Three Championship Records Fall at Short Course National Championships

By: swimnetwork

Posted: 12/04/08

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ATLANTA – Three championship records were broken Thursday on the first day of competition at the 2008 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Short Course National Championships. Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.), a 2008 Olympic gold and silver medalist, won the 50-yard free in championship record time, while Mary Descenza (Naperville, Ill.) and Dagny Knutson (Minot, N.D.) set records in the 500-yard free and 200-yard IM, respectively.

Grevers won the 50y free with a time of 18.95 to break the previous championship record of 19.22 set by Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) at last year’s meet. William Copeland (Lexington, Va.) was second in 19.05 and Alex Righi (Phoenix, Ariz.) was third in 19.13.

Descenza swam a personal best in the 500y free, setting a championship record with her time of 4:35.63. Olympic bronze medalist Allison Schmitt (Canton, Mich.) placed second in 4:39.55, while 2008 Short Course World Championship team member Maggie Bird (Muncie, Ind.) was third in 4:40.91.

Knutson, a 16-year-old from North Dakota, took the early lead in the 200y IM and finished strong to set the championship record in 1:54.03. Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.) was in third place after the first 100 yards, but surged ahead to overtake Ava Ohlgren (Northville, Mich.) and finish second in 1:57.17. Ohlgren was third in 1:57.23.

In the men’s 200 IM, Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder Ryan Lochte won his first event of the meet with a time of 1:40.89. He led the field throughout the race finishing just eight tenths off his personal best. Eric Shanteau (Lilburn Ga.), who is swimming in his first meet since competing at the 2008 Olympics, placed second in 1:42.59. Japan’s Hidemasa Sano was third in 1:43.48.

In other competition, Georgia native and 2004 Olympian Amanda Weir won the women’s 50y free with a time of 21.82. Jackie Vavrek (West Chicago, Ill.) was second in 22.27 and Whitney Campbell (Los Altos, Calif.) was third in 22.42. In the men’s 500y free, Matt Patton (Charlotte, N.C.) won the race in 4:12.80, Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) placed second in 4:14.66, and South Africa’s Mark Randall was third in 4:17.34.

The 2008 Short Course National Championships runs through Saturday, December 6 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. Competition continues tomorrow with prelims and finals in the men’s and women’s 200y medley relay, 400y IM, 100y fly, 200y free, 100y breast, 100y back, and 800y free relay. Prelims commence at 9:30 a.m. and finals begin at 6 p.m.

Video footage from Short Course Nationals will be available for viewing on-demand at www.swimnetwork.com. Footage will be posted beginning Friday morning. In addition, the website will provide preview and wrap-up stories each evening.

In addition to the pool competition, USA Swimming will host “Make a Splash Day” on Friday, November 5, an event that promotes the importance of water safety. The event will feature a series of activities including a free swim clinic and meet-and-greet session with the Olympians Cullen Jones, Eric Shanteau, Brooke Bennett. Make a Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation.