Hoff, Beisel turn in impressive marks in 400 IM prelims

Katie Hoff was under American record-pace at the midway point of her heat. Elizabeth Beisel flirted with breaking the world record through 250 meters in her opening swim Sunday.

Their performances in the women's 400 individual medley prelims wound up producing two of the top 14 marks in event history and set the stage for what could be an incredible showdown on the first night of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Qwest Center in Omaha.

Hoff set the American record of 4 minutes, 32.89 seconds at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. At the time, Hoff's effort was good for the world record until Australia's Stephanie Rice lowered it to 4:31.46 at the Australian Olympic trials in March.

The 19-year-old Hoff, representing North Baltimore Aquatics Club, was a tenth under her own record pace through 200 meters, but finished with the top qualifying time of 4:34.59, giving her half of the top eight marks all-time in the event.

Beisel, 15, who attends North Kingston High in Rhode Island and competes for Bluefish Swim Club, was five-hundredths under Rice's world record-pace through 250, but couldn't maintain the effort and clocked a lifetime-best 4:35.76, No. 3 in U.S. history behind Hoff and Kaitlin Sandeno (4:34.95), who qualified 10th in 4:44.17.

Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge junior Andrea Kropp, representing Swim Pasadena, clocked 4:51.41, one tenth off her best time recorded June 7 at the Janet Evans Invitational at USC. Kropp finished 31st out of 82 swimmers.

Chaminade of West Hills junior Meghan Hawthorne, competing for Porter Valley Aquatics, finished 48th in 4:54.41. Hawthorne's best time entering the meet was 4:52.57.

UCLA sophomore Samantha VandenBerge, a La Serna of Whittier graduate, took 79th in 5:05.03, well off her qualifying time of 4:53.72.