2024 North Carolina Age Group Championships
- February 13-16, 2025
- Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, North Carolina
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Psych Sheet
- Meet Central
- Live Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 NCS SC AG Champs”
Samuel Wooten of the Marlins of Raleigh swam a 9:12.85 in the 1000 yard freestyle on Thursday evening to kick off the 2024 North Carolina Age Group Championships. That time is a nearly 27-seconds personal best and takes almost five seconds off the North Carolina LSC 13-14 record.
The old record belonged to US National Junior Team member Sam Marsteiner, who swam 9:17.80 in 2022.
This swim comes on a quick turnaround from the North Carolina state championship meet, where Wooten was 19th in the 200 free (1:44.25), and 6th in the 500 free (4:34.16) for Athens Drive High School as a freshman.
His previous best time in the 1000 free was done in November in 9:39.84; at this meet last year he swam 10:00.46. This is just his fifth official career swim in the event.
The 9:12 moves him into the top 10 American 13-14s in the history of the event; he’s 10 seconds back of Matthew Hirschberger‘s former age record of 9:02.37, which was shattered in 2013 by Luka Mijatovic in a paradigm-altering 8:46.50.
Wooten is scheduled to swim the 200 free, 500 free, 1650 free, 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 back, and 200 back individually later in the meet.
Wooten also swam the 800 free relay on Thursday, splitting 1:45.42 as part of MOR’s 4th place effort. The relay was won by SwimMAC Carolina in 7:03.91, which included a 1:43.09 leadoff from John Williams.
Williams also won the 13-14 100 IM on Thursday in 52.25.
On the girls’ side, SwimMAC’s Shea Cleary won the 1000 free in 10:19.30. That improves her best time done at Sectionals last year by six seconds.
The girls’ 13-14 100 IM was won by TAC Titans’ Reina Liu in 54.45 in a big battle SwimMAC’s Karina Plaza (55.43 – 2nd). Liu also split 1:46.30 on the anchor leg of the Titan’s winning 800 free relay that finished in 7:26.75.
Team Scores After Day 1:
Combined:
- SwimMAC – 449.5
- TAC Titans – 289.5
- North Carolina Aquatic Club – 199
- Marlins of Raleish – 121
- MSA – 112
The OGs knew Carter was about to pop off! Great job, Carter! Keep it up!