Beaufort Masters Swim Team placed fifth in a nationwide competition in which all swimmers swam 3,000 yards for time in their respective pools. The vast majority of those 17 swims were performed in the Beaufort YMCA pool; the team is very appreciative of YMCA for its support and friendship.

This National Championship event, along with 5 and 10 kilometer swims as well as a one-hour swim for distance, is called “Postal” and is administered by United States Masters Swimming. Roughly 400 swimmers from all over the United States took on this challenge and “quality” points, reflecting how close the swimmer came to the national record for their age and gender, are awarded.  To put meaning to the 3,000-yard swim, that is 60 50-yard swims.

Medals were awarded for top 10 times.

• Two Beaufort Masters swimmers, Coach Mary Eklund and Peter Wyman, also swam the daunting 6,000-yard challenge and were awarded ninth and sixth place medals, respectively.

• Twelve Beaufort Masters Swim Team women cumulatively earned a fourth place nationally in the 3,000-yard challenge, earning 7,397 points between the individual and relay events.

• Bonnie Downs was awarded a medal for eighth place.

Four female relay teams received Top Ten medals:

• Meredith Anderson, Heather Gnau and Amanda Babbitt;

• Candace Fritz, Heidi Taylor and Susan Thomas;

• Mary Eklund, Loretta Bootle and Donna Altman;

• Laura Richardson, Bonnie Downs and Amy O’Dell.

Five Beaufort Masters Swim Team men cumulatively earned a 10th place medal in the 3,000-yard challenge — with 3,385 points between the individual and relay events.

• Scott Graber received a sixth place medal

• Pete Palmer received one for second place.

One male relay team received a Top Ten medal:

• Scott Graber, Peter Wyman and John Harris.

Two Beaufort Masters mixed (male and female) relay teams received Top Ten medals:

• John Harris, Donna Altman, Laura Richardson, and Peter Wyman

• Scott Graber, Susan Thomas, Bonnie Downs and Pete Palmer.
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