Olympic swimming: June 2008 Archives

When Naperville native Mary DeScenza, Neuqua Valley graduate Melissa Marik and Naperville Central graduate Kelly McNichols finish swimming a race this weekend at the U.S. Olympic Trials, they could be asked for a little something extra.

That's because for the first time, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency will be conducting blood tests for performance enhancing drugs at the swimming trials.

It's probably a good idea. USA Swimming doesn't want to get embarrassed like the Bulgarian weightlifting team. Filthy buggers.

Marik is entered in the 100-meter butterfly and the 200 freestyle. McNichols qualified for five events: the 100 breaststroke, 200 breast, 200 free, 200 individual medley and the 100 free.

DeScenza will race in the 200 backstroke, 200 butterfly, 100 fly, 200 free and the 100 breast.

USA Swimming released the pysch sheet for the U.S. Olympic Trials on Tuesday, and while The Heat Index isn't exactly sure what a pysch sheet is, it sure seems like a long list of people who are qualified for the trials.

Naperville native Mary DeScenza was near the top of three of those long lists. DeScenza is the third seed for both the 100-meter butterfly and the 200 butterfly. She is the fifth seed in the 100 backstroke.

The trials will be held June 29-July 6 in Omaha, Neb.

With two golds and a bronze at the Charlotte Ultraswim over the weekend, Naperville native Mary DeScenza finished the Toyota Grand Prix Series in second place behind Michael Phelps.

Phelps had 20 golds and four silvers for 112 points to win the $20, 000 prize. DeScenza had nine golds, nine silvers and four bronzes for 76 points to win nothing the hearts and minds of loyal Heat Index readers.

Naperville native Mary DeScenza broke the meet record for the 100-meter butterfly both in the prelims and the finals on Friday at the Charlotte UltraSwim.

She swam a 59.25 in the prelims and a 58.54 in the championship heat.

DeScenza's meet record in this morning's prelims shattered the 8-year-old mark held by Slovakian Olympian Martina Moracova by 24-hundredths of a second.

"It's my best time by about two-tenths," DeScanza said. "I don't normally go that fast in-season, but I've been training my butt off this year. This is just a trial run for (Olympic) Trials, and I've been getting out there and racing as much as I can. You can't do average times all year, and then expect to go fast at Trials. That's my philosophy this year."