A big Thank You to Phoenix Swim Club for hosting a great Arizona Masters SCY State Finals meet this past March 15 -16, and to all the volunteers that helped. Swimmers came from across the area. Each competitor hoping to achieve a personal best with hopes of breaking a record and bonding with their teammates as they all cheered each other on.
Team competition was fierce as everyone fought to stay warm that first day. Here are the results of the team competition:
Large Team
- 1st Place Saddlebrooke
- 2nd Place Phoenix Swim Club
- 3rd Place Sun City West Masters
Medium Team
- 1st Place UC48
- 2nd Place Ford Aquatics
- 3rd Place Dolphins of the Desert
Small Team
- 1st Place Las Vegas Masters
- 2nd Place Sun City Grand Geckos
- 3rd Rocky Mountain Regional Masters.
The sportsmanship and camaraderie displayed as always was heartfelt. It was an amazing weekend for all. Now, swimmers can set their sights on the upcoming SCY Spring National Championships in San Antonio, TX, April 24-27th, where they can carry their momentum forward.
Quotes
“The swim meet was amazing, and it was nice to have a spring meet again in the Phoenix area! Everyone had fun, whether it was their first masters meet or their 50th. We appreciate everything Phoenix Swim Club did to host a great event!” – Dr. Kelly Harrigan, VMD
”We joined the SCW Master’s Team at the beginning of November 2024 and are amazed at the caliber of the swimmers living in Sun City West! We feel so fortunate to have Coach Barb Sloan who GIVES her time to us. She is extremely dedicated, and her knowledge and willingness to help us all become better swimmers has no bounds. When you think you are too old or to set in yours ways to make changes to improve your stroke, Barb has another idea and helps everyone who wants to improve do so. I know this is about the State championship meet, but honestly without the great people and superior caring coach we wouldn’t do it!
We both swam when we were younger and swore after moving here a couple years ago, we would never be competitive again. Driving to the State meet we said to each other, WHY are we doing this thing that makes us nervous? Then afterwards, we were telling each other how glad we are that we joined this team. We’ve made new friends and truly love it. Everyone encourages you to do your best, and our team taking 3rd as a “large team” was a reason for all to celebrate! We will keep doing this as long as our lungs allow us!” – Brenda and Mike Walstead
“The swim meet was great. The pool was close to Phoenix and in great condition. The temperature was just right in the water, the only thing I wish was that the air temp was warmer. Every time I hopped out of the water, I had to run to grab my parka to stay warm, which was an unusual experience for us swimming in Phoenix. The heats ran smoothly. Each day we kept on pace with the schedule that was shared out via email, so it was great being able to be back home each afternoon and have plenty of time left in the day. Additionally, results were available in a very short time frame; it was great to see my splits and times just a few short minutes after swimming an event.
Personally, it was a great swim meet for me to compare to my previous AZ state meet in 2024. I had joined masters in January of 2024, and have been out of the pool since high school 17 years prior. I swam all the same events from the 2024 State Meet and dropped time in all of them. Nearly all the time goals I had set for myself were exceeded; I was incredibly happy to see all my training pay off.
Lastly, coach Laura from my MAC team is always a source of joy, entertainment, and inspiration. So much of my success comes from being surrounded by a great group of people that want to see me swim fast and smash through the goals and targets I’ve set for myself. Laura encapsulates so much of the swimmer spirit that draws us into the pool each day; it was fantastic being supported by her both in training and in swim meets like this where we sometimes start taking ourselves seriously.” – Tyler Lovemark
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Article by: Terri Stauffer-Schmidt
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