Goodwill Games: Aussie Women Beat US 79.5 – 69.5, Despite Kristen Caverly’s Triple Wins

BRISBANE, Aug. 30. DESPITE a heroic effort by 16 year-old Kristen Caverly, the USA women fell to Australia, 79.5 to 69.5 on the second day of competition at the Goodwill Games, being held at the Chandler Aquatic Centre in suburban Cleveland, Queensland.

Caverly was nothing short of spectacular, winning three of the toughest events in a period of just over one hour, against the best Australia had to offer, and all in superb times.

The Irvine AquaZots star began by taking the 400 IM in 4:45.66 — her second fastest ever — beating Aussie Olympian Jennifer Reilly by two seconds. Santa Barbara's Adrienne Binder was a surprise third with a lifetime best 4:49.80.

Then Caverly was up against Olympic silver medalist,
"Lethal" Leisel Jones, in the 200 breast. Making a gutsy move on the second 50, she opened up a 1.1 second lead and that was all she wrote, as she fought off desperate charges by Jones and Aussie teammate, Brooke Hanson. Caverly's 2:29.30 was faster than her winning time at Nationals.

By the final individual event, the 200 IM, Australia had already clinched the meet mathematically. But that didn't stop Caverly from swimming another personal best, 2:15.85, to edge teammate Gabrielle Rose (2:16.43). Trailing Rose at the 50, Caverly took a one-hundredth of a second lead at the halfway mark, then just kept stretching it out until she hit the wall.

Aside from Caverly's heroics, this was a meet that could have gone either way, complete with superb performances and missed opportunities on both sides.

It also featured Big Time symbolism when, in the final event, the 400 free relay, the two teams tied at 3:43.31.

Lindsay Benko apparently doesn't really need both her kneecaps, as she came up strong, winning the 200 free in 2:00.08 and the 200 back in 2:13.56, then lewding off the free relay in 55.77. In the 200 free, Benko's chief Aussie victim was Giann Rooney, who won the event at last month's World Championships. Benko has been knocking on the door of a sub-2-minute performance, having gone 2:00.01 yesterday and 2:00.08 today.

Tammie Stone and Colleen Lanne, Texas Aquatics teammates, went one-two in the 50 in a very close race. Stone's 25.09 equalled her personal best.

Ashley Chandler notched the other US win, taking the 400 free in 4:14.95. After taking the race out hard in 2:03.87, Chandler tired visibly, but by then she had an insurmountable lead. Lauren Thies made it a one-two sweep for Uncle Sam with a 4:16.61.

The Aussies won nine events outright plus the tie in the free relay.

World champion Petria Thomas swep all three fly events
and swam on the winning medley relay to emerge the biggest winner of the evening. Thomas clocked 26.92, 59.11 and 2:09.52. The "baby" of the US team, 13 year-old Dana Vollmer, was second in the 50 (27.53), Dana Kirk was second in the 100 (1:00.83) while Emily Mason had a strong 2:10.67 to finish second in the 200.

Dyana Calub took the 50 and 100 back in 29.07 and 1;01.89, each team edging 15 year-old Diana Macmanus. MacManus's 1:02.16 in the 100 was a lifetime best.

Australia went one-two in both the 50 and 100 breast, with Brooke Hanson and Leisel Jones exchanging places in the top spot. In both races they narrowly beat out the USA's Stacianna Stitts and Amy Balcerzak-Field.

In perhaps the most dramatic event, the 100 free, the Aussies' Sarah Ryan (55.61) and Jodie Henry (56.03) went one-two, dashing the hopes of the US.

RESULTS
AUS 79.5
USA 69.5

Women's Team Competition
1 AUS 2-0 175.5
2 USA 1-1 151.5
3 EUR 0-1 67
4 WLD 0-1 53

4×100 Medley Relay
1 AUS 4:07.33 7
1 – STONEY, Clementine 1:02.31
2 – JONES, Leisel 2:11.56
3 – THOMAS, Petria 3:10.47
4 – RYAN, Sarah 4:07.33
2 USA 4:17.94
1 – GETTEL, Lauren 1:04.01
2 – FIELD, Amy 2:13.97
3 – VOLLMER, Dana 3:14.59
4 – LANNE, Colleen 4:17.94

400 Meter Individual Medley
1 USA CAVERLY, Kristen 1:06.00 2 2:18.71 1 3:38.13 1 4:45.66 5
2 AUS REILLY, Jennifer 1:06.41 3 2:18.71 1 3:41.77 2 4:47.48 3
3 USA BINDER, Adrienne 1:06.51 4 2:20.67 3 3:43.86 3 4:49.60 1
4 AUS MUNZ, Lori 1:05.60 1 2:21.68 4 3:47.34 4 4:59.33 0

200 Meter Freestyle
1 USA BENKO, Lindsay 28.28 1 58.55 1 1:29.71 1 2:00.08 5
2 AUS ROONEY, Giaan 28.42 2 58.80 2 1:29.83 3 2:00.24 3
3 AUS GRAHAM, Elka 28.48 3 58.85 3 1:29.78 2 2:00.37 1
4 USA THIES, Lauren 28.67 4 59.00 4 1:30.16 4 2:01.26 0

100 Meter Backstroke
1 AUS CALUB, Dyana 30.06 1 1:01.89 5
2 USA MACMANUS, Diana 30.34 2 1:02.16 3
3 AUS STONEY, Clementine 30.85 4 1:02.37 1
4 USA COPE, Haley 30.50 3 1:03.02 0

50 Meter Butterfly
1 AUS THOMAS, Petria 26.92 5
2 USA VOLLMER, Dana 27.53 3
3 AUS HAM, Julia 28.01 1
4 USA KELLER, Kalyn 28.80 0

50 Meter Freestyle
1 USA STONE, Tammie 25.52 5
2 USA LANNE, Colleen 25.68 3
3 AUS RYAN, Sarah 25.76 1
4 AUS HENRY, Jodie 26.08 0

100 Meter Breaststroke
1 AUS JONES, Leisel 32.93 1 1:09.47 5
2 AUS HANSON, Brooke 33.18 2 1:09.54 3
3 USA FIELD, Amy 33.24 4 1:10.02 1
4 USA STITTS, Staciana 33.21 3 1:10.14 0

200 Meter Butterfly
1 AUS THOMAS, Petria 29.17 2 1:02.17 3 1:35.92 1 2:09.52 5
2 USA MASON, Emily 29.24 3 1:02.03 2 1:36.14 2 2:10.67 3
3 USA KIRK, Dana 29.15 1 1:01.97 1 1:36.77 3 2:14.15 1
4 AUS HUNTER, Nicole 30.58 4 1:04.65 4 1:39.26 4 2:14.54 0

100 Meter Freestyle
1 AUS RYAN, Sarah 27.12 2 55.61 5
2 AUS HENRY, Jodie 27.58 4 56.03 3
3 USA STONE, Tammie 27.12 2 56.06 1
4 USA ROSE, Gabrielle 26.91 1 56.37 0

200 Meter Backstroke
1 USA BENKO, Lindsay 32.66 3 1:05.99 1 1:40.16 1 2:13.56 5
2 AUS STONEY, Clementine 32.67 4 1:06.45 2 1:40.80 2 2:14.67 3
3 USA MACMANUS, Diana 32.50 2 1:07.34 3 1:42.35 3 2:15.40 1
4 AUS TUCKER, Kelly 32.47 1 1:07.43 4 1:42.62 4 2:16.94 0

200 Meter Breaststroke
1 USA CAVERLY, Kristen 34.63 2 1:12.28 1 1:50.72 1 2:29.30 5
2 AUS JONES, Leisel 34.50 1 1:13.37 2 1:52.16 2 2:30.11 3
3 AUS HANSON, Brooke 35.13 3 1:13.57 3 1:52.77 3 2:31.34 1
4 USA SPANN, Alexandra 35.34 4 1:14.05 4 1:52.93 4 2:32.38 0

400 Meter Freestyle
1 USA CHANDLER, Ashley 1:00.51 1 2:03.87 1 3:08.97 1 4:14.95 5
2 USA THIES, Lauren 1:02.25 4 2:06.93 4 3:11.87 2 4:16.61 3
3 AUS GRAHAM, Elka 1:01.03 2 2:06.81 3 3:12.89 4 4:17.50 1
4 AUS ROONEY, Giaan 1:01.67 3 2:06.69 2 3:12.61 3 4:18.10 0

100 Meter Butterfly
1 AUS THOMAS, Petria 27.59 1 59.11 5
2 USA KIRK, Dana 28.37 2 1:00.83 3
3 AUS HAM, Julia 28.50 3 1:01.23 1
4 USA MASON, Emily 29.23 4 1:01.36 0

50 Meter Backstroke
1 AUS CALUB, Dyana 29.07 5
2 USA MACMANUS, Diana 29.24 3
3 USA COPE, Haley 29.39 1
4 AUS EDINGTON, Sophie 29.51 0

50 Meter Breaststroke
1 AUS HANSON, Brooke GR 32.01 5
2 AUS JONES, Leisel 32.39 3
3 USA FIELD, Amy 32.43 1
4 USA STITTS, Staciana 32.63 0

200 Meter Individual Medley
1 USA CAVERLY, Kristen 30.15 3 1:04.44 1 1:43.82 1 2:15.85 5
2 USA ROSE, Gabrielle 29.17 1 1:04.45 2 1:44.26 2 2:16.43 3
3 AUS MUNZ, Lori 30.05 2 1:05.64 3 1:45.38 3 2:17.96 1
4 AUS REILLY, Jennifer 30.88 4 1:06.32 4 1:47.55 4 2:20.81 0

4×100 Freestyle Relay
1 AUS 3:43.31 7
1 – RYAN, Sarah 55.49
2 – GRAHAM, Elka 1:51.94
3 – HENRY, Jodie 2:47.83
4 – ROONEY, Giaan 3:43.31
1 USA 3:43.31 3.5
1 – BENKO, Lindsay 55.77 3:43.31
2 – COPE, Haley 1:53.52
3 – STONE, Tammie 2:48.49
4 – LANNE, Colleen 3:43.31

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