U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials : Barrowman Is Surprise Breaststroke Winner

The biggest surprise of the Phillips 66/U.S. Swimming Long Course National Championships this week at the University of Texas Swim Center was the American record set by Mike Barrowman in an early heat of the men’s 200-meter breaststroke Thursday.

Barrowman was just 1 of 78 names on a heat sheet in the morning. But by the time the day’s action in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials ended, he was the American record-holder and the top qualifier.

“Yes, I’m surprised. I’m very surprised. I didn’t expect any of this to happen,” Barrowman said in a tent outside the swim center while thunder crashed and lightning flashed and the pounding rain threatened to drown him out.

He had been seeded into the eighth of 10 preliminary heats with a time of 2 minutes 18.56 seconds. He beat Steve Bentley’s American record (2:14.99) with a time of 2:13.74.

That’s a big drop and is the best time in the world this year, not far off Victor Davis’ world record of 2:13.34.

Barrowman tied his American record as he won the championship heat Thursday night and placed himself on the U.S. Olympic roster. Kirk Stackle of Texas finished second, joining him on the Olympic roster.

Meanwhile, Bentley, who has recently completed his eligibility at USC, was finishing fifth in the championship heat in 2:16.88. Bentley had tied for the last spot, swimming the exact time as Matt Rodgers in the morning, so Bentley had to win a swim-off just to make the final.

He said, though, that he couldn’t blame the swim-off for his later performance. Injuries had cost him training time earlier in the year, and he just couldn’t go any faster.

Barrowman had thought that if he could swim faster than 2:15, he might “squeak in.” But he had no visions of winning and setting records when he came here. He couldn’t explain it; he simply gave credit to his coach, Joseph Nagy.

Who?

Joseph Nagy is about as famous around here as Mike Barrowman.

Nagy, a former Hungarian team coach, has been in the Washington area because his wife is working at the International Bank there. He’s here for three years, and then he’ll go back to Hungary. In the meantime, he has worked with Barrowman for two years at the Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club and recently at the Curl Swim Club.

“He’s the reason I’m sitting here today,” Barrowman said. “He changed everything about my breaststroke, and everything else, too. He taught me how to eat, sleep, everything. He told me at the beginning, if you want to swim at a higher level, you’ll have to do all these things.”

Barrowman’s American record was just one of three set Thursday in this national meet that doubles as the Olympic selection meet.

Matt Cetlinksi, swimming for Holmes Lumber Gators, won the men’s 400-meter freestyle in 3:48.06, beating Dan Jorgensen of the Rancho Bernardo Swim Team for the title and breaking Jorgensen’s American record time of 3:49.41.

Cetlinski doesn’t talk to the media while a meet is in progress, but his coach, Randy Reese, said that he thinks Cetlinski is capable of catching the world record of 3:47.38 held by Artur Wojdat of Poland.

A new American, Tracey McFarlane of Texas, beat Tracy Caulkins’ seven-year-old record of 1:09.53 in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. McFarlane went 1:08.91, exactly one second off East German Silke Hoerner’s world record.

McFarlane, who was born in Canada but received U.S. citizenship in a private bill signed by President Reagan in April, was thrilled that the second-place finisher was Longhorn teammate Susan Johnson, who swims for the Mission Bay Mako club. Johnson had just missed making the team in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke.

In the only event that did not result in a record, 23-year-old Mary T. Meagher made the Olympic team for the third time.

Granted, the 1980 Olympic team didn’t compete, but she was on that team.

And she was on it again in 1984, when she won gold medals in both her world-record races (the 100- and 200-meter butterfly events) and in the medley relay.

And she made the team again in 1988, finishing second in the women’s 100-meter butterfly to Angel Myers, who also won the women’s 100-meter freestyle.

U.S. Coach Richard Quick will have to decide whether Myers will swim the butterfly or the freestyle leg of the women’s medley relay in Seoul. When she was asked which she would rather swim, Meagher leaned over to prompt her in a stage whisper: “Say freestyle.”

Meagher, who will also attempt to make the team in the 200-meter butterfly Saturday, said she’d like to be included in that medley relay, too. After all, she needs to replace some gold medals.

Meagher, who at long last is getting her wish to be pictured on a Wheaties box, was in Boca Raton for a meet when the people at General Mills told her that they would like her to wear all three of her 1984 gold medals when they shot the picture for the box. Meagher, who carries the relay medal with her at all times to use as a prop when she makes appearances, asked her parents to put her two individual medals in the overnight mail. They did. That was the last the Meaghers saw of those medals.