Rigamonti Wins 500 Free as San Antonio Grand Prix Starts

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, November 11. WHILE the action is expected to pick up Saturday and Sunday at the USA Swimming Grand Prix stop in San Antonio, the first night of competition at Palo Alto College was solid, with Flavia Rigamonti emerging as one of the victors. On Saturday and Sunday, the Longhorn Aquatics trio of Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Aaron Peirsol is expected to highlight the meet.

A Southern Methodist University product, Rigamonti was the winner of the 500-yard freestyle with an outing of 4:42.55, quick enough to better Nikki White, who went 4:43.83. The third-place finisher was Kelsey Ditto, White's teammate with Longhorn Aquatics. Ditto turned in a time of 4:46.67 after qualifying first for the final.

A veteran of Team USA, Margaret Hoelzer (Auburn Aquatics) crushed the competition in the 200 backstroke when she stopped the clock in 1:54.67. That effort was plenty faster than the 2:03.96 swim of Lauren Thies. Hunter Bayley was triumphant in the men's version of the event as he covered the distance dorsal in 1:51.20.

Continuing her comeback, U.S. Olympian Allison Wagner bested the field in the women's 100 freestyle with a swim of 50.11, enough to hold off Thies (50.30). In the men's 100 free, North Carolina State product Cullen Jones was knocked off in the final. Jones, who has the year's fastest time in the 50-meter freestyle, touched the wall in 45.77, behind the 45.32 of Camilo Becerra (FAST). Titus Knight, an Indiana University recruit from Longhorn Aquatics, was third in 45.95. Knight, however, took top honors in the 500 free with a 4:31.06 clocking.

Cammile Adams (Cypress Fairbank) prevailed in the women's 200 butterfly, as she cracked the two-minute mark with a performance of 1:59.99. Meanwhile, Neil Caskey was the winner of the 200 fly on the male side, behind a showing of 1:50.78.

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