Swimming history was made on a cold December night in Fairfax.

Bishop O’Connell High School senior Kate Ziegler broke Janet Evans’ American record in the 1,000-yard freestyle Dec. 11 at the Tom Dolan Invitational at George Mason University in Fairfax.

Ziegler’s time of 9:24.80 surpassed Evans’ mark of 9:25.49 which was set in 1989 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Evans is considered the greatest women’s distance swimmer in U.S. history. Ziegler’s record still needs to be accepted by USA Swimming before it becomes official.

It was apparent about halfway through her race that Ziegler was on pace for something special. She swam the first 500 yards in a blistering time of 4:40.76. Fellow swimmers, coaches and spectators rose to their feet during the final 200 yards to cheer Ziegler on to victory. A group of younger swimmers crowded around her after the race waiting to get her autograph.

Ziegler, 17, has had a spectacular run in distance swimming during the past year. At a black-tie affair in New York in November she accepted the Golden Goggle award from USA Swimming for the best female race of the year.

She shattered a 25-year-old American record in the 800 meter freestyle last February in New York to capture her first World Cup title. Ziegler’s time of 8:16.32 was more than two seconds faster than the former record of 8:18.77, which Sippy Woodhead set on Feb. 8, 1980.

She won two gold medals at her first world championship this past July in Montreal. Her time of 16:00.41 in the finals of the 1500 meter freestyle was the third fastest in history and just eight seconds off the world mark held by Evans. It also was 26 seconds faster than the time she swam in the preliminary round. Ziegler placed first in the 800 freestyle. Her time of 8:25.31 was five seconds faster than her previous best time and topped Canada’s Brittany Reimer by more than two seconds. She also set a national private school record last season in the 500 yard freestyle.

A three-time All-Met selection and the Washington Post’s swimmer of the year in 2005, Ziegler trains year-round with the FISH, a local swim team coached by Ray Benecki. She will lead her O’Connell teammates to Villanova University in late January to compete in the National Catholic Swimming Championships.