Women’s NCAAs, Day 3. Tara Kirk Sets American Record in the 200m Breast

By Phillip Whitten

200 meter breaststroke
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 20. THE 200 breaststroke boasted the deepest field of this spectacular meet: Stanford’s Tara Kirk, the two-time defending champion and new 100 meter world record-holder; ASU’s Agnes Kovacs, the defending 2000 Olympic and 2001 world champion; and three potential German Olympians in top qualifier Birte Steven, Oregon State; Georgia’s Sarah Poewe; and Florida’s Vipa Bernhardt.

Kirk decided to end all doubt, jumping out front at the 50 in 31.56 seconds, 8-tenths ahead of Steven, her nearest pursuer. Then she just kept going.

She was 1:07.54 at the 100, and 1:44.36 at the 150 – both under Amanda Beard’s American record pace.

There was no stopping Captain Kirk. She powered home to win in 2:20.70, erasing Kristy Kowal’s NCAA standard of 2:22.05 from 2000, Amanda Beard’s American record of 2:21.42 from ’02, and Japan’s Masami Tanaka’s 2:21.20 from earlier this year.

How dominant was she?

Kirk had the fastest split for every 50 meter split. At no time was anyone in the race ever gaining on her!

Official Results: 200-Meter Breaststroke Finals

EVENT: 18 WOMEN's 200 Meter Breaststroke

NCAA Record: 2:22.05 Kristy Kowal Georgia 2000
World Record: 2:17.75 LEISEL, JONES AUS 2003
American Record: 2:21.42 Amanda Beard USA 2002
US Open Record: 2:21.20 Masami Tanaka JPN 2004
QUALIFYING FOR "A" Cut: 2:14.25
QUALIFYING FOR This Meet: 2:15.84

RESULTS of FINALS

RANK NAME YEAR TEAM PRELIM TIME

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

1) KIRK, TARA SR STANFORD 2:23.44 2:20.70**
:31.56 :35.98 :36.34 :36.82
** NCAA Record: American Record: US Open Record:
2) STEVEN, BIRTE SR OREGON STATE 2:22.97 2:22.14
:32.33 :36.15 :36.52 :37.14
3) BERNHARDT, VIPA SO FLORIDA 2:26.15 2:23.69
:33.82 :36.13 :36.54 :37.20
4) POEWE, SARAH SO GEORGIA 2:25.99 2:25.40
:32.50 :36.90 :37.84 :38.16
5) KOVACS, AGNES JR ARIZONA STATE 2:25.78 2:26.29
:33.54 :37.11 :37.79 :37.85
6) SIEPER, ERIN SO ARIZONA 2:27.38 2:26.75
:33.25 :36.74 :38.25 :38.51
7) KLEIN, MELISSA FR GEORGIA 2:27.30 2:27.99
:34.08 :37.14 :38.07 :38.70
8) DUTTON, EMMA SR FLORIDA STATE 2:27.75 2:28.66
:32.88 :37.66 :39.38 :38.74

CONSOLATION FINAL

9) SARNECKI, AMALIA SO WISCONSIN 2:28.55 2:26.92
:33.40 :37.14 :38.23 :38.15
10) ERTTER, LINDSEY JR GEORGIA 2:28.31 2:26.93
:33.60 :37.32 :37.18 :38.83
11) BRUCE, LIZZY SO NORTH CAROLINA 2:28.91 2:28.33
:33.97 :37.64 :38.28 :38.44
12) CRAFT, JACQUELYN FR CONNECTICUT 2:28.93 2:28.54
:34.37 :37.48 :38.08 :38.61
13) TINNON, ELIZABETH FR TEXAS 2:29.46 2:28.57
:33.41 :37.82 :38.47 :38.87
14) DUERK, LAUREN SO AUBURN 2:28.08 2:29.03
:34.09 :37.73 :38.11 :39.10
15) DIKMEN, ILKAY SR ILLINOIS 2:29.60 2:30.82
:34.02 :37.84 :38.66 :40.30
16) AMARDEILH, ANNE FR AUBURN 2:29.65 2:31.50
:34.24 :38.05 :38.07 :41.14

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