Santa Clara International: Cate Campbell Blazes 100 Free, Beats American-Record Setting Natalie Coughlin

SANTA CLARA, California, May 16. THE second night of swimming at the Santa Clara International Invitational began with a bang as Natalie Coughlin clipped her American record in the women's 100 free.

Unfortunately for Coughlin, Australian Cate Campbell had her number as she tied what had stood as the world record with a time of 53.30 to win the event. Britta Steffen's time of 53.30 had been the global standard before Libby Trickett dropped the record to a 52.88 in March.

Campbell went out in 25.92, while coming back in 27.38.

Meanwhile, Coughlin placed second with a 53.39 to nip her previous American standard of 53.40 set in March 2007 at the World Championships.

Coughlin took out the swim in 25.71, while taking it back in 27.68.

With Trickett atop the mountain with a 52.88 and Steffen second with a 53.20 from April, Campbell is now the third fastest of all time with Coughlin now fourth in 53.39.

Brendan Hansen nearly cleared a minute again as is becoming standard for the world record when he won the men's 100 breast in 1:00.01 to destroy his meet record of 1:01.29 set last year.

Damir Dugonjic finished second in the race with a time of 1:01.67, while Japan's Ryo Tateishi snared third in 1:01.68.

Japan's Izumi Kato followed in the women's 200 breast as she knocked off Amanda Beard, 2:27.69 to 2:28.15. Jessica Schmitt finished third in 2:28.41, while top breaststrokers Megan Jendrick (2:31.70) and Tara Kirk (2:32.67) finished a surprising seventh and eighth.

Kirk is sporting a new look and wardrobe after a stint on What Not To Wear. For Kirk's www.WCSN.com blog about the experience, click here.

Peter Vanderkaay notched the second-fastest time of the year with a meet-record time of 1:46.24 in the men's 200 free. He broke Michael Phelps' 1:47.58 record from 2005, and stands behind only Phelps' 1:45.71 from the Missouri Grand Prix as the top swimmer in the world this year.

Dominik Meichtry finished second in 1:47.89, while Michael Klueh placed third in 1:48.06.

The Aussies got the best of a hard-training Kate Ziegler in the women's 400 free. Bronte Barratt nearly clipped Ziegler's U.S. Open record of 4:04.24 set last year, but settled with a victory in 4:04.57.

Kylie Palmer placed second in the strong final field with a time of 4:05.98, while Ziegler settled for third in 4:07.11.

Showing some signs of heavy training, Michael Phelps still clocked a strong time of 4:13.47 to win the men's 400 IM. The time finished short of his meet record time of 4:11.40 set back in 2006.

Robert Margalis put together a swift time for second with a 4:15.05, while Tyler Clary earned third in 4:22.12.

Dana Vollmer picked up the victory in the women's 100 fly when she hit the wall in 58.52. Mary DeScenza captured second in 59.21, while Elaine Breeden finished third in 59.66.

In a rare occurrence, Phelps saw one of his records fall as Club Wolverine teammate Davis Tarwater pipped Phelps' meet record in the men's 200 fly with a time of 1:55.93. Phelps previously set the record with a 1:56.05 last year.

Ian Gherghel took second in 1:58.25, while Gil Stovall claimed third in 1:58.71.

In 400 freestyle relay action, the Aussie women nabbed the meet record with a time of 3:42.08. Campbell, Ellen Fullerton, Barratt and Amelia Evatt-Davey beat out the time of 3:43.50 set last year by California Aquatics. Campbell leadoff in 54.44.

Athens Bulldogs DeScenza, Jessi Cole, Andrea Georoff and Kara Lynn Joyce finished second in 3:44.21, while Japan's Maki Mita, Haruka Ueda, Emi Takanabe and Misaki Yamaguchi placed third in 3:44.45.

For the men, the South African quartet of Lyndon Ferns, Roland Schoeman, Gideon Louw and Ryk Neethling came within a second-and-a-half of the U.S. Open standard with a meet-record time of 3:15.58. The performance demolished the 3:20.91 set by Australia as the meet standard back in 2006.

Australia's Leith Brodie, Matthew Abood, Mitchell Patterson and Tom Miller finished second in 3:21.80, while Great Britain's squad of Adam Brown, Matthew Clay, Ian Hulme and Benjamin Hockin took third in 3:24.01.

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