April 2010
Issue 4, Vol. 2010
WH2O TEAM NEWS
Remembering a Friend, USMS Top Ten Times, Stretching for Swimming, & Gay Games Update
What’s Inside:
Caltech Pentathlon
Recap, p. 1
Stretching Article
p. 4
Gay Games VIII Updates
p. 7
Remembrance of
George Ritchey, p. 8
Event Calendar
p. 9
CALTECH PENTATHLON
Text: Brian Olver
I arrived at Caltech in Pasadena a bit early for the ever popular pentathlon meet so that I could help Chad Young set up
the team tarp to protect us from the forecasted rain. With JP Russell, my pseudo-assistant for the day, I endured the
initial stench of the tarp, which had been packed away since USMS Nationals in Clovis last May. However, just as the
tarp had aired itself out, we concluded that the blue skies and sunshine above would be better enjoyed without the tarp,
which we then packed back up. So much for planning ahead.
We had a few deck entries in addition to the plan-ahead crew, which brought our team attendance to 11. When Neal
Wiener arrived shortly before warm-up ended, we were 12 strong, plus myself, JP, Chad, and coach Carole who came to
gain ammunition against those swimmers who slack off in practice.
The pentathlon brought an end to a decade-long drought from competition for several WH2Oers including Dan Evans,
Marcus Hernandez, David Kirvan and Erik Guzman. Even more impressive, this meet marked the first meet ever for
Dylan Wilcox. Among several veteran swimmers, Liz Vucinich deserves mention as our team’s only female
competitor. Come on ladies, let’s go!!!
Over the course of the meet, and our team’s 60 swims, there were several highlights. Erik Guzman and Marcus
Hernandez showed that moving from the slow lane to the medium lane in workout has paid off by posting our team’s
two fastest times in the 50 fly, with a 28.15 and 27.95 respectively. Enrique Ochoa was also impressive with a 28.53,
while Luis Bahamon dropped almost 9 seconds from his entry time finishing in 36.05.
The 50 back was an exciting event with Liz posting our team’s 2nd fastest time with a 31.43. However, I must say that
after watching one DQ and number of close calls on backstroke, we really need to practice legal turns and pushing off
on our back in practice!
Robert Cook had a near perfect 50 breaststroke and posted a 35.76, which was only bettered by Michael Jorgenson’s
33.38. Dan Evans set a record for the longest underwater pull ever in a 50 breast by making it almost to the 15 yard
mark before popping his head up en route to a 37.72. And Paulo snuck under the 40 second barrier with a 39.91.
In the 50 free, Dylan Wilcox, Dan Evans, and Neal Wiener nearly broke the 30 second barrier. David Kirvan did his
best to keep up with speed demon Marcus after strategically entering times that would seed them next to each other in
nearly every event, touching in 27.46.
(continued on p. 10)
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WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS
2009-2010
Board of Directors
President—Paulo Figueiredo
Vice President, Administrative—Susan Shore
Vice President, Social—Nathan Carden
Treasurer—Errol Graham
Secretary—Sean Early
Swimming Representative—Chad Young
Water Polo Representative—Miguel Ramirez
Facilities & Equipment Coordinator—Luke Reichle
Development Coordinator—Matthew Thunell
Information about West Hollywood Aquatics
West Hollywood Aquatics (WH2O) is a Masters swimming and water polo club based in West Hollywood, California and the larger Los Angeles area.
The club currently has a roster of over 200 athletes from around Southern California. The teams include athletes of all abilities ranging from exOlympians to beginners. Everyone is welcome regardless of skill, gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability.
Practices are held at:
West Hollywood Park Pool (Swimming)
647 N. San Vicente Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Los Angeles Valley College (Swimming)
5800 Fulton Ave (pool on campus, Ethyl Ave)
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Swimming Pool (Swimming)
14201 Huston St.
Van Nuys, CA 91423
Roosevelt Pool (Swimming/Long Course)
546 South Mathews Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
For more information about our 16 weekly swimming and Sunday water polo workouts,
please visit our website at http://www.wh2o.org.
Dues Schedule:
$20 annual administrative fee for all members
$50/month for all swimming and water polo practices
$25/month for water polo only and Friday night swimming
WH2O charges a $10 monthly surcharge for individuals who pay by check. Credit card payment is
preferred and saves our volunteer board time.
West Hollywood Aquatics is a not for profit California corporation.
Need More Information?
Visit our website at
http://www.wh2o.org
or pen a letter, our address is
West Hollywood Aquatics
PO Box 691651
West Hollywood, CA 90069
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STRETCHING: THE GOOD AND THE BAD
Jessica Seaton, DC
(model: Brain Olver)
Some people stretch all the time, some people never stretch. Some people stretch before workout, some stretch afterwards. Is
stretching important for swimmers? Yes and no.
Stretching improves your flexibility, which is your range of motion at a joint. Some people are naturally more flexible than
others. Men are generally less flexible than women, active people are more flexible than inactive people, and we all get stiffer
as we age.
Dynamic flexibility is the range of motion required during active movements. In freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke you want
to have enough flexibility in your shoulders to be able to have a good reach. In butterfly you want to also have good lower
back and hamstring flexibility. Ankle flexibility is the most important factor in having a propulsive flutter kick. Breaststrokers
need good flexibility in their knees (external rotation), ankles (supination or ability to clap your feet), and hips. Like
everything else in life, you want just the right amount of flexibility. Too much flexibility leads to unstable joints and the
problems associated with them, such as swimmer’s shoulder or biceps tendonitis. If you have too little flexibility in a joint
that requires more, you’re more likely to injure yourself in the course of swimming hard.
Muscles that are kept completely still will increase their stiffness two-fold in a few minutes. Any kind of movement or muscle
contraction can help avoid this stiffness. Bonds or cross bridges are formed between muscle filaments. As we age these cross
bridges form more rapidly and are more abundant. With age and inactivity fibrous connective tissue replaces degenerating
muscle fibers. Stretching can break up the adhesive effects of this tissue. Because muscles are elastic, the increase in range of
motion we achieve by stretching lasts only for about 15-90 minutes. The connective tissue surrounding the muscles and which
make up the tendons are also plastic. With consistent stretching, over time it is possible because of this plasticity to increase
your flexibility. Of course if you stop stretching, you’ll stiffen up again.
Another function of stretching is to improve posture. Using a muscle a lot can make it shorten and become tight. In swimmers
the pectoralis major and the latissimus dorsi muscles, our big power generators, may become tight. The swimmer with the
internally-rotated, rounded shoulders and forward head position is a good example of this. Tight and shortened muscles
inhibit their antagonist muscles. The pecs and lats are both internal rotators at the shoulders. If they are tight and short, they
will inhibit the external rotators, which could ultimately lead to swimmer’s shoulder.
In contrast to what many people think, stretching is not the same as warming up. You should only stretch once you are
warmed up. A good stretch can prevent a muscle from contracting forcefully for a full hour after the stretch is performed. So,
stretching 15 minutes before a race doesn’t make sense. It won’t improve performance, and it won’t help prevent injuries.
Stretching after swim practice may help prevent injuries, if you’re stretching correctly and stretching tight, shortened muscles,
not hyper-flexible joints.
There are several good ways to stretch, many involving a trained partner to provide resistance. These methods are also known
as hold-relax and contract-relax. Without a partner the safest way to stretch is to do static stretching. With this type of
stretching you hold each stretch to the point of tension for 30 seconds or five deep breaths. You will find that you can relax
and lengthen your stretch on an exhalation. Dynamic stretching involves movement. Yoga classes typically include both static
and dynamic stretching.
Continue reading on page 5 for illustrated descriptions of recommended stretches.
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WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS
Pec Stretch (right & left)
This is a good stretch for your
pectoralis major muscle. Be sure to
keep your elbow bent as you rotate
your body away. Try placing your hand
at several different heights to stretch
different parts of the muscle.
Spinal Twist (left)
This is a nice way to
stretch your lats.
Forward Lunge Stretch (below)
This posture stretches your hip
flexors at the front of your hip.
Keep your front knee at a right
angle. A towel under your knee
makes it easier to tolerate.
Side Lunge (above)
This is a good stretch for breaststrokers.
Stretching, the good and the bad, continued on p. 6.
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Stretching, the good and the bad, continued from p. 5
Calf Stretch (left)
The calf muscles are used
every time we push off
from the wall. It is also
important for triathletes
and runners to stretch
these muscles to avoid
plantar fasciitis.
Quadriceps Stretch (below)
This posture involves
pushing your hip forward
on the bent-knee side.
Make sure that your thigh is
also perpendicular to the
ground and not out at an
angle.
Hamstring Stretch (right)
There are many ways to
stretch your hamstrings.
This way is particularly
safe for your back. Tight
hamstrings can contribute
to lower back pain.
Butterflyers with lower
back pain should make
sure they are stretching
their hamstrings.
Hamburger Mary‟s Bingo Night Recap
Text by Matt Thunell
Thanks to everyone who made the WH2O Hamburger Mary's Bingo night such a resounding
success! Our special St. Patrick's Day event was filled to the brim with eager bingo experts and
virgins alike. We were also treated to the revelatory ball-calling of Jodi Lyn O‟Keefe, star of Prison
Break and She's All That. Our very own Brian Wright was the lucky winner of the Red Carpet
Treatment Package -- a facial courtesy of Kinara Spa, a gift certificate to Pane é Vino and a bottle of
Veuve Clicquot. Congrats, Brian!
A special thank you to everyone who donated: Nate Puksta at Glowelle, Richie Kern at Updog Yoga,
Jennifer Susswein at Kinara Spa, Paula Ames at Moet-Hennessy, Misti Cooper at Yogurtstop, David
Reinke at Hunger Market Café, Nick Leonard at GYM Bar, Jon Kaufmann, Brian Olver, Susan
Shore, Brian Wright, Rocky DeAngelis, Scott Genkinger, Andrew Thomas and Lisa Wright.
Check us out online: www.wh2o.org
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Gay Games VIII Updates - by Mauro Bordovsky
The deadline to register for Gay Games VIII (GGVIII) in Cologne, Germany and to make changes to your swim events is May 31, 2010. It is a good
idea to register early for swimming, as it is one of the most popular sports events. Germany’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Guido Westerwelle, will be a
major presenter of and declare open the Gay Games VIII.
Please visit the GGVIII web site at www.games-cologne.de/en to register to sign up for hosted housing, to make reservations at the host hotels, to
receive the GGVIII newsletter, and to partake in the fun, camaraderie, sports competitions, cultural events, and tours.
Representatives from GGVIII are hosting a registration party at Gym Sports Bar on Monday, April 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will answer any
questions you may have about the Games, Cologne, etc. You will get 15 Euros off the registration cost if you sign up for Gay Games at the event!
Gym Sports Bar is located at 8737 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069.
AirBerlin (www.airberlin.com) is offering $100 discounts to GGVIII participants who purchase their air tickets online. AirBerlin flies to destinations
in Germany from Los Angeles.
In case you are going to Paris and considering taking the train to Cologne, Equipe France/FSGL is negotiating to book a special train from Paris to
Cologne (a 3h15m trip), leaving on Friday or Saturday and returning on Sunday. Housing in Paris for the evenings before and after the train trip may
be arranged. Please contact Thierry Wurtz ([email protected]) for further information.
The Federation of Gay Games (www.gaygames.com) is seeking donors to sponsor the final six foreign applicants to attend Gay Games in Cologne.
Applicants include a male field hockey player from Pakistan (the only participant from that country); three women soccer players from Jamaica,
México, and South Africa respectively; a male cultural participant from Indonesia; and a female cultural participant from Brazil. They need to raise
$20,000 by April 15. You may make your tax-deduction contribution at http://www.gaygames.com/index.php?id=scholarships or by sending a check
to the address below. If you contribute $50 or more you will be invited to the Opening reception for the scholarship athletes on July 31 in Cologne.
You also may contribute air miles by sending an e-mail to [email protected]
Federation of Gay Games Scholarship Program
584 Castro Street, Suite 343
San Francisco, CA 94114-2152
Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions.
Have you heard?
Swimmers and water polo players are required to pay their monthly dues ($50
and $25 respectively), at the beginning of each month. Dues paid by check or
money order are subject to an additional $10 administrative fee.
If you are not going to be attending workouts for a month or more, please
send an e-mail to [email protected] as notification of your change in
status. Club members are not required to pay dues in the months in which they
are inactive, but this cannot be done retroactively as we do not refund dues.
If you pay your dues by credit card, please be sure to update your credit
card information in the WH2O database when your card number changes or when
your expiration date changes.
If you pay your dues by credit card, please be sure to change your address in
the WH2O database whenever you move as your credit card payment will not get
processed if the address linked to your credit card does not match the
address in the WH2O database.
Check us out online: www.wh2o.org
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WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS
George „Buddy‟ Ritchey – A Fond Remembrance
A member of WH2O in the late 1980s and early 1990s recently
died. George was active on the team on the board and, as I
recall, enjoyed swimming breaststroke. He was unique in a
number of wonderful respects. He rode a unicycle and was an
outdoors person (see photos), and was also a scientist at JPL.
In August 1990, George competed in Gay Games III in
Vancouver. I recall handing him my film camera before my 50
meter butterfly race when I was swimming in the “curb” lane. I
expected he would take one good photo as my head came up
for a breath. Instead, he took a series of four or five photos
documenting my progress over the 50 meters. His series of
photos was a wonderful surprise and, typical for George, well
done. He attended lots of the early, fun team social events,
including the team‟s big five year anniversary party at Tom
McClay and Bob Crane‟s place, Wolf‟s Lair, just below the
Hollywood sign, and the fabulous pool party at Mike Wallace‟s
house on Mulholland a few doors away from Marlon Brando‟s
digs.
George was a very nice, friendly guy. He was one of the people
whose time, energy and sweet personality helped to build great
memories and a great team.
He worked at JPL and was involved, among other things, in the
Jupiter project. I once went to a party at his condo in Pasadena
– long before Google or Google maps – and although it was
overcast outside, something special, perhaps an eclipse, was
going on up in the heavens. His JPL friends and colleagues
with their Apple computers used some web site to view the
stars and constellations. I was quite impressed back in those
days that they could navigate the Milky Way via computer.
George has a different view of the heavens now – one that
looks out and down, not up.
Neal Wiener
George was a native of Long Beach, California
although his family moved to Fullerton when
George was young. He was one of 4 brothers
including a twin, John. George attended Sunny
Hills High in Fullerton along with his twin
brother, John Ritchey, graduating in 1968.
George attended USC, majoring in
Mathematics, following which he entered
graduate school earning a Masters in Science in
Operations Research. A hard worker, George
contributed greatly to whatever endeavor he
undertook. At NASA‟s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, he was involved in establishing
domestic partner benefits and other protections
for gay and lesbian JPL employees. Always a
team player, he nonetheless made his unique
mark and was much liked and admired by his
teammates and coworkers alike.
In 1990, George competed at Gay Games III in
Vancouver, Canada. He won a gold medal in the
200-meter men‟s medley relay with teammates
Tom M., Richard H., and Jim W.; their time was
2:10.85. From the late 1980s through mid1990s, George swam with the West Hollywood
Aquatics swim team, and served as Secretary of
the WH2O Board in 1992.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
April 10, 2010
WH2O Garage Sale
Paulo’s House; Toluca Lake
April 18, 2010
UCLA SCY Swim Meet
Westwood, CA
April 25, 2010
UC-Irvine SCY Swim Meet
Irvine, CA
May 7-9
Southwest Zone / SPMA SCY Regional Championships
Mission Viejo, CA
May 16, 2010
Santa Clarita Long Course Meters Meet
Santa Clarita, CA
May 20-23
USMS Short Course Nationals Swim Meet
Atlanta, GA
July 31-August 7, 2010
Gay Games VIII
Cologne, Germany
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WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS
Caltech Pentathlon Recap
(continued from p. 1)
The IM was exciting with multiple WH2Oers often in the same heat. The highlight of the IM for me, other than convincing Liz
to simply stay to swim it, was Robert Cook’s race. After vowing that my goal time for him of 1:15 was completely
unattainable, he pulled a lane 8 seed so I could scream in his ear on every stroke. Ultimately he surprised himself, finishing
with a 1:14.08. Great effort Robert!
After what turned out to be a gorgeous day, the ominous clouds rolled in as soon as our last swimmer finished. Just about
everyone who competed headed over to Green Street East for a bite to eat. Carole stuck around the pool to collect awards for
Liz and Marcus, who each earned a bronze. And, right on cue, Neal arrived at Green Street just as everyone finished ordering.
It should be noted that except for a DQ on the turn of his 50 back, Neal would’ve taken home a silver medal with a very
consistent performance all around.
All in all it was a great day with a lot of
new experiences for everyone.
Swimmer Interview: Jessica Shpall
By Chad Young
Where are you from originally?
Right down the street: Wilshire and Robertson...
How long have you been swimming?
Since the ripe age of 5 when I was a synchronized swimming diva. I discovered
competitive swimming when i was 14 and have been swimming ever since.
What do you do for work?
I'm a newly minted lawyer. I've had many career incarnations since I started
swimming with the team...Spanish translator, high school tutor. I think this one will stick.
How and when did you come to join WH2O?
Fall of 2005. I had just moved back from Atlanta. I chose WH2O because of the convenient workout times and location. I took a law
school-induced hibernation and returned in full force last fall.
Not to put you on the spot, okay, to put you on the spot, what do you like most about swimming with WH2O?
The people! It's really a unique Masters group. When I was on a WH2O hiatus, I found that I really missed the camaraderie. The coaches
are top notch.
So, I must ask, even for the ladies on the team, are you single or is there a special someone?
I'm spoken for... I'm getting hitched in July.
What do you do in your free time?
Aside from swimming? Not much (don't forget, I'm a first year lawyer). My current favorite evening activity is jamming with my fiancé
Ezra... He plays guitar and I play mandolin.
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WEST HOLLYWOOD AQUATICS
The West Hollywood Aquatics Board would like to congratulate swimmer Jessica Seaton on her
nomination for the Tom Waddell Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the Federation
of the Gay Games and international Gay and Lesbian athletics.
For those who may not know, Jessica has been deeply involved in serving at every level of
multiple sporting organizations included United States Masters Swimming, International Gay and
Lesbian Aquatics, the Federation of the Gay Games, the Southern Pacific Masters Association
and others. She is currently in her fourth year serving as captain for swimming for the Gay
Games, and has worked tirelessly to ensure the highest standards for the swimming venues as well
as negotiating with FINA to assure that any world records will be recognized: a first for the Gay
Games.
It may be an overused phrase in Hollywood, but truly, there is great honor in being nominated for
this prestigious award. Please join the Board in offering Jessica our warmest and most heartfelt
congratulations on her nomination (and keep your fingers crossed for a well-earned win!).
The United States Masters Swimming Short Course Yards Nationals Swim
Meet was held in Clovis, CA in the late summer of 2009. They‟ve recently
uploaded the Top Ten list for the 2009 year, and there are many WH2O
swimmers represented on those lists. The complete list of individual Top
Ten times are on the next page with the swimmer‟s name, the event in which
they are nationally ranked in the top ten, and their placement in that rank
ordering.
We‟ve omitted the times in order to get this information out to you as soon
as possible, but all the times are posted in a searchable database on the
USMS website at: http://www.usms.org/comp/tt/
Please join us in congratulating all these swimmers on their achievements.
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USMS Short Course Yards Top Ten List: WH2O Swimmers, Individual
Name
Jim
Ballard
Amy
Dantzler
Andra
Jaunzeme
Keith
Bryan
Brett
Kaplan
Libit
Mc Lennan
Joel
Brian
Mc Kenna
Olver
Thomas
Reed
Jonathan
Russell
Check us out online: www.wh2o.org
Event
50back
100back
200back
50fly
100fly
200free
500free
1000free
1650free
200fly
50breast
100breast
200breast
100fly
200fly
100im
200im
100free
1000free
200free
50breast
100breast
200breast
100im
200im
1650free
200back
200breast
100fly
200fly
200im
400im
200free
500free
50back
200back
200im
400im
200free
100back
200back
1
3
4
4
4
9
5
1
3
6
1
2
3
10
6
5
4
8
9
2
4
3
1
1
1
10
2
3
4
2
3
3
6
1
7
4
4
1
5
4
3
Name
Matt
Schmidt
Matt
Thunell
Wadley
Event
50breast
100breast
200breast
100im
50free
100free
100back
200back
50fly
100fly
500free
1000free
1650free
200fly
400im
4
8
5
10
5
4
2
3
3
2
3
1
1
2
4
12