10-Yr-Old Max Stern Breaks 3 Southeastern LCM Records At Jimi Flowers Spring Splash

2023 SE Jimi Flowers Spring Splash

• April 15-16, 2023
• James E. Martin Aquatics Center, Auburn, AL
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 SE Jimi Flowers Spring Splash”

The annual Jimi Flowers Spring Splash meet was held this past weekend in Auburn, Alabama. The two-day, timed finals competition was one of the first long course meets of the season for many competing at it. The meet ran in an open format with no age groups, and featured a handful of clubs from Southeastern Swimming. 

Headlining the meet was 10-year-old Max Stern, who broke three 10 and under Southeastern Swimming records. Stern, who swims with Opelika Swim Team, opened his meet with a record-breaking performance in the 200 IM. He finished 10th overall with a best time of 2:38.60, taking a tenth off of Jackson DeFore’s record from 2009 (2:38.72).

Stern also cracked the LSC record in the 50 freestyle with a final time of 28.86 to again take 10th overall. The previous record also belonged to DeFore, who swam a 28.96 in 2009. Stern’s final record came in the 50 breaststroke, where he stopped the clock at 38.36 to finish 9th. His swim dipped below the previous mark done by Alex Goss in 2006 by just three hundredths of a second.

Stern’s teammate Amy Chang had a strong showing with best times in all seven of her events. Chang, 11, earned her highest finish at 3rd in the 50 breast in 42.84. She also took 4th in both the 100 breast (1:33.69) and 50 back (37.14), and 6th in the 50 free (31.48).

15-year-old Alex Park of Auburn Aquatics won four events with top-3 finishes in four others. Park dropped a second from his entry in both the 100 free (56.93) and 100 fly (1:01.48), and knocked over six seconds off in the 200 IM to take 2nd in 2:23.20. 

Park’s teammate Layne Tucker won five events and secured runner-up in the other three. Tucker, who is headed to the Virginia Military Institute in the fall, set best times in the 200 back (2:27.63), 100 back (1:04.31), and 100 fly (1:02.28). 

Madison Whidden and Grace Xiang, both 14 from Opelika Swim Team, set a handful of personal bests en route to their victories. Xiang’s meet was highlighted by her wins in the 100 (1:20.36) and 200 breast (2:56.60), which were both personal bests by over two seconds. Whidden dominated in the longer events, winning the 400 IM by nearly 15 seconds (5:43.36) and the 400 free by over 10 seconds (4:58.59), both in big best times.