OSI News Archive - December, 2010

Oregon Swimming is hosting the West Coast All Star meet this year in Gresham.  We are in need of officials for this meet. Contact Kevin Nagle at naglekd@comcast.net if you are intested in officiating on Saturday January 8 (afternoon) and/or Sunday morning January 9.  

Tristan Furnary of MAC set two new OSI records in the backstroke events at the Forest Grove Christmas Invitational. He swam 26.44 in the 50 back to better Daniel Chen's 11-12 record of 26.58. He finished the 100 back in 56.54 bettering Preston Lanes' 1992 record of 57.43. Great job Tristan.

Jacob Pebley of Corvallis set four 17-18 and three Open records at the 2010 Short Course Junior Nationals. He finished the 100 freestyle in 45.05 lowering Steven Ung's 45.23 set earlier this year. In the 100 back, Jacob first set the record he previously held at 48.92 by swimming 48.07. Then in the final, he dropped another 0.45 seconds finishing in 47.62. Both times were good enough to better John Keppler's 1993 Open record of 48.37. In the 200 backstroke, Jacob dropped an unbelievable 1:42.73 to beat Trent Staley's 2000 record of 1:45.92. He also reset his own Open record of 1:45.20. The final record came in the 200 IM, where his 1:47.46 beat Bryan Addleman's 17-18 record of 1:48.39 and Matt Brown's Open record of 1:47.73, both set back in 1993. Great job Jacob.

Alice Luo set an Asian record at the recent Asian Games in the 200 IM while earning a bronze medal in the 200 IM. The record betters her own record set at the World Championships earlier this year. Alice also won the 100 breaststroke. Both swims came while swimming one class up from her normal classification. Alice trains with Sherwood's Yawama Swim Club and competes internationally for Taiwan.

Jacob Pebley of Corvallis lowered two 17-18 records at the Salbasgeon Suites CAT Senior Open. Swimming lead off in the 400 medley relay, Jacob dropped below 49 seconds in the 100 backstroke. His time of 48.92 beat Trent Staley's 2000 record of 48.63. Jacob also set a new OSI record in the 200 freestyle, finishing in 1:37.94. The old record was held by Nolan Morrell at 1:38.02.

The Oregon Swimming All Star team will be competing in Gresham, January 8 and 9.  Teams from Pacific, Pacific Northwest, Southern California and British Columbia will be competing.

The Oregon Team:

11-12 girls
Felicia Anderson - PAC
Livi Cox – CRST
Cassidy Brennan – CRST
Sara Metzsch – HEAT
Laura Epperson – THSC
Christin Young – THSC
Laura Laderoute – OCST
Molly Beamer – CAT

11-12 boys:

Paul Rogers - BEND

Ben Brockman – BEND

Anthony Nosack – THSC

Sean Calkins – THSC

Baxter Halligan – BEND

Isaac Watt – OCST

Tyler Soo – MAC

Paolo Casas – THSC

13-14 girls:

Emily Cheng – THSC

Tiffany Zhao – THSC

Brenda Cha – LOSC

Rory Kearns – The Dolphins

Ellie Thornbrue – HEAT

Logan Neal – HEAT

Mackenzie Halligan – BEND

Elizabeth Cobb – BEND

13-14 Boys:

Tommy Brewer – BEND

Liam Metzsch – HEAT

Enrike Marquez – PAC

Joseph Murphy – BEND

Anton Loncar – HEAT

Daniel Lupro – HEAT

John Hartmeier – BEND

Teddy Tsai – CAC

Head Coach - Nina Munch, Manager - Heather Thomas, Assistant coaches - Caitlyn Ringquist, Rebecca Wilcox, Spencer Crum and Jesse Raskauskas.

Congratulations and good luck.

The 2011 Swim Guide is for sale for $10.00 at JD Pence and through the Oregon Swimming Office.

All non-athlete members who have not previously completed the USA Swimming background check must successfully complete the new background check program by February 15, 2011.

All non-athlete members who have previously completed the USA Swimming background check before September 1, 2010, are required to complete the new BGC prior to April 30, 2011.

Any non-athlete members who completed the USA Swimming background check after September 1, 2010 must complete the new background check prior to December 31, 2011.

USA Swimming is pleased to announce that Acxiom Information Security Services, headquartered in Cleveland, OH, has been selected as the organization’s new background check provider. Acxiom, a pioneer in the industry, is one of the largest providers of background screening services in the USA. Led by nationally-recognized background screening expert Nadell Investigation Services, USA Swimming conducted an extensive selection process receiving proposals from 20 industry providers.

Based on new rules established at the U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention in September, all non-athlete members are required to complete a USA Swimming background check (BGC). The new program will provide two levels of screening. Coaches and Officials are required to complete a Level 2 BGC while all other non-athlete members must complete the Level 1 BGC.

The Level 2 Background Check will cost approximately $37-$40 while the Level 1 Check will cost between $17-$20. The initial check for both levels is valid for two years. Prior to the end of the 24th month following the initial check, all non-athlete members (regardless of membership type – coach, official, other) will be required to complete a Renewal background check that will also cost $17-20. The Renewal check must be updated every two years in order to maintain a non-athlete membership in USA Swimming.

At the time the legislation was approved, the deadline for meeting the new requirement was December 31, 2010. With the selection of a provider taking longer than anticipated, the USA Swimming Board of Directors has created new implementation deadlines as outlined below.

Non-Athlete Members – No Previous BGC: All non-athlete members who have not previously completed the USA Swimming background check must successfully complete the new background check program by February 15, 2011.

Non-Athlete Members with Previous BGC prior to Sept 1, 2010: All non-athlete members who have previously completed the USA Swimming background check before September 1, 2010, are required to complete the new BGC prior to April 30, 2011. This group includes anyone with current checks as well as anyone whose previous background check may have expired since September 30, 2010. The renewal deadline for these individuals has been extended until April 30, 2011. For example, a coach who had a background screen expire on October 31 now has until April 30 to complete the new BGC.

Non-Athlete Members with BGC between Sept 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010: Finally, any non-athlete members who have completed the USA-S background check since September 1, 2010 are required to complete the new background check prior to December 31, 2011.

Over the next few weeks, USA Swimming will be sharing additional details about the new program as well as directions for initiating the new background check. In the interim, if you have questions about the new background check program please contact backgroundcheck@usaswimming.org.

Tualatin Hills is hosting coach Paul Bergen on December 10 for a coaches lecture. The event will be held at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center on Walker Road at 1:00pm. The lecture is $25.00 for coaches with athletes at the International Meet and $40.00 for all other coaches. For more information, contact Linck Bergen.

The following is a press release from Tualatin Hills.

Paul Bergen was simply the best at developing international level athletes at the grass-roots, club level and became one of the most successful swimming coaches of his time.

His first coaching position was with the famed Cincinnati Marlins where he won 3 U.S. National Championships. His career continued with one year stints each at his alma mater (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) and the Philadelphia Aquatic Club. Paul established the Nashville Aquatic Club in 1975, winning 1 National Championship. Next stop was the University of Texas as coach of the women's team and the Longhorn Aquatic Club where he developed the National Champions and 2 Collegiate Championship teams. His success continued in Canada with the Etobicoke Swim Club. After a brief hiatus where he tried his hand at thoroughbred horse racing he returned to coaching at the Napa Valley Swim Club, Solotar Swim Club (Fairfax, VA) and the Tualatin Hills Swim Club (Portland, OR); followed by national training center assignments in Guadalajara, Mexico and Montreal, Canada.

Bergen's swimmers have set 20 world records and won 6 Olympic gold medals, 2 silver and 6 bronze; 16 World Championship medals (including 9 golds in 1978) and 20 Commonwealth Games medals; coach of 6 swimmers on Pan American Teams (1971, 1983 USA; 1987 CAN) and 18 Pan Pacific Championship Team members. His teams won 29 USA National Championships, 12 Canadian National Championships and 2 National Collegiate Championships (AIAW).

He served as Olympic Games coach 5 times (1980 USA; 1984, 1988 CAN; 2000, 2004 NED), World Championships coach 4 times (1975, 1978, 1982 USA and 1986 CAN) and one time as Commonwealth Games coach. He was a two time American Swimming Coaches’ Association Coach of the Year, a Collegiate Coach of the Year, a Canadian Coach of the Year and Honored Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Coach Bergen is currently retired and living with his wife, Mary Ann, and his animals in Arkansas.

Congratulations to Tori Simenec of BRSC and Neil O'Halloran of THSC for setting new OSI records at the Short Course Nationals. Tori lowered her own 17-18 100 fly record of 53.66 by swimming 53.43. Neil lowered Garth Summers 17-18 100 fly record of 48.87 twice. In prelims, Neil swam 48.57, and in finals, he went 48.34.