UW senior takes second in U.S. 200 breaststroke
the Star-Tribune staff | Posted: Wednesday, April 6, 2005 12:00 am
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Wyoming senior swimmer Scott Usher earned a spot on the 2005 United States World Championships team by finishing second in the 200-meter breaststroke at the World Championships Trials on Tuesday night.
The top two placers in each event advance to the World Championships at Montreal on July 24-31.
The 2004 Olympian touched the wall in 2 minutes, 13.46 seconds. Fellow Olympian Brendan Hansen of Austin, Texas, the world record-holder in both breaststroke events, won in a time of 2:10.20 at the Indiana University Natatorium on the IUPUI campus.
Hansen and Usher finished first and second, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, and both competed in the Athens Games in August. Hansen won a silver medal at the Summer Games while Usher came in seventh.
"Scott set up his race perfectly tonight," UW head coach Tom Johnson said. "He had a nice, long, smooth stroke throughout the race and did a great job of not rushing."
Usher, a native of Grand Island, Neb., swam the fourth-fastest opening 50 meters on Tuesday with a time of 30.64. He moved into second place after the first turn and finished the first 100 meters in 1:04.65. Usher maintained second place and finished the third length in 1:38.70.
Usher was coming off a disappointing sixth-place finish in Friday's 100 breaststroke.
Usher also qualified for the World University Games in Turkey in August, but it has yet to be decided whether he will compete in the event.
Also on Tuesday, former Kelly Walsh High School standout Alec Haley placed 22nd in the 200 breaststroke. The now-Indiana University athlete had a time of 2:23.95.
UW's Lindsey Russenberger only swam in a women's 200 breaststroke time trial on Tuesday.