Caverly, 15, Springs Upset in Winning 200 Breaststroke

If Kristen Caverly picked up some swimming tips from roommate Dara Torres at the Olympic preparation camp in April, they might have included how to upset a world-record holder.

Caverly, 15, from San Clemente, upset Penny Heyns of South Africa to win the 200 breaststroke in 2 minutes 29.83 seconds Saturday night at the Janet Evans Invitational at USC.

“Today it was just in me,” said Caverly, a sophomore last season at San Clemente High. “I wanted to see what I could do. I wanted to give my whole effort. I don’t believe I won the race. I really wanted to beat Penny Heyns. She’s an awesome swimmer, so I’m sure that’s not all she can give.”

Heyns finished in 2:29.89 and cited jet lag after traveling from South Africa last week.

“Right now my biggest problem is fatigue,” she said. “I’m going out fine but I don’t have the second half.”

Staciana Stitts of Irvine was third and Amanda Beard of Irvine, who finished second to Heyns at the 1996 Olympics, was sixth.

Caverly later finished third in the 400 individual medley, behind Joanne Malar and runner-up Kaitlin Sandeno of El Toro High.

Torres has experienced team glory at the Olympics by winning gold medals in ’84 and ‘92, and bronze and silver in ‘88, all on 4x100 freestyle or medley relays, but individual stardom is something new.

On Saturday, Torres, 33, won the 50-meter freestyle in 25.04 and defeated her rivals, Olympic champions Jenny Thompson (25.22) and Amy Van Dyken (25.32).

“I wasn’t thrilled with my time, but it was a good time considering I just got done with the 200 [freestyle],” she said. “I wish I could go faster though, I’m just hard on myself.”

Thompson set an American record in the 100 freestyle Friday night but was more surprised with her time in the 50 freestyle.

“It was two one-hundredths off my best time,” Thompson said. “I’m pleased with the race. It’s not quite as good as last night. But the 50 surprised me because I think it’s my best time in eight years. This was a good race because the level of competition was stiff.”

Three races earlier, in the 200 freestyle, ’96 Olympic gold medalist Claudia Poll of Costa Rica broke sister Silvia Pohl’s 12-year-old meet record with a time of 1:58.02. Thompson was second (1:59.49) and Torres (2:00.25) was third.

Thompson and Van Dyken will battle for the two available Olympic berths in the 50 freestyle at the Olympic trials Aug. 9-16.

“This is a great preview of the trials,” Torres said. “I think the winning time [in the 50] will be under [my] American record.”

Heyns’ South African teammate, Ryk Neethling, was also battling jet lag but had enough strength to win the 200 in 1:50.98, rallying in the final 10 meters to defeat Bela Szabados of Hungary, a former USC swimmer.

“[Szabados] is definitely good competition.” Neethling said. “We have a long history of racing together. I knew he was the guy to beat. I came back in both the 1998 and 1999 NCAA championships in this event and beat him.”

Szabados will swim in his third Olympic Games for Hungary.

In the men’s 50 freestyle, Poland’s Bart Kizierowski, who trains with Mission Viejo, finished second and Irvine’s Jason Lezak tied for fourth.