13-Year-Old Finola Whelehan Logs 2:02.0 200 Free On Day 1 Of Greensboro Futures

2025 Greensboro Futures

• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
•  Psych Sheet
• “2025 USA Swimming Futures – Greensboro” on Meet Mobile
• Live Stream

It’s Futures week, and the Greensboro stop did not disappoint on its first day of competition. A healthy mix of east coast age group sensations and ACC/SEC athletes found their way to the top of the podium.

The best story of the day, perhaps, didn’t come from the top of the podium. At just 13 years of age, Finola Whelehan powered to a 3rd place finish in the 200 free in 2:02.08. She was already the #1 13-14 year old in the country this season at 2:02.48, and this just puts her further ahead of the pack. Yesterday’s effort ranks her #27 all-time in the age group with a full critical year of improvement to go. It also breaks Reina Liu’s North Carolina LSC age group record. A now-15-year-old Liu was in the field pushing Whelehan to break it. Liu ended up 2nd in 2:01.02 tonight. In 1st place was the University of South Carolina’s Amy Riordan (2:00.55).

Liu and Whelehan later helped their club team, TAC, win the 200 free relay in 1:43.75.

The meet’s biggest age group star, Audrey Derivaux, popped a 2:08.31 for her fourth fastest 200 fly ever. She only went faster at the Pro Series in Fort Lauderdale, when she went her best time of 2:06.46, and at prelims and finals of U.S. Nationals this year. The 15-year-old won by over five seconds.

Bowdoin’s Natalie Garre, who came out of nowhere to win two Division III NCAA titles this spring, carried over her improvement to the big pool with an 800 free win. She stopped the clock in 8:43.15. 

After going 1:10 on ten occasions, Sara Czirjak of Cavalier Aquatics finally got under the coveted 100 breaststroke barrier en route to victory. Her time was 1:09.76.

On the men’s side, there was a freestyle sweep by the University of Kentucky. First, Levi Sandidge ran away with the mile title by 23 seconds. His time, 15:16.02, eclipsed the 15:16.40 he swam to place 8th at U.S. Nationals this year, but it trails his 15:09.75 lifetime best from 2023.

Sandidge’s teammate Caue Gluck followed that win up with another one in the 200 free, turning in a 1:51.07. Behind Gluck, incoming Duke freshman Charlie Kulp dropped over a second from his lifetime best to earn the runner-up in 1:51.31.

Like Kulp, the final two individual winners of the night also dropped a second off their lifetime bests. Virginia Tech’s Eli Martin brought down his 100 breast time from 1:01.71 to 1:00.23 en route to victory. This reflects the improvement that Martin experienced in short course during his freshman year in Blacksburg.

Then, incoming Texas A&M freshman and current Aggie Swim Club athlete AJ Robinson touched first in the 200 fly. His 2:00.42 time bettered the 2:01.28 he registered last summer.

Team Scores

Men

1. Nation’s Capital — 207
2. TAC Titans — 119
3. Waterloo — 68

Women

1. Nation’s Capital — 232.5
2. TAC Titans — 207
3. University of Pittsburgh — 91