Breakout Star Maya DiRado Scores Upset in 400 IM Triumph

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INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 27. AFTER making the World Championship squad in an extra event with a runner-up finish in the 200-meter fly, Stanford's Maya DiRado scored a monster upset in the women's 400-meter IM at the U.S. Nationals and World Championship Trials.

DiRado blasted a time of 4:34.34, holding off a hard-charging Olympic silver medalist in Elizabeth Beisel.

That time demolished DiRado's lifetime best of 4:37.88 from the 2011 National Championships, and vaulted her to third in the world behind only Hannah Miley (4:34.21) and Ye Shiwen (4:34.27). That's a second event in Barcelona for the Cardinal, who has been having a career year.

1 Dirado, Maya 20 Stanford Swimmin 4:40.73 4:34.34 947 20
r:+0.76 29.92 1:03.80 (33.88)
1:38.74 (34.94) 2:12.84 (34.10)
2:51.56 (38.72) 3:31.36 (39.80)
4:03.18 (31.82) 4:34.34 (31.16)
2 Beisel, Elizabe 20 Bluefish Swim Cl 4:40.17 4:34.50 945 17
r:+0.71 29.74 1:03.55 (33.81)
1:38.57 (35.02) 2:13.14 (34.57)
2:52.22 (39.08) 3:31.79 (39.57)
4:03.59 (31.80) 4:34.50 (30.91)

Beisel, meanwhile, tracked down a likely spot on the Barcelona trip with her 4:34.50, that shot her to fourth in the world ahead of Spain's Mireia Belmonte. Beisel has had a remarkable career, making international squads with regularity since stunning the world as a 13-year-old making Worlds with her backstroke exploits seven years ago. It's pretty incredible to think about when you are a seven-year veteran at 20 years of age.

California's Caitlin Leverenz didn't have enough in the tank to hang with the top swim, as she wound up taking third in 4:40.47, just outside the top 10 in the world. Becca Mann, 15, placed fourth for Clearwater with a 4:42.46.

Aggie's Cammile Adams (4:42.70), Stanford's Andie Taylor (4:44.64), Trojan's Haley Anderson (4:45.36) and Athens Bulldog Amber McDermott (4:50.06) also competed in the finale.

Brooke Zeiger of BlueFish held off a game Andrea Kropp for the B final win, 4:44.93 to 4:46.13. Kropp had taken the lead heading into freestyle, before Zeiger rolled to victory. That's Zeiger's second career 4:44, behind her lifetime best 4:44.29 from the Charlotte stop of the Arena Grand Prix.

Dynamo's Kylie Stewart captured the C final with a huge lifetime-best effort as she touched in 4:48.42. That swim blasted her previous personal record of 4:51.12 from 2012 Junior Pan Pacifics.

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