Banner year for Normandy: Six swimmers add names to record board
by Michael Cannon
Loveland, Oh. – The Normandy swim team is having a great summer season with eight new team records broken, four of which were more than 30 years old. Normandy Swim and Tennis is a member-owned club located on Union Cemetery Road, and was founded in the early 1960s. The club’s swim team competes in the Seven Hills Swim League against Indian Hill, Turpin Hills, Forest Hills, Terrace Park, and Miami Hills. There are approximately 150 swimmers on the team from age 5 to 18. 2015 is shaping up to be a banner year for Normandy, as six swimmers have added their names to the record board.
The medley relay team of Nami Cannon, Mia Carver, Amy Deem and Sarah Lolli broke the first record this season for the 200-meter medley relay, in which each member swims one of the four competition strokes of backstroke, breastroke, butterfly and freestyle. The relay team knocked 3.26 seconds off the previous record set in 1981 by Kristen Jones, Wendy Jones, Amy Stohl and Missy Driver. This year’s relay team is also within 2 seconds of the 200 meter freestyle record from 2004.
Five of the new records were broken by 8 year-old Max Carve. After the first three meets this season, Max now owns all of the boys 8 and under individual records at Normandy. He broke three of the records in a single swim meet against Turpin Hills on June 25th. The 25-meter freestyle record was the longest standing Normandy team record, set in 1968. It was before Max’s parents were born. Max swam a 16.61 seconds, besting the previous record of 16.71. He also broke team records in the 25-meter breaststroke (19.87), 25-meter backstroke (19.33), 25-meter butterfly (18.91), and 50-meter freestyle (19.00). His backstroke and breastroke times were fast enough to break not only the team records, but also the league records.
Nami Cannon, who was a member of the record-breaking medley relay team, broke the 38 year-old record for the 11 and 12 girls, 50-meter freestyle set by Lynn Margarrander in 1977. She shaved 0.03 seconds from the record, with a time of 30.07. Coincidentally, Nami’s family lives in the same Loveland house in which Lynn grew up. Nami has set her sights on several other team records this season, and will be aiming for the 50-meter butterfly, 25-meter freestyle and the 100-meter individual medley in upcoming meets.
Eight year-old Grace Dressell took ownership of the 8 and under girls 50-meter freestyle record with a time of 40.48 seconds, cutting over half a second from the previous record set in 1993. Grace is also very close to the 25-meter freestyle record set in 2000 and will by doing her best to rewrite it before the season ends.
Normandy will conclude its season with the climactic league championship meet to be held at Indian Hill Swim Club on July 7 and 8.
