OLYMPIANS WIN GOLD ON FIRST NIGHT OF SC NATIONALS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Olympians Ryan Lochte, Kara Lynn Joyce and Nathan Adrian each won gold medals Thursday at the AT&T Short Course National Championships. It was the first night of the three-day meet, which is being held at The Ohio State University’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

Lochte won the men’s 200-yard IM in 1:42.60, edging out Austrian Olympian Markus Rogan by 34-hundredths of a second. His time was about two and a half seconds slower than the American, U.S. Open and meet record he set in the event in 2007, but he was satisfied with effort, especially considering he was unshaved, unrested and wearing a traditional brief in tonight’s race.

“This is my biggest meet for the first part of the season,” Lochte said. “I wasn’t expecting too much. I just wanted to get out and race. If I can still step up and race unshaved and in a Speedo against these guys, that gives me a big confidence boost on my part.”

Joyce and Adrian won the women’s and men’s 50y free in 22.17 and 19.00, respectively.

Joyce came out on top of her race by one-hundredth of a second over U.S. National Teamer Jessica Hardy and Madeline Schaefer, who tied for second. Adrian, meanwhile, surged ahead of the pack in the final 10-15 yards for the win, out-touching Cal teammate William Copeland (19.21) and Matt Grevers (19.30).

“For the 50 free short course, I’m still trying to find my groove,” said Adrian, who also led off Cal’s third-place 200y free relay at the beginning of tonight’s finals. “But I’m definitely getting there. This fall has been all about training, so it’s been really fun to be able to race. There were a couple little details, but I’m definitely happy with that swim.”

Lochte, Joyce and Adrian will represent the United States Dec. 15-19 at the FINA Short Course Championships in Dubai and are using this week’s meet as a tune-up for that competition.

“This is my second meet of the season, and it’s nice to work on the little things,” Joyce said. “It’s been a couple years since I swam short course, so I’m just looking to fine-tune things here and there to get ready for Dubai. It’s going to be a good trip.”

Other swimmers taking first in individual events tonight included Haley Anderson in the women’s 500y free (4:38.54), Michael Klueh in the men’s 500y free (4:14.22) and Hungarian Katinka Hosszu in the women’s 200y IM (1:53.47). Hosszu’s time was a meet record. The University of Southern California’s women’s 200y free relay (1:29.57), men’s 200y free relay (1:17.90), and women’s 400m medley relay (3:32.20) also set meet records.

The AT&T Short Course National Championships continues tomorrow with prelims and finals of the 400y IM, 100y butterfly, 200y freestyle, 100y breaststroke and the 100y backstroke. The 200 medley relay and 800m free relay will also be contested.

For complete results from the meet, go to www.usaswimming.org/results.

Medalists from Thursday Night’s Finals:

Women’s 200 Free Relay – 1. University of Southern California, 1:29.57 (Meet Record); 2. University of California, 1:29.60; 3. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics, 1:30.15.

Men’s 200 Free Relay – University of Southern California, 1:17.90 (Meet Record); 2. SwimMac Carolina, 1:18.70; 3. University of California, 1:18.81.

Women’s 500 free – 1. Haley Anderson, USC, 4:38.54; 2. Bonnie Brandon, MACS, 4:38.69; 3. Samantha Cheverton, OSU, 4:39.71.

Men’s 500 Free – 1. Michael Klueh, LAST, 4:14.22; 2. Richard Charlesworth, USC, 4:17.88; 3. Jean Basson, FORD, 4:17.95.

Women’s 200 IM – 1. Katinka Hosszu, USC, 1:56.13; 2. Julia Smit, STAN, 1:56.05; Missy Franklin, STAR, 1:57.33.

Men’s 200 IM – 1. Ryan Lochte, Daytona Beach, 1:42.60; 2. Markus Rogan, Trojan Swim Club, 1:42.94; 3. Robert Margalis, FAST, 1:43.56.

Women’s 50 Free – 1.Kara Lynn Joyce, FAST, 22.17; 2. Jessica Hardy, Trojan Swim Club, 22.18; 3. Madeline Schaefer, PASA, 22.18.

Men’s 50 Free – 1. Nathan Adrian, Cal, 19.00; 2. William Copeland, Cal, 19:21; 3. Matt Grevers, FORD, 19.30

Women’s 400m Medley Relay – 1. USC, 3:32.20; 2. Cal, 3:34.87; 3. Cal “B”, 3:37.92.

Men’s 400m Medley Relay – 1.OSU, 3:10.07; 2. SwimMac, 3:10.28; 3. Cal, 3:11.11.