Lezak Blazes 42.22 100 yd. Free at Kerr-McGee; Dallas Mustangs Set Another Relay NAG Record

By Phil Whitten

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., Dec. 16. IRVINE Novaquatics' Jason Lezak set the pool ablaze on the final night of the Kerr-McGee Elite pro-Am Swim Meet in Oklahoma City, clocking a meet and pool record 42.22 for the 100 yard free.

The time was a lifetime best for the 26 year-old Cal-Santa Barbara grad, who split 19.88 at the 50 on his way to smashing his own meet and pool mark of 42.63 set two years ago.

Lezak's time was just 42-hundredths of a second over the American record of 41.80 shared by Matt Biondi and Anthony Ervin.

It was also a fitting bookend to Lezak's 19.11 performance in the 50 two days ago, a time that is only 6-hundredths off Tom Jager's American mark.

Lezak had no trouble defeating his Olympic Team and nova teammate, Scott Tucker, whose 44.18 left him in Lezak's wake.

Lezak's blazing swim was by no means the only stellar performance this evening. The Dallas Mustangs' girls 15-16 relay team mustered their fourth NAG record of the meet, while Colleen Lanne and Neil Walker turned in sterling winning performances.

The Dallas Mustangs' girls 15-16 relay team took the women's 200 yard freestyle in 1:35.00. Earlier, the team set NAGs in the 400 and 800 free and 400 medley relays. Tonight, the all-15-year-old team of Codie Hansen (23.64), Jennifer Blackman (23.68), Kate Gunning (24.68) and Candace Blackman (23.00), had thir hands full. The almost-as-young Fort Worth Area Swim Team (FAST), with two 14 year-olds and one 17 year-old, was right behind, and actually led before the anchor swimmer. FAST, sparked by 14 year-old Dana Vollmer's leadoff split of 23.43, touched in 1:35.56.

Neil Walker, who earlier won the 100 yard backstroke, breezed to victory in the 200, splitting 49.36 at the 100 and clocking 1:43.43. In the battle for second, David Plummer edged Bobby Schelling, 1:49.8 to 1:49.69.

The women's 100 free featured a match-up between US World Championships Team and Texas Aquatics teammates, Colleen Lanne and Tammie Stone. Stone had won the 50 earlier while Lanne had taken the 200.

Tonight, Stone jumped out into the lead, splitting 23.23 at the 50 to Lanne's 23.59. The two turned together at the 75, before Lanne powered ahead to win in 48.91 to Stone's 49.10. The entire heat was fast, with 15 year-old Codie Hansen third in 50.19, followed by 14 year-old Dana Vollmer (50.31). Candace Blackman followed in 50.43

In other events, Brittany Massengale took the women's 1650 in 16:44.47. Chad Carvin won the men's 1650 in
15:14.50 to notch his fourth victory of the meet.

SMU grad Lia Oberstar won the women's 200 back in 1:58.90, followed by the talented Codie Hansen. Fourth place went to 39 year-old Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen at 2:03.65.

UCLA grad Bethany Goodwin went out hard, then hung on to win the women's 200 fly in 2:00.61. The men's 200 fly went to Jarod Schroeder, who held off a fast-closing Scott Tucker, 1:47.82 to 1:48.17.

The Kerr-McGee Swim Club won the meet's final event, the men's 200 yard freestyle relay. The team of Eric Jennings (21.96), Nic Hurt (21.58), Tyler Smith (22.20) and Andrew Bockus (21.76) touched in 1:27.50, just beating out FAST, two-tenths of a second behind.

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