14-Year-Old Finola Whelehan Notches Three North Carolina LSC Records ar NCS Age Group Champs

2026 NCS Short Course Age Group Championships

• February 26 – March 1, 2026
• Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Several North Carolina Swimming LSC records fell late last month at the NCS Short Course Age Group Championships in Cary; most of those record-breaking swims came at the hands of TAC Titans’ Finola Whelehan, who broke four individual standards and contributed to another as a member of a relay. ,

Whelehan dominated the 400 IM, shredding Charlotte Hook‘s LSC record time of 4:11.00 (2018) with her winning time of 4:08.97. This time now moves her into the top five all-time in the girls’ 13-14 age group, having previously held a best time of 4:15.70 in the event, sitting outside of the top 50 in the event’s all-time 13-14 rankings.

Top Five All-Time Girls 13-14 400 IM Performers:

1. Kayla Han – 4:06.95 (2022)
2. Katie Hoff – 4:08.44 (2004)
3. Audrey Derivaux – 4:08.51 (2023)
4. Finola Whelehan – 4:08.97 (2026)
5. Grace Sheble – 4:09.00 (2017)

Her next record-breaking performance came in the 200 butterfly, where she downed the 2019 NCS record from Claire Curzan of 1:55.64 by more than a full second in 1:54.62.  She was the only swimmer in the girls’ 13-14 field to touch under 2:03. Prior to this meet, Whelehan had only dipped under 2:00 one time, having done so at the TAC Polar Plunge in January (1:57.99). This swim makes her the 2nd-fastest 13-14 girl ever in this race, only behind Audrey Derivaux‘s 13-14 NAG of 1:54.33.

Top Five All-Time Girls 13-14 200 Fly Performers:

1. Audrey Derivaux – 1:54.33 (2024)
2. Finola Whelehan – 1:54.62 (2026)
3. Tess Howley – 1:55.29 (2019)
4. Claire Curzan – 1:55.64 (2019)
5. Charlotte Hook – 1:55.67 (2018)

Her 3rd and final individual LSC record came in the 200 IM, once again clipping a Charlotte Hook record of 1:57.22 by just three tenths in 1:56.92. Whelehan swam her first sub-2:00 time in this event in December at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships East, when she swam a 1:59.65, the only other time she swam under 2:00 in her young career.

This swim also earned her a spot on the all-time top-five performers list in the 13-14 age group, surpassing Hook for the 5th-fastest all-time performer.

Top Five All-Time Girls 13-14 200 IM Performers:

1. Audrey Derivaux – 1:55.73 (2024)
2. Alex Walsh – 1:56.20 (2015)
3. Gabi Brito – 1:56.39 (2024)
4. Regan Smith – 1:56.69 (2016)
5. Finola Whelehan – 1:56.92 (2026)

Whelahan also served as the leadoff leg for the TAC Titans’ 800 free relay, where she opened in 1:44.95, just off of her 13-14 NAG record of 1:44.25 that she swam at the 8A NCHSAA State Championships in February. That time helped her relay break the 2019 13-14 NCS record of 7:23,32 with a 7:21.73. She combines with Ziva Liu (1:53.51), Ana Perdue (1:54.82), and Alice Arcaro (1:48.45) to touch ahead of the field by nearly 13 seconds.

Swim MAC Carolina’s 13-14 boys 200 medley relay of Martin Sanchez Moreno (24.70), Austen Wack (26.88), Jesse Curry (23.08), and Xaiden Valentine (21.24) combined to break the three-year-old NCS record in this event in 1:35.90, a second and a half faster than the 2023 mark from New Wave Swim Team in 1:37.45.