Landis swims to victory

Tom Landis has conquered swims in Oregon, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Photo courtesy The Photo Guy, Hawaii

Camp Sherman's record-holding swimmer Tom Landis won the 200-yard freestyle event at the U.S. Masters National Championships, held at the Arizona State University aquatic center in Tempe earlier this month.

Landis was timed in just over two minutes (2:01:49), winning in the age 60-64 category.

Some 2,900 Master swimmers, from ages 19 to 92, competed in various events with desert temperatures reaching between 90 and 104 degrees. There were two 25-yard competition pools and two 25-yard warm-up pools operating for the swimmers during the championships.

Landis practices in Bend at the Juniper Aquatic Center and is a member of C.O.M.A. (Central Oregon Masters Aquatics). He has been working out four or five times a week preparing for the National Championships, swimming on average 3,000 yards each day.

At the National Championships he also set a Northwest zone record in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:24:89.

Landis was presented his award for "swimmer of the year" (2002) at the Tempe event. Six outstanding male and female swimmers were honored at the event. Landis' trophy is on display at the Juniper Center.

The busy swimmer plans to compete in a one-day event in Corvallis next month and the three-day State games during July in Portland. He will also be competing in the National Open Water Championships (5 kilometers) held at nearby Elk Lake the last weekend in July. C.O.M.A. is also sponsoring 400 meter and 1,500 meter events that same weekend at the lake.

Landis excels as a freestyle sprinter but has the competitive heart to swim and do well in the longer distance events. He has enjoyed great success in various open water, longer distance events in Oregon, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia.