Mel Zajac Jr. International Meet: Australians Put on Show

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 25. FIVE meet records fell Friday evening during the opening night of action at the Mel Zajac Jr. International meet at the University of British Columbia. Several members of Australia's Olympic team also picked up victories, including Leisel Jones and Stephanie Rice.

Island Swimming's Eric Hedlin kicked off the meet with a dominant swim in the men's 800 free. Hedlin touched in 8:09.45, more than eight seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kier Maitland of Edmonton Keyano Swim Club (8:17.72). Teddy Kalp of the Canadian Youth Team touched third in 8:24.33.

Australia's Meagan Nay crushed the field in the women's 200 back, dipping under Missy Franklin's 2009 meet record of 2:12.50 in the process with a 2:09.40. Nay already holds the third-fastest time in the world this year at 2:07.83, from the Australian Olympic Trials in March. Colombia's Isabella Arcila grabbed second in 2:14.83, followed by Island Swimming's Stefanie Schmidt (2:16.13).

Mitchell Larkin, representing the Queensland Academy of Sport, dipped under the 2:00-barrier en route to winning the men's 200 back with a 1:59.34. That also broke Lenny Krayzelburg's meet record of 1:59.92, set in 2000. Fellow countryman Hayden Stoeckel took second in 2:02.49, while Ed Kim of Bellevue Club snuck in for third in 2:06.31.

Leisel Jones gave Australia its third straight victory with a solid swim in the 100 breast. Her time of 1:07.84 just missed the meet record of 1:07.32 but was well ahead of Vancouver's Martha McCabe (1:08.94). Oakville's Tera van Beilen rounded out the top three with a 1:09.12.

Vancouver's Scott Dickens gave the home crowd something to cheer about, edging Club Wolverine's Barry Murphy in the men's 100 breast, 1:01.57 to 1:01.81. Both swimmers cleared Dickens' previous meet record of 1:01.88 from 2009. Dickens' top time this year is 1:00.39 from the Canadian Olympic Trials in March. Edmonton Keyano's Richard Funk took third in 1:02.38.

Bronte Barratt of Queensland sliced four seconds off her preliminary time to run away with the women's 200 free title in 1:58.04, just missing her own meet record of 1:57.84 from 2008. Fellow Australian Yolane Kukla emerged from a close heat to take second in 2:01.42, while the University of Calgary's Breanna Hendriks touched out several other swimmers for third (2:02.21).

Korean Taehwan Park is a strong contender to win a medal in the men's 200 free in London, and he proved that tonight with a 1:46.75. That crushed Brent Hayden's meet record of 1:49.36 and was more than two seconds ahead of Queensland's Ryan Napoleon (1:48.84). Park has already posted a 1:46.09 this year, good for fifth in the world. Island Swimming's Blake Worsley, who has already punched his ticket to London in this event, rounded out the top three in 1:51.19.

Beijing Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice of Australia looks to be right on track for London after posting a 4:39.71 to win the women's 400 IM. Rice currently holds the third-fastest time this year at 4:33.45. Team Manitoba's Breanne Siwicki trailed by nearly ten seconds with a 4:49.48, while Canadian Youth Team member Emily Overholt grabbed third in 4:55.02.

The battle for first came down to three swimmers in the men's individual medley, and in the end it was 16-year-old Stefan Milosevic of Hyack Swim Club who got his hand on the wall first in 4:30.22. Island Swimming's Will Brothers grabbed second in 4:31.92, with Vancouver's Evan Broderick in third (4:32.33).

Yolane Kukla (26.90) and Kelly Aspinall (24.56) each picked up victories in the women's and men's 50 fly to close out the shorter events of the night. Vancouver's Noemie Thomas (27.01) and Team Manitoba's Chantal VanLandeghem (27.52) rounded out the women's podium. Langley Olympians' Jake Tapp (24.97) and Vancouver's Tommy Gossland (25.38) earned podium spots for the men.

One of the closest races of the night came in the longest event, the women's 1500 free. Vancouver's Savannah King and Hyack's Sherry Liu were neck and neck the entire way before King pulled away in the final 100 to win in 16:31.69, under her own meet record from last year of 16:35.94. Liu also snuck under the previous meet record with a 16:32.68. Edmonton Keyano's Sophia Saroukian touched well behind in 17:17.35.

The men's and women's 4×100 free relay closed the night. Queensland's Meagan Nay, Bronte Barratt, Stephanie Rice and Yolane Kukla were victorious in 3:46.05 in the women's race, while Mitchell Larkin, Ned McKendry, Kenrick Monk and Ryan Napoleon gave Queensland a sweep of the relays with a 3:25.49.

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