OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 24-25, 2021
- Jenks, OH
- Prelims results
Norman North High School senior Aiden Hayes had a huge day on Wednesday at the Oklahoma High School State Championships prelims.
In the 100 fly, Hayes dropped a lifetime best 45.97, slicing .04 off of his old best of 46.01. The NC State commit comes in under the official recognized NISCA National Public High School Record of 46.31 belonging to Aaron Whitaker from 2014.
At least two other public high school swimmers have been faster than that: by Luca Urlando in spring 2019. Urlando edged out Caeleb Dressel‘s old ‘public HS best’ of 45.89 with his swim two years ago.
Hayes also went under the NFHS-recognized public record of 46.13 done by Andrew Seliskar in 2015, though Urlando and Dressel both raced their sub-46 times representing public high schools in official competition. These discrepancies happen; sometimes a time isn’t submitted for recognition, or proper pool measurement isn’t done.
The overall high school record, including both public and private schools, is Joseph Schooling‘s 45.52 from 2013.
Aside from the 100 fly yesterday, Hayes chipped .05 off of his 50 free, going 19.53. Both individual swims were new OK state high school records. Hayes, who won’t turn 18 until May, is now tied at #16 with Michael Andrew in the 100 fly 17-18 rankings, while he’s now tied with Will Davis and Bowe Becker at #23 for the 50 free.
On relays, Hayes was 20.75 leading off Norman North’s 200 medley relay, which would’ve been among the top medley lead-offs at college conference meets this month (third behind only Shaine Casas‘ 20.61 and Adam Chaney‘s 20.72). It’s also a top 25 performance of all-time. In the 400 free relay, he was 43.48 leading off, snapping Daniel Wilson‘s state record of 43.85; Wilson is a freshman now at Mizzou competing at this week’s SEC Championships.
Hayes will have another chance to go even faster in a little over an hour at the finals session of the Oklahoma High School Championships.
and people questioned his move to #1 in the 2021 rankings. 🐺Go Pack!🐺
We were just having that conversation in the team slack, because we had a lot of internal debate over it. Ultimately, it appears we made the right choice. Though, Grimm has a state meet coming up too…
Will grimm get the title back as the fastest 50 backstroker in Hs history? Will have to wait and see.
NC State really is bringing in the talent to break through the Texas-Cal stranglehold on NCAAs over the next couple years.
That 200MR lead off from Oklahoma high school prelims would have taken NC State from 6th to 3rd in the 2MR yesterday in the ACC Championships. Looks like the NC State recruiting hype is real.
That 20.75 is insane, I would argue more impressive than the 100 Fly/50 Free times…
I was wondering why that wasn’t the headline.
If the 50 back was a high school event, this would be the overall HS record surpassing Anthony Grimm’s time of 20.87
Grimm did that junior year tho I’m pretty sure
sophomore year.
Great swims, & just prelims! Eager to see what he did in finals.