Quance Wins 400 Individual Medley

Kristine Quance of Northridge won the 400-meter individual medley with a personal-best time of 4 minutes 42.08 seconds Friday in the National Swimming Championships in Nashville, Tenn.

Swimming for CLASS Aquatics of Calabasas, Quance, 17, finished more than eight seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Her time makes her the 13th-fastest woman ever and fifth-fastest American in the event. The field did not include Summer Sanders, bronze medalist in the event in the Barcelona Olympics.

On Thursday, Quance finished second to Olympian and world record-holder Anita Nall in the 200 breaststroke.

“(Thursday) night was pretty hard,” Quance said. “I needed to put that race behind me and concentrate on tonight. I was having some doubts this morning.

“(Friday’s victory) makes it a little easier, but I don’t think it made up for (Thursday) night.”

Quance, who missed qualifying for the Olympics by one place while she battled mononucleosis a year ago, recovered in time to earn top-swimmer honors in the national championships in Mission Viejo in August. Sanders and Nall did not take part in that meet.

Quance also will compete in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke in the meet that serves as a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Festival.