ERVIN SHOWS RESOLVE, ESPRIT DE CORPS.

Byline: Karen Crouse

INDIANAPOLIS - Anthony Ervin showed why he is on the short list to earn a U.S. berth to Sydney in the 50-meter freestyle on Saturday. There was just one glitch. He chose to declare his Olympic candidacy during the 100-meter freestyle.

After clocking a sizzling 23.19 on the first lap of his 100 preliminary race - an eye-popping 0.14 seconds under Russian Alexander Popov's world-record split - the Hart High product had to gut out another lap before he could accept handshakes and congratulations.

By the time Ervin touched the wall in a personal-best 49.75, he was in no shape to stump. He was so overwrought, he got sick to his stomach while slumped on the steps of the warmdown pool at the IUPUI Natatorium.

Maybe his swift ascent from 1999 CIF champion to 2000 Olympic hopeful gave him the bends; nearly an hour after his first race the Valencia native still looked a little green around the gills.

Later in the day, the face of sprinting's future looked more steely than sickly. Ervin, 19, who will begin his sophomore year at California next week unless the Olympics happen to beckon, swam a much more controlled race - and went even faster.

He took the first 50 out in 23.56 on his way to a 49.37, which qualified him fourth for tonight's final. Truth to tell, Ervin probably would have gone faster in the morning, fatigue and all, if he hadn't been such a good sport.

On the second lap, he moved to the side of his lane so his teammate, Jon Olsen, who was swimming in the next lane, could draft off him. Olsen finished in 50.10, barely qualifying for a second swim, then quipped, ``I told Anthony I owe him cab fare.''

Such esprit de corps is commonplace wherever fast men are found. In contrast to the U.S.'s top women's sprinters, who appear reluctant to embrace one another literally or metaphorically, this country's male sprinters are as friendly as fraternity brothers (Phi Zoomin Groomin?).

Top qualifier Neil Walker, whose speed has rocketed him to Olympic medal contention in the 100 backstroke, the 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, went out of his way to introduce himself to Ervin after the prelims Saturday. Later he went on about how he welcomed - not resented, not loathed, but hailed - the challenge Ervin's presence will provide.

``I saw his NCAA performances and his swims leading up to this meet and they were very impressive,'' said Walker, who flirted with the American record in his semifinal heat before settling for a personal best of 48.55. ``It's great seeing young kids like Anthony. We need that.''

Sprinting in the U.S. needs something. The races that Robin Leamy, Tom Jager and Matt Biondi once kept on a very short leash have since run away to Russia and South Africa and Holland and Italy and Brazil.

Gary Hall Jr., the top U.S. performer last year in the 50, ranked only sixth in the event globally. Walker was the highest U.S. swimmer in the 100 freestyle world rankings at fifth.

The key to Ervin's meteoric rise? His coach credits the very fast company he is keeping. Ervin has been training this summer in Phoenix with 10 other world-class sprinters. ``The World Team,'' as they call themselves, are the swimming equivalent of UCLA coach John Smith's ``Handling Speed Intelligently'' coterie of Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond and Ato Boldon.

The group is coached by ex-USC standout Mike Bottom, an honorary 1980 Olympian in the 100 butterfly. Membership is by invitation only. Rumor has it that more than one Olympian has petitioned to join the group and been turned away.

Ervin's entree was his NCAA championships debut this spring. He won the 50 and 100 freestyles and showed an upside so conspicuous he gained easy admission to the training lanes occupied by the likes of U.S. Olympians Olsen and Hall.

Olsen and Hall collected four gold medals, two silvers and a bronze between them at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. A swimmer can be pulled along to greatness, trying to keep up with the likes of them every day at practice.

That would appear to be the case with Ervin, who didn't crack the top-25 in the 50 or 100 freestyles in the U.S. rankings in 1999. Going into this meet, he was seventh in the world in the 50 freestyle (second in the U.S.) and fifth nationally in the 100 freestyle and had a short-course meters world record to boot.

``When you get in a group like ours,'' said Hall, who is making a comeback after being diagnosed with diabetes 16 months ago, ``you have this sense of, 'If he can do it, I can do it, too.' It really enables you to find your limits and push yourself to those limits.''

Because of relay considerations, the top six finishers in tonight's 100 final will earn Olympic berths. If today is not Ervin's coronation, his day is coming. Hall is convinced of it.

``You can expect a lot of great things from Anthony,'' Hall said. ``He's still learning. When he does gain a little experience, he's going to be tough to beat.''

Ervin reminds Nort Thornton, the head coach at Cal, of another sprinter he worked with a few years back. A guy by the name of Biondi.

Biondi also didn't pop up on U.S. Swimming's radar until after he enrolled at Cal. Like Biondi, ``Anthony has an exceptional feel for the water,'' Thornton said.

So did he expect Ervin to come this far, this fast? Thornton shook his head emphatically. ``He was talented, obviously,'' Thornton said, ``but I didn't really think he was that talented.''

Tonight Ervin will try to win over a few more people. His candidacy is definitely picking up steam.