SWIMMING / MISSION VIEJO MEET OF CHAMPIONS : Victory Does Wonders for Evans’ Confidence

Last year at the Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions, it was so hot that swimmers had to scamper across the swim deck to avoid fried feet. This year it was cold, wet and miserable.

Not that there weren’t some good performances Friday at the Marguerite Swim Complex, but it was clear there weren’t going to be some blazing times or records set during the rain-soaked day.

Olympian Janet Evans was a big winner, taking first in the 400-meter freestyle in 4 minutes 16.40 seconds. Although victory is nothing new for Evans--she holds the world record in the event--her winning time was important for the Placentia resident, who was beaten last month in the race she has dominated for seven years.

Evans, 23, who swims for the Trojan Swim Club, finished three seconds ahead of Courtney Lischke of Blue Fins and four seconds faster than her preliminary time.

For the men in that event, former Laguna Hills swimmer Chad Carvin, representing the Hillenbrand Swim Club in Tucson, trimmed five seconds off his prelim time to win in 3:59.49. Philippe Demers of the Mission Viejo Nadadores took third in 4:03.25.

Demers, 16, also had a good race in the 200 butterfly, in which he was just shy of a senior national time to take fourth in 2:06.12. Jeff Julian of the Trojan Swim Club finished first in 2:04.91 and Carvin was third in 2:05.69. Demers also finished third in the 400 free.

In the 100 freestyle, Gary Hall of the Phoenix Swim Club finished .78 of a second ahead of Nadadores’ Bart Kizierowski to win in 51.71.

Jeff Rouse, who holds the world and U.S. record in the 100 backstroke, took second to Brad Bridgewater in the 200 back, who finished in 2:03.93. Greg Burgess of the Trojan Swim Club took third and Kizierowski was fourth in 2:07.35.

Though well off the meet record, Ashley Tappin of Hillenbrand won the women’s 100 freestyle in a Senior National time of 57.98. Melanie Valerio of Hillenbrand was second (58.07) and Lisa Jacob of Stanford finished third (58.32).

Two 14-year-olds battled it out in the 200 backstroke: Shelly Ripple of the Bengal Tigers Aquatic Club out-touched Canyon’s Jennifer Parmenter to win in 2:20.17. Parmenter, who won the 200 back at Senior Nationals this year, was a second slower than her prelim time of 2:20.36.

Trojan Jean Ellis Todisco won the 200 fly in 2:16.28. Jacob finished third in 2:17.12.

The meet continues today beginning with the 200 freestyle. Preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. and finals are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.