Women’s NCAAs, Day 2: Tara Kirk Blasts World Record in the 100m Breaststroke
By Phillip Whitten
100 meter breaststroke
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, March 19. BEFORE the evening session I spoke with Stanford coach Richard Quick. “Straight-up, coach,” I said. “is Tara going to break the world record in the 100 breast and break 1:05?”
Without hesitation, he answered: “Yes.”
Tara Kirk completed her college career undefeated in the 100 meter breaststroke, and she did it in the most spectacular fashion possible: with a brilliant world record.
The Stanford senior had the near-capacity crowd on its feet as she split 30.29 seconds at the halfway mark, breaking the American record in the process. Powering ahead, she crashed through the 1:05 barrier, touching in a world record 1:04.79, erasing Australia’s Leisel Jones’ standard of 1:05.09 from last year.
In winning tonight, Kirk became the first woman to win the 100 breast all four years of her college career.
Official Results: 200-Meter Freestyle Finals
EVENT: 10 WOMEN's 200 Meter Freestyle
NCAA Record: 1:57.33 Maritza Correia Georgia 2000
World Record: 1:54.04 Lindsay Benko USA 2002
American Record: 1:54.04 Lindsay Benko USA 2002
US Open Record: 1:55.41 Martina Moravcova SVK 2001
QUALIFYING FOR "A" Cut: 1:47.61
QUALIFYING FOR This Meet: 1:48.42
RESULTS of FINALS
RANK NAME YEAR TEAM PRELIM TIME
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
1) HOELZER, MARGARET JR AUBURN 1:58.49 1:56.16**
:27.35 :29.33 :29.61 :29.87
** NCAA Record:
2) VANASSEN, JENNIFER SR SOUTH CAROLINA 1:57.70 1:57.66
:27.56 :30.13 :30.21 :29.76
3) PERRUQUET, JESSI SR NORTH CAROLINA 1:58.43 1:57.96
:27.59 :29.68 :30.25 :30.44
4) CHANDLER, ASHLEY SO CALIFORNIA 1:58.13 1:57.99
:27.61 :29.69 :30.24 :30.45
5) KEMP, HEATHER SR AUBURN 1:57.97 1:58.24
:27.64 :29.97 :30.55 :30.08
6) HAYES, JESSICA JR ARIZONA 1:58.15 1:58.30
:27.77 :30.09 :30.40 :30.04
7) PIPER, CARLY JR WISCONSIN 1:58.34 1:58.57
:28.05 :30.02 :30.42 :30.08
8) JOHNSON, MELISSA FR ARIZONA 1:59.02 2:00.42
:28.19 :30.38 :30.96 :30.89
CONSOLATION FINAL
9) SZIGETI, FLORENCIA JR ARIZONA STATE 1:59.22 1:58.48
:28.64 :30.08 :29.91 :29.85
10) ARSENAULT, SAMANTHA JR GEORGIA 1:59.15 1:58.75
:28.21 :29.99 :30.34 :30.21
11) MEDINA, LAUREN JR CALIFORNIA 1:59.09 1:58.81
:27.61 :30.13 :30.78 :30.29
12) SMITH, LINDSEY FR MICHIGAN 1:59.39 1:59.43
:28.34 :30.10 :30.67 :30.32
12) COLGIN, DOHERTY SO INDIANA 1:59.88 1:59.43
:28.40 :30.01 :30.28 :30.74
14) HARDT, JULIE SR GEORGIA 1:59.60 1:59.46
:28.81 :30.23 :30.36 :30.06
15) UHLE, MARIETTA SO FLORIDA 1:59.83 1:59.68
:28.47 :30.14 :30.56 :30.51
16) ELLIS, JAIME SR FLORIDA 1:59.55 2:00.05
:28.21 :30.39 :30.79 :30.66