It will be a busy weekend in the pool for five local swimmers who will take part in the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring Nationals at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis from Thursday through Sunday.

Penny Noyes, Harvey Johnston, Craig Wickman, Julie Swack and Annell Becker are part of a team from Kentucky consisting of 49 swimmers who will take part in the four-day event – competing in various age levels with a variance of goals.

Noyes is looking to break another record for her age class. Johnston is returning to nationals for the first time in a decade. Wickman is making his first appearance in nationals.

Noyes will be competing in the backstroke, butterfly and the individual medley, but she has her eye on the 50-meter freestyle – where the 63-year-old set the world record for her age group in the 50 meter (short course) with a time of 26.28 seconds and tied it earlier this year.

A competitive swimmer for decades, Noyes was a two-year collegiate swimmer at UMass, where she was that school’s first Title IX recipient in 1972.

Noyes has been working with Bowling Green swim coach Dee Wilkins to help improve her time – finally eclipsing Laura Val’s world record of 26.48.

“I chased that down last year,” Noyes said. “I think three times I was like .03 seconds off. I was so frustrated. The person who held the record is in the swimming hall of fame. She’s really fast.”

Noyes said she wants to be the first woman over 60 to break the 26-second mark.

“There are several women who have aged up this year,” Noyes said. “They can beat me, so I might not win.”

She will get more than one chance to eclipse her record. With the 50 free one of the final events of the weekend, Noyes said she has talked to the Kentucky coach, who is going to try to put her in as a leadoff in a relay. Her relay time would count since the first leg is a gun start.

Johnston is one of 20 who will compete in the 70-74 division. He said he’s swam on and off for 20 to 30 years but got back into it when he jumped in a swim meet about three months ago and set a pool record for his division.

“As far as I’m concerned, when you are 71 it is last man standing,” Johnston said. “There is only 20 guys the country swimming in the 50- and 100-yard backstroke. My goal is to better my time. If I can beat four or five of them I will be happy.”

Wickman will compete in the 50-meter breaststroke and 50-meter freestyle.

He said he got into swimming after watching his wife Noyes swim competitively for several years.

“She convinced me that since I was here I might was well get in the water,” Wickman said. “Also I need to have some therapy from full knee replacement, so six months ago I got in the water. I had never swam in a pool before. First time I did 200 yards and I thought I was going to die. Now after six months I swim 1,000-1,500 a night.”

Wickman’s first swim meet he competed in was earlier this year, so he is keeping a sense of humor about his goals at his first national.

“All I know is I will finish before the next heat starts and I will win my lane,” Wickman joked.

Swack will be competing in the 200 freestyle, 50 back and 100 individual medley. She joined Masters about a year and a half ago – and once she got in the pool, it brought out her competitive nature.

“Being in meets motivates me to work hard,” Swack said.

And while Swack is competitive, like Wickman she is keeping her goals simple.

“I know I will probably be last in my heat,” Swack said. “I looked at everybody’s speed times and they are all faster than me. I just want (personal records) in all three events.

“My family thinks I am racing against everybody else. They say ‘You almost beat that person.’ That is not who I am racing against.”

Becker, 56, recently finished fourth in her age group in the 200-meter freestyle and sixth in the 500-meter freestyle at a Masters event in Lexington in March.

The goals may be different for each swimmer, but the ultimate goal – staying active and having fun – is one that they all are certain they will achieve this weekend.

“That is one of the wonderful things about Masters – it is whatever you can make of it,” Noyes said. “They have the high level competition if that is what you want to do, but the camaraderie is probably the best part of it.”{&end}