SWIMMING : East’s West Breaks Breaststroke Mark

On an evening when every champion had a personal best, Steve West of Huntington Beach went one better with a U.S. Olympic Festival record in the 100-meter breaststroke Saturday at the McDonald’s Swim Center on the USC campus.

His time of 1 minute 4.10 seconds beat the mark of 1:04.21 set by Robert Lager in 1982. It also earned West, who swam for the East team, his first world ranking, 40th.

Although several of the swimmers in the Festival are saving their peak performances for U.S. Nationals next month, West and his teammates on the Golden West Swim Club made the Festival their No. 1 priority by resting for the past two weeks and shaving their bodies.

West knocked 1.2 seconds off his best time, a large decrease considering the short duration of the event.

“It was a big drop, but that’s what I wanted to do, make my Olympic Trials qualifying time,” said West, who was under the standard by a half-second.

Shortly after West’s victory, Golden West teammate Scott Wester won the 50 freestyle. Wester, who represented the South, clocked a 23.45, two tenths of a second ahead of the West’s Brian Jacobson of Bellflower Aquatics.

“That time (23.45) might be mediocre at nationals,” Wester said. “It might not make the finals. I would rather come here and take the gold.”

The women’s standout was Michael Flaherty of the East team. Her 4:53.45 in the 400 individual medley tied the Festival record set by Patty Gavin in 1981 and ranks her 27th in the world.

Flaherty was one of four swimmers in the field who beat the Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 4:56.49.

“This changes my whole perspective on swimming,” said Flaherty, a 15-year-old from Baltimore.

“I don’t consider myself to be very good, but this was awesome. . . . I looked at the clock when I touched and I thought, ‘What lane am I in? Is that my lane? That couldn’t be me.’ ”

Charles Santostefano of the East team turned in the most surprising performance.

Swimming in the “slow” first heat, which is not designed to determine the medalist, he recorded the fastest time in the 200 individual medley, a 2:05.78 that earned him a gold medal and his first world ranking, 30th.

“This is going to be my big meet of the summer,” said Santostefano, who cut three seconds off his best time.

“I like swimming out in front because it boosts my ego.”

Stacie Dorman was the only double winner of the session. The 16-year-old from Walnut Creek won the 200 freestyle in 2:04.76 and swam the third leg of the North’s winning 800 freestyle relay.

The men’s 400 freestyle was the fastest event in terms of Festival history. The top six swimmers recorded times that rank in the top 10 in the festival’s 12-year history. The South’s Brian Barnes of Osceola, Ind., won the event in 3:56.68.