SWIMMING / PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIPS : Quance Gives USC a Lift Into Second

Stanford is dominating the Pacific 10 Conference women’s swim championships at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, but USC stole a few minutes in the spotlight Friday.

Stanford has a commanding lead in the three-day competition with 1,087 points, but USC won two events on the second day of the meet and moved from fourth place into second, with 839.5 points. Arizona State is in third place with 800 points and UCLA is fourth with 746.

Kristine Quance, a USC freshman, set a Pac-10 record in the 100-yard breaststroke, winning in 1 minute 1.28 seconds and breaking the record set by Lori Heisick of Stanford in 1991 by .03.

Ayako Nakano, a USC sophomore, won the 200 freestyle in 1:46.91.

“That was a lot more fun than (Thursday) night,” Trojan Coach Mark Schubert said.

Especially for Quance, who lost the 200 individual medley on Thursday to Stanford’s Lea Loveless.

That loss, coupled with her goal of breaking 1:01 in the 100 breaststroke, provided incentive for Quance on Friday.

“I wanted to go a little faster, but it is my best time by a half of a second and that is a lot of time,” said Quance, who expects to swim faster at the NCAA championships next month. “I guess I have a lot to look forward to.”

Quance might not compete in the 100 breaststroke at the NCAA championships, opting instead to compete in the 400 individual medley, an event in which Quance won a gold medal at the 1993 Pan Pacific Games. Quance, who did not compete in the 400 IM in this meet, will swim the 200 breaststroke today.

After winning the 50 freestyle on Thursday, Stanford’s Jenny Thompson won her second individual title of the meet on Friday when she finished the 100 butterfly in 53.67. Loveless also won her second individual title, the 100 backstroke, in a meet-record 53.00.