Kaii Winkler Breaks National HS Record in 200 Free (1:32.68) 4 Months After Wrist Fracture

FHSAA Class 1A State Championships

• Nov. 3-4, 2023
• Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training (FAST)
  • Ocala, Florida
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Championship-1A”

Kaii Winkler started off his final high school swimming meet with an overall national high school record in the 200-yard freestyle, dominating the FHSAA Class 1A State Championships with a winning time of 1:32.68 on Saturday afternoon.

The South Florida HEAT 17-year-old took down Cal freshman Aaron Shackell‘s previous national high school record of 1:32.85 from February. Before Shackell held the record, Carson Foster owned the national high school standard at 1:32.99. Winkler, an NC State commit, dropped six-tenths of a second off his previous-best 1:33.28 from March in the process.

Splits Comparison

Just about four months ago, Winkler suffered fractures in his left wrist and right elbow after he was hit by a car on his way home from morning practice in late June — right before the 2023 U.S. National Championships. He went 1:34.18 to win the state title in the 200 free as a junior last year.

Winkler also won the 100 fly on Saturday in a time of 46.33, shaving more than half a second off his previous-best 46.94 from March. He is slated to conclude his high school career with the 200 free relay and 400 free relay, where he’ll presumably have a chance to break another national high school record with his 100 free leadoff. Winkler’s personal-best 41.96 from March is under the national standard of 42.34 set by David Nolan back in 2011.