News and Events
2025 Wrap Up: Santa Rosa Masters Rules the World!
Anyone who swims regularly with SRM knows that there’s some speedsters lurking in the pool, and in 2025 a number of them demonstrated their prowess to the world in 2025. Some of the highlights:
Short Course Yards: At the Pacific Masters SCY championship meet in May, John Morales and Allison Fealey won the high point award for their respective age groups.
At the same meet, the 65+ relay team of John Morales, Mark Evans, Francisco Canales and Joe Dunn set 3 new Pacific Master’s records and also recorded the top times nationally for 2 of those relays (800 free and 400 Medley).
USMS National Championships: Peter Kline (35-39) became a national champion by winning the 200 IM and 400 IM. Peter also set Pacific Master’s records in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and additionally became an All-American, by being top-ranked in the nation in the 100 backstroke (51.14) and the 400 IM (4:05.81). Wow!
Open Water Competitions: In the Pacific Masters overall point standings, coach Allie Davis tied for 3rd for W 30-34, Marcela Rueda tied for 2nd for W 40-44 (Marcela is the only SRM swimmer to do the 10K this year!) and Merrie Walts was first for W 65-69.
Other participants in open water competitions included Karissa DeRousseau, Cecily Devoto, Molly Curley O’Brien, Tamaki Myers, Diahanna Post, Sara Jones, Christina Wallis, Hannah DeRousseau, Dianna Teeter. Daniel Fahy, David Sallee, Nikkolas Kemp, Gordon McDonald, Gregory Cox, Terry Crowley, Alan Schmidt, Charles (Chuck) Neidhoefer, Frank Tuteur, and Mike Carr.
Notable open water finishes included the following:
Coach Allie won Donner W 30-34, Cecily placed 3rd W 35-39, Tamaki placed 3rd W 50-54, and Mike Carr was 2nd for M 55-59.
Daniel Fahy swam Keller Cove getting 2nd in both in the half mile and the two mile for M 35-39. Frank Tuteur swam the Santa Cruz Rough Water for 2 events. Frank won the half mile for M 65-69 and also completed the full mile.
Long Course Meters: Merrie Walts won the high point award at the Pacific Master’s LCM Championship in July, beginning her dominant run as a youthful 65 year old. Included in her victories at the meet were 3 Pacific Master’s records (50, 100 and 200 breaststroke).
Robin Bulman was similarly dominant in the women’s 60-64 age group breaststroke events, logging two firsts and a second. Robin set a Pacific Master’s record in the 50 breast, and recorded the nation’s top time in the 200 breast.
Other notable achievements at the Novato meet include Mark Evans’s 200 free, which ended up being #1 in the nation, Chuck Neidhoffer’s 200 breaststroke, which ranked 7th in the nation (55-59 age group), and Sara Jones’s 200 backstroke, which also ranked her 7th in the country.
Short Course Meters: At the Pacific Masters SCM Championship meet, SRM showed well with Merrie Walts and Mark Evans breaking PacMasters records. Merrie and Mark won high point honors, and Chuck Neidhoffer came oh-so close, finishing a 2nd in his age group by a mere 2 points. Although the National rankings aren’t finalized yet, expect to see “SRM” in a number of the top-10 lists.
World Championships: Merrie and Robin and Sara were joined by Marcela Reuda in Singapore for the World Masters LCM Swimming Championships. The quartet logged 8 top-10 finishes, including 4 gold medals for Merrie, who set a meet record in the 200 IM! This was the first time a SRM swimmer won an event at this meet.
It is worth recapping the amazing year that Merrie had in 2025 (and this after coming back from a severe case of Covid in 2022). Here’s the list:
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Competed in every pool event in 2025 in all 3 courses (53 races total).
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Logged Top-10 times in every LCM event except the 50 fly (16 total).
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Set 6 Pacific Master’s Records (all 3 breaststroke distances, LCM and SCM).
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Won 4 events at the World Championships, setting the meet record in the 200 IM.
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Logged All-American (#1) times in 4 LCM events.
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Is currently ranked 1st in the nation for SCM 400IM and 2nd in a number of other SCM events.
Congratulations Merrie, you are truly an inspiration.
- Mark Evans
