Markus Rogan Wins Two on Final Day of Santa Clara Int’l; Hansen, Joyce Take Narrow Victories

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 30. MARKUS Rogan spent his formative years with the Curl-Burke Swim Club in suburban Maryland.

He then matriculated to Stanford a couple of years ago and, under the guidance of Coach Skip Kenney and assistant Ted Knapp, has become one of the world's best up-and-coming swimmers.

At last summer's World Championships in Fukuoka, the Austrian native won a silver medal in the 200 back. His NR (1:58.07) ranked him seond globally for the year. He also raced to another pr/NR in the 100 back (55.08).

As a sophomore on The Farm this past collegiate season, he had an absolutely senstational year, winning the 200 back-IM a NCAAs, taking third in the 400 IM (an event he had never swum seriously before this season) and helped Stanford to its second-consecutive runner-up finish behind Texas.

This summer he's better than ever. After winning the 200 back in an unshaved pr 2:00.99 Saturday evening (and finishing just .03 behind Canada's Brian Johns in the 400 IM on Friday), Rogan — who's tuning up for next month's European Championshos in Berlin — scored a pair wins in tonight's final session, taking the 200 IM (NR 2:02.85), then coming back to capture the gold in the 100 back (56.76).

His medley victory was especially satisfying as it came at the expense of Johns, who finished runner-up 2:03.35. His pr is a 2:01.30 from the Canadian Commonwealth Games Trials at Winnipeg in March, ranking him fourth globally.

Third in the IM was Stanford's Pac-10 champ, Dan Trupin (2:03.86).

Rogan's 100 back win led a 1-2-3-4 Stanford sweep, with NCAA champ Peter Marshall (56.80) second, 50 free champ Randall Bal (57.37) third and Jayme Cramer (57.11) fourth. Cramer trains during the summer with his club team in Ohio.

Rogan won't get a chance to race Johns again until at least next summer (World Championships in Barcelona). Trupin, however, may well face him at the Pan-Pacs in Yokohama in mid-August provided he makes the U.S. team off the Ft. Lauderdale Nationals earlier that month.

Texas' double NCAA breaststroke champ, Brendan Hansen, who was also a surprise World Champion gold medalsit last summer (2:10.69, just a half-second off Mike Barrowman's World and Olympic standard of 2:10.16 from
Barcelona a decade ago), completed his California sweep with a nail-biting win in the 200 –2:15.93-2:15.94 over Canada's Morgan Knabe.

Knabe's pr is the Canadian record (2:13.29) from the Trials this past spring. He also swam an NR 1:00.95 to win the 100 breast. He'll be at Yokohama for sure, after swimming in the Commonwealth Games in three weeks at Manchester.

The only way Hansen won't be there too is if he misses the plane to Lauderdale from Austin — and somehow we don't think Eddie Reese'll let that happen.

Third was Olympian, World Championship medalist and former Stanford NCAA champ Tom Wilkens, representing the hometown Santa Clara team (2:16.63).

Another Olympian who scored a victory was former Auburn All-America and current NOVA team member Scott Tucker. Tucker won the 100 free (50.35). Second was British Columbia's BrentHayden (50.85).

Canada got on the board again when CAMO (Club Aquatique Montreal's) Audrey Lecroix won the 200 fly (2:13.21) with 200-400 freechamp Jessica Deglau, also a Canadian, second (2:14.43). Third was Auburn's Margaret Hoelzer (2:13.64).

Hoelzer was a stellar member of the War Eagles' NCAA Championship squad this past season, finishing fourth in the 200 fly at the collegiate championships (fifth in the 200 back).

One final Canadian triumph occurred in the 200 IM where Kristy Cameron won in 2:19.38 to San Ramon Valley's up-an-comer Leah Avila's 2:20.18. SRV is
guided by Rich Thornton, son of Cal men's coach Nort.

In the 50 free, Michigander Kara Lynn Joyce, fastest public high schooler for 2001-'02, won in a pr 25.72 with Cal's Haley Cope second (25.76). Joyce trains with Coach Jon Urbancek's Club Wolverine program and one wonders whether Michigan women's coach Jim Richardson has any interest in the budding sprint star wearing maize and blue in a couple of years?

Jamie Reid won the 200 back (3:15.65) with Hoelzer runner-up (2:17.26).

In the distances, Club Wolverine's Chris Thompson, Sydney bronze medalist in the mile and American record-holder, made up for his close loss in the 800 to Bakersfield's Larsen Jensen by winning (15:32.25-15:36.95).

Following his fine Sydney showing, Thompson set an American/NCAA record in the 1650 at the collegiate championships in College Station last season, then could finish no better than fourth at Fukuoka. However, he's come back with a renewed dedication this season and Urbancek has high hopes for him at Lauderdale — and then at Yokohama, where he'll be
challenging Australis's Olympic and World champ (and world recored-holder) Grant Hackett.

In the women's 800, Curl-Burke's Rachael Burke took her second gold with an 8:46.72-8:47.56 win over British Columbia's Taryn Lencoe. Burke won the mile opening night.

— Bill Bell

35TH SANTA CLARA INVITATIONAL
GEORGE HAINES INTERNATIONAL SWIM CENTER
SANTA CLARA, CA., June 30

50 M Pool

* Meet Record

Event 23 WOMEN'S 200 M BUTTERFLY
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World Record: 2:05.81 5/17/00 Susan O'Neill, AUS