2022 Swammy Awards: Age Group Swimmers of the Year – 15-16

To see all of our 2022 Swammy Awards, click here.

2022 15-16 AGE GROUP SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR: THOMAS HEILMAN & KATIE GRIMES

Editor’s note: because of ongoing challenges with the USA Swimming results database, identifying all of the top candidates for this year’s age group awards in an objective way has been challenging. We’ve done our best to find them, but it’s possible that we missed someone obvious. If that’s the case, please let us know in the comments!

GIRLS’ AWARD: KATIE GRIMES, SANDPIPERS OF NEVADA

It’s not a difficult decision to decide who should be the Swammy Award honoree for the 15-16 age group when an eligible swimmer is vying for individual World Championship titles.

That was the case in 2022 for Sandpipers of Nevada star Katie Grimes, who picked up a pair of silver medals at the 2022 World Championships in the women’s 1500 free and 400 IM, setting a new National Age Group Record in the latter.

The 16-year-old went head-to-head with another teenage sensation, Canadian Summer McIntosh, in the 400 IM final at Worlds, finishing just six-tenths shy of the gold medal in a time of 4:32.67, breaking Elizabeth Beisel‘s 14-year-old NAG record of 4:32.87 in the process.

Grimes also placed second to Katie Ledecky in the 1500 free in Budapest, swimming a time of 15:44.89 to rank second in the 15-16 age group behind the world record holder, who swam to a time of 15:36.53 in 2013.

Grimes added a second NAG record to her resume in December, touching in 3:57.02 to obliterate the 15-16 400 IM SCY mark by more than three seconds, downing another record from 2008, this one belonging to Dagny Knutson (4:00.61).

NAG Records

Grimes added a World Junior Record to her long list of accomplishments in November, swimming a time of 15:42.05 in the SCM 1500 free at the FINA World Cup stop in Indianapolis.

On top of the record swims, Grimes also ranked inside the top 10 in the girls’ 15-16 age group across 15 other events in 2022.

• 200 free SCY, 1:43.83 – #2 in 2022, #9 all-time
• 500 free SCY, 4:29.53 – #1 in 2022, #2 all-time
• 1000 free SCY, 9:26.10 – #2 in 2022, #4 all-time
• 1650 free SCY, 15:26.17 – #1 in 2022, #2 all-time
• 100 back SCY, 52.89 – #6 in 2022, #52 all-time
• 200 back SCY, 1:51.46 – #2 in 2022, #9 all-time
• 100 fly SCY, 52.63 – #5 in 2022, #32 all-time
• 200 fly SCY, 1:52.28 – #1 in 2022, #2 all-time
• 200 IM SCY, 1:55.33 – #2 in 2022, #12 all-time
• 200 free LCM, 1:58.22 – #1 in 2022, #7 all-time
• 400 free LCM, 4:05.77 – #1 in 2022, #3 all-time
• 800 free LCM, 8:22.73 – #1 in 2022 (PB of 8:17.05 is 2nd all-time)
• 1500 free LCM, 15:44.89 – #1 in 2022, #2 all-time
• 200 back LCM, 2:09.52 – #1 in 2022, #11 all-time
• 200 fly LCM, 2:12.38 – #6 in 2022, #62 all-time

Honorable Mentions

• Leah Hayes, Fox Valley Park District Riptides – Although she aged up in October, Hayes had a phenomenal 10-plus months in the 15-16 age group this year, highlighted by a bronze medal victory in the women’s 200 IM at the World Championships in Budapest. Hayes became the first swimmer in the girls’ 15-16 age group to go sub-2:10 in the event at the International Team Trials, setting a NAG record previously held by Katie Hoff (2:10.41) in 2:09.99, and then ultimately got down to 2:08.91 in the World Championship final to place third. Hayes also clocked 4:39.65 in the 400 IM at the Trials to rank sixth in age group history, and she also finished the year among the top LCM performers in the 100 free (54.89) and 200 free (1:59.14).
• Claire Weinstein, Sandpipers of Nevada – Less than two months after her 15th birthday, Weinstein qualified for her first World Championship team by placing second in the women’s 200 free at the U.S. International Team Trials, becoming the fastest 15-year-old in the nation’s history with a time of 1:57.08. After improving that down to 1:56.94 to finish 10th at Worlds, Weinstein led off in 1:56.71 as the American women broke the world record and won gold in the 800 free relay in Budapest. Weinstein’s breakout year also included ranking inside the top three in five different SCY events in the 15-16 age group, including first in the 1000 free (9:25.06) and second in both the 500 free (4:33.03) and 1650 free (15:53.83).
• Alex Shackell, Carmel Swim Club – Shackell’s incredible 2022 saw her rank first in the 15-16 age group in six different events, punctuated by the five medals she won at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August. Shackell won gold in the girls’ 100 fly (58.44), bronze in the 200 fly (2:09.71) and added three relay medals in Honolulu, and the 16-year-old followed up by winning four events at Winter Juniors – East in early December. Her performance in Greensboro included ranking second all-time in the girls’ 100 fly (50.97), 50 free (21.73) and 100 free (47.44).

BOYS’ AWARD: THOMAS HEILMAN, CAVALIER AQUATICS/PIEDMONT FAMILY YMCA

He may still only be 15, but Thomas Heilman‘s unbelievable breakout year earns him Swammy honors for 15-16 boys after resetting the National Age Group Record across five different events.

Heilman earned the award last year in the boys’ 13-14 category after a stunning performance at Winter Juniors – East in early December, and followed the same script in 2022 as the Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA product went on a tear that saw him shatter NAG records in the 100 fly, 200 fly and 200 IM in short course yards.

But prior to that, Heilman made significant strides in the long course pool, piling up six medals at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships while adding a pair of 15-16 NAG records in the 100 free and 100 fly.

NAG Records:

Heilman broke the NAG record in the LCM 100 free previously held by Caeleb Dressel in a time of 49.06 at Junior Pan Pacs, and followed up by becoming the first swimmer to dip under 52 seconds in age group history in the 100 fly (51.98).

Then, at Winter Juniors three and a half months later, he broke Michael Andrew‘s 15-16 NAG by more than a second with a time of 1:41.71 in the 200 IM, went under the 17-18 record with a blistering 44.67 in the 100 fly, and finished up by adding a third record at the competition in the 200 fly (1:40.86).

All three butterfly records broken by Heilman previously belonged to Luca Urlando.

In addition to his record-breaking performances, Heilman also ranked inside the top 10 in the boys’ 15-16 age group in eight other events.

• 50 free SCY, 19.63 – #1 in 2022, #7 all-time
• 100 free SCY, 42.96 – #3 in 2022, #4 all-time
• 200 free SCY, 1:34.10 – #3 in 2022, #7 all-time
• 400 IM SCY, 3:49.31 – #7 in 2022, #30 all-time
• 50 free LCM, 22.89 – #3 in 2022, #12 all-time (tied)
• 200 free LCM, 1:50.34 – #4 in 2022, #17 all-time (tied)
• 200 fly LCM, 1:56.52 – #1 in 2022, #4 all-time
• 200 IM LCM, 2:04.63 – #7 in 2022, #40 all-time

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Maximus Williamson, Lakeside Aquatic Club (TX) – Williamson took down Michael Phelps‘ last remaining NAG record in short course yards earlier this month in the 400 IM, clocking 3:39.83 to demolish Phelps’ previous mark of 3:42.08. Williamson, 16, also went seven-tenths under Michael Andrew‘s old NAG record in the 200 IM at Winter Juniors – West in Austin, clocking 1:42.07, but fell shy of the mark established by Heilman just one hour earlier in Greensboro (1:41.71). Williamson added NAG records in the 200 free (1:33.07) and 200 back (1:40.88) in Austin, the former coming on the lead-off leg of the Lakeside Aquatic Club (TX) record-breaking 800 free relay. In the 100 free, his time of 42.49 at Winter Juniors ranked him second all-time in age group history behind Kaii Winkler, who swam 42.21 that same day. In the long course pool, Williamson set a NAG record of 1:59.01 in the 200 IM at Junior Pan Pacs, winning gold, and added individual silver medals in the 200 free (1:48.21) and 400 IM (4:17.58) while still 15. He ranks second all-time among 15-16 boys in the 200 free and fifth in the 400 IM in LCM.

NAG Records:

• Kaii Winkler, Eagle Aquatics – Winkler started off 2022 by becoming the fastest 15-year-old in U.S. history in the LCM 100 free (50.24) in March, and a few weeks later he went 43.04 to rank second in the SCY event behind Williamson (42.98). He then won three medals at Junior Pan Pacs, an individual silver in the 50 free and a pair of relay golds, and has followed up with a massive short course season in the back-half of 2022. Winkler broke the boys’ 15-16 NAG record in the 100 free (SCY) at the FHSAA Championships in November, clocking 42.52, and also took down Caeleb Dressel‘s Florida high school record in the 200 free (1:34.18). In December at Winter Juniors – East, Winkler re-lowered the 100 free NAG down to 42.21, and also went 1:33.36 in the 200 free to rank third in age group history. He also finished 2022 ranked third all-time for 15-16 boys in the LCM 50 free (22.50) and fourth in the 100 free (49.47).

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