It’s Showtime for County’s Finest

Being an Olympic medalist is nice. For about a month.

But it’s a new swimming season now. And the first big meet of the season begins today in Austin, Texas. The Phillips 66 National Championships, which run through Sunday, serve not only as spring nationals but also as the qualifier for the World Championships and the World University Games.

This might be a breakout meet for Irvine’s Aaron Peirsol. Peirsol, a junior at Newport Harbor High who won an Olympic silver medal behind Lenny Krayzelburg in the 200-meter backstroke, is the favorite in the 100- and 200-meter races now. Krayzelburg has taken time off in this post-Olympic year, so Peirsol’s main competition will come from Neil Walker.

Another Irvine swimmer, Jason Lezak, now at UC Santa Barbara, has already had a fast start this season by winning gold medals in the 50- and 100-meter freestyles at World Cup events this winter. Lezak defeated Australian star Michael Klim in the 50 free in Melbourne, and is seeded third in both the 50 and 100 this week.

A strong men’s sprint field will also include 2000 Olympians Walker, Scott Tucker and Anthony Ervin from Valencia as well as 1998 world champion Bill Pilczuk.

Chad Carvin, the 26-year-old from Mission Viejo who overcame a near-fatal heart virus to make his first Olympic team last summer, is scheduled to swim in the middle-distance freestyle events; he is seeded second in the 400 freestyle and third in the 200.

Several local women will also be looking to make the world championship team for the first time.

El Toro High senior Kaitlin Sandeno, who won an Olympic bronze medal in the 800 freestyle, will be competing against Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett as well as Diana Munz in the distance freestyle events. Sandeno also will swim the butterfly events and the individual medley.

The 17-year-old is seeded No. 1 in the 400 individual medley, No. 2 in the 800 freestyle and No. 3 in the 400 freestyle.

In the butterfly, Olympic medalist Misty Hyman’s participation is uncertain, but in the individual medley, Olympians Cristina Teuscher and Maddy Crippen are in the field.

Two Irvine High freshmen, Diana MacManus and Courtney Cashion, also seem primed to challenge for world spots. MacManus was a surprising fourth in the 100 backstroke at the Olympic trials last summer and Cashion has turned in good times this spring in freestyle sprinting events.

In breaststroke events, Kristen Caverly, a San Clemente High junior, and Irvine’s Amanda Beard, a sophomore at the University of Arizona, will be challenging Olympic gold medalist Megan Quann and Olympian Maddy Crippen.