Age-Group Phenom Claire Tuggle Breaks Through Plateau, But She’s Not Going to NCAAs

by Riley Overend 47

March 01st, 2023 ACC, College, News

Virginia freshman Claire Tuggle isn’t part of a group of 17 Cavaliers swimmers expected to earn individual invites to the 2023 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships when the official invites are published on Wednesday. While her times were fast enough, Virginia didn’t submit her as a nominee for the meet.

“Nothing really more than we had to get our roster down to the most prepared 18,” Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo said. “She’s got some personal stuff going on that we didn’t want to pile the pressure of NCAAs on top of it.”

Tuggle echoed her coach’s sentiment when contacted by SwimSwam on Tuesday: “I just have some personal things going on right now and the added stress and pressure of NCAAs was not in my best interest or the team’s.”

Her season-best time in the 200 free would have seeded her 25th, her season best in the 500 free would have seeded her 30th, while her season-best in the mile would have seeded her 44th.

She also swam a leg of Virginia’s 800 free relay at the ACC Championships. That relay is the only one where Virginia is not the defending NCAA Champion and the only one where Virginia is not seeded 1st at this year’s NCAA Championship meet (Stanford).

Original reporting, done below, was written before it was revealed that Tuggle wasn’t going to be part of Virginia’s team for the 2023 NCAA Championships.

How fast is “too fast” at 13 years old?

After becoming the fastest 13-year-old ever in the 200-yard freestyle (1:44.96) and 500 free (4:41.36) — more than three seconds quicker than Olympic champions Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky — age-group phenom Claire Tuggle entered a five-year “plateau era” that she was stuck in until last month.

The University of Virginia freshman finally had a breakthrough at the Cavalier Invite, a low-stakes home meet held from Feb. 2-3. Tuggle knew something was clicking when she went sub-49 seconds in the 100 free (48.99) for the first time on Friday, after doing a full practice that morning. Then on Saturday, she drew pre-race inspiration from teammate Aimee Canny throwing down a 1:42.78 in the 200 free right before it was her turn on the blocks.

“I was behind the blocks and thinking, Why not go fast right now?” Tuggle recalled. “Why not go for it and see what happens?

Tuggle clocked a new lifetime best of 1:44.81 in the 200 free, only .15 seconds faster than her previous best from 2018, but a major accomplishment nevertheless considering what Tuggle has been through the past five years. There were coaching changes, injuries that resulted in two surgeries in 2021, and personal struggles along with the high expectations that came with setting national age group (NAG) records at 10 years old. The swim was more than a new personal record — it was validation that her best days are still ahead of her.

“I got in the water and I just kind of swam with no expectations of me, which is really nice because I do think there has been a lot of expectations on me since I was very young in the swimming world — by the outside world, not so much my inside circle,” Tuggle said. “It was really emotional because these people know some of what I’ve been through the past five years and everything that’s happened. They kind of know where my life is outside of the pool, so seeing it be good inside the pool is very emotional for the people who are close to me.”

Two weekends later at the ACC Championships, Tuggle couldn’t quite replicate her best time in the 200 free, but she notched another lifetime best in the 500 free with a 4:40.41, dropping nearly a second off her previous best from 2018 while placing fourth in the process. She also placed seventh in the 1650 free with a personal-best 16:15.91.

“I’m definitely starting to get back to where I was five years ago, which is crazy to say,” Tuggle said. “I think having a consistent training program, and just being able to train with girls who are so fast and are as dedicated, and our coaching staff is great, so I think all of those have kind of combined into being able to get under some of my best times. Consistent training with coaches who really care has been nice.

“I’m just happy that I’m still swimming to this day, and still swimming at a high level,” she added. “A lot of people who are fast that young don’t continue in the sport.”

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James
1 year ago

Very courageous to speak openly about struggling both personally and in the sport. I’m glad the highly competitive environment of Virginia has served to reinvigorate her interest in swimming life time bests, etc. All the best for a stellar Sophomore campaign

Swim2win
1 year ago

She is an 18 year old freshman! Still a long career to go if she so chooses. She’s barely scratched the surface

Canaswim
1 year ago

Yay Claire. You are amazing and I am so happy to see you have overcome so many obstacles. Congrats!

Taa
1 year ago

Its an important lesson, don’t let your swim times define who you are

Melanie
1 year ago

Claire, I am truly sorry for the pressure that I and others have put on you over the years.

Yikes
Reply to  Melanie
1 year ago

Gimme a break, you troll her relentlessly on this site. What, you didn’t think bullying a teen online was inappropriate till today?

Eli
Reply to  Melanie
1 year ago

it wasn’t just pressure you put on her. you called her a “popular party girl who doesn’t know how to quit” get a life lady

Melanie
Reply to  Eli
1 year ago

I know, and am sorry. It is rude and I have a lot of self work to do. My daughter use to go head and head with her and I got way to in my head with this. Claire I am truly sorry.

MarkB
Reply to  Melanie
1 year ago

You did all this over the years because your daughter used to swim against her!! Good thing your daughter isn’t a Texas high school cheerleader (look it up)!

Yikes
Reply to  Melanie
1 year ago

Wow, do you ever. A grown woman bullying a teenager online for years because she’s jealous on behalf of her daughter. That’s seriously messed up, and I hope you seek help for yourself and for your daughter if she is in any way involved or even knew you behaved this way.

Caleb
Reply to  Melanie
1 year ago

The other commenters are piling on, but I appreciate the sentiment. Always good to reflect and learn.

Eli
1 year ago

Let Claire Tuggle serve as a lesson that every athlete is a person, first and for most.

Chachi
Reply to  Eli
1 year ago

*foremost

Eli
Reply to  Chachi
1 year ago

Whoops thank you!

Old Bruin
1 year ago

Does anyone know if there is another swimmer who plateaued for FIVE YEARS (during age group years when the drops usually come on the regular!!) and actually stuck with it? That’s enough to make almost anyone quit. Props to her for perservering.

BMays
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

Of course- there are thousands. They just aren’t superstar NAG record breakers.

Old Bruin
Reply to  BMays
1 year ago

Well good for all of them for sticking with it then, that’s rough

Walter
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

Amanda Beard had some plateaus between 1996 and 2000, for sure.

Dmswim
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

Alexis Wenger and Olivia Bray come to mind as other examples although Olivia was older.

Swimgeek
Reply to  Dmswim
1 year ago

Even Kate Douglass had a long plateau after she was a 13-14 NAG record breaker in 50 free.

YEah
Reply to  Old Bruin
1 year ago

Alexis Wenger, former Hoo too!

Thunderbolt
1 year ago

I recall that Claire courageously took a stand on the shooting incident at UVA earlier this year. She strikes me as enlightened and well-grounded. Wishing her nothing but the best, in and out of the pool.

Awsi Dooger
Reply to  Thunderbolt
1 year ago

I was extremely impressed with that. Who cares about her swimming times, in comparison to big picture enlightenment, and guts? The thoughts and prayers crowd is not even C final caliber.

Meeeee
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

what makes you think the ‘thoughts and prayers’ crowd are not speaking up?

Free Thinker
Reply to  Meeeee
1 year ago

Please give one example of a “thoughts and prayers” person who offered more than that.

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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