No pun intended on the title. And there some rather serious speed shown at the Southern Zones Age Group Championships, where 12-year-old Ella Marlow, who trains with Greater Tampa Swimming, swam a 28.07 to win the 50 fly 11-12 finals as well as set a new NAG record.
The old 11-12 NAG record of 28.23 belonged to none other than 100 fly 2012 Olympic champion and former 100 fly World Record holder Dana Vollmer and 11-12 100 fly & 200 fly NAG record holder Cassidy Bayer. Bayer is also the 2nd fastest 200 butterflier in the 13-14 age group to American great Mary T. Meagher and 3rd fastest 15-16 year old in the 200 fly behind Meagher and Katie McLaughlin.
Bayer swam her 28.23 in 2012, and Vollmer swam it in 2000, well before Marlow was born.
Marlow has had a great meet at the Southern Zones. In addition to her win in the 50 fly, she won the 50 free (27.05) and the 100 free (59.08), placed 2nd in the 50 back (31.30; the winner, Annabel Crush, posted a 31.10 to move from out of the top-100 to #30), placed 3rd in the 100 fly (1:05.12), and was a part of victorious 200 and 400 free and medley relays.
She’s made quite an impact on the 11-12 all time rankings, too. She now owns the #1 time in the 50 fly, the #14 time in the 50 free, tied for the #13 time in the 100 free (notably tied with Theresa Mauck and Olympic medalist Sippy Woodhead), and tied for the #43 time in the 50 back. She owns the #17 time in the 100 fly already at 1:04.27, but was unable to match that time at this meet. Interestingly enough, the top two finishers, Amanda Ray (1:03.51) and Abigail Gibbons (1:03.87), pushed themselves up to respective all-time rankings of 3rd and 8th. The top two American 11-12 100 butterfliers are none other than Bayer and Vollmer, in that order.
Marlow swam very well on relays, splitting sub-59 as anchor for both 400 relays. She was 58.83 on the medley and 58.89 on the free. She also swam nearly identical splits as anchor for both 200 relays; she was 26.67 on the free and 26.66 on the medley. Marlow has finished up her event schedule for the Southern Zones meet.
I had missed that news. Articles are posted and disappeared from the homepage almost immediately. A change is necessary.
Congrats to Ella. Impressive meet.