USMS Summer Nationals
Its a WRAP!
221 Teams Represented 1268 Swimmers Entered!
by Terri Stauffer-Schmidt
The Summer Nationals Swim Meet in Mission Viejo is over, but how amazing those 5 days were. The weather was more than perfect, and the officials and volunteers carried it off without a hitch. The Marguerite Aquatics Center was a beautiful location that easily accommodated the swimmers and the cheering crowds. The Arizona swimmers were amazing. They not only competed with their strength and their hearts, but they had fun enjoying the event.
Kelly Harrigan shined. This is what she had to say:
Summer Nationals are a wrap. A few months back I decided to look up records for my new age group, 40-44. After seeing the 200 back I thought “hey, that’s possible”. Immediately after, the self-doubt inner voice said “no way, you will fail”. I knew I would have to fight with this voice to succeed and after a few weeks I bought a bracelet that came with a positive quote. “There are sharks all around you, but you’re a shark too. So sharpen your bites, and strap on your fins. Jump into the water and get after those wins”.
Slowly I started to think the world record was achievable, but I was still keeping it a secret. I was afraid if I let people know but then failed, I would not only let myself down, but also my teammates, coaches, family and friends. I knew this was a stupid thought to have and everyone would support me no matter what, but my inner voice was still there.
About 6 weeks ago I pushed through my fears and quietly mentioned to my coach Laura Smith/MAC Swim coach that I thought I could break a world record. I knew Laura would be anything but quiet about it. I was flooded with support everyday at practice from coaches and teammates. That was the last little thing I needed to kill off the little voice saying I couldn’t do it.
So now I am going home with a world record, six gold medals, four top 3 all time world times, two top 10 all time world times, six individual gold medals and multiple best master times. I know I could not have done this without the support I received. I am so thankful to everyone!
Nationals is a great time to find old friends!
On the left is Al Keith, a friend I reconnected with after not seeing him in 20 years (he was swimming for a team in Virginia). In the middle is my husband, Geoff Glaser, who was serving as the coach for Dolphins of the Desert.
Jeff Commings on the right, broke a World Aquatics Masters world record and a USMS record in the men’s 50-54 breast stroke with a time of 29.23.
