Courtesy: Kate Plyley
Data are supposed to be damaged, or so the saying goes. After Michael Phelps repeatedly set the world document within the 200-meter butterfly from 2001 to 2009, his mesmerizing 1:51.51 efficiency appeared unbeatable. Ten years later, Hungary’s Kristof Milak lowered the mark to 1:50.73. Eventually, most information change arms.
Although extra modest than a world document, two Northern Virginia Swimming League information have stood since 1965, each by the identical swimmer. Within the 8-and-under class, Roger McLeod’s instances of 15.10 within the 25-meter freestyle and 13.90 within the 25-yard freestyle have remained intact for 56 years.
The NVSL was based in 1956 with 11 groups: Chesterbrook, Freedom Park, Hollin Hills, Lee Graham, Little Searching Park, Mount Vernon Park, Pike Department, Poplar Heights, Springfield, Tuckahoe, and Woodley. All aside from Freedom Park and Pike Department are nonetheless energetic. Now it boasts a complete of 102 groups, making it one of many largest neighborhood swimming leagues within the U.S.
Linda Klopfenstein, the chair of the NVSL’s information committee, mentioned the league began as a solution to construct pleasant competitors amongst swimmers from a couple of close by swimming pools. Klopfenstein grew to become concerned with the NVSL in 1972 when her two sons joined. Since her first summer time, she has missed solely three weekends when the NVSL has hosted meets. She has continued with the league due to its values — encouraging youngsters to be taught to swim, have enjoyable, and help their crew — and the enduring friendships.
Through the years, a number of athletes who as soon as participated within the NVSL have represented Staff USA on the Olympics. Melissa Belote Ripley gained three gold medals on the 1972 Olympics, setting a 200-meter backstroke world document within the course of. She and McLeod have been associates as youngsters, and although they have been each concerned within the NVSL, they didn’t meet till they swam with the Starlit Aquatic Membership beneath coach Ed Solotar.
Pondering again to their youth, McLeod described Belote Ripley as “clearly a unbelievable athlete” and “additionally only a nice and pleasant particular person.” He recalled that some coaches had recognized each younger swimmers as Olympic prospects. After seeing her great Olympic success, McLeod can’t assist however surprise what may need been had he caught with swimming.
The yr was 1964 when 7-year-old Roger McLeod began swimming with the NVSL. He and his household had moved to the neighborhood of Mantua, however the neighborhood didn’t have a pool but, so he would journey to the Lee Graham pool in Falls Church. A brand new pool inbuilt Mantua grew to become his house pool, and it was with the Mantua crew that he launched into his record-breaking summer time.
McLeod set his information throughout his second yr with the league. He has many fond swimming reminiscences, however no particular recollection of both record-setting race. “I don’t know when, the place, or actually something about how they occurred,” he mentioned, including, “That may be cool if I did, however, sadly, I don’t.”
Due to Klopfenstein’s archives, we all know a bit extra about McLeod’s 1965 information. In truth, he set 5 NVSL 8U information that summer time, within the 25-yard free (13.90), 25-meter free (15.10), 50-meter free (34.00), 25-meter again (19.00), and 50-meter again (42.60). Roger’s 25-meter backstroke document lasted till 1975. The NVSL discontinued 50-meter races for the 8-and-under swimmers in 1972. Although nobody can assure that McLeod nonetheless holds the 50 information at present, Klopfenstein verified that he owned each in 1973.
In accordance with the NVSL’s web site, McLeod’s 25-meter freestyle document was set on July 10, 1965. The web site didn’t listing a date for the 25-yard document, however Klopfenstein deduced that it was set on July 31, 1965 — that was McLeod’s solely yards meet that summer time.
Whereas he could not keep in mind the race itself, McLeod recalled that almost all of his meets have been in meters, so every time the crew had a chance to race yards, his coach would inform him the prevailing document and say, “That is your probability!”
The NVSL reminiscences McLeod cherishes probably the most are of time spent together with his teammates and notably together with his coach, John Kalen, one of the influential figures in his younger life. Kalen was “somebody I appeared as much as,” McLeod mentioned, and “the best man I ever met.” For McLeod, an enormous a part of the enjoyment he skilled whereas swimming with the NVSL was having the chance to spend time with Kalen.
Kalen was simply beginning out at college, and his younger swimmers revered him. “You’re an 8- to 13-year-old child hanging out with a school man,” McLeod mentioned. “It was fairly particular.” McLeod credited Kalen with retaining him motivated and difficult him to chase after league information, together with his personal. “I used to be fortunate that more often than not I used to be getting higher and breaking my very own information,” McLeod mentioned, and “John was the one who saved me going.”
McLeod recalled Kalen taking the swimmers out for post-meet treats like pizza or ice cream. Years later, McLeod requested his mother and father in the event that they’d ever chipped in to pay for these outings — in any case, Kalen was a school pupil creating wealth by teaching and lifeguarding. Nevertheless it turned out that Kalen had paid for these excursions himself. Kalen and his girlfriend (and eventual spouse), Gail, would additionally drive McLeod to swim meets when his mother and father weren’t obtainable. Merely put, “he was all the pieces to me,” McLeod mentioned.
A couple of years later, McLeod was instructed that Kalen had a mind tumor and was in a coma. McLeod went with Kalen’s father to the hospital to see him, and through that go to Kalen got here out of his coma. Although Kalen was disoriented, he acknowledged McLeod and requested how his swimming was going.
Following Kalen’s well being disaster, McLeod’s dad wanted help together with his enterprise. A employee had give up, and McLeod was recruited to step in and assist out. The brand new NVSL coach inspired McLeod to come back to the meets, however a lot had shifted in his life by then. In school, he joined the basketball crew, and he ultimately moved away from aggressive swimming.
McLeod and Kalen saved in contact. When Kalen died, McLeod was a pallbearer on the funeral. Although McLeod can’t recall the races the place he set his formidable information, he definitely remembers the time when John and Gail took him to Gifford’s ice cream parlor and dared him to eat a whole “large prime” sundae.
McLeod remains to be one thing of a neighborhood legend. When his spouse, Susan, went to vote in an election at a polling station in Mantua, volunteers requested if she was married to the Roger McLeod. Some time again, a 7-year-old boy challenged McLeod to a race at a neighborhood pool, curious to see whether or not he may defeat the famend record-holder.
Now, McLeod swims for enjoyable within the pool at his river home. Greater than half a century later, McLeod is grateful to nonetheless maintain two NVSL information — not as a result of he hopes to say them without end, however as a result of proudly owning them had opened alternatives to mirror on these cherished childhood years spent on the pool. “The document and all that’s only a blessing,” he mentioned, “and I really feel honored to nonetheless someway have it and to have the ability to relive that point in my life.”
