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Canadian Summer Nationals - Day 1

Aug 5, 2001

It's a busy swimming calendar these days. After a physically and mentally demanding eight-day World Championships, the Aussies didn't miss a beat, and were already back home racing a seven-day short course meet, full of world records. The Canadians started their long course nationals today, which will serve as a selection meet for next year's Canadian Junior touring team. And while the focus this week will be adding national titles and records, many swimmers will be heading off next week to London, ON for Canada Summer Games. But the fun doesn't stop there, a small group of university students will head to Beijing for World Student Games and another group will be back down under, this time in Brisbane, for the Goodwill Games.

Now if that isn't tiring enough, today's events were the women's 1500, men's 800, and the 4x200 freestyle relay.

In the 1500, Danielle Bell of Island swimming continued her hold over women's distance swimming, winning in a 16:52.29. But the swim of the night has to go 15 year old Taryn Lencoe of the Pacific Dolphins. Lencoe swam a 17:01.46-a personal best of 24 seconds from last month in Santa Clara, and over a 30 second drop from winter nationals.

Lencoe is coached by Kelly Taitinger and recently spent a few months training with Steve Price, which gave her the opportunity to train with Canadian Olympian Tim Peterson. "Yep, it was just the two of us," says Lencoe. "I got to train with Tim for about two months while everyone was away at Worlds." It certainly did not hurt the youngster who was quite excited after winning her first national medal. "I went into the race knowing I could get a medal, but I knew I had to really push myself because I was pretty nervous tonight, I look at those girls (Bell, and third place finisher Karley Stutzel of Island) as the 'big guys' so it was a bit scary."

In the men's 800, Rick Say of Calgary took it out in 55.1, only to drop his pace off steadily with each hundred. Say was several body lengths ahead of fellow Olympian Andrew Hurd of Mississauga at the 400, but Say slowed decisively while Hurd reeled him in. Although flipping within one second from Say at the 700, Hurd was unable to catch Say, who put on some speed in the last 100, with a final lap of 59.7 to finish in an 8:09.56. Hurd's time of 8:11.22 was well off his best of 8:00, however Hurd has been struggling to regain his form after an ankle sprain weeks before World Championships.

The relays were dominated once again by the Pacific Dolphins who won both the men's and women's races. Highlights included a pair of 2:01's by Marianne Limpert and Jessica Deglau, and a personal best 200 for Mike Mintenko who led off in a 1:50.56.