top 20  4 relays in the top 20
15 swims in the top 10 3 relays in the top 10
14 swims in the top 5 2 relays in the top 5
  3 swims that broke the meet record 3 relays that broke the meet record
  1 world champion

Not bad for a team of 12!
What a week!  Team Alaska kicked into gear on the first day with an incredible 800 swim by Lynn. She shaved 44 seconds from her seed time and was so far ahead in her heat, it looked like she had the pool to herself.  Lynn surpassed her phenomenal 800 swim with a win in the 200 back on day two. In her remaining three races, the 100 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM, Lynn finished no lower than third and was the top American finisher in each.  She tied the the existing meet record in the 200 IM and broke it in the 400 IM.

Colny Tucker and Rick Abbott also had all top-5 finishes in their events.  Colny held her own going head-to-head with multiple national and world record holders Laura Val and Charlotte Davis, finishing 3rd in the 50 free with a personal best time just .4 seconds slower than the then world record.

Rick Abbott went under the existing meet record in his second place finish in the 100 back.

The 51 individual swims resulted in 30 new state records, 20 by the women and 10 by the men.  Paige, Lynn, Paula, Colny, Rick, and Dave set records all of their individual events.  Anne, Ruth, Clint, and Stan also set state records.  All 5 relays set new state records.

The meet announcer seemed a bit surprised that Alaska was represented, and had people who could actually swim, and swim fast.  When the 200-239 mixed medley was leading its heat, he announced the leader as "Alaska?", then immediately dismissed the record-breaking performance because the fast heat was still to swim.  We did get beat, but WE didn't have two ex-Olympians on our relay team.  When the 200-239 mixed free relay put on the same heat-winning performance, it was "Alaska? - AGAIN?" over the PA system.

Thanks to Rick for our "home away from home".  Thanks to Carey Carpenter for scouting out all the great places to eat.  And to all who went, thanks for the team support and camaraderie.  It was phenomenal.

Paige von Hofen - Women 25-29    
400 free
05:04.98
9th/21
new state record
800 free
10:34.96
15th/31
new state record
100 fly
01:13.56
15th/29
new state record
400 IM
05:49.94
12th/30
new state record

Anne O'Brien - Women 35-39
400 free 05:30.67
20th/38
50 breast 00:41.27
24th/55
100 breast 01:31.63
29th/56
200 breast  03:22.25
21st/35
new state record
3K open water 57:08.00
19th/29
368/671 overall

Ruth Carter - Women 45-59
50 free 00:32.64
  43rd/110
100 free 01:12.52
41st/100
50 breast 00:42.80
 29th/67
new state record
100 breast 01:36.88
34th/72
50 fly 00:36.50
41st/72

Lynn De George - Women 45-49
800 free 10:01.17
5th/67
new state record
100 back 01:14.21
2nd/50
new state record
 fastest US swimmer
200 back 02:39.67
1ST/60
new state record
 WORLD CHAMPION!
200 IM 02:40.09
3rd/64
new state record
 tied existing meet record fastest US swimmer
400 IM 05:44.03
3rd/38
new state record
 broke existing meet record fastest US swimmer

Paula Smith - Women 50-54
100 back 01:33.34
18th/34
new state record
200 back 03:16.95
22nd/39
new state record
50 breast 00:41.30
14th/65
new state record
100 breast 01:32.85
16th/69
new state record
200 breast 03:28.96
17th/40
new state record

Colny Tucker - Women 55-59
50 free 00:30.43
3rd/77
new state record
100 free 01:08.90
5th/67
new state record
50 fly 00:34.66
4th/42
new state record
100 fly 01:28.78
5th/31
new state record

Clint Carpenter - Men 30-34
100 free 00:58.83 
35th/103
200 free 02:10.46
29th/60
400 free 04:37.32
13th/33
new state record
50 fly 00:29.09
54th/93
100 fly 01:05.83
29th/45

Mike Sorensen - Men 35-39
100 free 01:04.90
98th/123
50 fly  00:28.60
31st/94
100 fly 01:04.53
26th/48
200 fly 02:38.32
20th/21

Matt Dixon - Men 40-44
800 free 09:41.45 15th/55
200 back 02:32.92 22nd/59
100 fly 01:06.09 34th/67
200 IM 02:31.96 29th/79

Rick Abbott - Men 50-54
50 free 00:25.60
4th/119
new state record
100 free 00:57.68
5th/116
new state record
50 back 00:30.82
2nd/48
new state record
 fastest US swimmer
100 back 01:07.09
3rd/39
new state record
 broke existing meet record
50 fly 00:27.50
2nd/81
new state record
 beaten only by the current world record holder

Stan Steck - Men 50-54
50 free 00:29.05
47th/119
50 breast 00:37.20
34th/85
new state record
50 fly 00:31.36
43rd/81

Dave Schmidt - Men 60-64
50 free 00:31.79
45th/95
new state record
100 free 01:10.96
40th/80
new state record
50 back 00:39.98
26th/35
new state record
3K open water 58:53.00
21st/34
400/671 overall

RELAYS

mixed 200 medley
age
time
place
comment
120-159
 02:14.75
23rd/53
new state record
Swimmers:
Stan Steck, Anne O'Brien, Clint Carpenter, Paige von Hofen
age
time
place
comment
200-239 02:09.15
5th/61
new state record
broke existing meet record
Swimmers:
Matt Dixon, Paula Smith, Rick Abbott, Colny Tucker

mixed 200 free
age
time
place
comment
120-159
 01:58.93
24th/49
new state record
Swimmers:
Matt Dixon, Anne O'Brien, Paige von Hofen, Clint Carpenter
age
time
place
comment
200-239 01:51.69 
7th/63
new state record
broke existing meet record
Swimmers:
Colny Tucker, Rick Abbott, Lynn De George, Stan Steck

women's 200 medley
age
time
place
comment
200-239
 02:20.94
4th/32
new state record
 broke existing meet record
Swimmers:
Lynn De George, Paula Smith, Colny Tucker, Ruth Carter

women's 200 free
age
time
place
comment
120-159
 02:05.56
15th/35
new state record
Swimmers:
Lynn De George, Ruth Carter, Anne O'Brien, Paige von Hofen