1998

Long Course Championships

Look familiar.....well, it became an all too familiar site at swimming events across the state and the nation as the Mustangs concluded one of their finest seasons in team history. The team had a super showing at the Texas Age Groups Swimming Championships (TAGS). Dallas Mustang team members also showed their stuff at Junior Nationals, Senior Nationals and the Goodwill Games. See below for details....

Those 99 billion miles paid off big - FOURTH place at TAGS among 62 teams covering the whole State of Texas. This tied for the highest finish in Dallas Mustang history. At TAGS we put the field in a "distance sandwich" with Sarah Wells, Debbie Forinash, Amy Hooks (1st), Kenneth Wherry, Thomas Ayers and Rory Peterson jump starting the team with point scoring swims in the 800 free. Wells, Wherry and Forinash (1st) applied the finishing touch at the end of the meet with scores in the 1,500 free.

Highlights of TAGS included the 15-18 year old girls winning high point for their age group. This team scored in almost every event and won all relays in their age group. The 15-18 girls team members were Kelly Colvin, Katy Crawford, Amy Danchik, Debbie Forinash, Emily Frasco, Amy Hooks, Courtney Patterson and Clare Williams. Nina Thurston (13-14G) and Kenneth Wherry (13-14B) each finaled in 6 events, with Nina Thurston winning 4 events.

Seven Mustangs competed in Southeast Junior Nationals in Auburn, Alabama. Our Junior team included Nathan Rice, Wes Teter, Jeff Graves, Rory Peterson, Brian Stephens, Amy Hooks and Emily Frasco. The Men's team finished in the top ten (a Mustang first). They topped it off with a 3rd place finish and U.S. National qualifying time in the 400 Medley Relay.

Dallas Mustangs were all over the decks at U.S. Nationals and the Goodwill Games. Katie McClelland, Katherine Inskeep, Jeff Livingston, Billy Coleman and Pat O'Keefe carried the Mustang banner to U.S. Nationals at Clovis, New Mexico. At the Goodwill Games, Mustang's Martina Maravcova, Rania Elwani and Naoko Imoto helped power the World team women to the first place team award.

Short Course Championships

Carpe DieM (DM - get it?), translated from Latin means "Seize the Day(s)". Credit goes to Amy Danchik, one of our National Group swimmers, for the idea. At TAGS we sure did - see the photo below.

FIFTH place among 62 teams covering the State of Texas. Coaches Mook Rhodenbach and Tom Buck proudly display the coveted TAGS flag only awarded to top ten teams. Highlights of the meet included - The 13-14 year old girls winning high point for their age group (a Dallas Mustang first); Members of the 13-14 girls team were Sara Haney, Megan McNamara, Courtney Patterson, Nina Thurston and Sarah Wells; Nathan Rice setting a TAGS record in the 1000 freestyle; Emily Dennis (10U-G) making finals in 5 events; and Nina Thurston winning high point among all 13-14 year old girls. This was the second highest finish in Dallas Mustang history.