March 27, 1998

AUBURN, Ala. - Senior Lenny Krayzelburg and junior Bela Szabados each posted second-place finishes as USC finished in fifth after the second of three days at the 1998 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving championships at Auburn's James E. Martin Aquatics Center on Friday, March 27.

Stanford leads with 411 points after the second day. It is followed by Auburn (308.5), Texas (274.5), Tennessee (178), USC(175), and Arizona (152).

Krayzelburg, who earlier this year won a pair of world championship titles in the 100- and 200-meter backstrokes (longcourse), finished second in a time of 46.90 in the 100-yard back. He fell to Texas' Neil Walker (46.66) for the second straight year in the event. Krayzelburg, the defending NCAA champion in the 200-yard back, swims in the event on Saturday.

Szabados, who won an NCAA title in the 200 free as a freshman at Florida Atlantic in 1996, came within inches of winning it again on Friday, but had to settle for second in a USC school-record time of 1:34.36, just behind Arizona's Ryk Neethling's time of 1:34.19. Szabados erased the Trojan record of Thomas Fahrner, whose time of 1:35.01 had stood since 1987.

The Trojans also put together a pair of strong relays on Friday. The 200 medley relay team of Krayzelburg, jumior Mike Williams, junior David Taylor and freshman Philippe Demers finished fifth in the championship final in a school-record time of 1:27.54, breaking the time of 1:27.96 set at last year's NCAAs. The 800 relay squad of Szabados, Demers, junior Mark Kwok and sophomore Bret Awbrey took fourth in 6:26.29.

The 1998 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships concludes Saturday, March 28 at Auburn. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. and the finals start at 5 p.m. (PST).