Benko, Brennan Win in Pac-10 Swimming First Day
June 21, 1999 | Women's Swimming & Diving
February 25, 1999
Federal Way, WASH. - USC senior All-American Lindsay Benko won the 500 freestyle and diver Kellie Brennan also won the 1-meter springboard during the first day of the 1999 Pac-10 Women's Swimming and Diving Championships being held in Federal Way, Wash., on Thursday (Feb. 25).
Fellow Trojan Justin Dumais, competing in the Pac-10 Men's Diving Championships, being held in conjunction with the women's meet, opened the competition by defending his title in the 3- meter springboard with a mark of 658.05, a Pac-10 record. Dumais, a sophomore who was a two- time All-American last year, is also the favorite in the 3-meter and the platform.
The USC women were fourth in the overall standings with 321 points. Stanford is first with 485, followed by California's 345 and Arizona's 344.5.
Benko, who won the 500 free as a freshman, turned in a season's best time of 4:42.72, less than a second off of USC's school record (which she owns at 4:41.85). Benko held off Stanford All-American Misty Hyman for her fourth career Pac-10 title.
Brennan, a Women of Troy freshman, won her first career Pac-10 title with a score of 431.85, just ahead of Stanford's Karissa Zenorini (425.65) and USC teammate Dorte Lindner (422.60). Lindner, a senior, is the defending champion in both the 1- and 3-meter events.
USC senior All-American Karen Campbell took second in the 50 free in a finals time of 22.98. In the prelims, Campbell broke her own USC record in the event, clocking a time of 22.87 (breaking her old mark of 22.90). Campbell, whose specialty is the butterfly, had never finished higher than eighth in the 50 free in the last two Pac-10 meets.
Two USC swimmers finalled in the 200 IM. Freshman Kristin MacGregor finished fifth in a season's best time of 2:01.78 and sophomore All-American Corrie Murphy took sixth in 2:02.37, also a season's best.
USC finished fourth in both the 200 free relay (1:32.57) and the 400 medley relay (3:45.15).
