The Clark Sharks Swim Team closed out their Summer Season with a mini-golf trip to Lancaster Golf Center on Saturday morning. The swim team and parents enjoyed a wonderful day of mini-golf and ice cream. The Clark Sharks will be resuming practice September 7 at 4:30-5:30 pm.

OLYMPIC BREAKOUT! STROKE CLINIC
Local Swimmers to Have Opportunity to Learn From Olympians

Winchendon area athletes will have a unique chance to enhance their competitive swimming skills by working with four swimming champions, Kate Ziegler, Mark Gangloff, Christine Magnuson and Josh Davis. The Clark Memorial YMCA in conjunction with The Clark Sharks Swim Team is pleased to announce that they will host a Mutual of Omaha Breakout! Swim Clinic on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at the Clark Memorial YMCA located at 155 Central Street in Winchendon, MA.

The Mutual of Omaha Breakout! Swim Clinic is a unique experience developed by Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis and Mutual of Omaha to inspire and motivate a new generation of swim stars. As an official sponsor of USA Swimming, Mutual of Omaha actively supports the sport on all levels, from local clubs across the country to the National Team. Davis, who earned three gold medals in the 1996 Olympics and two silver medals in the 2000 Olympic Games, is a master clinician and motivational speaker.

The event is a four hour in-water stroke technique clinic. There will be two clinics with the first one from 8:00am - noon and the second one from 1:00 - 5:00pm for ages, 8 to 18 year olds. The cost is $60.00 per swimmer. The swimmers will hear inspiring messages from Olympians Ziegler, Gangloff, Magnuson and Davis. Immediately following, they will hit the water with Ziegler and Gangloff from 8:00 - noon and then Magnuson and Davis from 1:00 - 5:00pm for in-water demonstration and instruction on swim strokes and techniques. Some participants may even have a chance to test their strokes in a race against the Olympic champions. Concluding the event, the swimming champions will be available for autographs and photos.

Registration for the Mutual of Omaha Breakout! Swim Clinic is currently closed. For additional information, contact Mark Lawrence by phone at 978-407-6857 or email mark.lawrence@comcast.net.

About Kate Ziegler
Kate Ziegler first splashed onto the swimming scene shattering numerous records. She first broke Sippy Woodhead’s 25-year-old American record in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2005 FINA World Cup stop in New York, which at the time was the oldest American record on the books. Next, she took down two of Janet Evans’s distance freestyle records within a short period of time, setting new marks in the 500-yard freestyle (Feb. ’06) and 1000-yard freestyle (Dec. ’05). At the 2006 Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, Ziegler swam the 1500-meter freestyle in 15:55.01, becoming only the second woman in history (after Evans) to break the 16-minute barrier in the event. In June 2007, she shattered swimming’s oldest world record, beating the mark in the 1500-meter freestyle by 9.5 seconds. Most recently at her Olympic debut in 2008, Ziegler placed 10th in the 800-meter freestyle and 14th in the 400-meter freestyle. Ziegler just qualified for the 2010 Pan Pac Championship that will be televised at the end of the month.

About Mark Gangloff
A two-time Olympian, Gangloff has earned two gold medals swimming in the preliminaries of the 400-meter medley relay at the 2008 and 2004 Olympics. He was also a member of the American record-breaking 400-meter medley relay team at the 2008 Short Course World Championships, and he earned a silver medal at that meet in the 50-meter breaststroke.

About Josh Davis
In 1996, Josh Davis made history as the only man in any sport from any nation to win three gold medals at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Davis made his second Olympic appearance in The 2000 Games in Sydney, where he was elected captain of the USA Men's Swim Team and took home two silver medals. He went on to break the American record three times in the 200-meter freestyle. After two Olympics and five medals, Josh has established himself as ambassador for the sport and is pioneering the road for the next generation of professional swimmers.

About Christine Magnuson
Magnuson left her first Olympic Games in 2008 a double silver medalist by finishing the 100-meter butterfly in 57.10 (she set the American record in the semifinals) and the 400-meter relay in American Record time of 3:53.30. She placed first in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 Olympic Trials. At the Japan International Invitational, Magnuson finished fourth in the 100m butterfly, sixth in the 100-meter freestyle and seventh in the 50-meter freestyle. She won the 100-yard butterfly at the 2008 NCAA Championships. A native of the Chicago area, Magnuson is graduate from the University of Tennessee majoring in exercise science.