NCAA Men’s Swim Meet : USC’s Wharton Sets Records in 400 Medley

USC freshman Dave Wharton set American, U.S open, meet and pool records at the Indiana University-Purdue University Natatorium when he won the 400-yard individual medley in 3 minutes 42.23 seconds on the second day of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. men’s swim meet Friday.

But with Texas winning the 800-yard freestyle relay and placing five swimmers in scoring position in the 200-yard freestyle, USC dropped into second place in the team competition. Texas had 273 points, USC 247.5. Stanford was third with 192.5, followed by Cal with 158, Michigan with 111.5 and UCLA with 111.

Wharton, who last year briefly held the world record in the 400-meter individual medley before losing it to Tamas Darnyi of Hungary, broke the U.S. open record (for times recorded in this country) that Darnyi had set at 3:43.04 in the 1987 short course meet at Boca Raton, Fla.

Mike O’Brien anchored the 800-yard freestyle relay for the Trojans and was leading until the last 15 yards, when Doug Gjertsen came on to win it for Texas.