Weir Takes Three at American Short Course Champs

AUSTIN, March 6. SWIMATLANTA'S Amanda Weir, 17, gave notice this weekend that she's got her eye on a spot on the US Olympic Team that will compete in Athens this August.

Swimming at the American Short Course Championships, held at the University of Texas in Austin, March 4-6, Weir won the 50, 100 and 200 yard freestyle with times that make her the fastest high school swimmer of all time in one event and the second-fastest in the other two. Weir's times, however, will not count as national high school records as they were not made in high school competition.

The Georgia high school senior took the 200 yard free in 1:45.58, just off the national high school mark of 1:45.49 set last year by Rhi Jeffrey of Atlantic Delray High School in Florida. Texas senior Tanica Jamison was second in 1:47.43.

On Day Two she took the 50 free in 22.11, just off Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) High's Kara Lynn Joyce's national high school mark of 22.04 set last year. Cal grad Haley Cope was second in 22.43 while another high school phenom, Dana Vollmer, was third in 22.73.

Saving the best for last, Weir flew through the 100 yard free in 48.06 seconds, making her the seventh-fastest woman in history. The time destroyed Joyce's national high school mark of 48.59 set last year. It also breaks — and this one counts — the national age group mark for girls 17-18 of 48.45 set by Nicole Haislett 13 years ago.

Weir now owns sprint freestyle national age group marks in four different age groups simultaneously: 11-12: 50 free, 23.15; 13-14: 100 free, 49.53; 15-16: 50 (22.39) and 100 free (48.52); and 17-18: 100 free (48.06).

Weir wasn't the only one swimming fast in Austin. Haley Cope, second in the 50 free, was a double winner. She took the 100 back and 100 fly — a new event for her — in almost identical times: 52.83 for the back, and 52.82 for the fly.

Hayley McGregory was second in the back in 54.14, while Joscelin Yeo took silver in the fly in 53.01. McGregory later won a tight 200 back in 1:56.24 ahead of Andrea Axtell (1:57.36) and Cope (1:57.87).

Tanica Jamison had a strong meet, edging Yeo in the 200 IM 1:58.98 to 1:59.18.

in the 500 free, Kate Dwelley, 15, of the Terrapins, clocked 4:46.64 tio defeat 14 year-old Kelsey Ditto, Longhorns, 4:50.49.

Sixteen year-old Michael Klueh won two events in fine fashion: the 200 free in 1:37.58 and the 500 in 4:22.91. Mexio's Josh Ilika took the 200 fly in 1:43.49, while Neil Walker won the 100 free in 43.08.

Full results at: http://www.tsc.utexas.edu/2004AmerSC/index.htm

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