Tideriders swim meet brings hundreds to Fort Smith
by June 19, 2011 2:38 pm 311 views
story and photos by Ruby Dean
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Despite the hot, humid weather with temperatures ranging in the lower to mid 90’s and heat index over 100, 306 swimmers from five states competed in the 21st Annual Fort Smith Record Setter Swim Meet.
The event began Friday (June 17) and concludes Sunday.
The Fort Smith Tideriders swim team hosted the annual event with approximately thirty-five swimmers from the Tideriders team competing. Swimmers as young as 7 and as old as 46 competed. The event was sanctioned under USA Swimming through Arkansas Swimming Inc.
Each swimmer could enter a maximum of three individual events per day on Saturday and Sunday. Individual events were scored according to the following groupings: 10 & under, 11 & 12, 13 & 14, and 15 & over. Medals were awarded for first through third places. Ribbons were awarded for fourth through 10th place in individual events. Awards and scoring for the relay event were also given.
High point awards were presented to the male and female swimmers in the following age groups: 10 & under, 11 & 12, 13 & 14, and 15 & over. Team awards were given to the first, second, and third place teams. All ribbons and medals were given to the coaches at the finish of the competition on Sunday evening and will be given to the individual swimmers.
This meet was a family event for Annie Games and her children from North Little Rock. Games was training for a marathon and broke her ankle. She heard swimming could help heal her ankle so she began swimming. Her children were already in swimming competitively. She joined their sport when they challenged her to swim competitively.
Games, 46, was the oldest competitor in the event. She swam in the one mile event (30 laps). Games said she now has a great appreciation for the hard work of the young swimmers. Her ankle is better, but not enough to return to running marathons, so she will continue swimming in the masters.
Ryan Bullock, 26, one of the Tideriders, and a third year doctoral student at Missouri State University studying to become an audiologist, began a non-profit organization called Swim To Hear. He wants to use his talents in swimming to help highlight his future profession of Audiology. Grayson Vaughn, 6, from Fort Smith is the ambassador of Swim To Hear.
As a future audiology doctor, Bullock will embark on long distance open water swimming events to help spread the message of audiology and the populations served by them. Each of these events will serve to help him train for his ultimate goal of swimming the English Channel.
Bullock finished first in his heat and second overall in the one mile swim with a time of 17:48.64. Events will wind up Sunday evening, and The City Wire plans to update this post with the finals info.
