GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE October 29, 2004

eveningsout

Ohio Splash finishes in top ten at ILGA championship

by Grant Wilson

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—Ohio Splash made its strongest showing ever at an International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics championship, racking up 742 points en route to a tenth-place finish of the 49 teams competing. This year's championship meet was held October 7-10.

Ohio Splash took one of its largest contingents ever to an IGLA championship, with 27 swimmers ranging in age from 27 to 59 and hailing from Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.

"Our exceptional balance of women and men of all ages helped propel Splash to our best-ever performance at IGLA," said Ohio Splash president Marty Loveless. "We're looking forward to building on this tradition at Splash for future IGLA Championships."

Leading into the final two relay events. Splash held on to eighth place. But, as most Splash swimmers had already exhausted the three relay entry limit in earlier events, Splash ran short of eligible swimmers to enter a large number of relays for these final two events. The larger teams from New York and Boston were able to slip past Splash in the final standings.

Nevertheless, Splash swimmers racked up an average of over 27 points per swimmer, second only to the team champion D.C. Aquatics Club of the top ten teams. Host South Florida Nadadores finished second in the team standings.

Six Splash swimmers, Dan Albrecht, Kerryn Bell, Deb Bowers, Angelo Citron, Mike Ganio, and Mark Klopfer, competed for the first time at an IGLA championship

meet. In all, Splash swimmers turned in top three finishes in 36 individual events and eight relay events, with Amira Jamarakani and Julie Applegate leading the way. Jamarakani finished with four first-place finishes (1,500 free, 200 back, 200 fly, 400 individual medley) and one second-place finish (200 IM). Applegate captured three first places (50 free, 100 free, 400 free), a second (100 breast), and a third (50 fly).

Other first place finishers for Splash were Kerryn Bell (50 free), Joe Daubel (100 breast), and Todd Radel (200 breast). Radel's 200 breaststroke win also was a new IGLA Record. Liv Gjestvang captured second or third in all five of her individual events. Also finishing second or third in individual events were Julio Aponte, Joe Daubel, Sophie Dryer, Mike Ganio, Cindy Harris, Heidi Madsen, Michael Mizenko, Elliot Neufeld, Todd Radel, Todd Urban, and Aaron Zechman.

Two Splash relays set new IGLA Records in capturing first place: the women's 800 free relay of Jamarakani, Dryer, Gjestvang, and Applegate, and the mixed 400 free relay of Ganio, Bell, Gjestvang, and Radel. Six additional Splash relays finished second or third, including a mixed 800 free relay (Harris, Doug Evans, Steve Trendel, Bell), two mixed 400 free relays (Applegate, David Spawn, Jamarakani, Grant Wilson, and Mizenko, Dryer, Harris, Evans), a mixed 400 medley relay (Jamarakani, Heidi Madsen, Zechman, Ganio), a women's 200 medley relay (Dryer, Madsen, Gjestvang, Applegate), and a men's 200 medley relay (Wilson, Radel, Mizenko, Evans).

A one-mile open water ocean swim was held on the Monday following the meet. Splash

GRANT WILSON

Paul Hinders and Deb Bowers prepare for their races in the mixed 200 freestyle relay

swimmer Julio Aponte finished in first place in his age group, and at 59 was the oldest swimmer overall to complete the race.

The 2005 IGLA Championship meet will be held in July in Atlanta. With three weekly practices, Ohio Splash is a masters swim team open to competitive and fitness swim-

mers of all ages and abilities. To learn more about Splash, call 614-265-7363 or see http://www.ohiosplash.org.

Grant Wilson is a member of the Ohio Splash board.

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