Walker, Stone Shine on Day 3 of American Short Course Champs

AUSTIN, Tx., March 10. SOME fast swimming by former Texas NCAA champ Neil Walker in the 100 free, a solid 48.6 women's 100 free by ex-Longhorn All-America Tammie Stone and a second individual medley win by former Auburn (and soon to be Longhorn) Val Oswald highlighted the final evening of competition at the American Short Course Championships here this evening.

Walker, American record-holder in the 100 yard backstroke (44.92), raced to an easy 100 free win (43.59) with a couple of former Longhorn teammates (Bryan Jones, (43.76) and Brian Esway (44.15) second and third. Walker's pr in this race is 42.83 from the 1998 NCAAs, which ranks him as 16th-fastest performer of all-time.

Walker is No. 2 all-time on the U.S. 100 meter free list and will be aiming to climb up a notch during the World Championship Trials at his home pool in a couple of weeks. Walker previously won the 100 back Friday night in 47.11.

In the women's century, 50 free winner Stone, who as Tammie Spatz a few years ago was a star sprinter for Coach Jill Sterkel's Lady Longhorns, splashed to a pr 48.64 — down from her previous best of 49.15 from the '98 Big 12s. Runner-up was SwimAtlanta's 14-year-old sensation, Amanda Weir, whose 49.59 was just off her NAG record 49.53 from last December.

Oswald, a former Auburn All-America who will join the Longhorns this fall, added a second pr to her collection with a 2:00.53 200 IM win over Singaporean Olympian Joscelyn Yeo (2:03.53). Yeo's pr is 1:57.14 from last year's Pac-10s when she was swimming for Cal Berkeley, and that swim ranks her 11th all-time (performances) and fifth (performer). Yeo will also be sporting burnt orange and white next fall when she competes collegiately for Texas.

In the 200 back Circle K's Chelsea Hastings went a pr 1:58.13 for the win with SwimAtlanta's Christine Thompson (1:58.79) second. Hastings also swam a pr 2:03.17 to win the 200 IM consols.

In the men's dorsal race Atom's Doug Van Wie touched first (pr 1:46.10) with Texas' Israeli Olympian, Mickey Halika, next (1:47.91). A freshman, Halika will try and help Longhorn coach Eddie Reese garner an eighth NCAA team title in a couple of weeks at the Texas A&M pool in College Station — and will be among the favorites to bring home the 400 IM gold.

The 200 IM saw Suffolk's David Kahn take top honors with his 1:48.29 while Halika was next (1:49.49).

Univ. of Texas/Texas Aquatics
The University of Texas at Austin

Event 21 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================== 2:01.79 NATL
2:05.29 OPEN
===========================================================================Final
1 Hastings, Chelsea 17 Circle C 2:02.44 1:58.13 NATL
2 Thompson, Christin 17 Swim Atlanta 2:00.48 1:58.79 NATL
3 Vazhenin, Anastaci 16 Swim Atlanta 2:03.35 2:00.00 NATL

Event 22 Men 200 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================== 1:48.79 NATL
1:53.09 OPEN
===========================================================================Final
1 Van Wie, Doug 16 Atom 1:48.61 1:46.10 NATL
2 Halika, Mickey 21 Texas 1:49.63 1:47.91 NATL
3 Barkley, Kevin 18 Swim Atlanta 1:52.15 1:49.00 OPEN

Event 23 Women 100 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================== 50.99 NATL
52.69 OPEN
===========================================================================Final
1 Stone, Tammie 24 Texas Aquatics 50.64 48.64 NATL
2 Weir, Amanda 14 Swim Atlanta 50.52 49.59 NATL
3 Williams, Monica 22 Aggie 51.93 50.76 NATL

Event 24 Men 100 Yard Freestyle
===========================================================================44.89 NATL
46.99 OPEN
===========================================================================Final
1 Walker, Neil 24 Texas Aquatics 44.98 43.59 NATL
2 Jones, Bryan 22 Texas Aquatics 45.02 43.76 NATL
3 Esway, Brian 25 Circle C 45.11 44.55 NATL

Event 25 Women 1650 Yard Freestyle
===========================================================================16:46.89 NATL
17:09.69 OPEN
===========================================================================1 Williams, Ali 18 Un-Atlanta 17:00.00 16:34.05 NATL
2 Ebert, Nicole 17 Woodlands 17:06.69 16:55.35 OPEN
3 Collins, Nicole 15 Carmel 16:57.26 17:04.59 OPEN

Event 26 Men 1650 Yard Freestyle
===========================================================================15:34.99 NATL
16:00.49 OPEN
=========================================================================== 1 Pessagno, Pete 18 Carmel 15:33.63 15:39.78 OPEN
2 Nabors, John 18 Woodlands 15:53.43 15:41.92 OPEN
3 Edwards, Drew 18 Aqua Racers 16:10.00 15:42.96 OPEN

Event 27 Women 200 Yard IM
=========================================================================== 2:03.69 NATL
2:08.49 OPEN
===========================================================================1 Oswald, Val 22 Unattached 2:02.70 2:00.53 NATL
2 Yeo, Joscelin 21 Unattached 2:04.78 2:03.53 NATL
3 Corgan, Erin 16 Swim Atlanta 2:04.87 2:03.57 NATL

Event 28 Men 200 Yard IM
===========================================================================1:50.49 NATL
1:55.39 OPEN
===========================================================================1 Kahn, David 17 Suffolk 1:52.18 1:48.29 NATL
2 Halika, Mickey 21 Texas 1:51.98 1:49.49 NATL
3 Van Wie, Doug 16 Atom 1:52.79 1:51.37 OPEN

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