Evans Swims and Wins at Mission Viejo

Janet Evans easily won the women’s 800-meter freestyle race during Thursday’s opening competition of the Swim Meet of Champions at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex.

Using her signature windmill stroke, Evans finished in 8 minutes 33.37 seconds, tying the meet record she set in 1990, when she was a freshman at Stanford.

Though she was off her world record by 17 seconds, the two-time Olympian and current world record holder in the 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyles was enthusiastic about her performance.

“I’m really happy with this time. It’s my best in-season swim this year,” Evans said. “I’ve been training very hard, and I feel really good.”

Said Evans’ coach, Mark Schubert of USC: “This was a good swim for Janet. I was especially excited about how she swam the back half of the race. I think that she will be able to break 8:30 by nationals.”

Evans, 22, also plans to swim the 100, 200, 400 and 1,500 freestyles and the 400 individual medley at the Swim Meet of Champions, which concludes Sunday.

In Thursday’s other race, former Laguna Hills High standout Chad Carvin, representing Hillenbrand Swim Club, won the men’s 800 free in 8:12.18, finishing three seconds ahead of David Meca of Team Trojan.

Competition continues today with the 100 and 50 frees, 200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 400 individual medley and 800 free relay. Preliminaries start at 9 a.m. with finals scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.