Krayzelburg Sets U.S. Mark in 200m Back
August 02, 1999 | Men's Swimming & Diving
August 9, 1999
USC graduate Lenny Krayzelburg, the top backstroker in the world for the last two years, continued his march toward a world record when he rebroke his own American record in the 200-meter backstroke at the U.S. Summer Nationals in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 7.
Krayzelburg's performance exemplified a fantastic week of USC swimming that saw former, current and incoming Trojans winning and reaching the finals of events at both the Pan Am Games and the U.S. Nationals.
In addition to Krayzelburg's U.S. national title and record, outgoing senior Lindsay Benko won a U.S. national title in the women's 200-meter back on Aug. 7 and outgoing senior Karen Campbell won a gold medal and set a meet record in the 100m butterfly at the Pan Am Games on Aug. 5. In addition, 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kristine Quance-Julian, the mother of a 9-month-old baby, is in the midst of a successful comeback at the U.S. Nationals.
Krayzelburg broke the U.S. mark in the 200m back for the fifth time when he swam a 1:56.68, breaking his own mark of 1:56.95 set last March in Long Island at the Spring Nationals. The time left him only .11 away from Spaniard Martin Zubero's 1991 world standard of 1:56.57.
"I was hoping to get my best time and I did. I haven't rested at all, so I'm really looking forward to Pan Pacs. I think I can take the world record down there," the Odessa-born swimmer said. "I'm a 10th off. I think it's going down."
Krayzelburg, who now owns seven of the top 12 200m back performances in history, will lead the U.S. men's team at the Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney, Australia, beginning on Aug. 22.
Benko, captain of the 1999 Pan Pacific women's team along with Jenny Thompson and Cristina Teuscher, won the 200m back with a time of 2:12.26. She swam a 2:12.25 in prelims.
"I didn't expect to go a lot faster," said Benko, who also took second in the 200m free (2:00.20). "Well, you obviously want to go faster at night. But whatever happens, happens. This morning was my best time by a second and a half. You can't complain about that."
At the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Campbell broke a 20-year-old meet record, set by American Jill Sterkel in 1979, in the prelims of the 100m fly with a time of 59.70. Campbell was almost as fast at night, coming away with the gold in 1:00.05.
"This is the biggest win of my career," said Campbell, who was also part of the U.S.-winning 400m medley relay team. "It's incredibly exciting to win the gold medal and represent my country in this type of competition. This is the biggest international event I've ever competed at and to set a record and win the gold medal is a huge accomplishment. I wanted to go out the same way I did this morning, but I think I just didn't have it. I felt confident though that I'd be able to hold the Canadians off and I did. This victory only builds my confidence."
Quance-Julian, who has been getting back into shape after becoming a mother nine months ago, took second at the U.S. Nationals in both the 200m fly (2:12.75) and the 400m IM (4:45.39).
Other noteworthy accomplishments by Trojans swimmers at the U.S. Nationals include:
Sophomore Mark Warkentin taking third in the 800m freestyle (8:02.20) and fourth in the 200m free (1:50.14), senior Paige Francis reaching the finals and taking sixth in the women's 200m back (2:16.91), former Trojan and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Brad Bridgewater taking eighth in the men's 200m back (2:03.60), senior Bret Awbrey and junior Philippe Demers taking third (2:01.47) and fifth (2:01.80), respectively, in the men's 200m fly, incoming freshman Michala Kwasny taking third in both the women's 200m fly (2:13.51) and the 400m IM (4:46.31), junior Corrie Murphy finishing fifth in the women's 400m IM (4:52.12), incoming freshman Jamie Cail taking eighth in the same event in 4:54.28, and outgoing senior Michael Williams swimming eighth in the 100m fly (54.72).
