MEMO Wins Their First-Ever PacMasters SCY Title

Marcia’s Ethusiastic Masters of Oakland (MEMO), coached by Marcia Benjamin, have made history in the largest LMSC region in the United States – the Pacific region. Swimming last weekend at the PacMsters SCY Championship meet in Moraga, California, they became the first team other than mega-clubs Walnut Creek Masters (403 swimmers) and University of San Francisco masters (217 swimmers) to win the LMSC title.

The team scored the most men’s points and the most women’s points to come away with the overall title with 10,766 points – 888.5 points ahead of Walnut Creek. University of San Francisco placed 3rd.

Among the individual highlights of the meet was former Cal standout Catherine Breed, who broke LMSC records in both the 500 free (4:54.67) and 1650 free (16:56.13) in the 25-29 age group (she’s 25, so it’s her first year in the group). She swims for The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Other LMSC records broken:

• Ruth Shaps from Manatee Aquatics swam a 1:25.90 in the 100 backstroke and a 1:07.83 in the 100 free, breaking the 70-74 records in both event.
• Matthew Marshall, also from the Olympic Club, won the men’s 35-39 100 fly in 49.66 – a new PMLSC Record.
• The Olympic Club kept rolling when Paul Carter broke the men’s 60-64 LMSC Record in the 50 fly, swimming a 25.39.
• Walnut Creek Masters broke the women’s 55+ 200 medley relay record for PacMasters by almost 15 seconds – swimming a 2:09.66. They also broke the 55+ records in the 200 free relay (1:55.19 – 11 second drop), the 800 free relay (10:58.82 -2.5 second drop).
• Walnut Creek’s older women’s relays broke records as well. They took the women’s 65+ record by more than 14 seconds in the same event, and the 75+ 200 free relay record by almost 3 seconds.
• Walnut Creek’s men’s team, featuring SwimSwam contributor Dean Ottati on the backstroke leg, won the 400 medley relay in 4:15.90.