Hyman Tests the Blue Waters of Golden State

Misty Hyman made no bones about which college she wanted to attend to continue her swimming career.

And even though she’s from Arizona, where she just graduated from Phoenix Shadow Mountain High, and trains with Arizona Desert Fox club, Hyman said her heart has always been in the Golden State.

“I love California. I love the people, the climate and especially the ocean,” said Hyman, who won the 200-meter backstroke and 200 butterfly on the second day of the Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions Friday at the Marguerite International Swim Center. “But I also wanted to get away from Arizona. After 18 years, I felt it was time to try something new and experience different places.”

Hyman was the most heavily recruited high school female swimmer this year. And she said she was besieged by college recruiters throughout the nation. Among schools coveting the butterfly and backstroke specialist were USC, Stanford and Arizona.

“They wanted me bad,” Hyman said about Arizona. “And my parents and I even had dinner with the coach. But even then, I think he knew I had my mind made up for California.”

The choice came down to USC or Stanford for Hyman, who holds national high school records in the 100 back and fly and is ranked third in the world for the 200-meter butterfly and backstroke. But after visiting both campuses, Hyman choose Stanford.

Said Hyman: “I was also considering the ocean temperature, since it’s a lot colder up north than down here. But believe or not, I had to be practical about the whole thing. So it came down to the academic package. I like what they had. It was a very hard choice. And believe, me, I could very easily see myself swimming for USC.”

Hyman won the 200 back in 2 minutes 16.35 seconds Friday. Her time in the 200 butterfly was 2:12.57, two seconds faster than her morning preliminary time and four seconds faster than second-place finisher Jeanellis Tedisco of the Trojan Swim Club.

“I’m really happy with that time,” Hyman said. “I’ve been training really hard and I think I’m right where I want to be. My main focus is doing well at Nationals and make it on the [U.S. World] Championship team and the Pan Am team.”

In other women’s events, Lindsay Benko of Trojan Swim Club won her second event of the meet, the 400 freestyle. As happened Thursday, when she won the 800 free, Benko was challenged by Andrea Schwartz of the Regina Optimist Dolphins (Canada). Benko won in 4:21.50, .23 ahead of Schwartz.

Laguna Hills High graduate Chad Carvin continued to perform well, winning the 400 freestyle (3:58.91). Carvin, who is representing Hillenbrand Aquatics of Phoenix, finished third in the 200 fly (2:05.22). Jeff Julian of the Trojan club won the event (2:02.53).

Lenny Krayzelburg of Trojan set a meet and pool record in the 200 backstroke. Krayzelburg’s winning time of 2:00.49 broke Rick Carey’s pool record by .23 and bettered Brad Bridgewater’s meet record by almost a second.

Bridgewater, who won the gold medal last summer in Atlanta, finished second in 2:01.83.

In the 100 freestyle, Melanie Valerio of Hillenbrand won the women’s race in 57.82, and Nick Shackell, who was swimming unattached, won the men’s in 52.28.

In the men’s 400 freestyle relay, the Irvine Novaquatics held off the Santa Clara Swim Club to win in 3:30.55. The Trojan team took third.

Hillenbrand won the women’s 400 freestyle in 3:56.74, beating second-place Stanford by three seconds.

The meet continues today with preliminaries starting at 9 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.