ALEXANDROV SETS SECOND AMERICAN RECORD IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michael Alexandrov set the American record in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke Saturday at the AT&T Short Course National Championships, turning in a time of 1:51.73. It bettered the former mark, set in 2006 by Olympian Brendan Hansen, by one-hundredth of a second.
 
It was Alexandrov’s second win and second American record in as many days at the Ohio State University’s McCorkle Aquatics Pavilion. He also set the American record in the 100y breast Friday night, a performance that earned him the ConocoPhillips Performance of the Meet award.
 
“It’s awesome,” Alexandrov said. “That’s been a goal, and finally I can say I’m one of the best breaststrokers. It’s an honor for me to be able to say that.
 
“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that contributes to my success – the great coaching at Arizona, and my father, who has always been there supporting me. I’m just a small part of a big picture.”
 
Matt Grevers and Katinka Hosszu also had solid showings this week in Columbus, winning gold medals in three events apiece and setting meet records in each.
 
Hosszu, a world champion from Hungary, set the meet record in the women’s 200y butterfly Saturday in 1:51.45. She also set the meet record in the 200 IM and 400 IM earlier in the meet.
 
Grevers set the meet record in the men’s 100y freestyle Saturday in 41.35, edging out runner-up Nathan Adrian by 28-hundredths of a second. He also set meet records in the 100 fly and 100 back Friday.
 
“I came to this meet to gain confidence and prove I’m still one of the best swimmers in the U.S.,” Grevers said. “It is yards, and I know a lot of these guys are not shaved and tapered, so it’s hard to say (if I proved that), but for me to go lifetime bests as a 25-year-old, I’m pretty excited about it.”
 
Haley Anderson, Michael Klueh, Jessica Hardy and Robert Margalis each won their second gold medals of the meet Saturday.
 
Anderson and Klueh won the women’s and men’s 1650y free, turning in times of 15:48.64 and 14:40.62, respectively. Anderson’s time bettered the meet record of 15:58.73 set by her sister Alyssa in 2007.
 
Both Klueh and Anderson won the 500y free on the first night of competition.
 
“I was excited about the places, but more about the times,” Klueh said. “I swam faster in-season times than I ever have. It’s a good sign of things to come.”
 
Hardy won the 100y free in 47.81, just 15-hundredths of a second faster than runner-up Kara Lynn Joyce. Hardy also won the 100y breast on Friday, and like many U.S. National Teamers competing at this meet, she is using Short Course Nationals as a tune-up for the FINA Short Course World Championships, Dec. 15-19 in Dubai.
 
“I was hoping to get the American record (in the 100 free), so I obviously have some things I can work on,” Hardy said. “But I’m looking forward to swimming with a taper in Dubai.”
 
Other first-place finishers in individual races Saturday included Margalis in the men’s 200 fly (1:42.49), Stephanie Proud in the women’s 200 back (1:52.62), Markus Rogan in the men’s 200 back (1:40.11) and Caitlin Leverenz in the women’s 200 breast (2:06.55).
 
Olympian Ryan Lochte won the Kiphuth Award as the men’s high point swimmer, while Missy Franklin won the same honor for the women.

SwimMAC Carolina took first place in the combined team scoring for clubs with 392 points, followed by Tucson Ford with 333 points and FAST with 200 points. The University of California won the combined team title for colleges and universities with 818.5 points, followed by Ohio State University with 712.5 points and the University of Southern California with 708.5 points. 

For complete results from the AT&T Short Course National Championships, including more team scores, go to usaswimming.org/results.
 
Saturday Night’s Medalists
 
Women’s 1650 Free – 1. Haley Anderson, USC, 15:48.64 (Meet Record); 2. Ashley Steenvoorden, Minnesota, 16:01.33; 3. Amber McDermott, CSC, 16:13.02.
 
Men’s 1650 Free – 1. Michael Klueh, TXLAST, 14:40.62; 2. Richard Charlesworth, USC, 14:58.03; 3. Nicholas Caldwell, Sarasota YMCA, 15:05.03.
 
Women’s 200 Back – 1. Stephanie Proud, GSC 1:52.62; 2. Presley Bard, USC, 1:52.70; 3. Missy Franklins, CO Stars, 1:53.32.
 
Men’s 200 Back – 1. Markus Rogan, Trojan, 1:40.11; 2. Rexford Tullius, 1:40.62; 3. Ryan Lochte, Daytona Beach, 1:40.65.
 
Women’s 100 Free – 1. Jessica Hardy, Trojan, 47.81; 2. Kara Lynn Joyce, FAST, 47.96; Lia Neal, AGUA, 48.13.
 
Men’s 100 Free – 1. Matt Grevers, Tucson Ford, 41.35 (Meet Record); 2. Nathan Adrian, Cal, 41.63; 3. Vladimir Morozov, USC, 42.12.
 
Women’s 200 Breast – 1. Caitlin Leverenz, Cal, 2:06.55; 2. Katlin Freeman, SBAC, 2:08.97; 3. Corrie Clark, NLAC, 2:09.40.
 
Men’s 200 Breast – 1. Michael Alexandrov, Tucson Ford, 1:51.73 (American Record); 2. Clark Burckle, Tucson Ford, 1:52.12; 3. Vladimir Polyakov, South Florida Aquatics, 1:52.92.
 
Women’s 200 Fly – 1. Katinka Hosszu, USC, 1:51.45 (Meet Record); 2. Lyndsay DePaul, USC, 1:52.82; 3. Sara Isakovich, 1:54.51.
 
Men’s 200 Fly – 1. Robert Margalis, FAST, 1:42.49; 2. Tom Shields, Cal, 1:42.79; 3. Daniel Madwed, Michigan, 1:44.50

Women’s 400 Free Relay – 1. Cal, 3:14.50 (Meet Record);  2.  USC, 3:15.39; 3. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics, 3:16.58.

 
Men’s 400 Free Relay – 1. USC, 2:51.58; 2. Ohio State, 2:56.23; 3. Cal, 2:56.51