LEZAK AND PHELPS WIN IN AUSTIN

MAJALAH AKUATIK INDONESIA. Olympic champions Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif.) and Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) won gold medals Saturday night on the second day of competition at the 2011 Austin Grand Prix. Lezak topped the field in the men’s 50m free while Phelps was victorious in the men’s 100m back. The meet, taking place at the University of Texas at Austin, concludes Sunday, January 16.

The 50m free saw a close race between Lezak and National Teamer Josh Schneider (Cincinnati, Ohio). Lezak beat him to the wall by just two one-hundredths for the win in 22.57. Schneider was second in 22.59 and Canadian Olympian Brent Hayden grabbed third place with a time of 22.78.

Phelps won the 100m back in one of the most stacked races of the night. The sixteen-time Olympic gold medalist held off a late surge from Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) to win his second gold medal of the meet with a time of 54.14. Short course world-record holder Nick Thoman (Cincinnati, Ohio) was second in 54.73 and Lochte was third in 54.95.

Franklin took home her first gold of the night with her strong performance in the 50m free. She won the race with a time of 25.50. Julia Smit (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.) was second in 25.69 and Simone Manuel was third in 26.27. Franklin picked up her second gold medal of the night with a win in the women’s 100m back with a time of 59.75. National Teamers Elizabeth Pelton (Baltimore, Md.) and Rachel Bootsma (Eden Prairie, Minn.) placed second and third, respectively. Pelton finished in 1:00.72 and Bootsma swam a 1:01.05.

Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.) picked up his second gold medal of the meet with his win in the 200m fly. The 2009 World Championship medalist won the event with a time of 1:59.37. Todd Patrick (St. Louis, Mo.) finished second in 2:00.98 while Jordan Hartney was third in 2:03.10.

In the final of the women’s 200m fly, Elaine Breeden (Lexington, Ky.) won in 2:10.89. Breeden beat out fellow 2008 Olympian Kathleen Hersey (Atlanta, Ga.), who placed second in 2:12.89. Canada’s Tanya Hunks placed third in 2:15.30.

Eric Shanteau (Lilburn, Ga.) won his second Austin Grand Prix gold in the 200m breast. He beat the rest of the field by over two seconds to win in 2:12.12. Clark Burckle (Louisville, Ky.) earned the second-place spot with a time of 2:14.55 and Nitro Swimming’s Zach Gunn was third in 2:16.13. Canada’s Haylee Johnson won the women’s 200m breast with a time of 2:31.40. Raminta Dvariskyte was second in 2:33.03 and Romy Landeck placed third in 2:35.56.

The 400m free was won by Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) on the women’s side and Chip Peterson (Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.) on the men’s side. The women’s race was a battle between Zielger and Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.) but Zielger came out ahead with a time of 4:08.28. Hoff finished in 4:09.51 and Camryne Morris was third in 4:13.29. Peterson won the men’s gold in 3:53.64. He was followed by Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.), who was a close second in 3:53.73 and Andrew Gemmell (Wilmington, Del.), who was third in 3:57.30. (usa swimming)