The Aquaholics, the University of Denver’s Masters swim team, won the Colorado Masters Swimming Association State Championships this weekend after three days of events.
DU’s Aquaholics came in first with a combined total of 3,366 points for the 48 events, which included backstroke, freestyle and relays. The championship took place in El Pomar Natatorium in the Ritchie Center and involved 36 teams from all over Colorado.
Aquaholics Head Coach Tony DeBoom emphasized that the victory would not have been possible without the hard work of each and every swimmer.
“This was a real team win, a team effort,” DeBoom says. “Everybody cowboyed up.”
In Masters swimming, teams are open to both on-campus and off-campus competitors. The number of swimmers on a team is one of the most important aspects of the competition, according to DeBoom. For the Masters meet, the Aquaholics increased their members to 86. Their biggest rival in terms of numbers was the Broomfield BeeGees swim team, which recruits as many unattached swimmers as possible.
The Aquaholics swim team is one of the largest Masters swimming programs in Colorado and the region. The program is run by DU Recreation and is open to all competitive, fitness and triathlon swimmers over age 18. Though they are not the official swim team of DU, the Aquaholics do have a few students among their athletes, as well as some members who are over 70 years old.
For more information on the Aquaholics and the Masters swimming program, visit the DU Recreation Web site. For information on the Colorado Masters Swimming Association, visit www.comsa.org.