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INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 29. THE California Golden Bear post-grad sprint program is one of the top in the world, as evidenced by a stunning 1-2 finish in the men's 50-meter free as well as Natalie Coughlin's victory in the women's 50-meter free just an event earlier at the U.S. Nationals and World Championship Trials.
Nathan Adrian vaulted to the top of the world with a near-lifetime best in the men's splash-and-dash as he charted a meet-record time of 21.47. He matched Garrett Weber-Gale's record 21.47 from 2008, and came up just .01 from Adrian's own personal record of 21.46 from the 2009 World Championships. Adrian's time moved him ahead of James Magnussen's 21.52 from Australian Nationals to lead the world as the top sprinter on the planet heading into Barcelona.
Adrian and Coughlin's training partner Anthony Ervin, who led qualifying with a 21.93 this morning, blasted a time of 21.70 for the second spot on the team. The swim pushed him to fourth in the world behind Adrian, Magnussen, Florent Manaudou (21.55) and Cesar Cielo (21.57), and could put him in medal contention at Worlds. The 32-year-old also came within .10 of his personal record of 21.60 from last summer's Trials.
SwimCinnati's Josh Schneider raced into third with a 21.87 to move to eighth in the world. Meanwhile, SwimMAC's Cullen Jones and Longhorn's Jimmy Feigen tied for fourth with matching 21.88s.
California's Seth Stubblefield (22.26), Tucson Ford's Matt Grevers (22.33) and SwimAtlanta's Karl Krug (22.74) also vied for the national sprint title.
Bolles' Santo Condorelli touched in 22.73 to win the B final. That's his lifetime best, clearing his 22.83 from this morning. Another Bolles Shark, Ryan Murphy topped the C final with a time of 23.16. That effort downed his personal best of 23.26 from a time trial meet in 2012 at Bolles.
