Peirsol Makes Most of Her Record Situation

Hayley Peirsol wasn’t aiming for a meet record in the 1,500-meter freestyle Sunday at the Janet Evans Invitational, not until she heard her teammates rooting for her to stay on pace during the closing laps at the McDonald’s Swim Stadium at USC.

So Peirsol, who will be senior this fall at Newport Harbor High, put her head down and won in 16 minutes 27.78 seconds, bettering the 3-year-old meet record of 16:28.53, held by 2000 Olympic bronze medalist Kaitlin Sandeno of Lake Forest.

“I didn’t even know what the record was,” said Peirsol, 16, whose brother Aaron, is the world-record holder in the 200 backstroke. “During the race I could tell something was going on, so I said to myself, ‘I better get it after all this.’ ”

Three other meet records were set on the final day.

Erik Vendt of USC set his third meet record of the four-day event, winning the 1,500 freestyle in 15:06.70, the eighth-fastest time by an American. Vendt, the NCAA men’s swimmer of the year last spring, also set meet records Saturday in the 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley. Chris Thompson, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and U.S.-record holder in the event, finished second in 15:15.90.

Natalie Coughlin of California, the U.S.-record holder in the 100 backstroke, set a meet record of 1:00.52 in the event. Her time broke B.J. Bedford’s 4-year-old meet record by more than a second.

Michael Phelps of Baltimore set a meet record in the 100 butterfly. Phelps, the world-record holder in the 200 butterfly, finished in 53.44, breaking a 2-year-old record held by Mike Mintenko of Palo Alto. Phelps missed another meet record by 0.06 of a second in the 200 individual medley, winning in 2:02.60, his third victory of the meet.

Lenny Krayzelburg defeated Aaron Peirsol in the 100 backstroke, making up for a close loss to Peirsol in the 200 backstroke Friday.

Krayzelburg, a USC graduate and world-record holder in the event, finished first in 55.00, followed by Peirsol in 55.18.