Coughlin’s performance in the 200y free shattered the previous mark she set in 2002 (1:42.65) by almost a full second. She outdistanced the rest of the field by about five seconds, ahead of fellow Olympians Kaitlin Sandeno (Lake Forest, Calif. / Club Wolverine) and Margaret Hoelzer of Auburn Aquatics, who finished second and third, respectively.

 “(The 100y free on Saturday) kind of gave me a little more confidence, and my 200 felt so easy this morning, I thought I could come in and do a best time,” Coughlin said. “To see a 1:41 was quite exciting. At this stage of the season, I’d be happy to (drop) tenths of a second off my best time. To take a second off is amazing.”

Later, Coughlin returned to the pool to take the women’s 50y free in 22.03. Cal Aquatics teammate Allison Wagner, a member of the 1996 Olympic team, was second, while Katherine Raatz of Golden West Swim Club finished in third place.

Sandeno won her fourth event of the meet Sunday, cruising to a victory in the 400y IM with a time of 4:09.74. Sandeno’s Club Wolverine teammate, eight-time Olympian Michael Phelps, is also having a great meet at the Belmont Plaza Pool, winning his third event of the weekend on Sunday in the men’s 400y IM.

Phelps’ time of 3:39.61 was about three and a half seconds ahead of the rest of the field, outdistancing Tunisian Olympian Ous Mellouli and Hungarian Olympian Tamas Kerekjarto, both of Trojan.

“I wanted to break 3:40, so I attained my goals tonight and did what I wanted to do,” Phelps said. “I was really, really pleased. That’s about all I can say.”

In other events, three-time Olympic gold medalist and world record-holder Aaron Peirsol of Longhorn Aquatics bounced back from a rare loss in the men’s 200y backstroke Saturday to win the 200y free Sunday with a time of 1:34.96.

Caitlin Leverenz (Tucson, Ariz. / El Dorado) scored somewhat of an upset over Olympian Tara Kirk in the women’s 200y breast, going stroke-for-stroke with the American record-holder down the homestretch to pull off a win in 2:08.11. Kirk finished right behind in 2:08.25, while 2006 National Junior Teamer Jessie Schmitt of North Coast was third.

Not only did Leverenz pull off the win, but her swim was also 15-16 girls national age group record.

“I’m very excited,” said Leverenz, a member of the 2007 U.S. Pan American Games team. “That’s one of my favorite events, so to win it makes it even more exciting.

“Tara and I have gone head-to-head before, so we have a friendly rivalry going on. I wanted it, so I went for it that last 25. I dropped like three seconds, so I was really pleased with my time at this point in the season.”

There were few surprises in the men’s 200y breast, as American record-holder Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn) won the event by close to three seconds ahead of the rest of the field with a time of 1:53.78. Phelps, making a rare appearance in a breaststroke event, was second, while Boilermaker Aquatic’s Giordan Pogioli, a member of the 2007 World University Games team, took third.