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(December 31, 1999-Deer Park, Texas) Deer Park’s Kristine Kelly and Pasadena’s Derrick Mauk were honored by the Texas Finswimming Association as their Female and Male Athletes of the Year. Kelly, a 12 year old 6th grader at Bonnette Junior High, was selected as the TFAs Female Athlete of the Year. During 1999, Kelly won 9 gold medals at the 1999 Texas State Finswimming Championships this past April. In addition, she established a total of 14 new Texas State Finswimming Records and 1 Rhode Island Open Finswimming Record in 1999. The young finswimmer also made National Qualifying Times in 7 events, and qualified for the 2000 National Finswimming Championships, to be held in San Francisco, California later this year. This is the first time she has been selected for this award. Mauk, age 22, was selected as the Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. Mauk won 9 gold medals at the 1999 State Championships and set a total of 16 new state finswimming records in 1999. Mauk also made National Qualifying Times in 8 events and, as a result, has also qualified for the National Finswimming Championships. In addition, The United States Fin Swimming Association nominated both Kelly and Mauk for the United States Olympic Committee’s Athlete of the Month for October, 1999. Those nominations were the second time in the history of USA Finswimming that 2 finswimmers were nominated for the USOC Award. Deer Park’s Darla S. Kelly, who is the Head Girls Coach of the Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST), was selected for the 2nd year in a row as the TFA’s Coach of the Year for 1999. Kelly’s finswimmers won a total of 21 individual gold medals and 3 relay gold medals at the 1999 Texas State Championships. In addition, one of Kelly’s athletes won the gold medal in the 50 meter Surface at the US Scholar-Athlete Games, and had 4 of her finswimmers qualify for the 2000 National Finswimming Championships. The 2000 Nationals, which will be held in San Francisco, California later this year, will also serve at the selection meet for the 2000 World Finswimming Championships to be held in Majorca, Spain in October, 2000. The Texas Finswimming Association also honored a relay team, consisting of 4 young ladies, as their “Team of the Year” for 1999. The 200 yard Surface Relay, consisting of Stacey Golden, Jeana Poteet, Clara Ho, and Kristine Kelly, swam the 200 yard Surface Relay at the 1999 Texas State Finswimming Championships in a time of 1:35.07 on April 16, 1999, establishing a new Texas State Open Record. In addition, the time of 1:35.07 remained the state record for the entire year of 1999, and finished the year as the fastest time in the USA for 1999. Golden, a 1998 graduate of Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, is a sophomore at San Jacinto College. Poteet, age 19, who graduated from Rayburn in 1999, is currently serving with the United States Army and is stationed in Germany. Ho, a 20 year old college sophomore, is currently attending Texas A&M University on a swimming scholarship. Ho was the 1999 Big 12 Champion in the 100 Butterfly, and competed in the NCAA Division 1 Swimming Championships in 1999. In addition, she was a member of the USA National Swimming Team that competed at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Hong Kong this past April. Kelly, at age 12, rounded out the relay as the youngest member of the team. The Texas Finswimming Association is the official governing body for recreational and competitive finswimming in Texas, and is recognized by the United States Fin Swimming Association as the governing body for all finswimming in Texas. USA Fin Swimming is a member of the Underwater Society of America, which is recognized as an Affiliated Sport by the United States Olympic Committee. Finswimming has been proposed as a full medal sport for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and is contested in over 80 countries worldwide.
Youth Division Kristine Kelly-Deer Park, Texas Junior Division Sandy Wright-Pasadena, Texas Brian Mauk-Deer Park, Texas Senior/Open Division Stacey Golden-Pasadena, Texas Derrick Mauk-Pasadena, Texas Texas State Coach of the Year Darla S. Kelly Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST) 1999 All State of Texas Finswimming Team 1st Team All State of Texas Finswimming Team Kristine Kelly Amanda Koester Stacey Golden Derrick Mauk 2nd Team All State oF Texas Finswimming Team Robert Oerhlein Jason Oerhlein Jeana Poteet Pedro Castro Honorable Mention All State of Texas Finswimming Team Tanya Dorflinger Michael Hoofard Texas State Coach of the Year Darla S. Kelly-Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST)
(September 14, 1999-Deer Park, Texas) Deer Park’s Kristine Kelly and Pasadena’s Derrick Mauk, both members of the Finswimming Association of Southeast Texas (FAST), have been selected by United States of America Fin Swimming as their nominees for the United States Olympic Committee’s “Athlete of the Month” for August. Kelly and Mauk, who are 2 of the leading finswimmers in the United States, were selected on the basis of their performances this past summer at various fin swimming competitions around the country. Kelly and Mauk are listed on the ballot that includes swimmers Jenny Thompson and Lenny Krayzelburg, archer Denise Parker, and runner Maurice Greene. Kelly, who won 7 gold medals at the 1999 Texas State Finswimming Championships, holds a total of 13 Texas state records, including 3 in the open division. Mauk, who won 8 gold medals at the 99 Championships, holds 14 state records in both senior and open divisions. In addition, Kelly also holds the Rhode Island Open Record in the 50 meter Surface, and competed in exhibition fin swimming events at the United States Scholar-Athlete Games in Rhode Island earlier this summer. Kelly and Mauk are currently training for a position on the USA National Fin Swimming Team that will compete at the World Fin Swimming Championships in Majorca, Spain in August, 2000. “Kristine and Derrick are very deserving of this honor. They have shown, by their commitment and dedication to our sport, that they will be a major factor in national and international finswimming competition for years to come.” said John Hoskins, Executive Director of USA Fin Swimming. Kelly, who is a 6th grader at Bonnette Junior High School in Deer Park, was surprised to be nominated for the award. “I am honored to be listed on the same ballot with such athletes as Jenny Thompson and Maurice Greene. I am proud that USA Fin Swimming selected me as their nominee for this award. I know it will help me to stay focused and to continue to train hard this season.” Mauk was just as surprised to be selected for the honor. “I am shocked when I was notified. There are many fine fin swimmers in the USA, and I am proud to be honored.” Both Kelly and Mauk are coached by the husband and wife coaching team of Robert and Darla Kelly. The Kelly’s are the Co-Head Coaches of FAST in addition to being the head swimming coaches at Sam Rayburn and Pasadena High Schools, respectfully. “Derrick and Kristine are very committed to fin swimming. Their hard work and commitment to excellence is an inspiration to everyone. I am proud to be their coach. said Darla Kelly. Both Kelly and Mauk will kick off the 1999-2000 Fin Swimming season at the Gulf Coast Gold Cup II Fin Swimming Invitational on Friday, October 1, 1999 at Southmore Natatorium in Pasadena. Fin Swimming has been proposed at a full medal sport for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, by the Hellenic Olympic Organizing Committee.Final approval is expected from the International Olympic Committee by the end of the year.