Mission Viejo Swimming : Jager Gets Jump on Biondi, Wins 50 Freestyle

Tom Jager got just a bit of a jump on Matt Biondi as they left the starting blocks but it was enough to give Jager the victory in the 50-meter freestyle Thursday night at the Phillips 66/U.S. Swimming Long Course National Championships at the Mission Viejo Swim Complex.

Jager figured to be the only swimmer who could beat Biondi in a sprint freestyle at this meet and, indeed, Jager gave something of an instant replay of his spoiler role at the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. meet last spring as he beat Biondi’s 22.71 seconds Thursday with a pool-record time of 22.63 seconds.

In the NCAA meet, Biondi had set the 100- and 200-yard American freestyle records and had even set an American record in the 50 in preliminary heats before Jager came on to beat him in the final, claiming the American record for himself.

It was the same in this meet, with Biondi setting a world record in the 100 and an American record in the 200 before losing to Jager.

Jager, who will be a senior at UCLA, is taking the summer off so that he won’t burn out as he trains for the 1988 Olympics. “I just came down to swim for the fun of it,” said Jager, who has been in the water only six days this summer. He is not even going to make the trip to Japan with the team selected here.

“I think the fastest meet of the year will be the U.S. Open (in December). It’s at Texas, and that’s the fastest pool in the world.”

Jager also swims the 100-meter freestyle and the 100-meter backstroke, so he would have other Olympic opportunities, but the 50 is his specialty.

The 50-meter freestyle has not been an Olympic event, but Jager’s coach at UCLA, Ron Ballatore, says with some measure of confidence that it will be in ’88. “They’re including it at the Pan-Pacific Games and at the World Championships (in ‘86), so that will put some pressure on to get it in the Olympics. Eventually, it will get there.”

Jager made the argument: “It’s the most exciting event we have. It’s the only pure sprint. I would compare it to track--would they not include a guy like Carl Lewis?

“I think the attitude is that the 50 doesn’t require the kind of work that the longer distances require, so therefore the 50 doesn’t belong in swimming.”

Lisa Dorman of Walnut Creek, who swims for Concord-Pleasant Hills, won the 50-meter freestyle for women in 26.20 seconds, surprising the favorite, Dara Torres of Mission Viejo, who tied for third with Jeanne Doolan at 26.38.

Jenna Johnson of Industry Hills was second in 26.24.

Pablo Morales, who won the silver medal in the 200-meter individual medal at the Olympics last summer, won the event Thursday night in 2:02.98, the second-fastest American time ever behind Bill Barrett’s record 2:02.68. As he went into the final leg, 50 meters of freestyle, Morales was on a pace to break the world record (2:01.42) held by Alex Baumann of Canada.

Michele Griglione, who was second in the 100-meter freestyle and second in the 400-meter individual medley, easily won the women’s 200-meter individual medley. Griglione finished in 2:17.42, more than two seconds ahead of Erika Hansen, who had beaten her in the 400 the night before.

The difference? “There’s a big difference in the 200 or the 400,” Griglione said. “Erika is a distance swimmer. She’s going to swim the 1,500. I swam the 100. We sort of meet in the middle for the 400 IM.”

Matt Cetlinski won his third straight national long course title in the men’s 400-meter freestyle. Cetlinski swims for Holmes Lumber Gators and will be a senior this fall at the University of Florida.

Kim Brown, a 15-year-old from Mission Viejo who had made the Pan-Pacific team by winning the 800-meter freestyle on Monday, won the 400-meter freestyle in 4:11.74.

Asked how excited she was about going to Japan, Brown said: “It’s always neat.” Her swimming has taken her to Monaco and Rio de Janeiro.

In the team totals, Mission Viejo’s women’s team held on to its big lead, despite finishing fifth in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Mission Viejo’s men’s team dropped to second place behind Holmes Lumber, which won the men’s relay.

Mission Viejo held on to the combined points lead.