Clearwater’s Robert Margalis got back in the pool and shook off the disappointment of finishing third in Sunday night’s finals of the 400-meter individual medley by turning in a lifetime best in the 200 freestyle.

No, Margalis’ time of 1 minute, 41.31 seconds wasn’t good enough to make tonight’s semifinals in the event, but a personal record is always a good thing to swim after you have just missed making the Olympic team by one place. Also swimming the prelims in the 200 free was Clearwater’s Grant Johnson, who was 44th in 1:51.67.

Margalis is still expected to compete in the 200 fly, 200 IM and 1,500 free. His little sister, Countryside High’s Melanie Margalis, swam her first event at her first Olympic Trials, finishing 69th in the prelims of the 400 free in 4:21.24.

Tampa Prep graduate Chelsea Nauta, a freshman at Georgia, also had a good showing in Monday’s prelims. She took 23rd in the 400 free with her personal best time of 4:15.14. Also in the 400 free, Countryside’s Katie Kastes, now at Arkansas, who went 4:19.94 for 61st place.

Another local athlete competing Monday included Academy of the Holy Names product Kelley Hug, who was 52nd in the 100 backstroke at 1:03:50. She currently swims for Stanford University. Also in that event was St. Petersburg Northeast’s Megan Romano, who is trying to overcome the effects of mononucleosis. She started her trials campaign with 55th place in 1:03.60.

A total of 121 swimmers competed in the women’s 100 back, including Natalie Coughlin and Hayley McGregory. In one heat, McGregory broke Coughlin’s world record with her time of 59.15. In the next heat, Coughlin got it back with her 59.03.

In the men’s 100 back, Jesuit High’s Tommy Wyher, now swimming for UNC, went 57.07 for 39th in the field of 83 qualifiers.