2021 Swammy Awards: Age Group Swimmer of the Year – 11-12

To see all of our 2021 Swammy Awards, click here.

2020 Honorees: Kayla Han and Joey Campagnola

11-12 Girls

Kayla Han – La Mirada Armada (La Mirada, CA)

For the second year in a row, La Mirada Armada’s Kayla Han was the most accomplished swimmer in the 11-12 age group. She finished the year with 14 top-ten times, 12 of which were #1 for the age category. Moreover, she broke three National Age Group Records during the 2021 Speedo Grand Challenge at the end of May, just days before aging into the 13-14 age group. Her 400 IM NAG record of 4:50.70 made her the youngest qualifier at 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

In the first half of the year, Han logged the highest IMX ranking for the 2020-21 SCY season. Despite turning 13 at the beginning of June, Han wound up ranked #1 for 2021 in the 11-12 age group in the SCY 200/500/1000/1650 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM and the LCM 200/400/800 free and 200/400 IM. She also finished second in the LCM 1500 free and sixth in the SCY 100 free.

Han left the 11-12s with eight all-time top-100 swims in SCY and six in LCM. SCY 200 free (27th), 500 free (6th), 1000 free (4th), 1650 free (75th), 100 fly (71st), 200 fly (12th), 200 IM (24th), and 400 IM (8th); and LCM 200 free (9th), 400 free (1st), 800 free (1st), 200 fly (2nd), 200 IM (6th), and 400 IM (1st).

Only seven months into her tenure as a 13-14 swimmer, Han ranks #1 for 2021 in the 1500 free; #2 in the SCY 500/1000/1650 free, 200 fly and 400 IM as well as the LCM 400/800 free and 400 IM; #4 in the LCM 200 fly; #5 in the LCM 200 IM; #6 in the SCY 200 free and 200 IM and the LCM 200 free.

Runner-Up

Audrey Derivaux – Jersey Wahoos (Mt Laurel Township, NJ)

Derivaux graced the age group’s top-10 list an astonishing 20 times during 2021. She was the #1 11-year-old in IMX points for the SCY 2020-21 season and she currently tops the 12-year-olds for the SCY 2021-22 season in progress.

Derivaux produced the top 11-12 swims in the nation in the 100 fly -both SCY and LCM- as well as the SCY 400 IM and LCM 200 back. She ranked #2 in the SCY 100 back and LCM 50/200 fly and 400 IM (behind NAG Record-holder Kayla Han!); #3 in the SCY 50 fly and 100 IM and LCM 1500 free, 100 back, and 200 IM; #4 in the LCM 50 back; #6 in the SCY 200 fly; #7 in the SCY 200 back and 200 IM and LCM 50 free; #8 in the SCY 200 free; and #10 in the LCM 400 free.

She still has another seven months left to improve her standings in the rankings before she ages up to the 13-14s in August 2022.

Honorable Mention

• Elizabeth Gregory – Williamsburg Aquatic Club-VA: Gregory was one of the most consistent performers in the age group, finishing the year ranked among the top-10 in her age group in 13 events. She was 2nd in the SCY 1000 free; 4th in the SCY 500 free; 6th in the SCY 100 fly and LCM 400 free and 50 fly; 7th in the SCY 50 fly and LCM 200/800 free; 9th in the SCY 100/200 free and 400 IM and the LCM 100 free; and 10th in the SCY 200 fly.

• Hazel Huilman – Flatiron Athletic Club-CO: Huilman proved her versatility by finishing the 2021 LCM season ranked second in IMX points for 12-year-olds. She topped the charts with the fastest SCY 100 IM time in the country and was ranked #2 in the SCY 200 breast; #3 in the SCY 100 fly and LCM 200 breast and 100 fly; #5 in the SCY 100 breast and LCM 200 IM; #6 in the SCY 50 fly; #7 in the LCM 100 breast and 200 fly; and #9 in the LCM 400 IM.

• Mikayla Tan – DART Swimming-SN: Tan was only 11 in 2021 but already she has made an impact on the 11-12 age group. She left the 10&Us with the #1 100 breast time for the year (1:08.91). Ten months later, at Winter Juniors West, she produced the #1 100 breast time for the 11-12 age group as well, this time dropping more than 5 seconds to log a 1:03.74. She is now within 1.1 seconds of Leah Hayes’ NAG record of 1:02.63. Tan also wrapped up 2021 with the #1 times in the SCY 50/200 breast and the LCM 100/200 breast. She was 2nd in the SCY 100 IM; 5th in the SCY 400 IM and LCM 50 breast; 9th in the SCY 500 free; and 10th in the LCM 200 IM.

11-12 Boys

Joey Campagnola – West Florida Lightning Aquatics (Largo, FL)

Campagnola swam the #1 time in the boys 11-12 age group in seven events and he produced among the nation’s ten-fastest performances in another 13 events during 2021. Most of these age group-leading swims came in November, but he also had a strong summer, earning the #1 IMX time among 12-year-olds for the 2021 LCM season.

Before aging into the 13-14s in December, Campagnola left his mark on the 11-12s with the #1 times in the SCY 500 free, 200 back, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM as well as the LCM 100 fly. He was #2 in the LCM 200 back and 200 IM; #3 in the LCM 100 back and 400 IM; #4 in the LCM 400 free; #6 in the SCY 200/1000 free; #7 in the SCY 200 breast and 100 IM and the LCM 200 breast; #9 in the SCY 100 breast; and #10 in the LCM 100 free and 50 fly.

He exited the age group ranked among the all-time top-100 in the SCY 500 free (24th), 1000 free (65th), 200 back (46th), 200 breast (68th), 100 fly (46th), 200 fly (22nd), 200 IM (4th), and 400 IM (10th). In LCM, he ranks 84th in the 400 free, 62nd in the 200 back, 21st in the 100 fly, 38th in the 200 IM, and 61st in the 400 IM.

In December, Campagnola celebrated turning 13 with time drops of 6.3 seconds in the SCY 400 IM, 5.4 seconds in the 500 free, 4.6 seconds in the 200 back, 4.1 seconds in the 200 free, 3.1 seconds in the 100 breast, and half a second in the 200 fly. Since aging into the 13-14s, he is so far the number one 13-year-old in IMX points for the 2021-22 SCY season.

Runner-Up

Reid O’Connell – Long Island Aquatic Club (Long Island, NY)

O’Connell led the age group in distance freestyle, ranking number one in both the SCY 1650 free and the LCM 1500 free for the year. He was #3 in IMX scores as an 11-year-old for the 2020-21 SCY season and he currently leads the 2021-22 SCY season to date for 12-year-olds.

O’Connell was also #1 in the LCM 400 IM; #2 in the SCY 1000 free and 400 IM as well as the LCM 200 free; #3 in the SCY 500 free and 100/200 IM and the LCM 200 breast; #4 in the LCM 800 free; #5 in the SCY 200 free and LCM 400 free and 200 back; #6 in the LCM 200 fly and 200 IM; #7 in the SCY 50/100 breast; #8 in the SCY 200 breast; and #9 in the LCM 100 free.

Honorable Mention

• Owen Ekk – Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club-FL: Like O’Connell, Ekk was one of the age group’s top freestylers, wrapping up 2021 with the top times for 11-12s in the SCY 200/1000 free and LCM 50/100/200/400 free and 100 back. When he moved up to the 13-14s after the summer, he also left behind the #2 times in the SCY 100/500 free and LCM 800 free and 50 back; #3 in the SCY 200 back; #4 in the SCY 50 back; #5 in the SCY 200 IM; #6 in the SCY 100 back; and #10 in the SCY 100 breast.

• Owen Lin – East Carolina Aquatics-NC: Lin racked up 15 top-10 performances during 2021. He finished 2nd in the SCY 100 fly; 3rd in the LCM 100/200 fly; 4th in the SCY 100 IM and LCM 200 free, 50 fly, and 200 IM; 5th in the SCY 100 free and 100 fly and the LCM 50/100 free; 7th in the SCY 50 fly; and 8th in the SCY 50/200 free and LCM 400 IM.

• Peter Vu – Irvine Novaquatics-CA: Vu was the top breaststroker of the age group, with the #1 times in the nation in the SCY 100/200 breast and LCM 50/100/200 breast and 200 IM. He also ranked #2 in the SCY 50 breast and 100/200 IM; #3 in the LCM 50 free; #4 in the LCM 100 free; #5 in the SCY 50 back and LCM 50 fly; and #9 in the LCM 100 back.

Past Winners