First, I have to say that Omaha did an amazing job running the Masters Nationals.  It seemed to run really smoothly and just seemed very professional.

After going to Trials there the previous week, it was even more fun to be there this time around.  It was more relaxed and everyone was allowed to walk around more freely.  Eric already told you that the Masters’ swimmers were able to use the warm-up pool that the Trials’ swimmers used.  The spectators were also able to go look at it.

They had the vendor tables set up around the warm-up pool, including Garmin and their new Garmin Swim.  There was also this cute shirt that a vendor had that said “I swam in the Trials” followed by an exclamation point.  In the exclamation point was the word “pool”.  We should have bought that one for Eric.  But, we had just bought us all either Phelps or Lochte shirts the week before.

There were also blank posters that you could fill out to cheer on your swimmer(s).

Besides being able to walk around the warm-up pool, spectators were also able to walk on the actual competition pool deck.  At one point I “coached” Eric from the side of the pool to make sure that he stayed on track with the time that he wanted to make.  I really didn’t have to anything since he was doing just fine on his own.

Eric and two other coaches on our swim team swam with MOVY (Missouri Valley) so they could compete in relays.  Eric did great in his events.  He swam nine events (relays and individual) and got top ten in all of them.  Top ten receives a medal so he came home with nine medals.  Actually, he came home with eight because they ran out at the end.  They’re going to mail him the final one.

Thank you Omaha for a great meet experience!