article:"The only thing going through my mind was simply kill them and win the race.”

www.texassports.com/.../msw_relayteam_030406_300.jpg Brendan Hansen (left), Ian Crocker, meet announcer Sam Kendricks, Neil Walker and Aaron Peirsol after setting a new American record in the 400-yard medley relay. 03/04/2006 Three American records fall on final day of American Short Course Championships · Results AUSTIN, Texas -- Olympic medalists and former Texas Longhorns Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Neil Walker combined for a new American record time of 3:02.94 in the 400-yard medley relay on the final day of the American Short Course Championships Saturday in Austin. It was the second new American record for the relay team of Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker and Walker at the meet. This time they topped the old record of 3:04.47 set by Peirsol, Hansen, Crocker and UT alumnus Chris Kemp set on March 27, 2003. “Racing relays and breaking records together is something we have always talked about,” said Crocker. “To be able to get out like we did and swim in our home pool is just something special.” Overall, it was the eighth American record broken at the event and third by former University of Texas swimmers. The foursome combined on Thursday to set a new American record in the 200-yard medley relay (1:24.00) and Hansen set a new record in the 200-yard breaststroke (1:51.74) on Friday. “To be able to this in front of our Longhorn fans is amazing,” said Walker. “We could feel the support the whole way, pushing us to go faster and it really made a difference.” Tara Kirk broke the first American record of the day in a time trial of the 100-yard breaststroke. She shattered her own record of 58.41 set on Feb. 28, 2003 with a blistering time of 57.77. Michael Phelps finished the meet three-for-three with three titles and three new American records. He again brought the crowd to its feet by posting a new American record in the final individual race of the night, the 200-yard individual medley. Phelps touched the wall in a time of 1:41.30, just passing the mark of 1:41.71 set in March 24, of last year by Ryan Lochte of Florida. Phelps also set new American records in the 400-yard individual medley (3:36.26) on Thursday and the 200-yard butterfly (1:43.78) and Friday. Peirsol’s first win of the day came in the 200-yard backstroke where he finished just .16 shy of matching the American record of 1:38.29 by touching the wall at 1:38.45. Also swimming in the 200-yard backstroke was freshman Scott Trompeter (San Antonio, Texas), junior Garrett Weber-Gale (Fox Point, Wisc.) and sophomore Christopher Seitz (Taylor Mill, Ky.). Trompeter finished in first-place of the ‘B’ final with a time of 1:47.46. Weber-Gale and Seitz both swam in the championship final with Peirsol. Weber-Gale took seventh-place with a time of 1:45.69, despite a preliminary race time of 1:44.91 and Seitz finished in eighth-place with a time of 1:46.00. All three times were under NCAA consideration qualifying standards. The men’s sprint freestyle event again took center stage, this time in the 100-yard freestyle and five Olympians, UT Olympians Crocker and Walker, Rolan Schumann, Jason Lezak and Klete Keller, all in the pool at the same time. Crocker won the highly anticipated showdown with a time of 41.81, just shy of the American record of 41.62. “I knew I had to get out after the first 25-yards,” said Crocker. “With the guys in the line-up I knew I need to get out ahead quickly. The only thing going through my mind was simply kill them and win the race.” In the men’s 1,650-yard freestyle, freshman Scott Drews (Jacksonville, Fla.) posted a preliminary NCAA consideration qualifying time of 15:24.79 to make it to the championship final. He finished in fifth-place with a time of 15.38.65. For the women, UT alumna Tanika Jamison finished runner-up in the women’s 100-yard freestyle with a time of 49.33, just .02 seconds behind first-place Tara Thomas who finished in 49.31. Jamison also took third-place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:59.88. Margaret Hoelzer, a 2004 Olympic team member, won her third event of the meet in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:51.71. She also won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 52.89 on Thursday and the 100-yard backstroke in 52.55 on Friday. “It was my best time ever,” said Hoelzer. “I am a little tired now but it was a great meet. I have had a fun time in Austin, everyone has been great, but the pool has been wonderful.” Complete final results for the American Short Course Championships can be found at www.utexas.edu/.../ from www.texassports.com/index.php