By Phillip Whitten <\/p>\n
Federal Way, WA – As expected, 17-time defending champion Stanford and a resurgent Cal team battled for the lead, as the first day of competition ended at the Pac-10 Men’s Swimming Championships. <\/p>\n
Stanford ended the day on top with 209 points followed by Cal with 197. USC was a strong third with 180.5, followed by Arizona State (89), Arizona (81) and Washington (62.5). <\/p>\n
Despite strong performances from all its swimmers, the Cardinal won only one event, the evening’s final race, the 400 yard medley relay. Taking a commanding lead on the strength of Randall Bal’s leadoff backstroke leg (47.04), Stanford won in 3:10.61. <\/p>\n
The Bears posted two victories. Anchored by Bart Kizierowski’s 18.99 leg, Cal took the 200 free relay in 1:17.53. Kizierowski, a Polish Olympian and defending NCAA champion, came back to win the 50 free in 19.36, leading a 1-2-3-5 Cal sweep of the sprint. Kizierowski was followed to the wall by freshman sensation Anthony Ervin (19.43) and soph Matt Macedo (19.67). Favored Roland Schoeman, a South African swimming for Arizona, was fourth in 19.76 (19.68p). Schoemann was ranked #1 in the world in the 50 meter free last year and has the season’s fastest time in the 50 this year, an NCAA record 19.07. <\/p>\n
Ryk Neethling, another South African swimming for Arizona, took the 500 free in 4:14.05, the year’s fastest time. Stanford junior Adam Messner was second in a lifetime best 4:16.70. USC frosh Erik Vendt, expected to challenge Neethling for the title, could manage only a 4:20.87, good enough to win the consols, after he qualified ninth in morning prelims. <\/p>\n
Arizona State junior Attila Czene, a Hungarian who was the 1996 Olympic champion in the 200 IM, captured his event in a blistering 1:44.08, breaking Dave Wharton’s Pac-10 record. Czene, who was declared eligible at mid-season, may challenge the world record in this event at the NCAA Championships. Second place went to Stanford’s Steven Brown (1:46.71), who found himself sandwiched between two Hungarians, as USC Tamas Kerekjarto finished third (1:47.06).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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