Keller, Vendt Capture Titles

USC freshman Klete Keller won the 200-meter freestyle in the USA Swimming National Championships on Thursday, finishing in 1 minute, 48.89 seconds.

Scott Goldblatt of Texas finished second in 1:49.31.

“In the morning, I just wanted to make the finals,” Keller said. “After qualifying first, I thought I could win, and that’s what I went out to do tonight.”

USC sophomore Erik Vendt upset Tom Wilkens of Santa Clara in the 400 individual medley. Vendt won in 4:14.19, beating Wilkens by 0.33 seconds.

In other events, Aaron Peirsol of Irvine Novas won the 100 backstroke, Natalie Coughlin of the Concord, Calif., Terrapins took the women’s 100 backstroke, Ashley Chandler of the Sun Devils Aquatics won the women’s 400 freestyle, and Kristy Kowal of the Athens Bulldogs took the 100 breaststroke.

The top two finishers in each event qualify for the world championships this summer in Japan.

Chandler, a 16-year-old high school junior, was the surprise winner of the women’s 400 freestyle as she out-touched a fast-charging Kaitlin Sandeno by three-hundredths of a second to win in 4:12.06.

It was Chandler’s first national title.