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INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, July 7. AMERICAN-record holder Christine Magnuson of Tennessee Aquatics lit up the first event of the night at the USA Swimming National Championships with a victory in her pet event.
Magnuson, who owns the national mark with a time of 57.08, claimed the title and a berth on the World Championships team with a sterling 57.15. She went out in 26.69, just off the world record pace of Inge de Bruijn's 56.61 from 2000.
Magnuson's time is the third-best of the year behind Marleen Veldhuis' 56.69 and Jessicah Schipper's 56.90, and is the second-best time by an American.
"I think I did better this morning, and can be better at Worlds," Magnuson said. "It is exciting to have something to work on and get better. I'm on the team, so I'm happy."
Dana Vollmer of California Aquatics gave Magnuson a run down the middle of the final 50 but could not catch Magnuson, settling for a huge personal best of 57.32 for second place. The time smashed her previous best of 57.93, and moved her ahead of Natalie Coughlin (57.34) as the second-fastest American of all time.
Stanford's Elaine Breeden placed third in 57.46, also a personal best clearing her top time of 57.61, while Athens Bulldog Mary DeScenza cleared 58 seconds for the first time with a fourth-place 57.77.
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