Beard Holds On in 100 Breaststroke

Olympian Amanda Beard was able to hold off a charging Kristin Caverly and win the 100-meter breaststroke on the opening day of the Speedo Grand Challenge Friday at Heritage Aquatic Complex in Irvine.

Beard, 16, of the Irvine Novaquatics, finished in 1 minute 14.17 seconds. Caverly, her Novaquatics teammate, finished second (1:14.92).

Steve West of Nova won the men’s 100 breaststroke (1:07.70).

In the men’s 50 freestyle, Stanford’s Sabir Muhammad touched out UC Santa Barbara’s Jason Lezak, to win in 23.46. Lezak finished 3 tenths behind Muhammad. Amber Drake of Swim Pasadena won the women’s 50 free (27.08).

Jamie Cail of Golden West easily won the 200 individual medley (2:21.22) and the 400 freestyle (4:22.54).

Karly Pipes-Neilsen, 36, swimming unattached, won the 200 backstroke (2:21.18) and Diego Bezerra of the Mission Viejo Nadadores took the men’s event in 2:13.53.