OMAHA, Neb. – Megan (Quann) Jendrick and Tara Kirk are a little more than a minute away from earning a trip to Beijing.

Tacoma’s Jendrick and Bremerton’s Kirk will compete in the finals of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke today at the United States Olympic Trials for swimming.

The top two finishers today qualify for the Summer Olympics next month in Beijing.

Jendrick, the gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, won her semifinal heat and finished second overall in the semis with a time of 1 minute, 7.17 seconds on Monday.

Kirk, the gold medalist at the 2006 short course world championships in Shanghai, was third overall in the semifinals at 1:07.19.

Rebecca Soni was the fastest qualifier at 1.06.87. Jendrick (1:07.06) was third in prelims with Kirk fourth (1:07.86).

University of Washington freshman Ariana Kukors will compete in the 200-meter freestyle and the 200 individual medley today. She is ranked fourth in the country in the 200 IM.

Kukors, a graduate of Auburn Riverside High School, finished 14th in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:09.58).

Katie Hoff, meanwhile, made it two-for-two at the trials Monday.

And she’s just getting started.

Showing no signs of tiring, the Baltimore teenager gutted out another grueling win, rallying to win the 400-meter freestyle just 24 hours after she set a world record in the 400 IM.

Hoff became the first U.S. swimmer to lock up two races in Beijing, but there’s no time to savor her accomplishment. She’s already done about a mile of races in Omaha and plans to compete in four more before the week is out, pursuing an Olympic program just slightly less ambitious than the one Michael Phelps will attempt in hopes of beating Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals.

“The plan was to take it out strong with nice, easy speed,” the 19-year-old Hoff said. “I don’t think I had as much as I was hoping, but I brought it back real well.”

As for Phelps, the birthday boy had a relatively light day as he turned 23, easily qualifying for today’s final in the 200 freestyle to set up another showdown with Ryan Lochte. On the meet’s opening night, both eclipsed the old world record in the 400 IM, but Phelps touched the wall first.

Two more world records fell on day two – both in the morning preliminaries, about two minutes apart. Hayley McGregory knocked off Natalie Coughlin’s 41/2-month-old mark in the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.15 seconds, only to have Coughlin take it right back in the next heat at 59.03.

They pulled back in the evening semifinals, clearly wanting to save something for their head-to-head matchup today.

UW captain Jon Banker was 49th in the men’s 100 backstroke (57.21).

UW senior Genevieve Patterson was 54th in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.90). UW senior Kim Jasmer was 67th in the women’s 400 freestyle (4:20.75) and will swim in the 200 freestyle today.

Huskies sophomore Erin Campbell was 106th in the 100 backstroke (1:06.11).

Brendan Hansen had a big letdown in the 100 breaststroke, despite locking up a second consecutive trip to the Olympics.

After just missing the world record in the semifinals, Hansen got off to a sluggish start and struggled home with a time of 59.93, good enough to win but nearly a full second off the record of 59.13. He glared at the scoreboard, stared at the water, then shook his head slightly.

“I’m a little disappointed, obviously, at the time, but you can’t be mad about the fact of making your second Olympic team,” Hansen said. “If I had to pick a place to break that world record, it would be at the Olympics. I’ve done it at the trials before (in 2004) and it’s fun, but it’s a lot more fun when you break it at the Olympics.”

Hansen already was looking ahead to the 200 breaststroke, where he hopes to take back the record Japanese rival Kosuke Kitajima snatched away from him less than a month ago.

Christine Magnuson won Monday’s other final, claiming her first trip to the Olympics with a 100 butterfly triumph. The victory was aided by Coughlin’s decision not to swim, even though she holds the American record.

Hoff rallied over the final three laps to take her win in the 400 free. She overtook Allison Schmitt and Caroline Burckle and held off Kate Ziegler, America’s best distance swimmer, to win in 4:02.32.

Ziegler claimed the second spot on the Olympic team in 4:03.92 and will move on to race in her best event, the 800 free.

Phelps breezed into the finals of the 200 free, posting the second-fastest time in the semifinals at 1:45.64. Lochte was just ahead in the top spot at 1:45.61.

“I wanted to go 1:45,” Phelps said. “It sets me up pretty good for (Tuesday) night.”

Aaron Peirsol, world record-holder in the 100 backstroke, advanced to the final in that event with the second-fastest time, beaten by Randal Bal’s 53.09 that just missed Peirsol’s record of 52.98.