NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships : Meagher, Two Others Set Records; Texas Leads

Olympic gold medalist Mary T. Meagher of California and Texas juniors Betsy Mitchell and Tracey McFarlane set individual records, and two relay marks also were established Friday in the sixth NCAA Division I swimming and diving championships.

Meagher, a senior, outswam defending champion Jenna Johnson to establish an NCAA and U.S. Open record of 52.46 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly.

McFarlane, a Canadian who hopes to become a U.S. citizen in time to compete in the 1988 Olympics, broke the NCAA mark in the 100 breaststroke during Friday’s time trials and then won the event while lowering the record to 1:00.68.

Mitchell, the U.S. swimmer of the year in 1986 who finished first in the 200-yard individual medley Thursday, lowered the NCAA and U.S. Open record to 53.98 in the prelims of the 100 backstroke before successfully defending her championship in the event with a 54.18 clocking in the final.

“That’s a record I’ve been after since I was a freshman,” said Mitchell, who topped the marks set in 1982 by Sue Walsh. Mitchell, America’s top women’s backstroker, and Walsh were teammates at North Carolina.

Texas, seeking its fourth consecutive championship and leading the point standings since the opening event, had 438 points heading into today’s final day of competition. Stanford was second at 395 1/2 and Florida, the runner-up the last two years, was a distant third at 218. California held fourth with 216.

Johnson, who set the former marks of 52.69 in winning the 100 butterfly for Stanford as a freshman last year, was second with a 53.49 clocking this year.

Meagher, the world record-holder in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly since 1979 and the 1985 NCAA butterfly NCAA champion at 100 yards, was going for two individual titles Friday. She won her fifth NCAA individual title with the butterfly victory. She later went for a sixth title in the 200 free but had to settle for third.

Freshman Mitzi Kremer of Clemson, a surprise winner in 500 freestyle Thursday, won the 200 free in 45.99. Mary Wayte of Florida was next at 1:46.15 with Meagher third in 1:46.56.

Texas set an NCAA and U.S. Open record in the 200-freestyle relay. Jeanne Doolan, Courtney Madsen, Carrie Steinseifer and Ann Drolsom combined to finish their race in 1:31.01.

In the final event of the night, Stanford set U.S. Open and NCAA records in the 400 medley relay. Michelle Donahue, joined Rapp, Johnson and Aimee Berzins in recording a time of 3:38.17. Runner-up Texas was also under the old record of 3:40.99, set by Florida in 1982.