The Davis Aquatic Masters finished fourth overall at the Pacific Masters Swimming Short Course Championships last weekend at Campolindo High School. DAM scored 1,213 points, nearly 200 more than last year’s third-place finish.

Perennial champions Walnut Creek (3,657 points) took the team title ahead of runners-up University of San Francisco (3,367) and Marcia’s Enthusiastic Members of Oakland (2,819).

Unlike past years, when teams were placed and scored in divisions based on squad size, this year’s results have not yet been separated. If and when they are published, DAM will either remain fourth overall or be declared the champions of the medium-size division.

Leading the way for DAM were Sarah Hernandez (30 years old), Emma Garforth (47), Matt Roper (34) and Mark Evans (57), each earned high-point awards in their age groups.

Hernandez was one of nine swimmers at the meet — which had more than 600 competitors — to have a perfect score of 70 points as she won every event she swam. She also set DAM team records in all seven of her races, including her 27.30 in the 50 backstroke that was good for a new Pacific Masters benchmark.

Joining her in the Pacific record books were the men of DAM’s 55+ 800 freestyle relay — David Woodruff (2:10.12), Bill Henderson (2:01.76), Chris Rock (2:07.69) and Evans (1:59.80) — who teamed up for a time of 8:19.37 that shattered the previous record by more than 20 seconds.

The club also benefited from the addition of six swimmers —  Jenny Mohn, Christina Martinez-Canton, Mel Belluomini, Jeff Heiser, Clayton McKee and Nelson Loskamp — who represented DAM at a championship meet for the first time. The newcomers competed in three relays and in 17 individual events.

In addition to the 800 free, DAM set two other team relay marks as swimmer like Hernandez, Roper, Hannah Krovetz, Andy McPherson and Stu Kahn helped the locals break records in the 200 free relay (1:42.53) and 400 free relay (3:27.19).

Individually, DAM swimmers won a total of 20 events and set 14 team records. In addition to Hernandez, victories came from Garforth (five), Evans (four), Roper (two), Belluomini, Leslie Westergaard and Henderson.

Team records were set by Hernandez (50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 100 back, 50 butterfly, 100 fly and 100 individual medley), Jane Russell (50 fly), Jennifer Phalen (400 IM), Mary Kahn (50, 100 and 200 back), Evans (100 IM), Henderson (200 back), John Thayer (200 breaststroke) and Robert Norris (100 fly and 200 IM).

My name is conspicuous by its absence. I missed the deadline to register.

However, I am already registered for the Bay Area Senior Games next month at Stanford (May 2 through May 24). Swimming is on Sunday, May 17 and the deadline for registering is May 8. Senior means 50 years and older.

In June, the Wine Country Senior Games are coming up in June, with swimming set for Saturday, June 6 at Santa Rosa Junior College. I love this pool for its retractable roof.

Miscellaneous: I asked head coach Stu Kahn to put out a request in the DAM newsletter for news tips from members — and I got one. It was from Bruce Braly, a distant cousin who is in Bangkok. Bruce says he is learning the fitness business by managing the fitness center owned there by his family.

In other news, Gisselle Gibbons, a synchronized swimmer formerly of the San Francisco Marionettes, has come out of retirement. I was unable to synchronize my swimming with hers, so she has already graduated to a faster lane.

In a personal news tip, spring has brought so much color to my garden that I have broken out my “tropical camouflage” jammers. Standing among my roses, I am invisible from the waist down.

— Mark Braly usually can be found in an area pool. For more information on DAM or water polo, visit www.damfast.org and www.facebook.com/groups/221363147990681.

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