Rinconada Swim Coach Carol Macpherson Retires after 47 Years

Carol Macpherson is retiring as Rinconada’s Coach after 47 years on the job. She founded Rinconada Masters, along with Cindy Baxter, in 1972, as one of the Bay Area’s first Masters Swim Teams. Cindy retired in 1999, leaving Carol as Head Coach for the last twenty years.

Carol has been an outstanding swimmer on her own, competing for the Santa Clara Swim Club, under the tutelage of George Haines. She has attended, competed and coached approximately 40 National Championships and 10 International meets. She swam in the Maui Channel Relay in 1998. Her last FINA International Competition was in 2008, in Perth, Australia. She took eight swimmers with her and she personally won 2 seconds and 2 fourths. 

For 47 years, Carol has overseen the popular Spring Rinconada Meet, held annually in March. Famous for inclement weather, about 200 swimmers brave the elements every year for this fast and furious, ambitious meet, ending with the infamous 1650 butterfly.

Under Carol’s watch, The Rinconada Swim Club has been busy:

• Hosted a National Championship meet in 1974 at Santa Clara, and won!
• Participated at the infamous “Meet from Hell” in 1987 at Stanford and took 4th overall.
• Founded and ran the Rapp’s Triathlon for 7 years.
• Rinconada went to the Nationals in Hawaii in 2002 with 16 swimmers and took 3rd place.
• Hosted the 2005 Short Course Meters Championship and had 12 records set over a 2-day span.
• 2006, FINA International Meet held at Stanford, Rinconada, with 30 participating swimmers, participated in 43 relays.

Carol’s last day at Rinconada will be December 31, 2019. She will be missed and we wish her the best for any future endeavors. Terri Baxter Smith has been assistant coach for the last five years. The Masters Program will continue with Team Sheeper (of Menlo Park) taking over daily operations at that time.