Five Meet Marks Fall on Final Day of Speedo Grand Challenge

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 2. AS temperatures soared to record highs in Los Angeles, the competition at the McDonald's Olympic pool on the third and final day of the Speedo Grand Challenge got even hotter.

Five meet records were set today, while four #1 US times were recorded.

Jason Lezak of the host Irvine Novaquatics team showed that marriage agrees with him, as he recorded a meet record 49.38 in the 100 meter free. Lezak led from start to finish, heading a 1-2-3 NOVA sweep. Fellow Olympian Scott Tucker was second in 50.10.

Natalie Coughlin had an even easier time of her 100m freestyle race, touching in a meet record and US #1 time of 54.87, putting her in a tie for the world's eighth-fastest time this year. Lindsay Benko, the former meet record-holder, was second in 56.08, just edging Colleen Lanne (56.20) and come backing Shelly Ripple-Johnston (56.46).

In perhaps the best race of the day, Germany's Birte Steven, a senior at Oregon State coached by former USC assistant Larry Liebowitz, out-touched fast-improving — and fast-closing –Tara Kirk, 2:26.15 to 2:26.34.

Steven's time was a meet record as well as a German national record, taking a quarter second off Anne Poleska's time from Barcelona last year, and ranks her sixth in the world this year. Kirk's swim, also a pr, puts her at #1 domestically and #7 globally.

Canada's Morgan Knabe easily won the men's 200m breast in 2:15.77, another meet record.

Peter Marshall, who set a world short course record in the 100m backstroke, defeated Lenny Krayzelburg today, 55.33 to 56.70. Lenny just out-touched 33 year-old come backer Jeff Rouse, at 55.76.

Courtney Shealy, another 2000 Olympian rounding nicely into shape, took the women's 100 back in a swift 1:02.60.USC's Erin Gemmel swam a pr 1:02.80 for second, just ahead of 1996 Olympic champion Beth Botsford, 1:02.92, with Misty Hyman fourth, 1:03.73.

Misty again showed she is well on the road to being a factor in the 200 fly this Olympic year, as she finished second again behind Dana Kirk, Tara's younger sister. Kirk touched in a meet record 2:10.77, #1 in the US this year, while Hyman was second in 2:12.08, also under the old meet mark.

In other events:
* In the absence of Erik Vendt, former Harvard star John Cole took the men's 1500 in 15:48.67.
* USC's Kalyn Keller won the women's 800 in 8:40.25, beating Canadian 16 year-old Brittany Reimer, 8:44.68.

–Phil Whitten

2004 Novaquatics – Speedo Grand Challenge
Hosted by SPEEDO/Novaquatics Swim Team
McDonald's Olympic Stadium
Los Angeles, Calif.
April 30-May 2, 2004

50 meter pool

RESULTS
DAY THREE: May 2, 2004

Men 1500 LC Meter Freestyle:
1. Cole, John B, BOSS-NE, 15:48.67 NAT; 2. Deters, Andrew K, Unattached-CA/IHAC, 16:05.88 NAT; 3. Storie, Tyler W, Unattached-CA/USC, 16:14.21 QUAL; 4. Jafari, Michael K, IHAC-CA, 16:19.21 QUAL.

Women 800 LC Meter Freestyle:
1. Keller, Kalyn D, Unattached-CA/USC, 8:40.25 OLYT; 2. Reimer, Brittany, SKSC, 8:44.68 OLYT; 3. Carr, Stephanie D, Bss-FL, 8:47.24 OLYT; 4. Costella, Lauren D, UNAT-PC/STAN, 8:54.49 NAT.

Women 100 LC Meter Freestyle:
1. Coughlin, Natalie A, CAL-PC, 54.87* OLYT; 2. Benko, Lindsay D, TROJ-CA, 56.08 OLYT; 3. Lanne, Colleen A, NOVA-CA, 56.20 OLYT; 4. Ripple-Johnston, Shelly L, ES-AD, 56.46 OLYT.

Men 100 LC Meter Freestyle:
1. Lezak, Jason E, NOVA-CA, 49.38* OLYT; 2. Tucker, Scott E, NOVA-CA, 50.10 OLYT; 3. Woodward, Gabe T, NOVA-CA, 50.55 OLYT; 4. Wochomurka, Ryan C, UNAT-SE, 50.93 OLYT.

Women 200 LC Meter Butterfly:
1. Kirk, Dana J, UNAT-PC/STAN, 2:10.77* OLYT; 2. Hyman, Misty D, AFOX-AZ, 2:12.18* OLYT; 3. Vandenberg, Kim, UNAT-PC/UCLA, 2:14.36 OLYT; 4. Lewis, Kristen J, UNAT-PC/UCLA, 2:15.45 OLYT.

Men 200 LC Meter Butterfly:
1. Kolozar, David, SDA-AZ, 2:01.25 OLYT; 2. O'Connor, Kellan P, TROJ-CA, 2:02.61 OLYT; 3. Hamming, Mark G, NU-IL, 2:04.46 NAT; 4. Shevchik, Daniel J, NOVA-CA, 2:05.45 QUAL.

Women 100 LC Meter Backstroke:
1. Shealy, Courtney A, ABSC-GA, 1:02.60 OLYT; 2. Gammel, Erin, UCSC, 1:02.80 OLYT; 3. Botsford, Beth A, Ford Aquatics-AZ, 1:02.92 OLYT; 4. Hyman, Misty D, AFOX-AZ, 1:03.73 OLYT.

Men 100 LC Meter Backstroke:
1. Marshall, Peter J, UNAT-PC, 55.33 OLYT; 2. Krayzelburg, Lenny, NOVA-CA, 55.70 OLYT; 3. Rouse, Jeff N, UNAT-PC, 55.76 OLYT; 4. Rogan, Markus A, AUT, 56.29 OLYT.

Women 200 LC Meter Breaststroke:
1. Steven, Birte, UNAT-OR, 2:26.15* OLYT; 2. Kirk, Tara J, UNAT-PC/STAN, 2:26.36* OLYT; 3. Van Oosten, Lauren, UCSC, 2:32.90 OLYT; 4. Teo, Nicolette W, Unattached-CA, 2:33.78 OLYT.

Men 200 LC Meter Breaststroke:
1. Knabe, Morgan, UCSC, 2:15.77* OLYT; 2. Torres, Louis A, NU-IL, 2:18.79 OLYT; 3. Gangloff, Mark D, AUB-SE, 2:18.98 OLYT; 4. Denniston, Dave R, NOVA-CA, 2:20.38 NAT.

*: Meet record

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