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US National Champs - Day 4 Report

Aug 18, 2001

CLOVIS, Calif. - A few years back, Haley Cope competed in her first national championships at the Clovis West High School pool.

On day four of the Phillips 66 National Championships, she came home again. Cope, 22, of Chico, Calif., won her first national championship in the women's 100m back with a time of 1:01.89. Afterward, she commented on the irony of winning it at this familiar venue.

"I am proud of my first national title," said Cope, world champion in the 50m back. "It's nice to win it here in front of my family. I swam my first senior meet ever here and I'm glad that I was able to win my first title here.

"I felt more on my game here (than at the FINA World Championships last month in Fukuoka, Japan). I was more rested and I've been swimming better here. I was more certain of what I was going to accomplish here."

In the men's 100m back, Peter Marshall, 19, of Atlanta, Ga., took first with a time of 55.57. Marshall will be competing in the World University games later this month in Beijing, China.

"This was the only event I swam, really, so I was happy to say the least," Marshall said. "This is kind of like a warmup for the World University Games.

"Based on what I went, I should be able to do well when I shave and get another week of rest in me. I think I'll be alright."

Ashley Chandler, 17, of Chandler, Ariz., won her second national title in the women's 400 free with a time of 4:13.29. Chandler was first at the Phillips 66 national championships last spring and went on to finish 13th at World Championships.

"I am really happy I won," she said. "I was not fully rested [for my race here] so I feel like I can go a lot faster.

"I wanted to go out and stay ahead, but not go out too fast. I was really concerned about my teammate Kalyn [Keller] in lane eight, because I knew she was going to swim fast and I could not see her."

With a number of youngster gunning for him in the men's 400m free, Chad Carvin, 27, of Laguna Hills, Calif., proved he felt as young as any of them by finishing first with a time of 3:50.04. It was Carvin's seventh national title in the 400, his 16th overall. "It feels awesome," Carvin said. "It's tough to win here, so you've got to savor it, whether its your first (title) or your 16th."

Carvin took his race out strong and managed to hold on to his win.

"I was thinking during the races that third doesn't feel as good as first, so I'd better hang on to this. I just figured if I took it out and someone took it out with me, they wouldn't have the kick at the end."

In the women's 100m breast, Olympic gold medalist Megan Quann, 17, of Puyallup, Wash., won with a time of 1:08.61.

"I am really happy I won," Quann said. "I was not fully rested [for my race here] so I feel like I can go a lot faster."

Jarrod Marrs, 26, of Baton Rouge, La., won his first national title in five years in the men's 100m breast. His swim earned him a spot on the Goodwill Games team, which will compete later this month in Brisbane, Australia.

"I went out a little too hard, and I really felt it the last 15 meters," Marrs said. "I just think my lead was a little too big (for the rest of the field to catch up. A few of the top guys were missing from the meet, so I felt I had to take advantage of it.

"I was confident I could win, and I might have put a little too much pressure on myself. I would have liked to do a better time, but the trip to Australia will be nice."

Dana Kirk, 17, of Bremerton, Wash., will be making the trip to Australia with Marrs. She won the women's 100m fly with a time of 1:00.04.

"I was confident," Kirk said. "This morning I was relaxed and I felt really good. I came back with the same feeling. I was pretty excited and I could feel it off the start."

Kirk's sister Tara will also be traveling around the world as a member of the World University Games team. She was also present in Clovis to see her sister win the title.

"She's always been here every step of the way and she really calmed me down before this race," Dana Kirk said.

Also making the Goodwill Games team is 13-year-old Dana Vollmer, who was third in the 100m fly with a time of 1:00.57.

"It was surprising," Vollmer said. "I thought I could go. Everyone is older than me, but I thought I had the same equal chance that they had."

In the final race of the night, Michael Phelps, 16, of Baltimore, Md., turned the jets on in the last 25 meters to win the men's 100m fly with a time of 53:15.

"I wanted to swim faster," Phelps said. "I must improve my start. I was back in 27.6, so that was pretty fast. I remember kicking off and seeing [Jeff] Somensatto ahead of me. "That really motivates me to go faster, and I put more into my last 50. I was pretty happy with my time."