Versatile Night for Missy Franklin as California Golden Bears Trump Oregon State Beavers

CORVALLIS, Oregon, September 27. ALTHOUGH she fell to teammate Celina Li as part of the Queen of the Pool pre-season exhibition earlier this month, California super frosh Missy Franklin turned in an incredibly versatile evening to help California trump the Oregon State Beavers tonight in Corvallis. Cal wound up with a 161-95 triumph.

Franklin opened up initial collegiate dual meet in Katie Ledecky territory as head coach Teri McKeever put her in the 1000-yard free. She wound up with a nearly four-second victory over Oregon State’s Sammy Harrison (9:59.86) with a 9:55.97 for the win. That was a monster personal best for Franklin, crushing her previous top time in the event of 10:23.39 from the 2012 Colorado Stars Fall Invitational.

Franklin followed with a 2:25.64 in the 200-yard breaststroke in an exhibition swim, two seconds off her best of 2:23.64 from way back in 2009 at the Colorado Age Group Championships. Franklin returned to scoring with a sizzling 57.04 to win the women’s 100-yard fly. That event is so rare on Franklin’s schedule that USA Swimming doesn’t even have a record of her having swum the event previously. She does have a 25.60 50-yard fly and a 2:05.87 200-yard fly to her credit.

Franklin then anchored Cal’s 200-yard free relay of Caroline Piehl (24.38), Kristen Vredeveld (23.76), Catherine Breed (24.40) with a blistering 22.84 anchor as the squad closed the show in 1:35.38.

Li, meanwhile, had a pair of event wins as she topped the 200 breast (2:20.13) and 200 fly (2:00.55). Kelly Naze also doubled up with wins in the 200 IM (2:06.28) and 200 back (2:04.16).

Oregon State was led by Sammy Harrison, who aside from taking second in Franklin’s first collegiate dual meet swim, triumphed ahead of Elizabeth Pelton, 4:55.83 to 4:59.29, in the 500 free.

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