Matt Grevers, Rebecca Soni Set Records at 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet
Two pool records were broken Friday on the second night of competition at the 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet. Matt Grevers broke the pool record in the men's 100m back with a time of 53.05 while Rebecca Soni set the pool record in the women's 100m breast with a time of 1:06.43. The 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet, taking place at the University of Texas at Austin, concludes Saturday, March 6.
Grevers battled Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) and short-course world record-holder Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the race.
Grevers led at the first 50 meters and had a strong finish to take the top spot and set the meet record. Thoman finished second in 54.34 and Peirsol was third in 54.59.
Soni's meet record in the 100m breast was only one event after her swim in the final of the 400m IM. Jessica Hardy (Long Beach, Calif.) was in first at the halfway point but Soni took the lead in the final 50 meters of the race for the win. Hardy finished second in 1:07.72 and Megan Jendrick (Tacoma, Wash,) was third in 1:08.83.
In the women's 400m IM, Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.) won the race with of a time of 4:37.63. Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) finished a close second with a time of 4:38.59. Justine Mueller was third in 4:46.80.
Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.) earned his second gold medal of the meet with a win in the men's 400m IM. Margalis started off the race strong to finish more than five seconds ahead of the rest of the field with a time of 4:21.14. National Teamer Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.) finished second in 4:28.67 and Alexander Gianino was third in 4:29.10.
The women's 100m back was won by Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.), who earned her first gold medal of the meet. Coughlin placed first with a time of 1:01.08. Raleigh Swimming Association's Henriette Stenkvist was second in 1:02.11 and Olympian Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.) was third in 1:02.22.
In other races, Mike Alexandrov (Champaign, Ill.) won the men's 100m breast with a time of 1:01.46. Mark Gangloff (Akron, Ohio) was second in 1:01.84 and Matt Lowe (Minot, N.D.) was third 1:02.26. Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.) picked up his second gold medal of the meet with his win in the 200m free with a time of 1:48.51, Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.) was second in 1:49.24 and Great Britain's Simon Burnett was third in 1:51.72. Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) won the women's 200m free with a time of 1:58.62. Grand Prix points leader Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo, Calif.) was second in 2:00.46 and Erika Erndl (Naples, Fla.) was third in 2:00.89.
The 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet concludes Saturday with six events. Finals competition will include the 200m back, 100m free, 800m free (women), 1500m free (men), 200m breast, 200m fly, and the 400m free relay. Prelims begin at 8:30 a.m. and finals start at 5:30 p.m.
In Austin, preliminary heats are in the 25-yard pool (short course), finals in the 50-meter pool (long course) at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas.
Grevers battled Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) and short-course world record-holder Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio) in the race.
Grevers led at the first 50 meters and had a strong finish to take the top spot and set the meet record. Thoman finished second in 54.34 and Peirsol was third in 54.59.
Soni's meet record in the 100m breast was only one event after her swim in the final of the 400m IM. Jessica Hardy (Long Beach, Calif.) was in first at the halfway point but Soni took the lead in the final 50 meters of the race for the win. Hardy finished second in 1:07.72 and Megan Jendrick (Tacoma, Wash,) was third in 1:08.83.
In the women's 400m IM, Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.) won the race with of a time of 4:37.63. Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) finished a close second with a time of 4:38.59. Justine Mueller was third in 4:46.80.
Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.) earned his second gold medal of the meet with a win in the men's 400m IM. Margalis started off the race strong to finish more than five seconds ahead of the rest of the field with a time of 4:21.14. National Teamer Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.) finished second in 4:28.67 and Alexander Gianino was third in 4:29.10.
The women's 100m back was won by Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.), who earned her first gold medal of the meet. Coughlin placed first with a time of 1:01.08. Raleigh Swimming Association's Henriette Stenkvist was second in 1:02.11 and Olympian Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.) was third in 1:02.22.
In other races, Mike Alexandrov (Champaign, Ill.) won the men's 100m breast with a time of 1:01.46. Mark Gangloff (Akron, Ohio) was second in 1:01.84 and Matt Lowe (Minot, N.D.) was third 1:02.26. Peter Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.) picked up his second gold medal of the meet with his win in the 200m free with a time of 1:48.51, Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.) was second in 1:49.24 and Great Britain's Simon Burnett was third in 1:51.72. Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) won the women's 200m free with a time of 1:58.62. Grand Prix points leader Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo, Calif.) was second in 2:00.46 and Erika Erndl (Naples, Fla.) was third in 2:00.89.
The 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet concludes Saturday with six events. Finals competition will include the 200m back, 100m free, 800m free (women), 1500m free (men), 200m breast, 200m fly, and the 400m free relay. Prelims begin at 8:30 a.m. and finals start at 5:30 p.m.
In Austin, preliminary heats are in the 25-yard pool (short course), finals in the 50-meter pool (long course) at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas.