By Town Crier Staff Report

Local members of the Stanford Covington Racing Aquatics swim team made waves in meets held last month.

Los Altos resident Brook Bishop placed in two events at the USA Senior National Championships, which took place March 19-23 in Minneapolis.

Bishop, a Mountain View High sophomore, finished eighth in the 100-meter backstroke and sixth in the 50 freestyle. Her 50 free time set a new Pacific Region swimming record for 15-16 girls. She performed well enough in both events to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Trials.

At the USA Junior National Championships, held March 26-30 in Long Beach, Lauren Bailey took fifth in the 400 individual medley, sixth in the 1,000-yard free and seventh in the 1,650-yard free. These are the best places a SCRA swimmer has ever achieved at the Junior National.

At the recent Short Course Far Western Championships in Walnut Creek, two Los Altos swimmers helped SCRA finish eighth out of 80 teams. The Far Western is widely regarded as the fastest age-group meet in the country, according to SCRA coach Scott Shea.

Leading the SCRA team were Los Altos residents Veronica Tse, 10, and Caitlin Beyer, 12, plus Danielle Hildebrandt, 14, of Menlo Park

Tse finished second in the 100 backstroke, fourth in the 50 back, sixth in the 50 free and eighth in the 100 free. Beyer placed fifth in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 IM. Hildebrandt finished fifth in the 200 free and sixth in the 200 IM.