Camp Sherman resident sets swim record

Tom Landis has plenty to smile about. He keeps racking up records.

Tom Landis of Camp Sherman set two national records at the U.S. National Masters weeklong swim meet held at the University of Hawaii on Oahu May 14-18.

Competing in the 60-64 age category, Landis swam the 1,650-yard race in 19:18:93, a new record. In the same race he was clocked at 11:34:34 for the 1,000-yard distance -- also record time.

The '1650' takes 65 turns in a 25-yard pool to complete.

"A friend of mine gave good advice on turns that helped in this pool," said Landis.

The 60-year old Camp Sherman swimmer didn't stop there, however. He also won the 50-yard (24:90 seconds) sprint, 100-yard (54:51 seconds), 200-yard (2:01:52), and 500-yard (5:38:67) races.

"I had this fantasy that maybe I could win the distance race and the sprint. Generally, swimmers don't win at both ends," said Landis. "Everything came together in Hawaii and I did it. This was my best '50' time since getting back into swimming. I'm not a sprinter and my favorite distance is 200 yards but I have the endurance necessary for longer races."

The meet was held at two pools on the University of Hawaii campus and attracted 1,200 Master swimmers.

Landis finished the week by winning the two-kilometer open ocean swim held at Waikiki Beach in 25:18.

"Usually I go surfing when I'm in Hawaii," Landis commented. "Not this week. I was kept busy at the pool and did manage a morning ocean swim to warm up for the '1650' race. My biggest problem was staying out of the sun."

Landis competes next week in Albany, Oregon, at the next Masters swim meet.