Women's 100-meter Immersion at Dutch Open Finswimming Championships

By Robert H. Kelly
Executive Director-Texas Finswimming Association

DEER PARK, TEXAS (May 31, 2009) Below is a very good clip showing the women's 100-meter immersion at the Dutch Open Finswimming Championships on May 16, 2009 at Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Notice the deep water kicking technique and how the finswimmers come to the surface to turn at the 50-meter mark. The deep water kicking is better for the race, and one has less chance of their monofin breaking the surface and causing resistance. The shallow turning technique allows the fin to come out of the water on the flip to, enabling a fast turn at the half-way point.

Notice the times of the five competitors:
1st place: Nicloe Matthes :41.51
2nd place: Carolin Haase :46.52
3rd place: Ghita Puts :49.32
4th place: Sandra HaBler :49.40
5th place: Sabine Steenken :59.34

The United States women's senior and junior finswimming national records for the 100-meter immersion are as follows:

Senior 100-meter immersion: Jenny Thompson :49.88 at Dunaujvaros, Hungary (1996)
Junior 100-meter immersion: Kristine Kelly :58.48 at Palo Alto, California (2000)

Russian Finswimming Video

By Robert H. Kelly
Executive Director-Texas Finswimming Association

DEER PARK, TEXAS (March 16, 2009) Here is a video clip that I found on YouTube that was produced by the Russian Underwater Federation. It shows a variety of events and disciplines, along with some very good examples of the techniques that are necessary to become a top caliber finswimmer.

I served as the Head Coach the United States National Finswimming Team at the 2000 CMAS World Finswimming Championships in Majorca, Spain.

My wife Darla, who served as the USA Assistant Coach for those Championships, took many hours of finswimming video in Majorca. If I can ever figure out how to convert them to a digital format, I will post them here.

The video below is about two years old, but it is still a welcome bit of visual finswimming for all to enjoy.

2008 TFA End-of-Season Award Winners

DEER PARK, TEXAS (January 15, 2009) The Texas Finswimming Association recently announced its end-of-season awards for 2008. We are very proud to recognize the following award winners:

Athletes of the Year
Lauren Rossett-Texan Finswimming Club (TFC)
Derrick Mauk-Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST)

Newcomer of the Year
Inka Johnson-USSAG "Sparta" Team (Houston, Texas)

Team of the Year
U.S. Scholar-Athlete Games "Sparta" Team

Coach of the Year
Darla S. Kelly-Swimming & Finswimming Commissioner-2008 U.S. Scholar-Athlete Games

All State 1st Team
Lauren Rossett-Texan Finswimming Club (TFC)
Brittany Jones-Texan Finswimming Club (TFC)
Derrick Mauk-Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST)
Jonathan Abner-Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC)

All State 2nd Team
Inka Johnson-USSAG "Sparta" Team (Houston, Texas)
Nilda Eguren-Texan Finswimming Club (TFC)
Christian Castro-Texan Finswimming Club (TFC)
Andrew Rodriguez-Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC)

All State Honorable Mention
Ramsey McRory-USSAG "Athens' Team (Keller, Texas)
Adrian Hernandez-Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC)

TFA Selects New Board of Directors for 2009-2012

DEER PARK, TEXAS (Janaury 10, 2009) The Texas Finswimming Association recently selected their new Board of Directors. Each board serves for the duration of the current Olympiad, with this board serving until December 31, 2012.

The Board of Directors for the current Olympiad (2009-2012) is as follows:

President: Darla S. Kelly-Deer Park, Texas
Vice President: Derrick Mauk-Friendswood, Texas
Secretary: Donna Alicoate-Broadway, Virgina
Treasurer: Ruby Tamulitis-Baytown, Texas
Executive Director: Robert H. Kelly-Deer Park, Texas
Director of Media and Public Relations: Jack Light-Amarillo, Texas
Director of Medical Services: Crystal Withrow-Pasadena, Texas
Director of Special Programs: Kristine Kelly-Deer Park, Texas
Athlete Representive: Jenna Taylor-Pasadena, Texas

3rd World Scholar-Athletes Games 2008: Finswimming Results

KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND (July 5, 2008) The 3rd United States Scholar-Athlete Games were held at the University of Rhode Island and for the third time in Games history, finswimming events were held. Athletes from ten states competed in the events with two new US Scholar-Athlete Games records and one Institute for International Sport record being set. Athletes were divided into two teams; Spatra and Athens; for the competition.

United States Scholar-Athlete Games
June 30-July 4, 2009
University of Rhode Island
Tootell Natatorium
Kingston, Rhode Island
(athlete's state is in parentheses behind their team name)

Hosted and sponsored by the Institute for International Sport and the University of Rhode Island
Sanctioned by the Texas Finswimming Association: (Sanction #2008-2A)

Women's 50-yard Surface
USSAG Record: Kristine Kelly-Texas :21.33 # 2003
IIS Record: Kristine Kelly-Lithuania :21.03 * 2006
1. Kate Sorrell-Athens (North Carolina) :23.28
2. Catherine Duquet-Sparta (Florida) :24.31
3. Hillary Fisher-Sparta (Florida) :26.32
4. Elizabeth Genneari-Sparta (Florida) :27.60
5. Inka Johnson-Sparta (Texas) :28.54
6. Ramsey McRory-Athens (Texas) :31.00
7. Jane Hinsenkamp-Athens (Michigan) :32.12
8. Karla Flores-Athens (Texas) :34.25
- Orla Powers-Athens (North Carolina) DQ


Men's 50-yard Surface
USSAG Record: Dylan Jones-New York :21.90 # 1999
IIS Record: Christopher Mudd-USA :20.81 * 2001
1. Charles Trachta-Sparta (Virgina) :21.47 #
2. Eduard Dona-Athens (Virgina) :22.18
3. Daniel Guidot-Sparta (Georgia) :22.97
4. Jeremy Lawerence-Athens (Florida) :27.85
5. Brendon Blankinship-Sparta (Florida) :28.22
6. Taylor Basford-Sparta (Florida) :28.47


Women's 100-yard Surface
USSAG Record: Kristine Kelly-Texas :49.22 # 2003
IIS Record: Kristine Kelly-USA :49.22 * 2003
1. Orla Powers-Athens (North Carolina) :51.51
2. Kate Sorrell-Athens (North Carolina) :52.25
3. Catherine Duquet-Sparta (Florida) :55.32
4. Sarah Kittle-Sparta (New York) 1:05.53
5. Elizabeth Genneari-Sparta (Florida) 1:08.03
6. Inka Johnson-Sparta (Texas) 1:08.15


Men's 100-yard Surface
USSAG Record: Dylan Jones-New York :45.25 # 1999
IIS Record: Dylan Jones-USA :45.25 * 1999
1. Charles Trachta-Sparta (Virgina) :50.72
2. Eduard Dona-Athens (Virgina) :53.97
3. Daniel Guidot-Sparta (Georgia) :55.32
4. Josh Tucci-Sparta (New Jersey) 1:05.53
5. Bobby Padon-Sparta (Florida) 1:08.34
6. Brendon Blankinship-Sparta (Florida) 1:08.35
7. Jeremy Lawerence-Athens (Florida) 1:09.31


Women's 50-yard Apnea
USSAG Record: Kristine Kelly-Texas :20.39 # 2003
IIS Record: Kristine Kelly-Lithuania :20.28 * 2006
1. Kate Sorrell-Athens (North Carolina) :21.66
2. Orla Powers-Athens (North Carolina) :22.78
3. Inka Johnson-Sparta (Texas) :23.03
4. Elizabeth Genneari-Sparta (Florida) :25.81
5. Sarah Kittle-Sparta (New York) :29.16
- Atlee Chait-Sparta (Maine) DQ
- Emily MacSwain-Athens (Connecticut) DQ
- Jiwon Suh-Athens (New York) DQ


Men's 50-yard Apnea
USSAG Record: Dylan Jones-New York :21.90 # 1999
IIS Record: Christopher Mudd-USA :20.81 * 2001
1. Eduard Dona-Athens (Virgina) :19.06 # *
2. Charles Trachta-Sparta (Virgina) :19.50 # *
3. Josh Tucci-Sparta (New Jersey) :23.12 #
4. Bobby Padon-Sparta (Florida) :29.78

TFA President Selected as Commissioner of US Scholar-Athlete Games

DEER PARK, TEXAS (June 19, 2009) Texas Finswimming Association President Darla Kelly has been selected by the Institute for International Sport as the commissioner of swimming and finswimming for the 3rd United States Scholar-Athlete Games. Kelly is also the Head Aquatics Coach at Psadena (Texas) High School and the Head Womens Coach of the Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST).

Kelly was selected for the position from a group of applicants and will direct all the swimming and finswimming activities and competition at the Games.

The United States Scholar-Athlete Games is held every four years and brings together over 3,000 athletes and 300 coaches and staff for training and competition in basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, track and field, golf, swimming, finswimming, field hockey, tennis, rugby, squash, softball and baseball.

Kelly will oversee over 100 athletes and 10 coaches whom will participate in the swimming and finswimming competition. In addition, she will set up and direct the training programs and the competitive meet for the swimmers and finswimmers.

Previous she has served as a coach at the Games in 1999 and 2003 in addition to being a coach at the 1997, 2001, and 2005 World Scholar-Athlete Games. In the 1997 and 2001 Games, she was the one of the co-head swimming coaches for the United States and in 2005 served as the head coach for the Lithuanian team.

Kelly was selected for the job based on her coaching and administrative experience and her pervious national and international coaching positions. In 2000, she was the assistant coach for the United States national team at the 2000 World Finswimming Championships in Majorca, Spain.

The Games will be on the campus of the University of Rhode Island on June 28-July 5 and will include athletes from all 50 states and special invitees from over 15 countries. Kelly is the first woman to be selected as swimming commissioner for either the United States or World Scholar-Athlete Games.

“I was honored to be selected for this position. It is a great opportunity and I hope to do the very best for the athletes, coaches and staff of the Games. I have a good group of coaches to work with and I know they will do their very best to make these Games the best ever,” said Kelly.

Kelly will be joined in Rhode Island by three coaches with local ties. Sam Rayburn High School swimming coach Robert Kelly, (Kelly’s husband) will serve as one of her staff coaches. In addition, Pasadena High School teacher Lisa Hernandez and former Deer Park High School swimmer Rebecca Lucas will also be members of Kelly’s staff.

Hernandez is a UIL swimming official and also is a volunteer swimming coach for Pasadena High School. Lucas is a teacher in the Nacadoches school district and works as a swimming coach for various camps and clinics in the area. She was previously a staff coach at the 1997 United States-Scholar Athlete Games.

Results of 2008 Texas Open Finswimming Invitational

DEER PARK, TEXAS (May 16, 2009) Below are the results for the Texas Open Finswimming Invitational held at Southmore Natatorium in Pasadena, Texas. The pool is a 25-yard six lane pool.

Texas Open Finswimming Invitational
April 23-24, 2008
Hosted and Sponsored by the Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas
Sanctioned by the Texas Finswimming Association: (Sanction #2008-1A)

Officials:
Darla S. Kelly-Referee
Robert H. Kelly-Starter
Brian Vestal-Technique and Turns


Event 1 Women 50 Yard Apnea
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 20.91 5/3/2006 Kristine Kelly, FAST
Pool Record: $ 20.49 12/3/2004 Kristine Kelly, Pasadena HS
State Record: & 20.23 7/1/2006 Kristine Kelly, Lithuania
=======================================================================
-- Rossett, Lauren TFC DQ

Event 2 Men 50 Yard Apnea
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 19.75 3/12/1999 Brian Mauk, DPFS
Pool Record: $ 16.94 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 16.94 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
=======================================================================
1 Mauk, Derrick FAST 18.12*
2 Abner, Jonathan EFC 19.27*
3 Hernandez, Adrian EFC 19.80
4 Castro, Christian TFC 20.15
5 O'Donnell, Colin EFC 21.05
6 McSwain, Jacob EFC 21.13
7 Maza, Hansel TFC 22.90
8 Gutierrez, Obed EFC 23.12
9 Harris, Zachary TFC 23.32
10 Jolly, Justin TFC 23.39
11 Sanchez, Eduardo EFC 23.78
12 Mahaney, Robert TFC 24.68
-- Arredondo, Ricardo TFC DQ

Event 3 Women 100 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 50.31 5/3/2006 Kristine Kelly, FAST
Pool Record: $ 45.33 9/25/1998 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
State Record: & 45.33 9/25/1998 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
=======================================================================
1 Salinas, Nora TFC 1:07.38
2 Eguren, Nilda TFC 1:12.23
3 Jones, Brittany TFC 1:13.53
4 Burks, Katelyn TFC 1:13.82
5 Villareal, Michelle EFC 1:16.32
6 Hinojosa, Alyssa TFC 1:16.95
7 Arredondo, Priscila TFC 1:20.88
8 Heysquierdo, Daniella EFC 1:29.16

Event 4 Men 100 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 44.33 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
Pool Record: $ 43.08 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 43.08 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
=======================================================================
1 Abner, Jonathan EFC 48.55
2 O'Donnell, Colin EFC 54.35
3 McSwain, Jacob EFC 57.89
4 Gutierrez, Obed EFC 59.84
5 Jolly, Justin TFC 1:00.50
6 Gutierrez, Jose EFC 1:03.18
6 Maza, Hansel TFC 1:03.18
8 Harris, Zachary TFC 1:03.41
9 Mahaney, Robert TFC 1:07.59
10 Arredondo, Ricardo TFC 1:15.73
11 Estep, Emory EFC 1:31.79

Event 5 Women 200 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 1:56.61 5/3/2006 Kristine Kelly, FAST
Pool Record: $ 1:42.01 4/18/2000 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
State Record: & 1:42.01 4/18/2000 Noora Kussivouri, Finland
=======================================================================
1 Rossett, Lauren TFC 2:41.20
2 Eguren, Nilda TFC 2:49.98

Event 6 Men 200 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 1:45.72 4/15/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
Pool Record: $ 1:39.46 4/15/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 1:39.46 4/15/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
=======================================================================
1 Hernandez, Adrian EFC 1:55.42
2 Castro, Christian TFC 2:09.95
3 Gutierrez, Obed EFC 2:20.28
4 Rodriguez, Andrew EFC 2:21.69
5 Maza, Hansel TFC 2:23.04
-- Estep, Emory EFC DQ

Event 7 Women 25 Yard Apnea
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 9.52 3/24/2000 Tiffany Davis, EFSC
Pool Record: $ 9.52 3/24/2000 Tiffany Davis, EFSC
State Record: & 9.52 3/24/2000 Tiffany Davis, EFSC
=======================================================================
1 Jones, Brittany TFC 12.75
2 Salinas, Nora TFC 12.92
3 Hinojosa, Alyssa TFC 14.68
4 Burks, Katelyn TFC 16.07
5 Arredondo, Priscila TFC 17.35
6 Heysquierdo, Daniella EFC 17.37

Event 8 Men 25 Yard Apnea
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 9.05 3/24/2000 Robert Orehlein, DPFS
Pool Record: $ 7.71 4/18/1998 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 7.71 4/18/1998 Derrick Mauk, FAST
=======================================================================
1 Abner, Jonathan EFC 8.29*
2 Hernandez, Adrian EFC 8.83*
3 Rodriguez, Andrew EFC 9.52
4 Jolly, Justin TFC 9.62
5 Gutierrez, Jose EFC 11.17
6 Sanchez, Eduardo EFC 11.40
7 Shippey, Dennis FAST 12.73
8 Estep, Emory EFC 14.70

Event 9 Women 50 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 23.58 3/24/2000 Tiffany Davis, EFSC
Pool Record: $ 20.49 9/25/1998 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
State Record: & 20.59 9/25/1998 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
=======================================================================
1 Salinas, Nora TFC 28.53
2 Jones, Brittany TFC 30.42
3 Hinojosa, Alyssa TFC 33.97
4 Burks, Katelyn TFC 34.44
5 Heysquierdo, Daniella EFC 35.89
6 Arredondo, Priscila TFC 36.08

Event 10 Men 50 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * 18.86 3/13/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
Pool Record: $ 18.31 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 18.31 4/16/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
=======================================================================
1 Gutierrez, Jose EFC 26.84
2 Rodriguez, Andrew EFC 27.76
3 McSwain, Jacob EFC 27.85
4 Mahaney, Robert TFC 28.99
5 Shippey, Dennis FAST 33.28
6 Estep, Emory EFC 36.40

Event 11 Women 500 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * None
Pool Record: $ 4:40.56 4/27/2000 Noora Kuusivouri, Finland
State Record: & 4:40.56 4/27/2000 Noora Kussivouri, Finland
=======================================================================
1 Rossett, Lauren TFC 7:45.44*
-- Eguren, Nilda TFC DQ

Event 12 Men 500 Yard Surface
=======================================================================
Meet Record: * None
Pool Record: $ 4:57.81 4/14/1999 Derrick Mauk, FAST
State Record: & 4:57.81 4/14/1999 Derrick Mauk
=======================================================================
1 Castro, Christian TFC 6:05.67*
2 O'Donnell, Colin EFC 6:12.93
3 Sanchez, Eduardo EFC 7:08.51
4 Shippey, Dennis FAST 7:55.73
5 Arredondo, Ricardo TFC 8:05.73
=======================================================================

Final Team Results
Combined Scoring
1. Texas Finswimming Club (TFC): 107.50 points
2. Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC): 95.50 points
3. Finswimming Assn of SE Texas: (FAST) 12 points

Mens Scoring
1. Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC): 90.50 points
2. Texan Finswimming Club (TFC): 27.50 points
3. Finswimming Assn of SE Texas (FAST): 12 points

Womens Scoring
1. Texas Finswimming Club (TFC): 80 points
2. Eagle Finswimming Club (EFC): 5 points