Photo by Ed OswaltSteven Stumph broke the national 100-yard breaststroke record Saturday in the North Coast Section Championships.
One race, three national records.
Courtesy photoSteven Stumph
Technically, there's only one national record, but two others broke the previous national mark as well.
So it was at the North Coast Section swim championships Saturday in Northern California.
Campolindo (Moraga) senior and USC-bound Steven Stumph finished off an electric meet by winning the 100-yard breaststroke in 53.39 seconds. He was followed by Charlie Wiser (53.57), of
Miramonte (Orinda), and Nick Silverthorn (53.61), of
Granada (Livermore).
All were under the previous mark of 53.67 set by six-time Olympic medalist Brendan Hansen, who graduated from
Haverford (Pa.). Stumph is the No. 20 overall recruit in the country according to
collegeswimming.com.
"I knew both Nick and Charlie were going to push me to do my best, and they definitely did," Stumph told Stephanie Hammon of the
Contra Costa Times. "I couldn't have asked for a better race. ... It was amazing all the positive energy coming from the crowd, the announcers, and my teammates."
Said Campolindo coach Ron Heidary: "I think the consensus from everybody I talked to was that was the most extraordinary heats of swimming that anybody has ever seen."
Photo courtesy of Peter H. BickChelsea Chenault
It was the only national record set at the meet at Concord Community Pool. The 400 free relay team from
Carondelet (Concord) broke the girls national mark by going 3:20.42, breaking the national mark of 3:21.63 set by
Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) earlier this season.
The team of Chelsea Chenault, Natalie Amberg, Madelyn Murphy and Madison White broke the previous mark by more than a second.
Chenault, an Olympic Trials finalist last summer and No. 8 recruit in the country, also won the 200 and 500 freestyle and set three NCS records. Her 49.27 leadoff leg also set the 100 freestyle section record. She's also headed to USC.