Parker Wheeler Breaks GA Record in 500 Free at Georgia Senior State

Georgia Senior State Championships

• December 6th-8th 2024
• Athens, Georgia
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Results: Meet Mobile “2024 Georgia SCSenior State Championships

The Georgia Senior State Championships were held at the beginning og December, and 11-year-old Parker Wheeler went even faster than he did at last month’s Bill Behrens Invitational. He dropped time in all but one of his events, improving his 11-12 boys season-rankings. He also broke his own Georgia LSC record in the 500 freestyle.

His “biggest” swim of the meet was his 500 freestyle, where he broke the Georgia state record. He went 4:51.78, to drop three more seconds from the 4:55.13 he went at Bill Behrens. This time ranks him 2nd in the 11-12 season rankings, and 49th all-time.

Wheeler started the meet with a new personal best in the 200 freestyle, clocking 1:51.08 in the prelims of the event. Due to the senior meet format, Wheeler only got the opportunity to swim in two event finals since there was no age group separation. His 200 free time was a drop of seven-tenths from his previous best of 1:51.79 set in October. He came into the season at 1:57.25 from March of this year. This currently ranks him 4th among 11-12 boys this season, and he’s also the fastest 11-year-old in the country this season.

He also swam the 50 back, where he dropped even more time from the Bill Beherens Invitational to go 25.67 from his 26.16 last month. He sits 3rd this season for the 11-12 boys rankings, and 1st among 11-year-olds

Wheeler also saw new personal bests in the 1000 free, and the 50 flyl. His 1000 time of 10:11.70 was a 24-second drop from the 10:35.75 he went this past October. His 50 fly was 24.57, dropping a few tenths from the 24.89 he went last month. He currently holds the 2nd fastest 1000 free time for 11-12s this season and #1 for 11-year-olds, and he’s also ranked 1st in the 50 fly. His 50 fly time is also tied for 29th all-time for 11-12s.

Other Notable Swims

• Baylor Stanton, a Gwinnett Aquatics junior, was also at the meet. Stanton reaced at the Speedo Winter Juniors in Greensboro later that week. Notably, he swam the 500 freestyle, going a season-best 4:24.00 in a prelims swim. He went 4:17.92 for a new PB at Winter Juniors. He also went new personal bests in the 200 free (1:36.36) and the 100 breast (55.48) which he did not swim at Junior’s.
• Amber Naude, a 14-year-old at Dynamo Swim Club, also set a few top-20 times. She dropped almost three seconds in her 100 freestyle to go 49.84 from the 52.51 she went at the beginning of November, marking her first time under the 50-second mark. This time currently ranks her 5th in the country for 13-14 girls this season. Naude also dropped time in her 50 free, going 23.21 to drop from the 24.11 she went at the same meet in the beginning of November. This time places her 11th in the season rankings. She saw all personal bests as well in the 200 free (1:53.36), 100 back (55.58), 200 back (2:04.02), and 100 fly (56.95)
• Aiken Augusta Swim League 14-year-old Heba Fouitah set a new personal best in the 200 freestyle at 1:49.74, her first time under 1:50. Her previous best was 1:53.32 from last March. This time was good for 3rd in 13-14 girls season rankings.
• Ty McGinn, a 14-year old from Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club, also set a top time in the 100 fly, going 51.07 to rank 5th in the 13-14 boys rankings this season. This was over a second drop from his previous best of 52.35 from the middle of November.