SWIMMING NCAA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS : Evans Breaks Mark in 500 Freestyle

Stanford’s Janet Evans broke Tracy Caulkins’ 11-year-old American record in the 500-yard freestyle, and Leigh Ann Fetter of Texas became the first woman to break 22 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships Thursday.

Second-ranked Texas led all teams after the first day of the three-day championships with 203 points. Top-ranked Stanford is second with 177 and Florida has 122.

Evans, a triple Olympic gold medalist who recently won the Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete, led the Stanford charge by capturing the 500 freestyle in 4:34.39, topping Caulkins’ American mark of 4:36.25 and Tiffany Cohen’s NCAA mark of 4:37.90, set in 1985.

“I thought I had a shot at it,” Evans said. “It was a tough record. I’ve always admired Tracy.”

Evans, a freshman from Placentia, won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympics, and holds world records in the 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle.

Fetter, a junior from Louisville, Ky., lowered her own American record of 22.05 seconds, set a year ago at Indianapolis, with a time of 21.92.

The performance, also a U.S. Open and NCAA record, came in the preliminaries on the first day of the meet. There is no world record at the distance, because the race is in yards.

Fetter’s winning time in the finals was 22.11. In second place was Brown’s Jennifer Boyd, with a time of 22.42.

Fetter’s first race in the finals was as the anchor of the Lady Longhorns’ 200-yard freestyle team. She swam a 21.65 split to help Texas win in 1:29.83. Stanford finished second in 1:31.67.