South Australian State Championships: James Magnussen and Blair Evans Post World-Leading Times

ADELAIDE, Australia, January 27. WORLD champion James Magnussen posted the two fastest 100 freestyles today at the long course South Australian state championships.

Magnussen, who won the world title last summer with a 47.63 and led off Australia's 400 free relay with a 47.49, opened the meet with a 48.74 in prelims. He followed that up with a winning time of 48.05 in the final. Both times eclipsed the previous global standard of 48.97 by Nathan Adrian at the Austin Grand Prix two weeks ago. Matt Abood and Eamon Sullivan, who joined Magnussen on the world championship-winning relay in Shanghai, placed second and third, respectively, with times of 49.85 and 50.63.

"It's great to be able to race quality opposition at a State meet, it helps me to judge where I'm at and after that race I'm happy with where I am in my preparation," Magnussen said after the race.

Blair Evans blazed through the women's 400 IM and finished with the top time in the world so far in 2012. Evans, mostly known as a distance freestyler, won the event in 4:36.21, supplanting Mireia Belmonte Garcia's 4:38.77 as the top time in the world. Evans would have placed seventh at the world championships last year with that swim. Second place in the race went to Jessica Pengelly with a 4:47.83, and third went to Jackie Staples with a 4:48.72.

In other events, Ethan Owens won the men's 1500 free with a time of 16:18.40, well ahead of Christopher Deggan's runner-up time of 16:50.54. Jake Panozzo was third with a 17:20.26.

Jackie Staples won the women's 200 fly in 2:12.56, ahead of Ebba Rosenquist's 2:19.85 and Sumin Song's 2:21.81.

Nicholas Schaefer took the men's 200 breast title in 2:18.54, well ahead of James McKechnie (2:23.02) and Craig Nicoll (2.24.21).

A tightly bunched field in the women's 50 back resulted in a win by Kirstie Meertens in 29.04, followed by Lauren Rettie in 29.50 and Lauren Mathews in 29.67.

Jayden Handler and Joseph Carty battled for the men's 100 fly title, with Handler barely getting the win in 53.60 over Carty's 53.66. Nick Clarke was third in 57.53.

Leah Cutting took the women's 1500 free title easily, winning with a time of 17.02.01. Kate Hofmeyer was second in 17:25.42 and Melody Remant took third in 17:44.68.

Daniel Arnamnart won the men's 50 back in 25.22 over Olympian Hayden Stoeckel, who touched second in 25.81. Ben Edmonds placed third with a 26.85.

Daniel Tranter won the men's 200 IM in 2:00.41, putting him third in the world so far behind Michael Phelps' 1:58.52 and Ryan Lochte's 2:00.30, both swum at the Austin Grand Prix. Well back in second was Travis Nederpelt with a 2:05.38. Sam Beinke placed third with a 2:06.26.

Amelia Dahlitz had a close race on her hands in the women's 100 breast with Hannah Mullen, but managed to get to the finish first in 1:13.03 to Mullen's 1:13.11. Third place went to Emily Thorn with a 1:14.50.

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