13-Year-Old Luka Mijatovic Lowers His Own 500 Free NAG Record By 2 Seconds with 4:22.50

by Riley Overend 22

April 02nd, 2023 Club, News, Records

2023 Far Westerns SC Championships

  • March 30 – April 2, 2023
  • Morgan Hill Aquatics Center
    • Morgan Hill, CA
  • SCY (25 yards)
  • Results on MeetMobile: “2023 Far Westerns SC Championships”

Pleasanton Seahawks 13-year-old Luka Mijatovic lowered his own national age group (NAG) record in the 500-yard freestyle by more than two seconds on Saturday. 

Mijatovic brought the 13-14 NAG record down to 4:22.50, more than two seconds faster than fellow Seahawk Lleyton Plattel (4:24.79) and seven seconds quicker than the next-fastest 13-year-old. Nicholas Caldwell is the only other 13-year-old American besides Mijatovic to have gone sub-4:30 with a 4:29.90 from 2007. 

Boys’ 13-14 NAG Rankings, 500 Free

  1. Luka Mijatovic – 4:22.50 (2023)
  2. Lleyton Plattel – 4:24.79 (2017)
  3. Sean Green – 4:24.98 (2022)
  4. Cooper Lucas – 4:26.50 (2019)
  5. Alex Katz – 4:26.73 (2011)
  6. Michael Phelps – 4:26.79 (2000)
  7. Samuel Marsteiner – 4:27.18 (2022)
  8. Trey Freeman – 4:27.52 (2015)
  9. Aidan Burns – 4:27.55 (2012)
  10. Brad Gonzalez – 4:27.72 (2013)

Mijatovic, who turns 14 later this month, broke his first 13-14 NAG record last December in the 500 free with a 4:24.72. He added two more NAG records last month in the 1650 free (15:00.95) and 1000 free (8:59.29).

At Far Westerns this weekend, Mijatovic also won the 200 back (1:51.18) and 200 free (1:38.21), the latter marking a drop of over a second off his previous-best 200 free from January (1:39.40). The improvement catapults him from 14th to 3rd in the 13-14 NAG rankings for the 200 free, behind only Thomas Heilman (1:34.68) and Daniel Diehl (1:36.75).

Boys’ 13-14 NAG Rankings, 200 Free

  1. Thomas Heilman – 1:34.68 (2021)
  2. Daniel Diehl – 1:36.75 (2020)
  3. Luka Mijatovic – 1:38.21 (2023)
  4. Destin Lasco – 1:38.24 (2016)
  5. Michael Andrew – 1:38.31 (2014)
  6. Maxime Rooney – 1:38.42 (2012)
  7. Cooper Lucas – 1:38.58 (2020)
  8. Trey Freeman – 1:38.82 (2015)
  9. Baylor Stanton – 1:38.94 (2022)
  10. Nick Silverthorn – 1:38.94 (2010)

He also tallied runner-up finishes in the 200 IM (1:49.93) and 100 free (46.30) as well as a 51.85 backstroke leadoff for the Seahawks’ 400 medley relay.

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PFA
1 year ago

Only making his case stronger to go after the legendary 70s NAG’s that was a big PB and he’s still circle swimming could take this record under 4:20 before he ages up

Dman
1 year ago

Coach needs to tell him to stop circle swimming – 1-2 seconds faster right there.

dar
1 year ago

Where kyle sockwell at

Kabes
Reply to  dar
1 year ago

Lavrenko

Seth
1 year ago

I would bet he will take down Jack Conger’s 4:13 500 free record by 18.

Swimgeek
Reply to  Seth
1 year ago

I agree with you. But That’s not a record anymore.

mds
1 year ago

Anyone know his height, weight and wingspan?

Penguin
Reply to  mds
1 year ago

Him, his doctor, and his parents, maybe.

Imagine
Reply to  Penguin
1 year ago

Yeah. He’s a HUGE kid

Tomek
Reply to  mds
1 year ago

What about his shoe size?

Mike
Reply to  mds
1 year ago

I saw him since he was 9. I stood next to him a couple times at this meet and he is at least 6’ tall, long arms and lean. He is just a little taller than his mom and dad now. I think he will be even taller later.

Yeah
1 year ago

Doesn’t he swim for Destin Lasco’s old club too?

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Yeah
1 year ago

I think you’re referring to Pleasantville and I don’t think that club exists anymore, or at least Destin didn’t swim there before he went off to Cal.

Robert
Reply to  Yeah
1 year ago

Same team as Lleyton Plattel and Maxime Rooney

Beach
Reply to  Robert
1 year ago

And nick silverthorn who is in 200 fr rankings

Bob
Reply to  Yeah
1 year ago

Luca swims for a Pleasanton, California team, which is located in the SF Bay Area less than 10 miles east of Hayward and Fremont.

jeff
Reply to  Bob
1 year ago

and about half an hour (without traffic lol) southeast of UC Berkeley

forsomereason
Reply to  jeff
1 year ago

idk where you’ve been, takes 30-40 mins without traffic to get there from UC berkeley

Miss Ma'am
1 year ago

bruh

Monkeyseemonkeydoodoo
1 year ago

incredible. any chance someone has come across a video of his swims?

satxswim
Reply to  Monkeyseemonkeydoodoo
1 year ago

his last 150 of his 1000 NAG is on youtube

Bob Griswold
Reply to  Monkeyseemonkeydoodoo
1 year ago

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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