10 world records broken at Kroc Center swim competition

On Feb. 25 and 26 the Kroc Masters Swim Team sponsored a Masters (ages 18 and over) swim meet.

The team is a nationally recognized club team of adult swimmers that train and compete year-round under the direction of coach Mike Hamm, a past winner of the prestigious Kerry O’Brien coaching award.

The Kroc Masters train three mornings a week between 5 and 6 a.m. in the Kroc competition pool. All ages (over 18) and abilities are welcome.

The meet featured over 70 individual swimmers from ages 21 to 88 from Idaho, Montana, Washington, Montana, Oregon and California. The Kroc pool was set up so the competition was in “short course meters.”

Indoor meets are typically set up in yards in America, the rest of the world competes in meters. Because of the unique setup for this meet there were several world class athletes in attendance.

The aptly named "February Flurry" swim meet had some added excitement this year as Laura Val, 72, from California, and Richard Burns (80) came to Coeur d'Alene to attempt to set national records and potentially world records for their age groups. 

Between the two of them, 10 world records were broken. 

Val set world and national records for the 70-74 year-old age group in the 400 individual medley, 50 butterfly, 50 backstroke and 400 freestyle.

Burns set world and national records for the 80-84 age group in the 50, 100 and 200 backstroke, the 100 and 200 individual medley and the 50 butterfly.

There were many outstanding swims by the other competitors including many local swimmers.

There are a number of opportunities for lake swimming competitions this summer.

Saturday, July 22 — The Kroc Masters One- and Two-mile swims at Sanders Beach on Lake Coeur d’Alene

Saturday, Aug. 5 — The Long Bridge swim, 1.76 miles in Sandpoint, Lake Pend Oreille

Sunday, Aug. 13 — The Coeur d'Alene Crossing, a 2.4-mile swim from on Lake Coeur d'Alene from Arrow Point to The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course.  

Info on all three swims can be found online.

In addition the Kroc will be sponsoring Adult Learn to Swim lesson in late April or early May, free lessons for any adult wanting to either learn to swim or feel more competent in the water.