Younger Peirsol takes second in 800 free

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Hayley Peirsol, who will be a senior at

Newport Harbor High next month, finished second in the 800-meter

freestyle Friday at the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships.

Her performance helped Irvine Novaquatics win the women’s team

championship. The Novas, coached by Dave Salo, also won the combined

team national title, for the first time in the summer event. Salo’s

men’s team, which features Newport Harbor product Aaron Peirsol,

finished second. Aaron Peirsol, the world-record holder who won

national titles in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and his younger

sister, Hayley, qualified for the U.S. national team that will

compete in the Pan Pacific Games (Aug. 24-29) in Japan. They leave

for the event Sunday.

At the Hall of Fame Aquatic Complex, Hayley Peirsol touched the

wall in a personal-best 8:30.92 in the 800 free, and came in just

behind champion Diana Munz (Lake Erie Silver Club), who finished in

8:29.02.

The 800 free national title was basically between Hayley Peirsol

and Munz, as third-place Morgan Hentzen (Industry Hills) followed in

8:39.24. Last month, Hayley Peirsol won the 800 free in 8:39.75 at

the Janet Evans Invitational.

Aaron Peirsol contributed to the Novas’ 400 medley relay team,

which finished third.

Aaron Peirsol, David Denniston, Scott Tucker and Jason Lezak

finished in 3:41.40.

Nicole Mackey, who will be a senior at Newport Harbor in the fall,

was a part of the 400 medley team that finished 19th, along with Erin

Volcan, Meredith Bryarly and Emily Silver, in 4:22.03. Mackey also

finished the 200 back in 2:25.86, for 73rd.

Ryan Lean, the Newport Harbor product who’s headed for UC

Berkeley, finished 19th in the 1,500 free. He entered the event as

the 33rd seed, but shaved six seconds off his seeded time, coming in

15:52.57.