Pan Pacific Swimming : Morales and Bentley Help U.S. Dominate Final Day of Meet

World record holder Pablo Morales and Steve Bentley led the way Sunday night as the United States again dominated on the fourth and final day of competition at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Morales won the men’s 100-meter butterfly final in a time of 53.37 seconds, beating Olympic gold medalist Jon Sieben of Australia, who finished second.

Bentley won the men’s 200-meter breaststroke in an American record time of 2 minutes, 14.99 seconds, the fastest mark in the world this year and third fastest ever. World record holder Victor Davis of Canada was third.

The United States finished the meet, which included more than 300 swimmers from 14 nations, with 24 gold medals in 32 events. Australia finished with four golds, Canada with three and China one.

The American team won five gold medals Sunday night, but suffered a stunning setback when 17-year-old Julie McDonald of Australia beat world record holder Janet Evans in the women’s 800-meter freestyle.

McDonald, clipping six seconds off her personal best, won in 8:23.18--the second-fastest time ever.

Evans, 15, from Placentia, was second in 8:33.11, well off the world record of 8:22.44 she set at the U.S. Nationals in Fresno three weeks ago.

In addition to McDonald, Chinese schoolgirl Quian Hong won the women’s 100-meter butterfly and Australian Michael McKenzie won the 1,500-meter freestyle to help prevent a clean sweep by the Americans.

Qian, from Hebei province, north of Beijing, held off Angel Myers and Jenna Johnson of the United States. McKenzie won the 1,500 in 15:08.08, beating out American champion Dan Jorgensen of San Diego, who was timed in 15:12.09.

The United States won the men’s and women’s 400-meter medley relays and 15-year-old Amy Shaw won the women’s 200-meter breaststroke.

Stanford graduate Morales, 22, was clocked in 53.37 seconds in defeating the man who had beat him in the 100-meter butterfly final at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Sieben, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, was second in a time of 54.21.

Matt Biondi of the United States, the world 100-meter freestyle record holder, was third in 54.34.