WATCH: Claire Tuggle NAG Records In 200 And 500 Frees From NCSAs

2017 NCSA JUNIOR NATIONALS

• Tuesday, March 14 – Saturday, March 18, 2017
• Tuesday Timed Finals 4:00 PM Eastern
• Wed-Sat Prelims 8:30 AM / Finals 6:00 PM Eastern
• Live Stream
• Live results available on Meet Mobile
• Results will be posted here after each session

From our earlier stories on Tuggle’s record-breaking swims:

200 Free

Claire Tuggle continues to smash the 11-12 National Age Group record lower and lower in the 200 freestyle, going 1:47.71 at finals of the NCSA Junior National meet.

Tuggle first broke the record in prelims, going 1:48.85 to cut almost a second off the existing NAG record. At night, she took 1.1 seconds off of that swim to become the fastest in history by almost two full seconds in the 11-12 age group.

Only three 11-12s had ever been under 1:50 in the race before Tuggle showed up. Kylie Stewart held the NAG record at 1:49.64, followed by Madeline Dressel (1:49.81) and Missy Franklin (1:49.84). Prior to this week, the fastest Tuggle had ever been was 1:50.29 back in December.

The owner of several 10 & Under NAGs, Tuggle is transitioning very well to higher age groups. At this point, she’s just about three seconds off the NAG in the next age group up, a 1:44.55 set by Franklin herself. She would already rank #24 in that age group.

Here’s a quick look at Tuggle’s splits in tonight’s race:

• 25.11
• 27.28 (52.39)
• 27.84 (1:20.23)
• 27.48 (1:47.71)

She finished 7th in the A final of that event, competing in a heat of 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds.

500 Free

Claire Tuggle continues to tear up the National Age Group record books in Orlando, this time setting a new 11-12 500 freestyle NAG at 4:49.32.

That swim comes one day after Tuggle twice lowered the 200 yard free NAG record. The 12-year-old was 1:48.85 in prelims and 1:47.71 in finals to ultimately cut about two seconds off that NAG record.

Friday night, Tuggle competed in the D final of the 500 free at NCSA Junior Nationals in Orlando. Despite going just 4:56.58 in the morning, she blaster her 4:49.32 at night to take over the record, which had stood at 4:49.51. She now owns the 200 and 500 yard freestyle records in both age groups in which she’s competed – the 10 & Under records still stand from 2015, and she now has both 11-12 records this week.

The swim takes down the legendary Sippy Woodhead, who had held this record since 1977. In fact, it was the third-oldest National Age Group record left on the books, standing for 40 years. For sport, here’s a look at the oldest NAG records still left on the books:

1. 1976 – Bobby Hackett – 15-16 – 1500m free – 15:03.91
2. 1976 – Jesse Vassallo – 13-14 – 1500m free – 15:31.03
3. 1977 – Sippy Woodhead – 11-12 – 500y free – 4:49.51
4. 1978 – Sippy Woodhead – 13-14 – 200m free – 1:58.53
5. 1978 – Sippy Woodhead – 13-14 – 400m free – 4:07.15
6. 1979 – Mary T. Meagher – 13-14 – 200m fly – 2:07.01
7. 1981 – Mary T. Meagher – 15-16 – 200y fly – 1:52.99