Two separate events occurred this last, long weekend (the 6th through the 10th of October), and they were just a short jaunt down I-70 from each other. Their concurrence was weird I think but nonetheless, there it is: the Huntsman Senior Games and Long Course Nationals.
The jaunt wasn’t really short though, 2000 miles; almost exactly.
And the venues?
They were as different as vanilla and chocolate; St. George, in the absolute most southwest corner of the state of Utah and Athbasca County in the absolute most northeasterly area of Ohio.
Weird.
I say “Athbasca County” because the complex where Nationals took place was at one of the most amazing sports facilities in the country, but it’s a ways outside of Geneva, Ohio, the closest town.
Imagine the Weyerhaeuser complex when it was first built and visit Federal Way 20 years before that. It’s the home to Spire Institute which is an 8th grade to 12th grade, 200 student “residential academy;” a nice 175 acre complex. Lamelo Ball went there which ruins it for me but nevertheless, exclusive.
Flat; Lake Erie very close by. Middle, middle America.
Two thousand miles almost exactly west-southwest is St. George, Utah. Dixie college is in St. George and in fact, some of the sports of the Senior games used Dixie College facilities.
The town started out over a hundred years ago raising cotton but the humidity and elevation were wrong so now it’s a 100,000+ population city that centers on recreation. Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon aren’t far away; Las Vegas is just beyond.
It’s just under 3,000 feet “up” so y’all keep that in mind when feeling light headed; and it’s located in the Mojave Desert so bring the sunscreen and hand-fan.
The annual Huntsman Games started back in ’87 with the purpose of fostering worldwide peace and friendship. Although that doesn’t seem to be working outside of there, around town things are clicking.
We had four indomitable spirits that represented TWIM at these two esteemed events. The first two, our Presidente’, “Ironman” Dan Underbrink, just off his circumnavigation of Mercer Island, and his wifey, Mary. He was in Utah to lay assault to all events that make most competitors perspire just to consider. Mary, the normal one, was entered in 3 freestyle events.
And back East was the venerable Stephen Fogg, to nearly mirror Dan’s exhausting attack.
Also at Nationals was new TWIM member David Scott.
Danny was first up, swimming three events on Wednesday; the 400 IM, the 200 Breast and the 400 Free. In the first two he butted heads with an old adversary, former PSM swimmer Bernie Suave who has relocated somewhere down south. They’ve had lots of dustups, with each giving as good as they got. This time though, Bernie bested Dan in both events but not by much. Two silvers, though. Pretty darn good.
Danny’s best swim came in the 400 free, his third race (naturally) of the day. His main competition, a trio of hot pacers, jumped out to nearly a half pool lead. As the race progressed it became evident that one of that threesome was vulnerable. By the 300 meter mark Dan had a bead on him and was closing on the guy with each stroke. It came down to the wire and when the dust had settled, Danny had out-touched him for bronze by .4 seconds! It obviously affected the guy because he promptly scratched his 800 and 1500 free entries.
Danny can have that effect on competitors.
Thursday’s docket included the 100 back, 100 breast and 800 free. He cruised to bronze medals in the first two events but registered a silver in the 800 free where he bested his seed time by nearly 13 seconds! He looked good and felt strong, he said, with the energy debt not hitting him until nearly three hours later. The “crash” after a carbohydrate reload, no doubt.
Friday saw Danny back in the water where he continued to mine more metal; a silver in the 200 IM was followed by a nice gold in the 200 back. He rounded out his conquest with a silver in his final event, the 1500 free.
Mary Underbrink had something to contribute, too, and although she finished out of the medals in the 50 and 100 freestyles she garnered a well-deserved silver medal in the 200 free.
The two of them swam 12 events and came back with10 medals; incredible!
They both commented on how spectacular the venue was, both inside and out. They hung around an extra day to “see the sights” offered thereabouts. The photo included shows part of the swimming complex but does not do it justice, according to them; think once again of the King County pool in Federal Way and modernize it, ALOT!. This facility is less than 3 years old.
Back east, Thursday, Stephen “Velvet” Fogg got things rolling with his 800 free. And impressive it was, nabbing 7th while tossing up four consecutive 200 splits just under 3:20 (with the fastest, the final leg in 3:14). He was one of a trio battling it out from the mid-point in the race; he was in lane 7 with the other 2 in lanes 2 and 9. The guy at the other end of the pool ended up touching Stephen out by .43 but Velvet finished a little over a second ahead of the other.
And new guy Dave Scott was third in his men’s 55-59 50 free heat with his time of 29.67 gathering 11th. There were 5 within .34 in that mix; crazy!
Nice to have you aboard, by the way! First meet with the new team and it’s Nationals!
This guy knows how to make an entrance!
Stephen was back at it next for his last Friday swim, the 400 IM. He grabbed a nice 5th in 7:45.77, kicking ass in 1:32.13 on that free leg to separate from the 6th place finisher with 25 meters left.
Dave’s last swim Friday was the 100 breast where he stepped it up, big-time. How’s a 1:24.53 for a seventh place sound? It was a great race, too as there were three tightly bunched at the wire and I mean tightly; they finished just .3 seconds apart. Dave got nipped by .26 seconds by sixth and beat the eighth place finisher by four one-hundredths of a second!! That, according to the International Guide of Weights and Measures is a “gnat’s eyelash”.
Oh, and yeah, this new guy? He wasn’t finished yet. Not by a longshot. Saturday he really stepped it up and almost broke 3 minutes in the 200 breast. . .METERS! And, ka-ching! Bronze!! That’s right, third! In 3:02.96! I mean, he swam his 100 in 1:24 and change. What did he do here? Negative split this thing? Almost!
Nice swim.
Wow!
Oh yeah, where was I?
Stephen, back to you.
I’m coverin’ the dynamic duo here.
Saturday Stephen nails down a 9th in the 400 meters and a 6th in the 50 back. In that 400 meter free he touched 10th out by .34! Some fast people there. You had to have your A game and then some! Luckily they had read the memo.
Sunday, the final day of a long weekend, and they were back at it. David opened up the festivities by churning his way to 9th in the 50 breast. Stephen followed that up with a very nice 5th place in the 100 back. Then, like tag team wrestlers, Dave was up again. A snafu led him to be placed in a much slower heat but he still killed it in his 200 free, closing in a 38.94 to register a 2:34.68 and squeezing into 7th by .66 seconds. For their grand finale, they both swam the same event; the 200 IM. Dave smoked the final 50 of his IM in :36.16 coming from nearly 2.5 seconds in back of the 8th place finisher but he couldn’t quite catch him, getting touched by .29 seconds. Still, 9th place in 2:57 and change was a great way to finish.
The Velvet Fogg closed out the competition with a nice posting for his IM; under 3:34 to grab a well-deserved 7th.
Amazing performances from these two guys as they both went that extra mile swimming PSM relays, also. Stephen swimming two while David chipped in for one.
Exemplary effort and exhausting stuff.
Considering COVID, travel restrictions, training limitations and the other usual things that crop up, ie. life; I’d say these four TWIM competitors deserve a huge standing O!
Velvet and Newblood. . .take a bow!
Well done and looking forward to more in the future!
