NEW YORK -- When American swimming sensation Katie Ledecky added to her climbing total of career visits to NBCs Today show Monday -- this time to talk about how life has changed since she set two world records and won five medals at the Rio Summer Olympics, four of them gold -- she smiled and squirmed in her seat as the five hosts on the set took turns good-naturedly kidding her about her record-shattering start to her freshman year at Stanford University this fall.It already has included a 65-second rout in a 1,650-yard college invitational race Sunday in which Ledecky ... um ... beat the runner-up by four laps.Sooo, that basically means you get out of the pool, have coffee and a donut, and wait for everyone else to finish? TV host Savannah Guthrie needled.When the 19-year-old Ledecky was too polite or sheepish to parry back, the segment only got funnier.Wait -- she broke another record in just the last 20 seconds! Guthrie added.And on the way to the event tonight, shes going to break another record! Matt Lauer boomed, causing Ledecky to shake her head and blush again.Ledecky was in New York with 40 of her Olympic medal-winning teammates for USA Swimmings annual Golden Goggles Awards on Monday night, a black-tie year-end benefit that recognizes the U.S. teams best performances each year. Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Libby King and Maya DiRado were among the others who attended. Ryan Lochte did not.Ledecky has replaced Phelps as the most riveting figure in U.S. swimming. But as scintillating as her first three months at Stanford have been -- starting with the fact she set an NCAA or American record in every race she swam through Nov. 15 -- there was another woman sharing the red carpet with her at the Marriott Marquis hotel who was also impossible to ignore.That was Stanford teammate Simone Manuel, the first female African-American swimmer to win an individual event at an Olympic Games and, as of last weekend, the first person anywhere to beat the amazing Ledecky in her last 74 finals in a race above 100 meters.Manuel, a junior, defeated Ledecky on Saturday in the 200-yard freestyle during an invitational at Ohio State, clipping Ledecky by .26 of a second.No, I didnt know the [length of the streak], a surprised Ledecky said, grinning as if even she found it cool.I didnt know it, either, but its not like Im out of the park yet, Manuel joked, speaking a little further down the red carpet from where Ledecky was taking questions. I still have to race her every day in practice, at nationals, at NCAAs.Manuel was right. Its just a start. But dont overlook the significance of their head-to-head battles; their races should be fascinating -- maybe even transformative -- for both swimmers.With 10 Olympic medals already won between them, the 20-year-old Manuel and Ledecky could anchor the U.S. swim team for a few Olympics to come.I know I definitely want more, Manuel said.The idea of Ledecky, especially, finally having anything close to a true rival -- another female swimmer who can push her and beat her while training on the same team and sometimes in the same lane day in and day out, sets up an interesting dynamic for both women as they slowly start looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Games.I dont look at it like shes a frenemy, Ledecky laughed, pointing out she and Manuel were roommates in Rio, and have been roommates for four years at international meets, so were good buddies.We both love to race and we both love to compete. We race all the time in practice and Simone beats me at least a couple times a week [in sprints]. So its a great environment every day. And I dont consider it a loss when its my teammate thats beating me, anyway. Were both racing our hardest for Stanford and excited about what could follow.Ledeckys coaches are always looking for fresh challenges to throw her way. Shes been so peerless at the distance events for so long, there is talk now about dropping her down to the 100-meter free (Manuels gold-medal individual event in Rio), and maybe adding the 400 individual medley to the 200, 400, 800 and 1,600 events and world records she currently owns.Many argue Ledecky -- not LeBron James, Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi or anyone else you can name -- is the most dominant athlete in the world today. Its only news now when she doesnt win.Manuel shoulders a different set of challenges. Though she also won the gold in the 4x100 medley relay and silver in the 50 free and 4x100 freestyle relay in Rio, she said in the past that trying to become the first African-American to win any Olympic swimming medal was difficult for her at times, as if so much history weighed on every stroke. She was expansive on the topic in Rio, paying homage to groundbreakers that came before her and embracing a chance to weigh in on matters like police violence against African-Americans back in the United States.But Monday, she pulled back on the non-swimming topics a little.When an African-American reporter told Manuel shes now an icon and inspiration to their community and asked what kind of legacy she wants to leave outside the pool, Manuel said, Well, Im just 20 years old, so I havent really thought about the legacy I want to leave. I guess just making sure that people go after their dreams. That they can do anything.Later, Manuel admitted one of the many reasons she and Ledecky feel a kinship is because of the continuing expectation on them to do the extraordinary.We keep each other from thinking too much about the pressure of our races, Manuel said.She only smiled and said, Nah, when asked if she has ever been tempted to tell Ledecky to quit trying to have it all already, stick to the distance events, and leave the 100 or 200 freestyle to her. But then she did quickly add she does give Ledecky some mess about being a freshman.Ledecky already has taken much flak about getting lost on the Stanford campus, putting her swim cap on wrong, having some misadventures on the bicycle she uses to get around, and sometimes screwing up chores like putting the lane markers in the pool for team practices.The freshmen also have to bring up the towels, but they do that in shifts, so Katie knows when she has to do it, Manuel explained.The Great Katie Ledecky? Towel girl?Nodding now, Manuel deadpanned: Shes got it figured out.I wanted the college experience, Ledecky added. And so far, its been awesome. NFL Jerseys Cheap . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. China NFL Jerseys http://www.cheapjerseysforonline.com/ . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Jerseys From China .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Wholesale Jerseys From China . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. PHOENIX -- Jonathon Niese, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline, will make his first start for the Mets this season and first start overall since July 10. Niese (8-6, 5.20 ERA) spent the first eight years of his career in New York, posting a 61-61 record before he was traded to Pittsburgh for Neil Walker.Niese has been working through some discomfort in his left knee since having his knee drained back in Pittsburgh but Mets manager Terry Collins said the move to the rotation might help.We just think that if we start him he wont have to deal with the wear-and-tear of getting up and down, Collins said Saturday when announcing Nieses return to the rotation, In between starts that knee will have a chance to recover.Niese is taking the turn previously held down by Logan Verrett, who was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after consecutive rough outings.Similarly, Arizona starter Zach Godley is returning to the Diamondbacks rotation to take the place of struggling left-hander Patrick Corbin.Godley (3-2, 5.24) made five starts in July and August before moving to the bullpen. During his last three relief outings, he has held hitters to a .174 average (4 for 23) and struck out four.We dont want them to take their lumps to the point where were out of a game, Arizona manager Chip Hale said of his young staff. But you have to let them learn and try to make adjustments.The Mets offense made an appearance Tuesday night, knocking out 12 hits, includingg a pair of home runs and six extra-base hits as New York split the first two games of their current seven-game road trip.ddddddddddddEvery time I look up they (the Diamondbacks) hit a double, Collins said. Its nice that we hit some doubles for a change. The offense came around tonight.T.J. Rivera, who earned the start when Neil Walker was scratched with back tightness, went 4-for-4 to double his career hit total.One of the things they told me is he barrels the ball, Collins said. He gets the barrel on it.The Diamondbacks got an immediate boost from outfielder Mitch Haniger, who doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in his major league debut Tuesday. Haniger steps into an outfield that has struggled both with injuries and ineffectiveness outside the 23 home runs of Yasmany Tomas.Every swing he took was right on it, Hale said of Haniger, who has 24 homers in 119 games at Double- and Triple-A this season. He was just exactly as advertised by (Triple-A Reno manager) Phil Nevin and everybody in the minor leagues. He really knows how to play the game. Im excited to see him play.Arizona also has flourished on the bases against the Mets. The Diamondbacks stole four bases on Tuesday and have 19 steals against New York this season, one shy of matching the franchise record for most stolen bases against an opponent in a single season. 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