Local Teens MacManus, Stitts Make a National Impact

Diana MacManus turned 14 in April and she’s been swimming barely four years. So forgive her the smile that won’t go away.

MacManus, who will be a freshman at Irvine High in the fall, qualified sixth Thursday night and will be swimming today in the finals of the women’s 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Dave Salo, MacManus’ coach at the Irvine Novaquatics, says his beaming rookie has so much natural talent, “that it wouldn’t surprise me if she takes a second off her time between the semis and the finals.”

Since the first seven qualifiers finished between the winning time of 1:02.02 of Haley Cope and 1:02.99 of Beth Botsford, taking a second off might put MacManus right onto the Olympic team.

“I can’t even think about that,” MacManus said. “I’ve been so nervous. I came and watched [Wednesday] night and there was so much noise.”

Another Novaquatic, 18-year-old Staciana Stitts, qualified third for today’s 100-meter breaststroke final while 1996 Olympian Amanda Beard of Irvine qualified fifth.

Stitts, a Cal freshman who had commuted from Carlsbad to Irvine until this summer when she moved in with teammate Amy Murphy in Newport Beach, also said she’d been all nerves for two days.

“The atmosphere is so intense,” Stitts said, “that it’s very overwhelming when you first experience all the noise and people and frenzy. I’ve had to fight to get myself under control and now I realize I can’t think about anything else going on around me.”

Stitts will not be expected to beat out 16-year-old American record-holder Megan Quann or 1998 world champion Kristy Kowal. “But I think I can do it,” she said.

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Bobby Brewer, 26 years old and in the best shape of his life, has been training well at Irvine’s Heritage Park. He’s a member of the Huntington Beach-based Team TYR had high hopes of making the finals of the 100-meter backstroke and some secret dreams of making the Olympic team.

But on Tuesday night Brewer smashed his left ankle into the metal edge of his hotel bed. A couple hours later Brewer woke up and the ankle was swollen and purple. On Wednesday, Brewer went to the emergency room for X-rays and found he had torn tendons.

And Thursday night Brewer finished 10th and failed to make it to today’s eight-man final.

“I couldn’t do the start, I couldn’t do the turn, I couldn’t kick,” a despondent Brewer said.

Newport Harbor High’s Aaron Peirsol, 17, swimming in his first Olympic trials semifinals in the same event, finished ninth. But Peirsol will swim the final because Tommy Hannan, who was fifth, scratched.

Lenny Krayzelburg, the world record holder, qualified with the fastest time, 53.67 seconds. Since his world record is 53:60, Krayzelburg, of Los Angeles, was clearly in good form. “It’s going to be a fast final,” Peirsol said, “but I think it will be fun. I’ll be in that outside lane and I can sneak up on people.” Peirsol’s best race will be next week in the 200-meter backstroke. Peirsol upset Krayzelburg earlier in the summer.

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Does she feel like an Olympian? El Toro’s Kaitlin Sandeno isn’t sure. Sandeno, 17, who swims for the Nellie Gail Gators and who became the first member of the 2000 U.S. team by winning the 400-meter individual medley on Wednesday night, finished third Thursday night in the 400-meter freestyle. Sandeno finished in 4:12.40, more than two seconds slower than her career-best of 4:10.74 and well behind winner Diana Munz (4:08.71) and runner-up Brooke Bennett (4:08.76).

“I didn’t get to sleep until after 2,” Sandeno said, “and it’s just been such a crazy 24 hours. I’ve been screaming, my mom’s been screaming and all my friends have been calling my cell phone. I can’t even believe how high my cell phone bill is going to be.”

Chad Carvin of Laguna Hills and the Mission Viejo Nadadores, also said it was hard to come off the emotional high he felt after finishing second Wednesday night in 400 freestyle and qualifying for his first Olympic team. “I can’t describe all the feelings,” Carvin, 26, said. “It was a little hard to get in the pool [Thursday] morning.”

But Carvin did manage to get his mind back on racing. He qualified fourth for today’s 200 freestyle final and he expects to challenge for a second individual berth.