Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 1/26/2024

In our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.

Davis Jackson, 15, TAC Titans (NC): Jackson was on fire at the TAC Titans Polar Plunge two weeks ago, notching five new personal bests including a pair of top-ranked swims in backstroke events. In the 200 back, Jackson broke 1:50 for the first time in 1:47.29, launching him up to #4 this season for 15 & under boys. In the 100 back, he produced his first sub-50 swim in 49.48, good for 6th in the country among 15 & unders, and he also went 4:00.07 in the 400 IM to rank 20th. The 15-year-old TAC Titan added bests of 2:04.61 in the 200 breast and 1:53.01 in the 200 IM.

Lily Andruss, 14, Lakeside Aquatic Club (NT): Andruss was among the top performers at the 42nd Annual COPS Greater Southwest meet, highlighted by her effort in the 200 free. Andruss broke through the 1:50 barrier for the first time in the final, clocking 1:49.29 to rank #4 in the girls’ 13-14 age group this season. The 14-year-old Lakeside Aquatic Club product added season-bests en route to wins in the 500 free (4:58.14) and 200 fly (2:05.11).

Juan Vallmitjana, 14, South Florida Aquatic Club (FG): Vallmitjana picked up a Futures cut with his lifetime best of 4:06.78 in the 400 IM at last weekend’s SoFlo Open, moving him into 24th this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group. The 14-year-old South Florida Aquatic Club member also hit new bests in the 100 back (57.41) and 100 IM (55.65), and actually hit an unofficial PB of 56.43 in the 100 fly opening up his 400 IM.

Kate Douglas, 16, Arlington Aquatic Club (PV): Not to be confused with the current world champion by the same name (with a different spelling), Douglas swept the girls’ sprint free events at the ISL Championships last weekend in Bethesda, Md., representing the Potomac School. The 16-year-old Douglas chipped nine one-hundredths off her personal best time in the 100 free in 51.39, and she also won the 50 free in 23.43, just shy of her PB of 23.27 set in November. Douglas also put up a blistering 22.80 anchor leg on Potomac’s medley relay.

Hiro Nilsson, 12, Life Time Swim Dallas (NT): Nilsson swam to seven personal bests at the Greater Southwest meet, including a trio that rank among the fastest we’ve seen in the boys’ 11-12 age group this season. Nilsson, 12, went 29.33 in the 50 breast and 1:04.43 in the 100 breast, both ranking 10th in the country this season, and his time of 58.80 in the 100 IM sits 11th. The Life Tim Swim Dallas product added swims of 5:07.99 in the 500 free, 28.77 in the 50 back, 1:01.86 in the 100 back and 26.52 in the 50 fly.

Alina Pan-Wang, 12, Metroplex Aquatics (NT): Also competing at the Greater Southwest meet in Garland, Texas, Pan-Wang hit best times in all nine events she took on, picking up wins in four events in the girls’ 11-12 age group. Highlighting her busy schedule was the sprint backstroke events, as the Metroplex Aquatics swimmer broke into the national top-20 with swims in the 50 back (28.23) and 100 back (1:00.46) that rank 18th and 20th, respectively, for 11-12 girls this season.