AMERICANS WIN SEVEN GOLDS ON DAY 2 OF PAN PACS

RVINE, Calif. – The United States won gold in all but three events Thursday at the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships, its second-day medal tally totaling 13 – seven gold, one silver and five bronze.

That brings Team USA’s medal count in all events to 26 – 12 gold, five silver and nine bronze. The official medal count for the meet (all events except the 50 strokes) is 23 – 12 gold, five silver and six bronze. The U.S. leads all countries in both medal count and team scoring.

Winning gold for the Americans tonight included Natalie Coughlin in the women’s 100m freestyle, Nathan Adrian in the men’s 100m free, Rebecca Soni in the women’s 100m breast, Elizabeth Beisel in the women’s 400m IM and Ryan Lochte in the men’s 400m IM. The women’s and men’s 4x200m free relay also took gold.

All these swims except for Beisel’s 400m IM were Pan Pacific Championship records.

Coughlin’s win in the women’s 100m free tonight was her third straight Pan Pac title in that event.

Surging ahead of the field in the final 15 meters, Coughlin’s winning time of 53.67 was the third-fastest in the world this year. Teammate Dana Vollmer and Australia’s Emily Seebohm tied for second in 53.96. Jessica Hardy was ninth in 54.16.

“I just tried not to kill myself in the first 25, and I think that really helped on the last 50,” Coughlin said. “I think I’m ahead of where I wanted to be. All I wanted to do was qualify for World Championships next year, and I did that. Everything else is just icing on the cake.”

Adrian had a race similar to Coughlin’s, running down the field in the final 10 to15 meters for the fastest time in the world this year in 48.15. Adrian out-touched runner-up Brent Hayden of Canada by four-hundredths of a second. World record-holder and 2009 world champion Cesar Cielo finished third in 48.48. Jason Lezak, the hero of the men’s 4x100m free relay in Beijing and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in this event was fourth in 48.57. American Garrett Weber Gale was ninth in 48.73.

“I knew I would have to have a lot of back-end speed to win that one,” Adrian said. “I put every ounce of effort in that last 15 meters. My goal coming in was winning it and stepping it up internationally. I think a little bit of that happened here.”

The women’s 100m breast was a two-way race between Soni and Australia’s Leisel Jones. The last time the two met in this race was at the 2008 Olympic Games, where Jones gained the upper hand to win gold.

This time the outcome would be different, with Soni taking a slight lead heading into the first turn then separating herself by about a half a body length as she headed for the finish. Jones touched second in 1:05.66, while Australia’s Leisel Jones was third in 1:07.04. Veteran Amanda Beard was fifth in 1:07.49, while American Micah Lawrence was 10th in 1:07.85.

Soni’s time was the fastest in the world this year.

“I couldn’t ask for it to go any better,” Soni said. “We’re all chasing those records now, and to see a 1:04 is awesome. I was really happy with that time.”

Elizabeth Beisel took advantage of a strong backstroke leg to separate herself from the rest of the field in the women’s 400m IM, winning gold in 4:34.69, just 65-hundredths of a second off the Pan Pac record she set in this morning’s prelims. Australia’s Samantha Hamill was second in 4:37.84, followed by Beisel’s teammate Caitlin Leverenz in third in 3:38.03. American Ariana Kukors was ninth in 3:38.05.

“Anything around what I went this morning was going to be good,” Beisel said. “It’s nice to be near the times I went in the suits. It’s a big confidence booster.

Ryan Lochte was out ahead of world-record pace for the first 150 meters of the men’s 400m IM, but settled for the fastest time in the world this year in 4:07.59. He outpaced teammate and runner-up Tyler Clary by about two seconds. Clary took silver in 4:09.55, while Brazil’s Thiago Pereira was third in 4:12.09. The USA’s Robert Margalis was ninth in 4:17.28.

It was Lochte’s second win of the meet after taking the 200m free Wednesday.

“I know the whole field and have been racing against them for a long time, so I just tried to go out fast and hold on for dear life,” Lochte said. “I just like going out, having fun and racing, whatever the outcome is.”

Team USA capped the meet with wins in the women’s and men’s 4x200m free relay. Dana Vollmer, Morgan Scroggy, Katie Hoff and Allison Schmitt held off the Australians and Canadians with a time of 7:51.21

Later, Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens and Lochte left the rest of the field racing for second, turning in a time of 7:08.84. Japan edged Australia for silver, 7:11.01 to 7:11.05.

Other Americans winning medals Thursday included Mark Gangloff with a bronze in the men’s 100m breast (1:00.24), Rachel Bootsma with a bronze in the women’s 50m back (28.44) and Nick Thoman with a bronze in the women’s 50m back (25.02).

Also swimming in finals for Team USA tonight were Eric Shanteau in the men’s 100m breast (6th, 1:00.55), Michael Alexandrov in the men’s 100m breast (9th, 1:00.58), Missy Franklin in the women’s 50m back (10th, 28.58) and David Plummer in the men’s 50m back (4th, 25.09)

The Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships continues Friday with prelims and finals of the men’s and women’s 400m free, 100m fly, 200m back and 50 breast. Finals of the men’s and women’s 400m free relay will also be contested. Click here to see complete results.