40-Year-Old Record Falls at Indiana Age Group State Championships

2023 Indiana Age Group State Championships

• March 17-19, 2023
• IUPUI Natatorium
  • Indianapolis, IN
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 ISI Age Group State Championships”

A handful of records fell at last month’s Indiana Age Group State Championships, including one that had stood untouched for 40 years.

Irish Aquatics 10-year-old Reginald Burton III won the boys’ 100 breaststroke in 1:14.72, taking over half a second off the previous meet record of 1:15.28 set by Paul Saviano way back in 1983. His lifetime best heading into the meet was a 1:15.43 from January. The overall Indiana LSC record still stands at 1:12.64 from Jordan Rantz in 1999.

Burton III broke another meet record in the 50 breast, blazing a 33.83 to lower the previous mark of 34.05 belonging to Connor Carlile from 2016. Prior to the meet, he had never been sub-35 before as his previous best stood at 35.08 from January. Burton III also triumphed in the 50 free (26.88) and 100 free (58.00) in personal-best times.

Fishers Area Swimming Tigers (FAST) 14-year-old Emily Wolf broke a decade-old record in the girls’ 200 butterfly during her victory in 2:00.57. Hannah Kukurugya held the previous mark at 2:02.24 from 2013. Wolf dropped more than three seconds off her previous-best 2:03.85 from January, moving up to 90th all-time in her national age group (NAG) rankings. Alex Shackell owns the overall LSC record with a 1:58.44 from 2021.

Wolf had a huge meet, racking up wins in the 100 fly (55.97), 500 free (4:52.52), 1000 free (10:08.03), and 1650 free (16:46.46), all in lifetime bests.

The other Indiana Age Group Champs meet record to fall last month came in the girls’ 50 breast, where Duneland Swim Club 12-year-old Brenley Bonez snuck under the previous standard with a 30.37. The former record stood for nine years at 30.38, courtesy of Emily Weiss in 2014. Bonez shaved .39 seconds off her previous best, moving up to 63rd all-time in her NAG rankings. She added victories in the 100 breast (1:09.11) and 50 free (24.73), the latter coming in a personal-best time.

Team Scores

Boys

1. Carmel Swim Club – 1,521.5
2. Irish Aquatics – 704.5
3. Fort Wayne Swim Team – 535.5
4. Summit City Aquatics – 427
5. Center Grove Aquatic Club – 399

Girls

1. Carmel Swim Club – 1,399
2. Fishers Area Swimming Tigers – 1,041.5
3. Fort Wayne Swim Team – 787
4. Southeastern Swim Club of Fish – 538
5. Irish Aquatics – 467

In the team standings, the powerhouse Carmel Swim Club led both the boys’ and girls’ sides of the meet. Among the Carmel standouts was 13-year-old Eddy Zhu, who dominated the distance freestyle events en route to wins in the 500 free (4:45.83), 1000 free (9:55.50), and 1650 free (16:26.55). Zhu posted impressive improvements in each victory, dropping five seconds in the 500, 11 seconds in the 1000, and 21 seconds in the 1650. He also earned runner-up finishes in the 200 free (1:47.45) and 200 fly (1:59.54), dropping one second and four seconds, respectively.

Fellow Carmel 13-year-old Ellie Clarke also collected multiple first-place finishes. She topped the podium in the 200 back (1:59.93) and 400 IM (4:21.11), dropping almost three seconds and eight seconds, respectively. Clarke earned runner-up finishes in the 100 back (56.47) and 200 IM (2:07.06).

In other highlights from the IUPUI Natatorium, Franklin Regional Swim Team 14-year-old Aleksandr Ries totaled four individual victories in the 100 breast (58.13), 200 breast (2:07.27), 200 IM (1:55.87), and 400 IM (4:06.16). He dropped two seconds in the 200 breast and nine seconds in the 400 IM.