INDIANAPOLIS -- Beth Botsford, 13, of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, finished fifth last night in the 100-meter backstroke at the National Swimming Championships.

Botsford's time of 1 minute, 2.92 seconds was a personal best and only .23 seconds behind third place.

Two other Baltimore area swimmers distinguished themselves in the 100 backstroke.

Lisa Pastrana of Navy Juniors clocked 1:05.42 for 32nd -- 39 places higher than her No. 71 seeding -- and Ingrid Kilpe of the Retriever Aquatic Club swam 1:05.57 for 37th after being seeded 51st.

Gary Hall of Texas won the night's featured event, the men's 100 freestyle, and tied Matt Biondi's pool record of 49.31. Hall's time is second in the world this year -- behind the 48.21 world record set by Russia's Alexander Popov -- and is No. 7 all-time.

North Baltimore's Kelly McPherson, in the first of her three distance events here, was 19th in the women's 400-meter freestyle in 4:19.84.