Hyman Wins Two Races in Familiar Surroundings
Misty Hyman has always liked the Swim Meet of Champions. She liked it when she was an age-group swimmer from Arizona six years ago and she likes it now, as a sophomore at Stanford.
Judging from her performance on Friday, it’s easy to understand her affection.
Hyman won the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 backstroke in back-to-back events at the Marguerite Aquatics Center.
Hyman, a 19-year-old from Phoenix, has been training hard with her club, Desert Fox Aquatics. She had little trouble with either race on Friday. She won the 200 butterfly in 2 minutes 12.14 seconds and the 200 backstroke in 2:18.28.
“I only took a week off after NCAAs,” Hyman said. “So I really haven’t been taking it easy. I’ve been training hard getting ready for the Goodwill Games and Senior Nationals.”
Hyman, who is being billed as the next Mary T. Meagher, had broken the legendary swimmer’s 100-meter butterfly meet record last year. She helped Stanford win the NCAA Division I women’s title in March.
“I like this meet a lot. It’s a good meet to let me know where I am in my training. I only have one more meet in Phoenix next month, and then it’s on to the Goodwill Games and Senior Nationals, where I hope to peak,” said Hyman, who will swim the 200 freestyle and the 400 individual medley today.
Jamie Cail of the Golden West Swim Club dropped two seconds off her morning preliminary time to win the 400 freestyle in 4:22.64. Vicky West of Redlands finished second in 4:24.81. Cail, who will be a senior at Marina High this fall, won the 800 free Thursday.
In the women’s 100 freestyle, Amber Drake of Pasadena won in 58.85.
Francisco Sanchez of Sun Devil Aquatics in Mesa, Ariz., won the men’s 100 free. Sanchez beat Dan Phillips, who was unattached, in 51.80. Phillips finished at 52.45.
In the 100 backstroke, 1996 Olympic gold medal winner Brad Bridgewater easily won in 2:02.82. Philip Weiss touched out the Nadadores Juan Veloz to win the 200 butterfly (2:04.11).
The finals--in the 200 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 50 freestyle, 400 individual medley and the 800 freestyle relay--start at 5 today.