2024 State Meet Annual Award Winners
The 2024 annual Michigan LMSC state awards were awarded at the Michigan Championship State Meet. Congratulations to our 3 2024 Award Winners:
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Patrick Weiss
- Chetrick Award: Barb Church
- Lawrence Award: Chuck Olson
Lifetime Achievement Award: Patrick Weiss
Life-time Achievement Award: The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a person who demonstrates outstanding voluntary contributions, continuous swimming accomplishments, and a lifetime dedication and devotion to the objectives of masters swimming in Michigan. The recipient must have represented MI-LMSC in competition and service for at least 10 years. Current members of the Board of Directors are eligible to receive this award.
This Nominee is so accomplished I have broken out his accomplishment in 3 categories: Leader, Innovator and Lover…
Leader
- Michigan Masters Positions:
- Chairman 2017 – 2019 & 2022-2024
- Vice Chair 2015- 2017 & 2019-2022
- Treasurer 2011 -2015
- S. National Positions:
- Current:
- Rules Committee Member 2024 – Present
- Previous:
- Legislation Committee Member 2021 – 2023
- Swimming Saves Lives Foundation Member 2020 – 2021
- Legislation Committee Vice Chair 2017 – 2020
- Fitness Education Committee Member 2015 – 2016
- USMS Certified coach – Level 1 & 2
- Has brought in over $1,000 in donations to the Michigan LMSC
- Successfully navigated the challenging impact from COVID, now restoring us to pre-covid and beyond participation levels and memberships.
- Key Lead for the Swim Across America open swim at Belle Isle (Cancer Research Initiative) raising record breaking donations to support cancer research locally (Univ. of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center)
- Received the USMS Donnelly Service Award in 2017
- This award is presented annually to USMS registered individuals whose volunteer service has contributed to the growth, improvement, or success of U.S. Masters Swimming locally, regionally, and/or nationally.
- Current:
Innovator
- Created a new outdoor meet highly enjoyed by all in Detroit at the Detroit Yacht Club for 2022 and 2023
- Along with Jim delivered our first State Meet in Detroit
- He developed the entire online registration system, that integrates into our website.
- Increased the Michigan Masters scholarship contributions, by adding an opportunity to contribute at checkout when purchasing on our website.
- Runs the Michigan Masters on-line store, with all profits going to the Michigan Master scholarship fund
- Created the online registration and dedicated hours of his time to process those entries at no cost to the meet hosts or the LMSC
Lover of the Sport
- Delivered incredible swim clinic opportunities for Michigan master’s swimmers to meet, learn from, and hear incredible personal stories from several of the most highly decorated U.S. Olympic Athletes: Rowdy Gaines, Nathan Adrian, Janet Evans, and Elizabeth Beisel
- Overall career: 327+ Masters swims, and 1 Top 10 achievement (400 Mixed Relay in 2013)
Key volunteer and fundraiser for the USA Swimming Foundation
Chetrick Award: Barb Church
The Chetrick Award was established in 1977 and is named after Dr. Myron Chetrick. The award is presented annually to the person who has given outstanding service and exemplifies commitment to MI-LMSC. Criteria include outstanding contributions to both MI-LMSC and USMS. All members and volunteers, including officers, are eligible for this award.
The Nominee:
- This swimmer/member first joined United States Masters Swimming in 1980.
- Over the past 44 years, she has seen masters swimming evolve and grow, along with her own swimming journey.
- She first started with a Lansing area Masters team and eventually settled in as a member of the FAST masters team for the past 15 years.
- She was there in 1983 when the legendary Indianapolis natatorium first opened and held the first long course USMS Summer Nationals meet. It was also the first year that USMS started keeping world records and she held the 50m Backstroke LCM world record for 3 three years in the 30-34 age group.
- In addition to her participation in many local and national USMS meets, she has been active in many national Senior Games meets, where she has six first place finishes and three national records.
- However, it’s her work outside of the pool that brings us to today’s recognition.
- When she first assumed the role of Membership Coordinator in 2022, she was determined to reunite the Michigan Masters club into a cohesive group that could compete at national and international meets as a unified powerhouse team.
- She contacted dozens of swimmers and coaches to explain the structure of clubs and teams in order to consolidate everyone into one team.
- She also went to almost every meet where she was able to meet in person with swimmers to answer any questions they may have had about how to register and select a team.
- The result was a reconstituted and unified Michigan Masters club with the largest number of members in many, many years.
Lawrence Award: Chuck Olson
The Lawrence Award (named after Bob Lawrence,) was established in 1978. The award is presented annually to a swimmer who has achieved outstanding performances during the previous year and/or over a long career while representing MI-LMSC. Examples of performance criteria include USMS All American selections, USMS or FINA masters swimming records, USMS or FINA masters swimming top-ten rankings, and USMS or FINA masters swimming championship meet titles. Other considerations include MI-LMSC records and championship meet titles.
The Nominee:
- A dedicated and hard worker who consistently puts in a great swim efforts and performances. A team leader in and out of the pool for Michigan Masters…
- He had incredible attendance and performances during the 2023 swim season at both local and national swim competitions.
- These swims provided him 12 “Top 10” finishes between the 3 courses
- He represented Michigan at Spring Nationals (Irvine, California) where he delivered Michigan over 40 points
- Finishing with 2 X Silvers (100 &200 Free), 2 X Bronzes, and placing in the top 8 in all events he swam
- A member of MAC swimming, he continues to break Mac team records in all age groups yearly, smashing 9 Mac records this year alone
- Overall career: 553+ Masters Swims / 106 individual, 59 relay Top 10s All American 1 Individual and 6 -time for relays