2010 Fort Lewis Swimming Championships

‘Old guy’ dominates pool

56-year-old colonel wins four individual races, two relays

Bob Reinert/Northwest Guardian

Considering he had swamped a poolful of competitors, many of whom were less than half his age, Ted Hammond came across more like someone who had done a light workout.

“I’m just an old guy, and I swim, you know?” shrugged the 56-year-old Hammond. “That’s what I do.”

Tell it to the Marines — and the Soldiers and the Airmen — all the young swimmers, really, who lined up against Hammond Jan. 27 at Soldiers Field House Pool in the 2010 Fort Lewis Individual and Company Team Swimming Championships. They watched as Hammond won all four individual events he entered and added a pair of relay golds.

When the waves subsided, Hammond had led Dental Activity to the team championship. Trying to win against DENTAC, which amassed 188.5 points, had been like pulling teeth.

“They were all laughing and joking and reminiscing like they were in high school again,” said Hammond of his fellow dentists, whose arms he had twisted to compete. “That’s all it was about. It wasn’t about coming out and swimming fast or winning ... It was about being juvenile again.”

Acting like a grown-up, though, Hammond encouraged and congratulated opposing swimmers and teammates, alike.

“You were awesome,” he said as he shook an opponent’s hand after the meet.

Bruce Antonowicz, base assistant aquatics coordinator and a national-level triathlete, swims with Hammond in the mornings.

“There are times we are swimming stroke for stroke, and he will edge me out,” Antonowicz said. “The morning swims have become very competitive. Colonel Hammond takes time from his workout to help others with their technique.”

While Hammond admitted to being a little long in the tooth, Jennifer Szephegyi-Johnson was teething.

One of a handful of women swimmers, she claimed wins in the 100-meter freestyle, 50 breaststroke and 50 freestyle.

“I was scared a little and didn’t really know what to do, because that was my first swim meet,” Szephegyi-Johnson said. “So I didn’t want to get disqualified for doing something wrong.”

Szephegyi-Johnson, unlike Hammond, competed unattached.

“I was originally going to be a part of a team for the 201st BfSB,” she said. “But I was the only one (who) was interested, so I ended up competing as an individual. It was totally worth it and was a great workout.”

That’s also what it was for Hammond, a former walk-on to the Division 3 swim team at the College of Wooster in Ohio. He placed in the top 10 of four events at the 2008 U.S. Masters Swimming Long Course Nationals, including second-place finishes in the 50 and 100 freestyles.

“I’ve been swimming masters for probably about 13 years, something like that, now,” Hammond said. “I like the nationals ... because, you know, that’s where the big thunder shows up.”

Not even a storm cloud threatened him at Soldiers Field House, but a relaxed Hammond flashed national-caliber form, won easily, and smiled broadly throughout the evening.

“I just wanted to get the guys out and get them inspired about something beyond teeth,” Hammond said. “This was fun.”

Fort Lewis Swimming Championships results

COED TEAMS

Team Points

1. DENTAC 188.5

2. 4th LSB 44

MEN’S TEAMS

Team Points

1. DENTAC 124.5

2. 22 STS/ASOS 68.5

3. 4TH LSB 14

INDIVIDUAL/RELAY

Mixed 200M Medley Relay

1. DENTAC A (Blyth, Hammond, Evanon, Greenwood), 2:35.61

2. 4th LSB (Prop, Martinez, Murphy, Bundy), 3:07.83

3. DENTAC B (Sunberg, Risk, Hwang, Pikulskiy), 3:29.98

Men’s 200M Freestyle

1. Tim Bonner (22 STS/ASOS), 2:44.83

2. Todd Risk (DENTAC), 2:51.80

3. Greg Blythe (DENTAC), 2:53.33

4. Tim Bundy (4th LSB), 4:10.71

Men’s 50M Backstroke

1. Ted Hammond (DENTAC), 36.44

2. Maxim Pikulskiy (DENTAC), 49.88

3. Dave Beaton (4th LSB), 1:02.95

4. Mark Sunberg (DENTAC), 1:04:16

Women’s 50M Backstroke

1. Cynthia Fellipa (DENTAC), 1:07.83

Men’s 100M Individual Medley

1. Jay Greenwood (DENTAC), 1:19.63

2. Chris Keeler (22 STS/ASOS), 1:25.04

3. Zach Wahlers, (22 STS/ASOS), 1:27.97

4. Chris Evanov (DENTAC), 1:29:84

Men’s 100M Breastroke

1. Zach Wahlers (22 STS/ASOS), 1:41.08

2. Chris Evanov (DENTAC), 1:42.40

3. Matthew Riechers (22 STS/ASOS), 1:51.16

4. Maxim Pikulskiy (DENTAC), 2:12.52

Men’s 50M Butterfly

1. Ted Hammond (DENTAC), 32.80

2. Tony Prop (4th LSB), 38.18

3. Chris Keeler (22 STS/ASOS), 39.92

4. David Yorton (22 STS/ASOS), 1:02.97

Women’s 100M Freestyle

1. Jennifer Szephegyi-Johnson (Unattached), 1:55.55

2. Cynthia Fellipa (DENTAC), 2:05.79

Men’s 200M Individual Medley

1. Ted Hammond (DENTAC), 3:03.62

Men’s 100M Backstroke

1. Zach Wahlers (22 STS/ASOS), 1:44.82

2. Mark Sunberg (DENTAC), 1:56.53

3. Maxim Pikulskiy (DENTAC), 2:46.95

Women’s 100M Backstroke

1. Marie Martinez (4th LSB), 2:09.65

2. Cynthia Fellipa (DENTAC), 2:28.13

Men’s 50M Breastroke

1. Jay Greenwood (DENTAC), 41.25

2. Chris Evanov (DENTAC), 43.75

3. Greg Blythe (DENTAC), 51.68

4. Matthew Riechers (22 STS/ASOS), 54.27

5. Mark Sunberg (DENTAC), 1:05.73

Women’s 50M Breaststroke

1. Jennifer Szephegyi-Johnson (Unattached), 1:00.31

2. Marie Martinez (4th LSB), 1:03.08

Men’s 100M Butterfly

1. Ted Hammond (DENTAC), 1:17.64

2. David Yorton (22 STS/ASOS), 1:44.50

Men’s 50M Freestyle

1. Evan Jones (22 STS/ASOS), 31.36

2. Jay Greenwood (DENTAC), 32.44

3. Todd Risk (DENTAC), 33.75

4. Chris Keeler (22 STS/ASOS), 33.75

5. Chris Evanov (DENTAC), 35.18

6. Sean Mullins (22 STS/ASOS), 38.04

7. Maxim Pikulskiy (DENTAC), 39.29

8. Dave Beaton (4th LSB), 45.49

9. Mark Sunberg (DENTAC), 48.15

Women’s 50M Freestyle

1. Jennifer Szephegyi-Johnson (Unattached), 46.13

2. Cynthia Fellipa (DENTAC), 53.21

Men’s 500M Freestyle

1. Greg Blythe (DENTAC), 7:56.12

2. Todd Risk (DENTAC), 8:24.67

Mixed 200M Freestyle Relay

1. DENTAC A (Blythe, Greenwood, Evanov, Hammond), 2:15.38

2. 22 STS/ASOS (Bonner, Mullins, Wahlers, Riechers), 2:18.32

3. 4th LSB (Prop, Martinez, Murphy, Bundy), 2:42.36

4. DENTAC B (Sunberg, Risk, Hwang, Pikulskiy), 3:06:00

Photo Gallery

2010 Fort Lewis Individual and Company Team Swimming Championships