Novaquatics’ Beard Sets Mark in Breaststroke

Amanda Beard of the Irvine Novaquatics smashed a record Sunday, the last day of competition at the Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions.

Beard, 13, who already holds a Southern Section age-group record in the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes, broke Tracy Caulkins’ 100-meter breaststroke mark in 1 minute 10.68 seconds at the Marguerite Swim Complex. Her winning time was almost a second faster than the early 1980s record of 1:11.13.

The victory was impressive, considering Beard was swimming against defending champion Amber Wines, who beat Beard at Senior Nationals in March.

“I wanted to beat her bad,” Beard said. “Dave [Salo, Novaquatics coach] told me to stay with her the first 50 then turn it on cause she’ll die at the end. I guess she did.”

Salo is amazed how far Beard has come since she took up competitive swimming about a year and a half ago.

“She hates to lose and she is very competitive,” Salo said. “She’s like a little kid. She really doesn’t know that much about the swimming world, so to her it’s really not a big deal to swim against these top swimmers.”

Beard just shrugged at the mention of some of her competitors.

“It really doesn’t mean anything to me,” she said. “I just want to win my races.”

At the start of the 100 breaststroke, Beard trailed Wines. But about 10 meters from the 50-meter turn, she started to make her move and caught Wines at the wall and came up even with Wines at the 50 after making her turn.

Beard took control after that and finished two seconds better than Wines, who finished fifth.

Beard, who won the 200 breaststroke the day before in near-meet record time, also had a good 200 individual medley race, finishing first in the consolation final heat in 2:22.63. Her winning time would have put her in fifth place in the championship finals. Alison Fealey won that event in 2:17.99.

Janet Evans of the Trojan Swim Club won the 1,500 meter freestyle. Swimming well ahead of the pack for most of the race, Evans finished in 16:33.36, almost a half-minute ahead of second-place finisher Alexis Larsen, her teammate.

Evans’ time was the fourth fastest in the world this year.

Chrissy Ahmann-Leighton of Hillenbrand Swim Club in Tucson, held off 16-year-old Misty Hyman of Arizona Desert Fox Swim Club to win the 100 butterfly in 1:01.41. Hyman finished in 1:01.77. Former Olympic medal winner Angie Wester-Krieg took third in 1:02.78.

The University of Calgary’s Kathy Monar won the 100 backstroke in 1:05.18.

World-record holder Jeff Rouse of Phoenix Swim Club won the 100 backstroke in 56.11. Nadadores’ Bart Kizierowski finished in fifth place (58.13) and Karl Hyross took sixth (59.22) in the event.