KOWAL SMASHES AMERICAN RECORD IN 200m BREAST -- March 18, 2000

Georgia's Kristy Kowal continued her role as a one-woman wrecking crew, hacking some three seconds off her own 200m breaststroke record with the year's fastest time, 2:22.9. The only swimmer with a shot at derailing the Kowal Express is Arizona frosh, Amanda Beard, who breezed to an easy win in her heat at 2;26.60. Cal's Stacianna Stitts was third at 2;27.72 with North Carolina's Katie Hathaway fourth (2;27.92).
The prelims here were considerably faster than the finals at the World Championships in Athens, as it took 2:28.80 to make finals. Just to make consols took 2:30.72.
SMU's Sarah Chandler qualified fifth (2:28.02) followed by Cal's Elli Overton (2:28.03), Auburn's Brooke Monroe (2:28.44) and Northwestern's Amy Balcerzak (2:28.80).
Georgia placed one swimmer (Kowal) in finals, two in consols; Arizona has one in finals: Cal has two in the big finals; while Stanford failed to place anyone in either final.