Team USA’s 2016 Swimming National Team member, Colleen Young, reset three of her own S13 Paralympic American records on four different occasions this weekend at the Region VIII Spring Sectionals hosted by the Jenks Trojan Aquatic Center, OK. The Fairfield University 2016 commit owned all three breaststroke records prior to her visit to Oklahoma and now claims the fastest top-three swims in each category. The S13 class record holder will compete next at the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials in Charlotte, NC, June 30 – July 2, before she can make her second Paralympic debut in Rio this summer.
Young cracked her first record on Thursday morning in the 200 breast. That time bested her original American record of 2:49.70 set back in June of 2015 at the CSP 77th Summer Invitational. She took out the first 100 two full seconds quicker than in 2015 for a prelims record of 2:48.68. The 2012 Paralympian dropped the standard considerably lower in finals as she split the front half .13 faster than her morning swim, but her third 50 proved to be the difference. Young’s finals swim of 2:45.94 now stands as the fastest S13 class 200 breast on record and until the IPC confirms or denies its ratification, the swim is an unofficial world record.
200m breast split comparisons
| 2015 CSP Invite | Prelims | Finals |
| 38.69 | 37.79 | 37.04 |
| 43.01 | 41.91 | 42.53 |
| 44.05 | 44.17 | 42.05 |
| 43.95 | 44.81 | 44.32 |
| 2:49.70 | 2:48.68 | 2:45.94 |
On Saturday, Young smashed yet another pair of Para American records in the 100 breast. The previous mark stood at 1:19.23 from her swim at the 2014 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, and with a touch of 1:18.64 she established a standard that would last for only a few hours. Returning that night for the finals of the 100 breast, Young mimicked her Thursday record-breaking performance by shattering a Para American record for the fourth time in three days. Both of her prior swims took the first 50 out in 37’s, but this time Young split it in 35.55 to come home in 42.03 for a new standard of 1:17.58. Kirby Cote’s world record of 1:17.12 set back in 2002 is just .46 of a second quicker than Young’s time. A swim this close sets up this seventeen year-old for another possible S13 breaststroke world record.
One of Young’s American records was coincidently registered in the finals of the women’s 100 breast. Touching in at the wall in 35.55, the 50 split is quicker than her mark of 36.34 swam back in July of last year at Glasgow Worlds. Acknowledging the split makes it a complete sweep of American titles for the young Paralympian at this long course meter competition.
100m breast split comparisons
| 2014 PanPac Para’s | Prelims | Finals |
| 37.35 | 37.47 | 35.55 |
| 41.88 | 41.17 | 42.03 |
| 1:19.23 | 1:18.64 | 1:17.58 |
JENKS. With a “J.”