USC’s Keller Sets American Mark

USC freshman Kalyn Keller set an American record in the 1,500-meter freestyle, and junior Kaitlin Sandeno finished second in the 200 butterfly -- .05 of a second out of first place and her third title of the meet -- on the final night of the NCAA Division I women’s championships at College Station, Texas.

Keller swam the fastest 1,500 meters by an American woman in short-course meters in more than two decades, clocking 15:49.14, almost two seconds better than Kim Linehan’s 1983 mark of 15:50.96.

Sandeno, who set an American record in the 400 individual medley on Friday, finished as the meet’s highest individual scorer with 57 points.

California senior Natalie Coughlin, who lost for the first time ever at the NCAA championships -- she was third in the 200 backstroke -- was second with 56 points.

Sandeno finished the 200 butterfly in 2:06.07, barely out-touched at the wall by Georgia sophomore Mary Descenza, who was timed in 2:06.02.

Stanford’s Tara Kirk, who set a world record in the 100-meter breaststroke on Friday, won the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.70, breaking the American record of 2:21.42 set by Amanda Beard in 2002.

Georgia set an American record of 3:35.14 in the meet’s final event, the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Auburn won its third consecutive title with 569 points. Georgia (431) was second and Arizona (369) third. The Pacific 10 Conference had five schools in the top nine -- Stanford (237) was fifth, California (235.5) sixth, UCLA (195), seventh and the Trojans (160) ninth.

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Kenyon extended the longest championship streak in the history of college sports, winning its 25th straight NCAA Division III swimming and diving title with victories in 11 of 20 events at St. Peters, Mo.