The Grand Ole Fifty

A large noisy crowd, a new fast pool and a longtime heated rivalry lifted to a record 50 free at the short course nationals.

by Russ Ewald

ments and public appearances. While the pair have faced each other in several match races this season, this was their first meeting with both in peak condition since the Olympics. Biondi even cut off almost all the hair on his head. The beeper sounded) and the track start of Crocker propelled him into the water first. But when the field surfaced, Biondi looked to be slight- ly in the lead. Coming off the turn, Jager picked up momentum and pulled even with Biondi heading for the finish. As both reached for the touch, their heads appeared even. The difference was that Jager reached for the wall a bit quicker than Biondi and touched first in 19.05 for an American record. Biondi was timed in 19.12, also under the old mark of c~ 19.15 he set at the 1987 NCAAs in Austin. "You knew they were going to NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Late onthe the ready room. Their appearance swim fast," Mission Bay coach Steve final night of the Phillips 66/U.S. precipitated a combination of feet Bultman remarked. "I could have Short Course Champion- stomping on the metal stands, clap- swum fast with that (crowd) recep- ships March 19-23, the 2,100 specta- ping, shouting and whistling unheard tion." tors jamming the new Tracy Caul- of previously at a swim meet. The Jager agreed. He said: "I felt the kins Competition Pool started clap- deafening noise brought little imme- pressure of trying to makethe Good- ping fast and loud in unison. Like a diate response from the competitors. will Games. What broke the tension rock music crowd waiting for the Steve Crocker smiled. The others was the fans before the race clap- main act, they were getting impa- looked oblivious to the surround- ping and stomping. I wanted to turn tient. The attraction was another ings. Sprinting has become serious the crowd on." duel between Olympic champion business. The next day, most would The 25-year-old sprinter, who and Tom Jager, the be competing in a 50 meter race for represents Santa Clara (Calif.), silver medalist and world record $18,000 in prize money sponsored didn't expect to go that fast after holder at 50 meters. By remaining in by U.S. Swimming and televised na- qualifying just third in 19.39. the sport /after the Seoul Games, tionally by ABC's "Wide World of "It's tough to drop 3-tenths," he these two have dramatically increased Sports." said. interest in swimming as a spectator Suddenly, as the starter called the As for how the race developed, he sport with their rivalry. swimmers to the blocks, the natato- analyzed: "As long as I am with A record time seemed probable. rium became as silent as a church them, I can beat them. The start has Already, the field was the fastest service. In lane three was Jager, now been my problem. The last 25 1 was ever with all eight under 20 seconds a resident of Tajires, N.M., an Al- building and felt I was going faster in the heats. The top three qualifiers buqUerque suburb where he is an and faster. But Matt hasthose long beat the winning time of the NCAA aquatic director. In lane four, Bion- arms." final the night before. di, from Castro Valley, Calif. and Biondi wasn't surprised the race Finally, the finalists arrived from making a good living off endorse- went so fast in the modem pool 42 Swimming World/May 1990 /

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which was seven feet deep through- record or very close to it to beat too hard. With my long stroke, I out. Biondi in his other events, too. He need to lengthen it out. I shortened "I think I said six months ago won the 100 free in 42.30 for the up too much." whoever was going to win tonight fifth-fastest time in history and the The five-time Olympic gold was going to have to break the 100 butterfly in 46.33, second on the medalist, 24, earned the Robert J.H. record," he said. "I never saw Tom all-time list and only 7-hundredths Kiphuth Award as the men's high- the whole time. I don't know what of a second off the American record point scorer with his two victories, a happened." set by in 1986. second and bonus points for meet Biondi had mixed emotions about In the 100 free, Crocker took the records in the 100 free and 100 fly. the result, feeling good to have bet- early lead and turned midway in Both old meet marks were set in tered his old mark but never enjoy- 20.05 followed by Jager (20.11) and 1985 by Biondi in the 100 free ing a loss and loss of a record. Biondi (20.39). By the end of the (42.32) and Morales in the 100 fly "Tom's a 50 man. His body's built next lap, however, Jager and Biondi (46.95). for it. He specializes in it. I'm a 50, were in front side-by-side. Biondi "I wanted to improve to show 100 and 100 fly man." powered ahead with 15 yards to go. people I wasn't swimming because It would have taken an American Jager was second in a personal-best I'm greedy," he said. "I'm swimming 42.58. Only Biondi and Rowdy because I love it. And I want to Gaines (42.36 in 1981) have gone prove the best is yet to come." Opposite page: Biondi (left) and faster. Biondi has the eight fastest Jager represented the old guard. times and 9 of the top 10 ever, in- That's certainly true for a The New Kids on the Blocks cluding the record of 41.80. talented group of girls that U.S. (above, l-r), frolicking at a Par- Asked if he was saving anything Swimming publicist Jeff Dimond thenon replica, are Wagstaff, for the prize-money competition on has dubbed "The New Kids on the Sanders, Thompson, Blanchard, Saturday, Biondi responded: "That Blocks." Some might call Mary Haislett and Skillman. was my best shot. I probably tried Ellen Blanchard, , Swimming World/May 1990 43 His swimmers just earned big bucks in a Swim°A°Thon, and they didn't even have to skip practice to do it! Find out how you can conduct a everything from pledge forms to promotional Swim°AeThon for your local club. It's fun! posters, and even awards for the top It's profitable, and it's easy with the help participants and contributors. of U.S. Swimming! The best part of the program is that We've put together a special you'll be promoting swimming in your program that includes everything local community. Your club will gain you'll need to hold a successful valuable exposure and earn money for Swim.AoThon. Over the past few years future club activities. we've helped local clubs raise over 24 Contact U.S. Swimming today to find out million dollars, with 85% of the proceeds how Swim°A°Thon will benefit your club, going directly to the club staging the .~nd how to hold one of your own! event. Our comprehensive program includes Spring Swim ° A ° Thon WeekmJune 8 through June 23,1990 Swimming 111111750 E Boulder Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5770 Im|pF (719) 578-4578 USS Senior Nationals

Summer Sanders, Jane Skillman, and Janie Wag- staff the "Silly Six." On a national team trip they all took to this January, Skillman recalled: "We laughed non-stop. The older people couldn't believe it." But they also put in a lot of work. Dick Shoulberg, the U.S. women's coach, didn!t rest them for the meet in Perth (where next year's World Championships will be held). Just the opposite, he had them going 15,000 meters for the first few days before cutting back to 9,000. He also instituted a mandatory rest period during the afternoon. "I think kids want structure," said Shoulberg. "They wanted to be part of the social scene but were glad that they had to rest because they want to swim well. I took the decision out of their hands." The hard work paid off with the high school hotshots capturing all who is again experiencing a shoul- fastest performer ever--Stanford's but two of the women's individual der problem, was second in 1:46.14. had passed her at the events. Here is a rundown on them: "I never thought I could win the NCAAs. In the 400 IM, she made a Nicole Haislett--17, 5-9, 140, 50, 100 and 200," said Haislett. "I big drop to place second in 4:12.84. Lakewood High senior in St. Peters- thought I could win the 100, but I Blanchard defended her 200 breast burg, Fla. The 100 free champion at didn't think I could beat Leigh Ann. title in 2:10.13 after going 2:10.14 in last year's long course nationals, she This sets my goals higher." a heat to give her four of the top five took the 50, 100 and 200 frees to be- --15, 5-11, 148, performances of all time. She failed come the women's high-point scorer. Shawnee Mission East High sopho- to repeat in the 100 breast, finishing The St. Petersburg sprinter was more in Mission Hills, Kan. The only third after her goggles slipped third in the 200 IM only 30 minutes youngest of the "New Kids," she down on the dive. Another personal preceding the 50, yet had enough left nevertheless produced the top indi- best came in the 800 free relay with to close fast and nip Longhorn's vidual performance with the second- a 1:48.86 leadoff. in 22.80. Fetter had fastest 200 of all time, a "After Chapel Hill (site of last gone 21.92 for an American record 1:56.14, which was a three-second year's short course nationals), I had at the NCAAs but said she lacked drop. The Kansas City Blazers stand- more pressure to break the record in explosiveness in trying to carry her out won by four yards over defend- long course," said Blanchard. "I taper another week. Haislett passed ing champion Dede Trimble of Stan- don't think now there is as much of Longhorn off the ford. Wagstaff also placed second in pressure on me. But I wanted to bet- final turn and set a meet record in the 100 back in 55.12. ter my records and break a minute the 100 free of 48.83, bettering the "In practice I do a lot of freestyle," in the 100 breast. I think it's good to seven-year-old mark of 48.89 by said Wagstaff. "I think my back- set your goals high. I wouldn't have Kansas' Tammy Thomas. In the 200, stroke comes naturally." done as well if I hadn't." the Florida teenager caught Olym- After being disappointed in her Jane Skillman--16, 5-41A, 125, pian on the fourth lap morning 200 back time of 1:58.21, Peddle School junior in Princeton, and prevailed in 1:45.59. Kremer, she went out easier in the final and N.J. She joined Haislett as the meet's didn't use her legs as much. only triple winners, taking the dis- Mary Ellen Blanchad--16, 5-8, tance freestyles. In the 500, Skill- Betsy Mitchell (above) is one of 137, Norcross High (Ga.) junior. man forged past Longhorn's Stacy the few holdovers in women's She had a tough act to follow after Cassiday in the last 50 to win in U.S. swimming. The teenagers setting American records in both 4:40.75. The Peddie freestyler did a haven't been able to beat her In breaststrokes at this meet a year imitation 'in the longer the 100 back. However, while ago. The Dynamo star didn't lower distances, routing the fields in the she erased a seven-year-old meet those marks but won twice and im- 1000 (9:30.35) and 1650 (15:59.35). mark held by Sue Walsh In that proved her times in both IMs. She She's the first high school swimmer event, Janie Wagstaff, 15, bet- captured the 200 IM in 1:58.03, re- besides Evans to break 16 minutes in tered Mitchell's 200 back mark. gaining her position as the second the last seven years. Training more • Swimming World/May 1990 45 USS Senior Nationals for the endurance races, she lacked The lithe Sanders, who wears Air The California Capital ace ended the speed in the 200 and placed Jordans on deck and the basketball the race on a positive note, though, seventh. star's number 23 on her cap, wasn't splitting 57.8 for a significant im- 'qVIy specialty is the last 50," Skill- pleased with the way she swum her provement of her freestyle. man said about her win in the 500. winning races. Of the 200 fly, she Jenny Thompson--17, 5-8, 140, "If I'm close or even, I feel I canwin. described: "I swam it awful. There's Dover (N.H.) junior. The Seacoast I used to go out real slow and pass got to be a better way. If I'd take it swimmer got to the top early, win- (the leader) the last 100. On the out slower, I wouldn't have had ning the 50 at the Pan American senior level, I can't do that. I've Games when she was 14. The de- learned to start faster." fending 50 and 100 free champion, --17, 5-91/2,125, the versatile competitor added the C)akmont High senior in Roseville, "'I shouldn't look up 100 fly to her national title list. She Calif. The Stanford-bound swimmer at the board, but I went 53.77 in the prelims, then 54.03 wasn't too far away from a quad- did. There's so much in the final to miss making the Good- ruple, getting her first national titles time to think in will Games team by the slimmest of margins--l-hundredth of a second. in the 200 fly and 400 IM and sec- the 400 IM.'" onds in the 100 fly and 200 IM. With Thompson also placed third in the defending champion Pam Minthorn 100 and 200 and sixth in the 50. of Curl-Burke missing the meet be- "I've been doing it all week," said cause of illness, Sanders won the trouble getting my arms out of the Thompson about her faster morning 200 fly by six yards in 1:55.91, be- water the last 50. It really hit me on swim. "A lot of people have. I'm not coming the fifth woman under 1:56. the last lap." sure why." In the 400 IM, she became the third X In the 400 IM, she looked up at Although she was upset at not woman to break 4:10--joining Caul- the board and saw 56.26 for the fly making the Goodwill Gamesteam, kins and Evans--with a 4:09.79, when she was supposed to go 56.9. Thompson considered the meet a taking the lead from Longhorn's "I shouldn't look up at the board," good one for her because she did on and she said, "but I did. There's so much personal bests in the 100 and 200 winning by three yards. time to think in the 400 IM." free and 100 fly.

46 Swimming World/May 1990 USS Senior Nationals

winning the final than in the heats. She was hoping to get the American record of 1:00.66 in the 100 breast-- the Canadian native set the U.S. open mark of 1:00.51 in 1988 before gaining American citizenship. She did 1:00.88 in the morning and then avenged a loss to Blanchard at last year's short course nationals with a 1:00.97 in the final. Mission Bay's Tori DeSilvia, just 15, almost caught McFarlane at the wall and beat Blanchard for second in 1:01.09. "I've never gone slower at night until this meet and now twice here," said McFarlane, 23, who was third in the 200 breast in 2:11.88. "I was thinking I could go under a minute after having my fastest-ever prelim swim. I was disappointed in the time. I could tell that I was rushing." Mitchell and McFarlane also com- bined with and Leigh Ann Fetter to set a meet record of

o 3:39.78 in the 400 medley relay, bet- tering the mark by last year's Long- horn squad of 3:42.41. The splits: Mitchell 54.83, McFarlane 1:00.85, Longhorn veterans Betsy Mit- Sterkel 54.53 and Fetter 49.57. Long- chell and Tracey McFarlane pre- horn also won the freestyle relays, vented the New Kids from sweeping taking the 400 in 3:20.84 and 800 in the women's events. Both had to go 7:18.59. fast to beat them. For the fourth consecutive time at In the men's competition, another a major short course meet (NCAA post-collegian joined Jager and or nationals), Mitchell swam faster Biondi as a meet record-setter. Ex- in the 100 back prelims than finals. California swimmer , She went 54.31 in the morning for a not facing nemesis Dave Wharton meet record and the fifth-fastest time who was at the NCAAs, won the ever and then edged Wagstaff by a 200 IM by three yards in 1:46.00. half-body with a 54.86 in the final. The old mark was 1:46.06 by Olym- The prelim swim gave Mitchell 8 of pic gold medalist Tamas Darnyi of the 10 fastest 100 back times. from 1987. Although Kar- "I always swim all-out in the mor- naugh went faster at last year's ning," said Mitchell, 24, "and at NCAAs (1:45.77), he felt good about night just try to win. This was a his time considering he's been study- stepping stone for the Goodwill ing for the medical school entrance Games. I'll only swim one race that exam and doing only about a quarter day (there are no heats) and want to of his normal workouts. The Jersey go under a minute (for the 100 meter Gator swimmer plans to put off back)." medical school until the fall of 1992 McFarlane also swam slower in in hopes of making the Olympics. Of his rivalry with Wharton, he said, "I've helped him more than Nelson Dlebel (above) changes he's helped me. I take it out the first his technique In the breaststroke 150 and he sets the American record all the time, swimming whatever at the nationals and world record in feels best. It's worked well for Tokyo. I think I've helped him quite him. He swam the fastest breast- a bit. Because of that, I'm deter- stroke times at a short course mined to beat him." nationals In the past nine years. The only prominent foreign com- Swimming World/May 1990 47 USS Senior Nationals

petitors at the meet were a group of trying to stay in swimming while Hungarians who swim for a Buda- working full-time in housing con- pest club under the direction of na- struction, placed fifth in the 100 tional team coach Tamas Szechy. breast. This is the fourth year in a row Fort Myers (Fla.) High senior Szechy has brought his team to the Derek Weatherford, men's high- Short course meet. The Hungarians point scorer last year, almost didn't were unrested, having come from a show up after being felled with tough training camp in Australia. chicken pox and bronchitis two Still, the talented Darnyi won the weeks prior to the meet. With a 400 IM--an event where he is the berth on the line, world record holder and Olympic the Swim Florida performer decided gold medalist. His time of 3:49.38, to give it a shot and won the 200 though, was far off the meet record back in 1:46.17. , of 3:43.04 he set in 1987. In the 200 another Peddie senior standout, was IM, Darnyi was disqualified for a ~ a half-body back in second after butterfly kick going into a turn on qualifying first. Olympian Dan breaststroke after having finished Veatch of Mission Bay passed up the second in 1:47.75. meet, preferring to focus on long Lanky Norbert Agh repeated as course competition. 500 free titlist in 4:20.27. Curiously, Rapidly improving Eric Diehl in-between the 20-year-old Hun- sparkled in the longer freestyles. garian placed only 15th in the 400 The 16-year-old, who moved to free at last year's European Cham- Mission Viejo, Calif., from Fort pionships. His explanation through Worth, Texas, a year ago January, an interpreter was that he rested too dropped 15 seconds to win the 1000 much and was not in shape for the in 8:58.26. Only a final burst by race which came near the end of the UCLA-bound Michael Picotte of meet. Swim San Diego deprived Dieh] of a Since the short course nationals 200 free victory. Picotte won by 1- was a qualifying meet for the Good- a Q meet in early January to make hundredth in 1:36.26. Dieh] also will Games, swimmers in the back- cuts. His highest national finish pre- took second in the 500 and fifth in stroke had to surface within 10 viously was 30th in the 100 fly five the 1650 which was won by 6-6 meters after the start of the race. years ago. Matt Hooper, a 16-year-old from This had a major effect on the men's "I'm really amazed at how fast I'm Alamo Area (Texas) in 15:05.17. 100 back with ex-Iowa State per- swimming," said Alderman. "I can't The final-event 400 medley relay former Eric Hansen winning in wait to see what I'll do in a year. victory 'in 3:16.14 allowed Long- 49.21, slower than any time in the Qualifying second took the pressure horn to overtake Mission Viejo for final of the NCAAs where unlimited off. I was more relaxed as the under- the men's team title. The Texas club submarining was allowed. Hansen dog." won by three points with a total of trained little backstroke, concen- The rest of the men's events went 232. The 400 free relay saw Jager trating on the 50 to prepare for the to up-and-coming high school lead off in a sizzling 42.75 to put prize-money race the day after na- swimmers. Santa Clara ahead to stay in a tionals. Peddie School senior Nelson 2:58.77 win. Anchor John Keppeler "I'm not really in it for the Diebel, a native of Westchester, Ill., split 1:36.33 to pull out the 800 free money," said Hansen, an Arizona joined Biondi as the only men's dou- relay for Mission Viejo in 6:35.40. graduate student who swims for Hil- ble titlists with a sweep of the U.S. Swimming didn't release the lenbrand. "I just want to be able to breaststrokes (53.84, 1:57.16). women's nor combined team stand- support myself to train. I don't aim Diebel, who also won the 200 breast ings because of a protest which will to get wealthy." last year, has made big strides in the not be resolved until May 1. [] Santa Barbara's Brian Alderman 100 this year and missed Steve Lund- pulled off the biggest surprise of the quist's meet record set in 1981 by meet, overwhelming the 200 fly field just 1-hundredth. He swam a faster Ron Karnaugh (above) of the in 1:45,64. He finished 11/2 seconds 200 breast of 1:56.77 in the prelims, Jersey Gators cracked the 200 ahead of runner-up of becoming the first to crack 1:57 at IM meet record held by Olympic Bernal's, the top qualifier. Alder- the short course nationals since gold medalist Tamas Darnyi in man, 20, took 21/2 years off from Lundquist established the meet beating the two-time defending swimming to compete in beach vol- record of 1:56.29 nine years ago. champion from Hungary. It was leyball before returning to the sport Diebel's times are the fastest ever the first national title for Kar- five mOnths ago. The Santa Barbara swum by a high school competitor. naugh, who was third in the City College student then shaved for Olympian Rich Schroeder, who is 200 IM at the "88 Olympic Trials. 48 Swimming World/May 1990