Events at World Championships

I'd actually go with Kaitlin Sandeno for the women ... great 200, 400, and 800 free ... great 400IM, third (I think) at trials in the 200IM, great 200 fly ... and she's working on her sprinting ... She's also a pretty darn good backstroker ... Though Natalie is extremely versatile ... she's been off lately ... And that reminds me, Katie Hoff ... this girl is the female Phelps, she's got decent 100 speed, has the fastes 100 *** split in the world in the 400IM ... obviously great 200 & 400IM, great 200 free, I'm guessing great 400 free, and she could probably go up to the 800 ... and 1500 ... great 200 back (won world trials or was second) ...

Yes, Jim, that's me. I haven't swum a masters meet since Oct. 2004. I hope you're not scared by my age. None of the Smiths were when we stepped up for a 100 IM challenge a few years back. I wouldn't say I'm a drop dead sprinter. I do the 200 IM, and I am looking to dabble in a few 200 races in 2006. But yes, the 100s are where it's at! The 100 IM is great because it's only one length of fly, and those suckers who underwater kick on fly and back go into oxygen debt on the breaststroke, so they can't catch me on freestyle!!!! The 400 fly was more of a mental exercise than an attempt to make the team into 200 flyers. Obviously, the distance swimmers won every time. There were plenty of bags of ice on shoulders on those days.

From what I understand, Open Water is Aug 11, 3K, Alameda-Crown Point (SF Bay)

Jeff.......the single most important question however is IF you will continue to represent your adopted home state of Colorado going forward?! I can imagine the pressure to succumb to swimming for AZ, owning a condo in Tempe and spending a good part of our free time down there has tempted us to make the switch but for now we're holding firm with CO! By the way......VERY curious to see how those feet look during a 200 fly? Kinda like they look during your backstroke leg upside down I suppose.......but you can't turn over the same in the fly!! Laura says hi the the "kicker of the as.....s"!!

I just looked up Jeff Commings under the individual search on this website and got a link for Jeff P. Commings from RMM (which is in Colorado I believe?).....That would'nt happen to be you would it Jeff?.....It was the only listing for Jeff Commings.....Either you haven't swam in any USMS competitions yet (and hence the explanation for why your name may not have come up on the search).....or you are the Jeff P. Commings from the search....and hence recently moved to Arizona from Colorado in the past couple of years....My guess is that you are the guy from the search since you listed breaststroke and backstroke as your best strokes in your profile....and from what I saw in the search, Jeff P. Commings is an Ace at both strokes. What confuses me though is that I thought you and GoodSmith and Ande Raz all swam together for UT at the same time.....i.e. I thought you were my age....not 10 years younger than me!!.....yikes!.....a measley 200 fly is nothing for a youngling as yourself!!....You tricked me!!.....Typical evil Longhorn manuever I guess!.....Never matter.....I will defeat you anyhow (or die trying...j/k of course).......I must not cower away from the challenge now that I know the complete evil truth of your real identity......I saw that you went 51.5 in the 100 IM at SCY Nationals in 2004....which means you clearly have no weaknesses when it comes to the 4 strokes....all I can hope for is that you are like the evil Goodsmith in that you are a true drop dead sprinter (even though you swam dozens of 400 flies at practice as a college swimmer...LOL!!). I will have to up my game somehow and try to get as close to 2:00 as possible in the 200 fly before the end of the season???.....It's now all out war against the Longhorns!! Newmastersswimmer

Yeah the 400 fly is a good time ... seriously why isn't that event, next up the 400 fly also known as whoever can survive wins ... One practice I was given a 2,000IM with the choice of either regular or reverse order ... yeah, that was a good time ...

The 100 IM wasn't a pre-arranged challenge. The Smiths and I happened to sign up for it. I won, though John and Paull gave me a scare on the fly, and John did his best through the backstroke. It was all over after the breaststroke pullout. The coach you refer to is Ray Brussard.

originally posted by Jeff Commings Yes, Jim, that's me. I haven't swum a masters meet since Oct. 2004. I hope you're not scared by my age. None of the Smiths were when we stepped up for a 100 IM challenge a few years back. Actually it's more your overall speed than your age that scares me.....but that's o.k. I'm most likely going to get humiliated by another longhorn anyway (Ande Raz).....so what's one more little humiliation? A little humility is good for the spirit I've been told.....So I guess my spirit should be rock solid by now...LOL!! Sounds like those 400 flies were extremely brutal....I've heard rumors that the coach of Univ of Tennessee back in the 70's and 80's used to run some pretty brutal sets way back in the day (his name escapes now though as I am old and partially senile). A high school buddy of mine went and swam under him and told me the horror stories. Just curious BTW, who ended up winning the 100 IM Challenge you mentioned? Sounds like a Colorado Challenge of some kind? Newmastersswimmer