Daniela Barnea Breaks Two 80-84 Age Records on Day 1 of USMS Spring Nationals

USMS Spring Nationals

• June 20-24, 2024
• IU Natatorium
  • Indianapolis, Indiana
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Menlo Masters 80-year-old Daniela Barnea broke two national records to kick off the opening day of the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) Spring Nationals on Thursday at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Barnea won the 200-yard butterfly in 3:43.59, dropping more than four seconds off her 80-84 age group record of 3:47.77 from last month. She also crushed her seed time in the 50 breaststroke (47.10), dominating in 43.68 to take down Joann Leilich‘s previous standard of 45.10 from 2019.

Barnea wasn’t the only record breaker in the women’s 50 breast as Illinois Masters 65-year-old Jane Robie lowered her own 65-69 age group record of 36.02 from last month with a winning time of 35.79.

The fourth national record of the day came in the men’s 50 breast, where Mission Viejo Masters 60-year-old Carlo Travaini clocked a time of 26.87 to lower his own 60-64 record of 26.91.

West Hollywood Aquatics (WH20) 70-year-old Christie Ciraulo came within a second of the 70-74 age group record in the 500 free with a time of 6:14.58, shaving almost half a second off her seed time (6:14.99). Laura Val still owns the standard at 6:13.73 from April.

Speaking of Val, the Tamalpais Aquatic Masters (TAM) 72-year-old obliterated her 100 freestyle seed time of 1:03.00 with a winning time of 59.59, narrowly missing her own 70-74 age group record of 59.11 from 2022.

Also the women’s 100 free, Jennifer Mihalik scared two-time Olympian Gabrielle Rose‘s 45-49 record of 51.26 from last March with a winning time of 52.17. Back at the FINA Swimming World Cup stop in Maryland in 2000, Mihalik triumphed in the SCM 200 backstroke (2:13.84).

The NYAC women’s 200 medley got close to its 25+ record of 1:44.32 from last year with a winning time of 1:44.99.