USA Swimming Sectionals, Fort Lauderdale: Elizabeth Beisel Doubles; Ryan Lochte Posts Strong Prelim Times

By David Rieder

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, March 21. ON the final night of long course meter action at the USA Swimming Sectionals held in Fort Lauderdale, Olympians Elizabeth Beisel and Ryan Lochte clocked world-class times; Beisel's came while on the way to winning two events in the finals, while Lochte clocked his times in the preliminaries before scratching finals.

Beisel, representing Bluefish clocked a long course meters time of 2:14.53 to take out the 200 fly, off her meet record of 2:12.74 set one year ago, finishing ahead of Merrill Wilson of Brandon Sports & Aquatics Club and Diane Luna Sanchez of Mexico, who clocked times of 2:16.01 and 2:17.70, respectively. Beisel's Bluefish teammate Patrick Myers won the men's equivalent with a time of 2:05.86, while Mexico's Ramiro Juarez Ramierz posted a time of 2:06.87 for second, and North Palm Beach's David Knight was third in 2:07.84.

15 year old Lindsey McKnight, swimming unattached, took out the women's 100 free, clocking a time of 57.27, ahead of Area Tallahassee's Abbie King (57.73) and Pine Crest's Zeineb Khalafallah (58.24). On the men's side, Fernando Santos, swimming unattached, clocked a time of 51.45 for the win, while Mexico's Gerard Bañuelos Sandoval finished second (52.51), and Blue Dolphin's Matthew Curby took third (52.99). Notably, Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte posted a 50.75 in prelims before scratching finals.

National Junior teamer Lauren Driscoll from Fort Lauderdale Aquatics won the women's 800 free (8:44.42), well ahead of Mexico's Patricia Castañeda Miyamoto (8:50.33) and El Salvador's Pamela Benitez (8:53.19).

Foreign Olympians dueled in the men's 200 breast, as South Africa's Neil Versfeld, representing Athens Bulldogs, nearly chased down Kazakhstan's Vladislav Polyakov, representing Coral Springs, but Polyakov prevailed in 2:17.55, just 0.06 ahead of Versfeld's 2:17.61. Mexico's Ricardo Alvarado Jimenez claimed third in a time of 2:20.89. Meanwhile, Lysistrati Halkides, swimming unattached, won an even narrower victory over Mexico's Adrianne Marmolejo Vargas, 2:35.97 to 2:35.98, while Mexico's Bya. Rodriguez Villanueva claimed third in 2:38.45.

Santos claimed later claimed the 200 back with a time of 2:02.65, distancing himself from Mexico's Miguel Robles Castro (2:05.93) and Myers (2:07.52). Notably, Olympic gold medalist Lochte swam in the prelims, recording a time of 1:59.82 that ranks as the sixth-fastest in 2010, behind Nick Thoman's 1:59.58 from the Austin Grand Prix earlier this month. Beisel was back in action for the 200 back, where she clocked a time of 2:10.82, the sixth-best time in the world, moving ahead of New Zealander Melissa Ingram (2:11.23) but behind Aya Terakawa of Japan (2:09.77). Fort Lauderdale Aquatics' Lauren Driscoll (2:15.22) and Mexico's Fernanda Gonzalez Ramirez (2:16.27).

National Junior teamer Driscoll won the women's 800 free in a time of 8:44.42, which puts her on the world rankings in 17th. Driscoll finished well ahead of Mexico's Patricia Castañeda Miyamoto (8:50.33) and El Salvador's Pamela Benitez (8:53.19). Metro Aquatics Club's Carlos Omana won the men's 1,500 with a time of 15:58.12, crushing Mexicans Daniel Delgadillo Faisal (16.06.98) and Luis Escobar Torres (16.11.26).

Fort Lauderdale Aquatics' team of Driscoll, Harper Bruens, Damaris Iriondo, and Fallon Fitzpatrick claimed the women's 400 free relay with a time of 3:56.98 to defeat a Beisel-led Bluefish team that clocked a 3:58.49. Results from the men's 400 free relay were not made available at press time.

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