USA Swimming Grand Prix, Minnesota: Kate Ziegler Scorches 500 Free

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, November 10. THE Fish's Kate Ziegler put on a show as the second night of USA Swimming's Minnesota Grand Prix came to an end in Minneapolis. Ziegler clocked a world-class time in the women's 500-yard freestyle to break the pool record, while also putting together a strong 50 freestyle as well.

Women's 400 IM
Club Wolverine's Kaitlin Sandeno, the 10th-fastest swimmer in the event all-time with a 4:05.74 set in 2004 in Long Beach, cruised to victory with a top time of 4:13.54.

"I'm swimming decent times so it's encouraging," Sandeno told USA Swimming. "I'm looking forward to Short Course Nationals."

Minnesota's duo of Jenny Shaughnessy (4:21.03) and Kait Strickland (4:23.04) finished well behind with second and third-place efforts, respectively.

Angelina Ballatore, 17, finished fourth in 4:25.61. Ballatore swims for the Gator Swim Club and is heading to the University of Florida next year.

Minnesota's Emily Nilsson (4:28.41), Savannah's Kameron Ansley, 16, (4:32.04), Minnesota's Deidre DeWall (4:34.66) and Minnesota's Katie Wind (4:39.61) completed the championship heat.

Men's 400 IM
In another easy win for an IMer, Suburban's Ian Clark checked in with a time of 3:51.16 to capture the men's medley. Tim Liebhold finished second in 3:54.37, while Mission Viejo's Charlie Rimkus, 16, tied with Minnesota's Russ Payne for third with matching 3:57.38s.

Rimkus' teammate Fran Crippen placed fifth in 3:57.90, while Minnesota's Alex Wold (3:58.34) and Joshua Griffey (4:02.40) took sixth and seventh, respectively.

Women's 50 freestyle
Trojan's Jessica Hardy, a breaststroke specialist, demonstrated some sprint versatility by winning the splash-and-dash in 22.38. Lakeside's Rachel Komisarz grabbed second place in a time of 22.48, while Athens Bulldog Kara Lynn Joyce, the fastest swimmer ever in the event with a record time of 21.63 set in 2006, placed third in 22.79.

The Fish's Kate Ziegler, the world's greatest female distance swimmer, continued to surprise with her own sprint aptitude – this time with a fourth-place 23.48 that tied her with Minnesota's Stacy Busack.

Kim Vanderberg (23.73) and Minnesota's Erin Holtmeyer (24.00) and Meagan Radecke (24.01) closed out the rest of the top eight.

Men's 50 freestyle
Tucson Ford's Simon Burnett nearly gave the crowd a 19 in the men's 50 free, but settled for a 20.04 to crush the field in the sprint free event. Trojan's Kicker Vencill picked up second place in the event with a time of 20.49, while Athens Bulldog Peter Verhoef finished third in 20.60.

Fox Valley's Brian Alden, 17, touched fourth in 20.67, while Minnesota's Colin Lee-To (20.73), Mike Woodson (20.78), Curt Carlson (21.00) and Michael Richards (21.01) encompassed the rest of the championship heat.

Women's 200 breaststroke
Trojan's Keri Hehn dropped the hammer in the women's 200 breast as she blew by the 2:11 mark into the 2:10 range with a winning effort of 2:10.48. Hehn's previously reported lifetime best in the event stood at 2:12.43 from the 2002 NCAA Championships. The performance also moved Hehn into the top 30 all-time in the event.

Center Grove's Michelle McKeehan, who is headed to the University of Georgia next year, finished second in 2:14.96, while Minnesota's Kait Strickland took third in 2:19.60.

New Trier's Alisa Finn, 16, placed fourth in 2:19.63, while Minnesota's Katie Budahl (2:21.82) and Kimberly Kazika (2:22.44) took fifth and sixth, respectively. Aberdeen's Emily Campbell, 15, picked up seventh in 2:22.87.

Men's 200 breaststroke
In another commanding victory for the winning swimmer, Tucson Ford's Adam Ritter scorched the water with a time of 1:56.40 in the 200 breast. Boilermaker, meanwhile, earned second and third as Giordan Pogioli (1:59.09) and Scott Usher (1:59.80) rounded out the top three.

Santa Clara's Matt Smith (2:01.91) and Minnesota's Jon Roberts (2:03.51) and Ivan Gutesa (2:04.19) touched fourth through sixth, while Santa Clara's Yota Ito (2:06.23) and Minnesota's Zach Weis (2:08.13) completed the championship heat.

Women's 100 backstroke
In the first exciting head-to-head race of the night, Athens Bulldog Mary Descenza and Club Wolverine's Kaitlin Sandeno took the measure of each other with Descenza surfacing victorious, 54.24 to 54.25.

"I never swim the 100y back," Sandeno told USA Swimming. "Obviously, I would have liked to win, but I got a best time and that's really great. I'm encouraged at where I am right now."

Minnesota's Roxane Akradi (56.45), Tucson Ford's Whitney Myers (56.65) and Minnesota's Deidre DeWall (56.71) finished third through fifth, while Waukesha Express' Stephanie Sarandos (56.90) and Minnesota's Castina Wabeke (57.81) and Erin Forster (58.10) closed out the rest of the top eight.

Men's 100 backstroke
In what can only be considered an upset, Peter Marshall picked off the fastest man ever in the event, Ryan Lochte, with a swift time of 46.22 as Lochte touched second in 46.44.

Club Wolverine's Chris DeJong (48.37) and Tucson Ford's Simon Burnett (48.52) and Adam Ritter (49.33) placed third through fifth.

Other championships finalists included Minnesota's David Plummer (49.59) and Mike Woodson (49.92) as well as Santa Clara's Oliver Spees (50.01).

Women's 500 freestyle
Already the top swimmer in the event all time with a 4:33.35 in 2006, The Fish's Kate Ziegler decided to throw down the fifth-quickest effort ever in the event to wow the crowd in Minnesota. Ziegler ripped through the middle distance event with a time of 4:35.00, which stands behind only her 4:33.35 and 4:34.29 as well as times from Katie Hoff (4:34.21) and Janet Evans (4:34.39).

"I didn't know I was going to break the record," Ziegler told USA Swimming. "It's very exciting and I was pleased with my swim. We've been training really hard."

SMU's Flavia Rigamonti couldn't even come close with a second-place time of 4:41.61, while Lakeside's Rachel Komisarz took third in 4:43.25. Another distance swimmer dipping down into what amounts to a sprint for her, Mission Viejo's Chloe Sutton, 15, placed fourth in 4:43.52, while Club Wolverine's Katie Carroll took fifth in 4:44.64.

Minnesota's Yuen Kobayashi (4:50.25), Mission Viejo's Sachiko Yamada (4:51.49) and Erin McCleave (4:54.27), swimming unattached, completed the rest of the A final.

Men's 500 freestyle
Club Wolverine's Peter Vanderkaay, the record holder in the event with a time of 4:08.60 set in 2006, cruised in the men's middle distance event with a winning effort of 4:19.98. Ryan Lochte, meanwhile, placed second in 4:24.14 in what is not necessarily one of his top events.

Mission Viejo's Chad La Tourette took third in 4:24.84, while Club Wolverine's Davis Tarwater touched fourth in 4:25.45.

Balazs Gercsak (4:28.60), Gator's Ricardo Monasterio (4:28.66), Minnesota's Ray Betuzzi (4:30.18) and Athens Bulldog Matthew Owen (4:32.21) comprised the rest of the top eight.

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