Ayden Tan Continues March Up 11-12 Age Group Rankings This Spring, Hits 51.93 100 Fly

Ayden Tan is quite comfortable at the Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center in Pleasanton, California. Both March’s Spring SCY Age Group Championships and this month’s Pacific Swimming Far Western Championships have been held there and each time, he’s swum multiple lifetime bests, climbing further up the all-time rankings in the American boys 11-12 age group.

He’s swum lifetime bests in all disciplines but breaststroke this spring, but it’s his butterfly improvement that’s been most impressive. While going six-for-six at the Spring Age Group Championships, Tan hit a lifetime best 53.25 in the 100 butterfly improving to 8th in his age group. Less than a month later, he blew that swim out of the water at Far Westerns, ripping a 51.93 that moved him to 3rd behind only Thomas Heilman and Chas Morton. 

Tan broke 54 seconds in the 100 butterfly for the first time at the Pacific Swimming SC Senior Championships in February, swimming 53.74. Since then, he’s taken 1.81 seconds off his lifetime best. In just over a year, he’s improved from the 56.20 he swam at the CC Southwest Age Group Regional by 4.27 seconds. 

Ayden Tan, 100 Butterfly Progression

After his performances at Far Westerns, Tan ranks in the top 10 in his age group in four other events. He matched his 100 butterfly 3rd place ranking in the 50 backstroke, swimming a 24.21 that shaved three-hundredths off his best. Further, he’s now inside the top five in the 100 IM, as he posted a 54.55 in prelims. He’s now within a second of Michael Andrew’s National Age Group Record (53.86), which has stood since 2012. 

The improvements he’s made in his 100 butterfly have carried over to his 50 butterfly. In March, he lowered his lifetime best multiple times at the Spring SCY Age Group Championship, swimming 24.35 in the individual race, then splitting 24.31 on the opening 50 of his 100 butterfly. Tan broke 24 seconds in the individual event and his opening split at Far Westerns. This month, he was faster in the individual event by a hundredth, clocking 23.98. The swim moves him to 6th in his age group. 

Tan rounded out his top 10 performances so far this spring with a 22.20 in the 50 freestyle. This is another event where he’s rapidly improved from March to April, dropping .55 seconds from the Spring SCY Age Group Championships to Far Westerns. 

Finally, Tan swam a lifetime best 48.93 in the 100 freestyle at Far Westerns, which ranks 15th in the age group. Though the time didn’t crack the top 10 like his other events, it still represents a significant improvement for Tan. Less than a month before, he hit a lifetime best of 49.50, which tied for 35th in the age group. Now, he’s broken the 49-second barrier and moved up 20 spots.