Phelps Takes One in Rivalry

So, are old-school swim rivalries capable of maturing and getting better with age?

Evidence presented by Michael Phelps and Ian Crocker in the 100-meter butterfly suggested that may well be the case. Phelps won their showdown at the Olympics in 2004. Crocker won the last two times they faced off at the world championships, and holds the world record.

On Thursday, Phelps took the latest installation, winning the 100 butterfly in 51.51 seconds and Crocker took second in 51.73 at the U.S. Summer National Championships at the Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine.

Finally, Phelps was openly pleased with his progress after two days of semi self-questioning, though he did win three races in the meet’s first two days.

“He seems to get me in the overall time and the past two world championships, so like I said before, we’re going to have races where we do the back and forth,” Phelps said. “And I think it’s good for us and good for the sport. It brings out the best in us.

” ... You always know with Ian, you’ve got to have a good start, a good turn and a good finish. So I was trying to get all three of those, or at least two out of the three in there.”

As for Crocker, he was hardly devastated, pointing out the Pan Pacific Championships this month in Canada are “more important.”

The top three finishers here qualify for that meet.

But enough with the old-school rivalry. There could be a new-school one, involving 22-year-old Cullen Jones of North Carolina State Aquatics and fill-in-the-space.

Will it be Jones and 21-year-old Benjamin Wildman-Tobriner of Stanford or Olympic sprint star Jason Lezak of Irvine or Gary Hall Jr., two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 50 free?

Take your pick.

Jones turned heads with a dynamic swim, winning the 50 freestyle in 21.94, which is the fastest time in the world in 2006 and his first national title. Second was Wildman-Tobriner (22.16), and the old guard Lezak and Hall finished third and fourth, respectively.

Other winners were Katie Hoff in the 400 individual medley in 4:35.82, Kara Lynn Joyce in the 50 freestyle in 24.97, her first time under 25 seconds, and Megan Quann Jendrick in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.54.

Jendrick won a gold medal at that distance in the 2000 Olympics.

“It feels good,” said the 22-year-old Jendrick. “I was on top of the world at the 2000 Olympics, and then I had a few ups and downs after that. Just to be back on top is really exciting.”

Jones, however, turned in the most unexpected result. After all, he once had Hall’s poster in his room.

“Absolutely. I’m completely surprised myself,” said the Bronx-born, New Jersey-raised Jones. “I mean, I knew I could do it. But it was a surprise to do it tonight. Especially with the competition.”

Kudos came immediately.

“I’m really impressed with this guy,” said Hall. “Obviously, his time tonight says an awful lot. You can expect a lot more out of him.”

Said USA Swimming Coach Mark Schubert: “He’s spectacular. The thing that’s really exciting about him is he has a really good start, he stayed with the field at 25 and put it into another gear.”

The 6-foot-5 Jones has a strong athletic pedigree. His father, Ronald, who died in 2000 of lung cancer, once played basketball at a small community college in the Bronx, Cullen said, and he sports a tattoo of his father’s old basketball number (41) on his back.

Initially, Ronald was not pleased with his son’s direction, wanting him to play basketball, though he did come around. Cullen’s biography in a USA Swimming media guide listed his future career aspiration “to write for a men’s fashion magazine, such as GQ.”