Evans Closing In on Yet Another Milestone : Swimming: She could tie or break the all-time record for national titles at the U.S. Championships this week in Pasadena.

In 1985, Janet Evans competed in her first U.S. senior national swimming championships, finishing 28th in the 1,000-yard freestyle.

Ten years later she is the world’s greatest women’s distance swimmer with five Olympic medals, six world records and 45 national titles and counting.

Evans hopes to turn this week’s Phillips 66 U.S. Swimming Championships at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena into a one-woman show as she attempts to tie or possibly even break Tracy Caulkins Stockwell’s all-time record for national titles at 48.

Evans, 23, from Placentia, will have a clearer idea of her chances after today’s only event--the 800-meter freestyle, starting at 4 p.m.

Her races will be only part of the competition as the United States’ best swimmers gauge their progress toward next summer’s Olympics in Atlanta. Preliminaries start at 9 a.m., finals at 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Also competing will be such stars as Chrissy Ahmann-Leighton, Greg Burgess, Chad Carvin, Tom Dolan, Mark Henderson, Tom Jager, Lea Loveless, Ron Karnaugh, Anita Nall, Kristine Quance, Jeff Rouse, Summer Sanders, Melvin Stewart, Jenny Thompson and Amy Van Dyken. The meet also will serve as a qualifier for the Pan Pacific Championships, Aug. 9-13, in Atlanta and the World University Games, Aug. 24-29, in Fukuoka, Japan.

For Caulkins Stockwell, it has been fun watching a protege succeed, and perhaps, pass her many achievements. She does not even mind losing her place in the record books.

“Not at all,” she said from Brisbane, Australia, where she lives with her husband, Mark Stockwell.

When Caulkins Stockwell eclipsed Johnny Weissmuller’s mark of 38 titles in 1982, she was elated yet disappointed that she had never met him.

“It makes it a little more special when you know the person,” said Caulkins Stockwell, who is expecting twins this week.

Evans agrees.

“Tracy has always been very kind to me, that’s one of the reasons she has been my idol,” she said. “For me it’s just an honor. I’m just excited to be kind of on her level because she was always the ultimate.”

As Evans attempts to equal Caulkins Stockwell’s mark this week, she will be challenged by the strongest group of U.S. women middle-distance swimmers in years. It is because of these up-and-coming teen-agers that Evans has been unable to enjoy her historical place in the sport.

“When you stop and reflect, that’s when you start to live in the past,” she said. “I still have to prove myself every time I get up and race.”

Here is what she is up against in her swim toward history:

800 METERS FREESTYLE (TODAY)

Evans has not lost in the event in eight years and is two-time defending Olympic champion. But she never has faced a group of Americans so tough. Trina Jackson, 18, of Jacksonville, Fla., is the Pan American Games champion and Brooke Bennett, 15, of Plant City, Fla., took third at last year’s World Championships in Rome. Lauren Thies of Portland, Ore., emerged last spring and was strong at this month’s Santa Clara Invitational in the 400 with a time of 4:14.

Evans’ strategy will be the same as it has been since she became a world-class competitor in 1986. She will start quickly and hope to wear down the others. Her coach, Mark Schubert of the Trojan Swim Club at USC, said if Evans is swimming well she should be faster than 8:25.

200 METERS FREESTYLE (WED.)

Evans does not have the speed to challenge the young sprinters in this event. She was 10th in the preliminaries at this year’s spring nationals although she finished fourth at last year’s nationals. Cristina Teuscher, 17, of New Rochelle, N.Y., could dominate the race.

400 METERS FREESTYLE (THURSDAY)

This might be the meet’s featured event as Evans will need to win if she entertains any chance of tying Caulkins Stockwell. Teuscher won the silver medal at the World Championships and Bennett won the gold at the Pan Ams. All are capable of swimming faster than 4:10, but none has swum that fast as many times as Evans, who holds the world record.

Evans usually is successful if she gets a jump on the competition in the first half of the race.

“Janet will take it out fast and Brooke will try to hang with her so she can take her down at the end of the race,” Schubert said.

Teuscher has the speed to stay with Evans in the first 200 meters, which could complicate the outcome. But Teuscher is entered in the 800 today and the 200 free and 400 individual medley Wednesday.

“She may not be quite at her best to be able to break the race wide open,” Collins said.

Still, Jackson has the stamina to enter several events and hold her own.

1,500 METER FREESTYLE (FRIDAY)

If Evans needs to win this event to tie the national record, it almost assuredly will happen.

“The longer the race, the better Janet is and the more dominant she is,” Schubert said.