O’Neill Impressive in 400 IM, Sets Junior National Record

Before the grueling 400-meter individual medley in the U.S. Swimming Junior Nationals West Sunday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, Cathy O’Neill joked with her City of Plano, Tex., teammates.

They were telling her to “be like Blossom,” the silly-dancing character from the television show called “Blossom.”

Suitably relaxed, O’Neill, 15, moved from third to the lead 20 meters into the third segment, the breaststroke. Over the next 80 meters, she built a 4.7-second advantage.

Then, with a furious freestyle leg, she shattered the 1988 Junior National mark of 4 minutes 55.77 seconds with a 4:54.40.

“I don’t know,” O’Neill said. “I guess it’s great. I didn’t go for the record. I just wanted to swim fast.”

O’Neill also swam fast Saturday in winning the 200 breaststroke in a Junior National record time of 2:35.34.

The other standout on the third of five days of competition was Mike Williams, 17, of Concord Pleasant Hill.

Williams surged from third to first in the last 10 meters to win the 200 freestyle, edging Chris Pelant of Buenaventura by 0.05 seconds with a 1:52.57.

An hour later, he passed three swimmers on the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay to give Concord the victory in a Junior National West record time of 3:30.78.

“From eight meters out I put my head down,” Williams said. “I told myself, ‘If I’m gonna lose it, it’s not because I took too many breaths.’ ”

In the other races Sunday: Emily Peters, 16, of Bloomington, Minn., won the girls’ 200 freestyle in 2:04.30; Rob Iglinski, 16, of Lake Country, Wis., won the boys’ 400 individual medley in 4:31.15, and Santa Clara won the girls’ 400 freestyle relay when Karli Taylor put the foursome ahead with a dominating third leg.