Charlotte Crush Resets Her 15-16 100 Backstroke NAG Leading Off 400 Medley Relay (49.46)

2024 Winter Junior Championships – East

• December 11-14, 2024
• Wednesday Finals: 4 pm EST
• Prelims: 9 am EST/ Finals: 5 pm EST
• Greensboro, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheets
• Event Page
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Winter Juniors East”
• Prelims Recaps: Day 2
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2

One year after she annihilated the American girls’ 15-16 National Age Group record at just 15 years old, Charlotte Crush lowered her standard in the event, leading off Lakeside’s 400 medley relay with a 49.46.

Crush’s previous standard stood at 49.53 from leading off the same relay at the Winter Juniors Championship — East in December 2023. Her swim at that meet marked not only a new 15-16 NAG but the second-fastest swim by an American girl under 18 years old and made her the youngest to break 50 seconds in the 100 backstroke.

With her swim tonight, Crush, 16, now moves into a tie with Claire Curzan for the fastest performance by a junior American girl. Curzan swam her 49.46 during the 2023 Pac-12 Championships. Crush still has another two years to attempt to take over as the fastest American junior in the event’s history.

U.S. 15-18 Girls’ NAG Rankings

1. Claire Curzan/Charlotte Crush, 49.46 (2023/2024)
2. (tie)
3. Regan Smith, 49.66 (2019)
4. Bella Sims, 50.02 (2024)
5. Leah Shackley, 50.22 (2024)
6. Phoebe Bacon, 50.39 (2021)
7. Reilly Tiltmann, 50.42 (2022)
8. Isabel Ivey, 50.42 (2019)
9. Amy Bilquist, 50.50 (2016)
10. Rachel Bootsma, 50.54 (2012)

Crush, a University of Tennessee verbal commit, was out slower than her previous record during the 2024 championships, flipping in 24.31 compared to 23.87 a year ago. The entire drop came from her second 50 as she kicked into another gear and split a blistering 25.15 on the second 50 yards. A year ago, she swam 25.66 in the back half of the race.

>Split Comparison: 

Crush’s swim gave Lakeside a sizeable lead during the second heat of the 400 medley relay. She, Hanna Schmidt, KC Braeger, and Ava Grazziani clocked a final time of 3:35.76, taking third in the event behind SwimMAC and the TAC Titans.

Earlier in the session, Crush took third in the 50 freestyle with a 22.04. She will get another chance to lower her newly minted 100 backstroke NAG during the individual event tomorrow. She’s also slated to race the 100 butterfly on Friday and is entered in the 200 back and 100 freestyle later in the meet.

Girls’ 4×100 Medley Relay

• Meet Record: 3:33.28, Carmel Swim Club (Clarke, Sweeney, Shackell, Han) – 2023
• 13-14 NAG Record: 3:38.62, TAC Titans (Liu, He, Nixon, Whelehan) – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record: 3:36.53, Virginia Gators (Bray, Muzzy, Whittney, Hamilton, Kulp)– 2017
• 17-18 NAG Record: 3:32.10, Elmbrook Swim Club (Wanezek, Thomas, Stoll, Tiltmann) – 2023

Top 3 Finishers:

1. SwimMAC Carolina ‘A’- 3:34.80
2. TAC Titans ‘A’- 3:35.59
3. Lakeside Swim Team ‘A’- 3:35.76

There it is! The first NAG record of the week! Charlotte Crush led off the Lakeside relay with a new 15-16 National Age Group Record in the 100 backstroke. Crush went 49.46 to break her own record of 49.53 from this meet last year. Crush is committed to swim at Tennesee in the fall of 2026.

The actual relay gold went to SwimMAC Carolina and their A relay of Karina Plaza (54.11), Elle Scott (58.68), Caroline Mallarad (52.68), and Bree Smith (49.33). The four swimmers went 3:34.80 to win the event by almost eight tenths.

The TAC Titans took home the silver in 3:35.59, just out-touching Lakeside. The relay consisted of Reina Liu (52.15), Mia Kate Jeltema (1:01.75), Nikki Nixon (52.70), and Caden Martin (48.79).

Lakeside picked up the bronze after their blistering leadoff leg. The rest of their relay, Hanna Schmidt on the breast (1:02.19), KC Braeger on the fly (53.47), and Ava Grazziani on free (50.64), brought the team home in 3:35.76.