Quance Spreads Her Wings and Finishes Second to Wagstaff in 200-Meter Butterfly

Kristine Quance of Northridge, a four-time national champion in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 and 400 individual medleys, is also a rapidly improving 200 butterfly swimmer.

And although she finished second to Olympian Janie Wagstaff in the 200-meter butterfly Friday in the Janet Evans Invitational at USC, it has not dampened her enthusiasm for the event.

Like Wagstaff, who is expanding her repertoire from the backstroke, Quance believes that when the 1996 Olympic Games roll around she could step into the breach created by the expected retirements of Summer Sanders, Crissy Ahmann-Leighton and Angie Wester-Krieg, who swam the butterfly for the United States in the 1992 Olympics.

“I think she can be a contender in it,” said Quance’s coach, Bud McAllister of CLASS Aquatics, shortly after Quance touched in 2 minutes 17.70 seconds to Wagstaff’s 2:16.41.

For now, however, it is a pressure-free event.

“I like it because if I do bad, it’s OK,” Quance said. “And if I do well, it’s great.”

The 200 butterfly also is not a specialty of Quance’s teammate, Alexis Larsen, who finished eighth in a lifetime best of 2:21.27.

In the 400 freestyle, Larsen took fifth with a clocking of 4:24.62. Sara Nichols of Conejo-Simi Aquatics touched right behind her in 4:25.22. The race was won by world-record holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist Evans, in 4:12.26.

In a highly competitive men’s 200 backstroke final, Jason Stelle of Agoura placed fifth with a time of 2:05.83. The event was won by world-record holder and Olympic gold medalist Martin Zubero in 2:00.25.

Stelle, who represents Trojan Swim Club, also swam the 100 freestyle, finishing 18th with a time of 54.13.

In the women’s 100 freestyle, Lindsay Gassner, 17, of Canyon Aquatics, finished in eighth place in 1:00.99.

Swimming Notes

Rebecca Gilman, 13, of Buenaventura, finished 11th in the 100 freestyle in 1:00.32 and 14th in the 400 freestyle in 4:28.58. In the men’s 400 freestyle, Matthew Prezzano of Conejo-Simi finished 14th in 4:12.68.

In the men’s 200 butterfly, Clay Flocco, 16, of Buenaventura, took 10th in 2:10.73. Teammate Chris Pelant was 18th in 2:12.22.

In the women’s butterfly, Marissa Roarty, 14, of Buenaventura was 12th in 2:26.62. Teammates Nicole Beck, 12, and Danielle Walker, 16, finished 14th and 18th.

Jennifer Parmenter, 12, of Canyon Aquatic placed 10th in the 200 backstroke in 2:23.79. Eric Schatz, 15, of CLASS Aquatics followed in 11th place in 2:23.79. Mandy Walz, 16, of Buenaventura was 15th in 2:27.40 and Courtney Duncan, 14, of Conejo-Simi Aquatics, was 19th. Charles Girdlestone placed 12th in men’s 200 backstroke in 2:11.41.

* WAGSTAFF DOMINATES: C4