Cail, Beard Slated to Duel in 200 IM

In what could be the race of the meet, Olympic medalist Amanda Beard of Irvine and Marina’s Jamie Cail will face off in the 200-yard individual medley tonight in the Southern Section Division I finals at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Cail, who transferred from Florida to California last Fall, swam 2 minutes 4.29 seconds to record the event’s fastest time at Thursday’s preliminaries. Amanda Beard was second fastest, 2:04.73.

Three weeks ago, Cail defeated Beard at the Foothill Games, winning the event (2:04.70). That time broke Janet Evans’ mark by more than a second. Beard, however, has the fastest time in the event this season, a 2:03.56 at Sea View League finals last week.

“I think this will be a good challenge for Amanda,” Irvine Coach Scott Hinman said. “Last week at league finals, Amanda was focusing on her backstroke in the 200 IM and did her best time. So if she can focus on that and get her breaststroke going, I think she’ll be ready. It’s going to be a great race, any way you look at it.”

Cail also had the top prelim time in the 500 freestyle (4:45.93). Kaitlan Sandeno of El Toro had the second fastest time, finishing 12 seconds behind Cail. Evans holds the national high school record in the 500 at 4:37.30.

At the Sunset League finals last week, Cail’s winning time broke Debbie Babashoff’s 1988 record in the 500 freestyle.

Beard swam the fastest prelim time in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.06). Beard holds the Division I record in the event (1:01.79), which she set her freshman year.

Other top qualifiers were: Sarah Jones of San Clemente, 50 free, 24.31; Erin Zehntner of Irvine, 100 butterfly, 58.19; and Meghan Casillan of Huntington Beach, 100 backstroke, 58.34.

Irvine’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay team had the top qualifying times. Marina had the top time in the 400 freestyle relay.

In the boys’ prelims, Jeff Larson of Marina and Mission Viejo’s Alan Ong to posted the fastest qualifying times in each of their two individual events.

Larson swam 1:53.15 in the 200 IM and 51.84 in the 100 butterfly. Ong’s times came in the 50 (21.42) and 100 freestyles (46.50).

Frank Uxa of Santa Margarita turned in the fastest time in the 100 backstroke (52.30). Daniel Kim of Irvine had the top qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke.