Backstroke

Because Harford County does not recognize indoor track and field as a varsity sport, the name of Paris Williams wasn't likely on the lips of the 11 other runners who lined up in the 500-meter race for a shot at a gold medal at the Class 3A-2A state championships on Feb. 20. And that suited Williams just fine. The Aberdeen junior let her time speak for itself, as she crossed the finish line in 1 minute, 18.03 seconds and claimed her first state crown. Williams, who won despite being seeded in the first - or "slower" - heat and having to wait until the second heat had been completed, said she relished her anonymity.

Pasadena's Nancy Brown led a contingent of four Anne Arundel County women to a string of swimming gold medals in last week's National Senior Games, a competition that drew about 10,000 athletes in many sports to the University of Pittsburgh. Brown, 69, a longtime swimming coach and swimmer, brought home gold medals and national records for all six events she entered in the 65-69 age group. The Pittsburgh games were the first Senior Olympics Brown had entered, although she and a team of masters swimmers she has coached for many years have won often in national YMCA competition.

INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Phelps only caught a glimpse of Jason Lezak, the second-fastest man in the world in the 100-meter freestyle, as he made the turn at the halfway point of that event last night at the 2005 world championship trials. But that didn't bother Phelps. As he closed on the final 25 meters, Phelps' hands seemed to grab bigger and bigger gobs of water. He advanced with a flurry, pulling his long, slim body ever faster through the water to win the sprint and leave Lezak to rationalize finishing second.

INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Phelps was in the cool-down pool when he heard that Aaron Peirsol had broken the world record for the 100-meter backstroke. And he had barely emerged from the water when his old North Baltimore Aquatic Club teammate, Katie Hoff, touched to win the women's 200 freestyle. Phelps, who had won his own race, the men's 200 freestyle, here at the World Championship Trials, was joyful. He slapped Peirsol's hand and then raved about Hoff, who came from behind to win in 1 minute, 59.56 seconds, a career best by 2 1/2 seconds.

Randolph-Macon's Erin Ewalt has become the most decorated women's swimmer in the history of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Ewalt, a junior from Lutheran High, is the conference's first three-time Swimmer of the Year. She has won nine individual ODAC gold medals and 11 gold medals as a member of relay teams. This season, the Yellow Jackets' co-captain established conference and school records in the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 11.06 seconds) and the 400 IM (4:37.89), to go along with the five conference and school records she holds on relay teams.

The first regional swimming meet for public schools went off without a hitch last weekend at the University of Maryland, and it was so successful that organizers want to do it again next year and possibly start a state competition in 2007. North Harford's Jason Mills served as the meet's director and said about 350 swimmers from around the state took part in the two competitions. Schools from Southern Maryland and Prince George's County took part in the South Region meets, while Harford and Frederick County schools joined others from the Eastern Shore and Baltimore City in the East Region.

Another year, another championship for the Loyola swimming team. The host Dons used their depth to pull away and win their 11th straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association swimming and diving championship last night. Loyola won only four of the 12 events but piled up so many points in other places that the other 10 schools could do little to challenge. Loyola finished with 682 points, far ahead of second-place Mount St. Joseph. The Gaels (457) edged out McDonogh (428) and Calvert Hall (416)

The Harford County boys swimming meet quickly turned into a duel between defending champion Fallston and Havre de Grace, a battle that wasn't settled until the final race at Magnolia Middle School. Fallston, clinging to a one-point lead heading into that last race, the 400-yard freestyle relay, locked up the championship in style by winning the race in 3 minutes, 32.51 seconds -- just .05 away from the county mark Havre de Grace set two years ago. That victory let Fallston finish with 281 team points, good for its second straight boys title and third in four years.

Loyola swimming coach Keith Schertle doesn't try to dance around the truth when asked how good his team will be this winter. "This is probably the most talented team I've had," Schertle said. Schertle knows talent because he has had plenty of it with Loyola. The Dons have a good shot at winning their 11th straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship. Loyola is loaded with experienced seniors who've competed in many tough meets, but Schertle likes the fact that they're not breezing through practices.

ATHENS -- The United States' Aaron Peirsol was the Olympic champion in the 200-meter backstroke. Then he wasn't. After a confusing 20 minutes, he was again. Afterward, once he had the gold medal around his neck, Peirsol, 21, of Irvine, Calif., adopted the attitude that all's well that ends well. "Nothing happened," he said. "It was a little weird, but it's OK. It came out all right." Indeed it did for Peirsol. He finished first in the race in an Olympic record of 1 minute, 54.95 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Markus Rogan of Austria and third-place Razvan Florea of Romania.