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Broward YMCA's Christopher, Castro, LaFountain Win; Two Records Broken At YMCA Masters Nationals

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Written by Sharon Robb

Deven Christopher and Leticia Castro of the Broward County YMCA captured individual titles on the opening day of the YMCA Masters Short Course National Championships Thursday at Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex.

Christopher, 37, a member of the Coral Springs Masters, won the 1,650-yard freestyle 35-39 age group in 19:44.22, bettering her seed time of 21:17.41. Teammate Suzanne Dearworth, 39, was second in 23:24.32.

Broward YMCA's Sarah Bennett, 49, was seventh in 24:52.85 bettering seed time of 33:00.

Leticia Castro, 52, of Broward County YMCA won the 50-54 age group race in 20:40.88. Castro was also second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 12:31.93.

Coral Springs Masters' swimmer Celia Devanney, competing for the Broward County YMCA, was third in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 12:53.80, below her 13:00 seed time.

In the 55-59 age group, Melinda Mann, 55, of Oshkosh, Wis. won the race in a YMCA meet record in 20:45.01, bettering the previous record of 21:48.44 set by Darcy LaFountain of Broward County YMCA in last year's meet. LaFountain also broke her own record finishing second in 21:09.25.

LaFountain won the 55-59 1,000-yard freestyle in 12:49.63, below her seed time of 13:05.

Cathy Mancino, 62, was second in the 60-64 1,000-yard freestyle in 13:59.61.

In the men's competition, Mark Drennen, 55, of Sarasota YMCA won the 55-59 1,650-yard freestyle in a meet record 18:21.90. The previous record was 18:22.01 set by Rick Walker, also of Sarasota YMCA in 2010. Walker, 61, won the 60-64 age group title in 18:52.90.

The four-day meet continues on Friday with timed finals at 8 a.m.

THURSDAY RESULTS

WOMEN

Combined team totals: 1. Sarasota Masters 204, 2. YMCA of the Chesapeake 102, 3. South Hills YMCA 99, 4. Broward County YMCA 63, 5. Tri County YMCA 59, 15. Naples 7, 20. YMCA of South Palm Beach 6.

1,650-yard freestyle:

18-24, 1. Mikaela Boley, Chesapeake, Md. 21:07.54; 25-29, 1. Ginny Trimble, Beavercreek, OH. 20:02.04; 35-39, 1. Deven Christopher, Broward YMCA 19:44.22, 2. Suzanne Dearworth, Broward YMCA 23:24.32; 40-44, 1. Nadine Day, Danville, Ill. 19:23.10; 45-49, 1. Fernet Ramnath, Sarasota 19:40.99, 7. Sarah Bennett, Broward YMCA 24:52.85; 50-54, 1. Leticia Castro, Broward YMCA 20:40.88; 55-59, 1. Melinda Mann, Oshkosh, Wis. 20:45.01, 2. Darcy LaFountain, Broward YMCA 21:09.25; 60-64, 1. Carol Mitchell, Sarasota 26:24.74; 65-69, 1. Ann Svenson, South Hills, Pa. 26:16.22; 70-74, 1. Dotty Steenson, South Hills, Pa. 30:33.53; 75-79, 1. Barbara Love, Wilton Family Y 28:08.40.   

1,000-yard freestyle:

18-24, 1. Jessica Looney, Andover, Mass. 11:12.57; 25-29, 1. Caileen Burns, Andover, Mass. 12:01.08; 35-39, 1. Marla Sanchez, South Hills, Pa. 12:27.78; 40-44, 1. Kristi Gutsell, Tri County, Mass. 12:24.04; 45-49, 1. Ellen Bennett, Sarasota 11:31.26; 50-54, 1. Lisa Zedonis, Tri County, Mass. 12:24.29, 2. Leticia Castro, Broward YMCA 12:31.93, 3. Celia Devanney, Broward YMCA 12:53.80; 55-59, 1. Darcy LaFountain, Broward YMCA 12:49.63; 60-64, 1. Meredith Moore, Wilton Family Y 13:39.03, 2. Cathy Mancino, Broward YMCA 13:59.61; 65-69, 1. Jackie Marr, South Hills, Pa., 14:40.54; 70-74, 1. Margit Jebe, Wilton Family Y 16:13.57; 75-79, 1. Patrick Tullman, Sarasota 18:52.20; 85-89, 1. Margaret Menges, South Hills, Pa. 24:43.51.  

MEN

Combined team totals: 1. Sarasota Masters 280, 2. YMCA of the Chesapeake 144, 3. South Hills YMCA 111, 4. Tri County YMCA 97, 5. Broward County YMCA 76, 17. YMCA of South Palm Beach 12.

1,650-yard freestyle:

18-24, 1. Brian Kemp, Tri County, Mass. 19:03.29; 30-34, 1. Jason Hill, Beavercreek, OH 18:20.04; 40-44, 1. George Babits, Toronto 19:40.58; 45-49, 1. Arnaldo Perez, Sarasota 17:34.01; 50-54, 1. Jim Barber, Tri County, Mass. 18:00.85; 55-59, 1. Mark Drennen, Sarasota 18:21.90, meet record; 60-64, 1. Rick Walker, Sarasota 18:52.90, 3. David Owen, South Palm Beach 19:44.83; 65-69, 1. Greg Hollub, Oshkosh, WIS 21:38.38; 70-74, 1. Dean Dye, Sarasota 26:15.97; 75-79, 1. Steve Mullins, Danville, ILL. 29:43.02; 80-84, 1. Scott Petrequin, South Hills, Pa. 36:29.16.

1,000-yard freestyle:

25-29, 1. Elliot Miller, Andover, Mass. 12:06.86; 30-34, 1. Thomas Patterson, Ridley, Pa. 11:16.29; 35-39, 1. Adam Dawkins, Tri County, Mass. 10:04.77; 40-44, 1.Ramses Rodriguez, Sarasota 10:32.98; 45-49, 1. Arnaldo Perez, Sarasota 10:29.80, 3. Jonathan Olsen, Broward County YMCA 11:25.26; 50-54, 1. Mark Calvert, Tampa Metro 10:48.69; 55-59, 1. Kevin Scanlan, Buehlee, Ill. 12:05.39; 60-64, 1. Rick Walker, Sarasota 11:29.26, 3. David Owen, South Palm Beach 12:08.15; 65-69, 1. Carl Bromer, Beavercreek, OH 14:13.76; 70-74, 1. Michael Laux, Westport Weston 14:45.87; 75-79, 1. Steve Mullins, Danville, Ill. 17:39.73, 2. Lee Silverstein, Broward County YMCA 24:52.14; 80-84, 1. Burt Bronk, Chesapeake, Md. 18:48.44; 85-89, 1. Warren Foster, Sarasota 22:16.73.

IF YOU GO

What: YMCA Masters Short Course National Championships

When: Today-Sunday, 8 a.m.

Where: Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex, 501 Seabreeze Blvd.

Admission: Free. For information call 954-828-4580 or go to www.ymcaswimminganddiving.org and www.fortlauderdale.gov/flac

Sharon Robb can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.