A year after setting a whopping 27 records at the Maryland Senior Olympics swimming meet, a more subdued storyline emerged in a non-qualifying year. With some of our best swimmers, including national gold medalists Liz Hogan and Jill Coleman, skipping our meet after participating in the National Senior Games in Houston, Margot Pettijohn and Sarah Allnut inadvertently crossed paths in the record books 22 years apart.

	Margot Pettijohn

For Pettijohn, an avid Masters-level swimmer since 1992, stepping into the 65-69 age group allowed her to wipe out some of the oldest-remaining records in MSO. Her most impressive performance came in the 200 breast, where her 3:11.74 shattered the year-old MSO mark by Carolyn Foster by almost 27 seconds—a time that would have easily won the World Masters earlier this year, where she finished with bronze.

Likewise, Pettijohn's 2:58.09 in the 200 IM was also an MSO record and potential U.S. mark by almost 8 seconds. Her 41:22 in the 50 breast broke one of Allnut's MSO 1989 marks by 4 seconds.

Pettijohn's age group was very competitive. Christine Jorgensen, 66, of Annapolis, clocked a 41.59 in the 50 backstroke to trip Miriam Keyser's 2000 standard of 42.17. Ms. Jorgensen also holds two other MSO marks in the 60 and 65 age groups.

For Ms. Allnut, 88, the meet was a bit of weird science as Ms. Pettijohn broke two of her old marks while she was setting three new records in her own age group. Ms. Allnut broke records held by Louise Walker since 1999-2000 in the 50 breast, 50 back and 100 back, along with winning gold in the 50 free.

It was another great meet by "Madam Butterfly," 91-year-old Doris Russell of Ellicott City. She cut 5 seconds off her 2010 100 freestyle record with a 2:18.16. By participating in four events instead of five this year, Ms. Russell was better rested and trimmed her best time of 6:30.31 in the 200 freestyle to a crisp 5:46.96. Her 50-yard butterfly time of 1:35.47 was 8 seconds slower this year and, yeah, she wasn't pleased.

There were only two new records by men. In 75-79 200 freestyle, Yu-Jin Lee, 77, of Arnold, posted a 2:32.17, easily beating the 1993 mark by Norris Fluke by 20 seconds. The other men's record came in the 100 IM by Frank Briggs, 81, of Frederick, whose 2:01.89 topped the 2:03.52 by Donald Crawford in 2000.

In a competitive age group, Mr. Briggs also captured gold in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard breaststroke. The 50-yard back was the best race of the meet as Mr. Briggs, George Huson of Montgomery Village and Tom Powers of Arnold finished within .31 of a second of each other.

• Complete 2011 MSO Swimming Results
• 2011 MSO Record-Breaking Peformances
• Updated MSO Swimming Records