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Dolan Tie With 15-Year Old Peirsol Highlights Day Two Of Janet Evans Invitational

Jul 25, 1998

LOS ANGELES - Fifteen-year old Aaron Peirsol and Olympic gold medalist Tom Dolan swam to a tie in the 200m backstroke, highlighting a competitive second day at the 5th annual Janet Evans Invitational on Friday (July 24) at the USC McDonald's Swim Stadium in the meet hosted by USC and presented by Speedo.

Peirsol, who will enter Newport (Calif.) Harbor High this fall, actually led Dolan with 50 meters to go but the veteran caught the teenager at the wall as both finished in 2:04.34.

"I was trying to put it out of my mind, swimming next him", Peirsol said. "It was kind of intimidating. But I was still trying to take the swim out fast. I wasn't really worried how I finished because I was swimming next to an Olympic gold medalist."

USC's Lindsay Benko, a senior, posted an impressive win in the 400m freestyle, winning in 4:19.01, taking the event less than 30 minutes after competing in the 200m backstroke. She fought off a late charge from Wisconsin Aquatics' Ellen Stonebraker (4:19.48) to secure the win.

"I was a little nervous entering the race but the 200 back kind of warmed me up", Benko said. "It was a really good time for me at this time of the season."

Liesl Kolbisen of Hillenbrand Aquatics opened the second day of the meet by winning the 100m freestyle in 57.34, holding off Stanford's Gabrielle Rose (57.53). Rose's Stanford teammate, Sabir Muhammad, won the men's 100m freestyle in 51.89, beating fellow Cardinal swimmer Dod Wales (51.94).

U.S. Olympian Trina Jackson of Arizona won the 200m butterfly in 2:15.73, edging Santa Clara Aquatics' Angie Wester-Krieg (2:15.75). U.S. Olympic silver medalist Tom Malchow of Club Wolverine posted a convincing win in the men's 200m butterfly in 1:59.04, more than three seconds ahead of second-place Ugur Taner of Hillenbrand.

U.S. National teamer B.J. Bedford won the women's 200m backstroke in 2:14.35, also winning by more than three seconds.

Arizona swimmer Ryk Neethling won his second event of the meet by taking the men's 400m freestyle in 3:55.97, sending Hillenbrand club teammate Taner (3:59.62) to his second second-place finish.

The meet continues Saturday and Sunday (July 25-26) with prelims beginning at 9 a.m. and finals starting at 5 p.m. each day.