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N.Y. Swimmers Set Mark Belated kudos to two swimmers from Team New York Aquatics, who late last year swam as part of a 200-meter Mixed Medley relay that recorded the No. 1 time in the nation for the 120-159 age group.
A Mixed Medley relay consists of two men and two women each swimming 50 meters of one stroke. The age group is determined by the combined age of all four swimmers. “We knew we had a good chance of being first in the nation before we swam the event,” Mackenroth said. “We put together four really amazing swimmers and we all performed really well. To find out we are All-Americans is very exciting.” Nationally ranked swimmers Laura Alonso and Meghan Hast swam the other two legs of the relay. Team New York Aquatics is a gay and lesbian swim team where Cooper and Mackenroth have been members for more than 10 years. Both were nationally ranked swimmers in their youth and continued swimming for the sense of camaraderie and health benefits. Cooper achieved individual All-American status in 2003 by recording the fastest time in the U.S. in the 40-44 age group in the 50-meter Butterfly with a time of 27.04. Mackenroth’s highest national ranking in an individual event was third in the 50-meter breaststroke in the 35-39 age group with a time of 32.89 last year. This accomplishment is quite respectable in its own right but even more amazing when it is recognized that both athletes have been HIV-positive for a combined of 25 years; Cooper was diagnosed in 1985, Mackenroth in 1990. Both have been extremely healthy due in large part to a regimen of exercise. Related:
Team New
York Aquatics |
Todd
Cooper (42, right in photo) and Jack Mackenroth (35) achieved
All-American status by swimming the butterfly and breaststroke legs
respectively on the relay which finished in a time of 2:01.42, only
six one hundredths of a second in front of the second place team.