CARVIN, STONE, BIG WINNERS AT KERR-McGEE CORPORATION/NIKE PRO-AM

Oklahoma City – Chad Carvin and Tammie Stone were the top money winners in a star-studded field at the 9th Annual Kerr-McGee Corporation/Nike Pro-Am, December 14-17.

Carvin, the 2000 Olympian, lead the men's field by taking home $2,900, for winning four events including a $500 bonus for the 1650 free. Stone, the former National and Pan Am games champion, won two events including the Kerr-McGee/Nike 50 Free Shootout and finished second in a third event to earn $2,400 for the weekend.

The Kerr-McGee Corporation/Nike Pro-Am is the only professional swim meet in the United States, offering over $30,000 in cash and prizes to professional and amateur athletes. Professionals compete for $600 for a first place finish, $300 for second, and $100 for third per event.

While Carvin cruised to victory in the 1000 Free, 400 IM, and 500 Free, the 1650 was a different story. From the start, 15 year old Max Jaben of the Kansas City Blazers was stroke-for-stroke with the Olympian and former American Record Holder in the event. While most expected Carvin to pull away during the middle part of the race, Jaben hung around, generally staying within .20 throughout the race. At the 1600 mark, Jaben trailed by only one-tenth of a second, setting up a sprint for the finish. The two were even at the final turn, with Carvin out-touching the 15-year-old by .15 at the finish (15:39.94 to 15:40.09).

1996 and 2000 Olympian Josh Davis and former SMU standout Katie McClelland had three first place finishes each. Davis won the 200 Free, 200 IM and 200 Back, and finished second in the 500 Free. Davis took home $2,100 for his efforts. McClelland swept the women's breaststoke events and added the 500 Free title to boost her winnings to $1,800 for the meet.

Amy Balcerzak and Jason Lezak, coming off World Cup meets in China and Australia wrapped up the 2000 season in impressive fashion. Balcerzak, who has had an outstanding World Cup series in recent weeks, won the 200 IM, plus finished second in the two Breaststrokes and the 200 Free.

Lezak won the battle of the sprinters in the Kerr-McGee/Nike 50 Free Shootout. Taking on a field which included Bill Pilczuk, Christain Hasbach, Bryan Jones, and Jarod Schroeder, Lezak took home the $1,500 first prize with a victory over Hasbach in the final head-to-head race (19.44 to 19.88). The 2000 Olympian added the championship of the 100 Free and a 3rd place finish in the 100 Fly to take home a total of $2,200 for the 4-day meet.

On the Women's side of the Kerr-McGee/Nike 50 Free Shootout, Tammie Stone defeated Switzerland's Dominique Diezi to claim the $1500 Shootout title (22.61 to 22.94). B. J. Bedford finished third to go with her first place finishes in the 100 Back and 100 Fly.

The Kansas City Blazers claimed both the Women's and Combined championships easily outpacing the Dallas Mustangs and the Little Rock Arkansas Dolphins respectively. The host Kerr-McGee Swim Club claimed the Men's title, slipping by the Blazers and West Coast Aquatics.

One other highlight of the meet came in the Women's 400 Free Relay when the Dallas Mustangs relay of Codie Hansen, Jennifer Blackman, Caroline Jennings, and Candice Blackman broke the 13-14 Girls National Age Group record, posting a 3:31.18.

Complete meet results are available on the Kerr-McGee Swim Club home page at http://www.kmsc.org.

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