Luka Mijatovic Torches a 15-16 National Age Group Record by 3 Seconds (at Only 15)

Pleasanton Seahawks Short Course Senior Open

• November 1-4, 2024
• Pleasanton, California
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Pleasanton Seahawks SC Senior Open”
• Full Meet Results

15-year-old Luka Mijatovic of the Pleasanton Seahawks in Pleasanton, California has broken the 15-16 National Age Group Record in the 500 yard freestyle. He swam 4:12.34 in finals, winning the race by 10 seconds and shattering Olympic medalist Drew Kibler‘s National Age Group Record of 4:15.36 that was set in 2016.

This is Mijatovic’s 11th individual National Age Group Record and 12th overall record. That includes the 15-16 long course record in the equivalent 500 meter freestyle in long course thanks to a 3:49.24 that he swam in August.

This swim was Mijatovic’s first 500 free of the season, though he swam the race throughout the California high school championship season after turning 15 on April 22. His previous best time of 4:14.83 was also better than the 15-16 National Age Group Record, though he was only 14, so it didn’t qualify.

Splits Comparison:

In his latest swim, Mijjatovic swam a pretty clean race with a similar pattern to his 4:14 from April, but he was a bit slower in the opening 100 and a lot faster in the finishing 100.

Mijatovic is America’s best distance talent in generations, which includes breaking the oldest National Age Group Record on the books in July when he cleared Jesse Vassallo‘s 1500 meter free record that had stood since 1976.

Mijatovic won six of his seven races on the weekend. His swims in the 100 free, 1000 free, 200 fly (by more than three seconds), and 200 IM were all also best times. In the 1000 free, he missed Matthew Hirschberger‘s 2015 record by just .17 seconds.

Mijatovic’s other results from the meet

• 100 free – 44.41 (#100 in the age group all-time)
• 200 free – 1:37.13
• 500 free – 4:12.34 (#1 in the age group all-time)
• 1000 free – 8:45.28 (#2 in the age group all-time)
• 100 fly – 49.18
• 200 fly – 1:46.03 (#37 in the age group all-time)
• 200 IM – 1:46.60 (34 in the age group all-time)

The only swimmer to beat him on the weekend was his teammate Songrui Wu (aka Tim Wu). The 16-year-old Cal commit has similar range to Mijatovic, and won the 100 free in 44.17 – a best time for him.

Wu also swam best times in the 500 free (4:22.38), 1000 free (9:01.13), 100 back (47.48) – 1.8 seconds, 200 back (1:45.97) – 3.4 seconds, and 200 IM (1:46.66). Some of those were by huge margins, like almost 13 seconds in the 1000 free, 3.4 seconds in the 200 back, and 1.8 seconds in the 100 back.

Among the highlights from the girls’ side of the meet were big best times and national age group rankings from a pair of 14-year-old girls with the Crow Canyon Sharks.

Mikayla Tan dropped four-tenths of a second to win the 100 breast in 1:00.90, which moves her up to 8th-place all-time in the age group. She just out-touched U.S. National Junior Team member Raya Mellott, who was 2nd in 1:00.95.

Tan also won the 200 breast in 2:10.56, which moves her ahead of Olympic Champion and World Record holder Kate Douglass as the #2 13-14 in history in that event. Allie Szekely has the National Age Group Record in 2:10.22, set in 2012.

Tan also won the 400 IM in 4:16.11, just-missing her best time by .08 seconds.

She previously trained with the Davis Aquadarts, about an hour away near Sacramento. Her representation of Crown Canyon, closer to Oakland, is new this fall.

Her teammate Daniela Linares from the Crow Canyon Sharks won both the 100 back (54.56) and 200 back (1:56.70), both in new lifetime bests. That time in the 200 back moves her to 31st place in the age group all-time among a number of huge names. Just ahead of her in that ranking are Liz Pelton and Olivia Bray, while just behind her are Kathleen Baker and Bella Sims, all of whom were at least National Team members and many of whom are Olympians.

Other Meet Highlights:

• 15-year old Stella Canoles from Orinda Aquatics swam best times in the 100 back (55.42) and 100 fly (54.33). Besides the 100 fly, she picked up wins in the 50 free (23.11) and 100 free (49.81) in near-best times as well.
• 16-year-old Kingsley Rosevold won the 200 free in 1:51.87, knocking a full second off her previous best time. The high school junior from Wolverine Aquatics has not yet announced a college commitment.
• Tyler Porter from Quicksilver Swimming swam 20.20 in prelims of the boys’ 50 free and 20.14 in finals, both of which were new lifetime bests. He was previously a 20.34 to finish 2nd at last year’s California High School State Championship meet. He’ll still have to compete with the defending champion Miles Blackson-Dunbar, who like Porter is only a junior.
• 16-year old Jeremy Ting from the Crow Canyon Sharks won the 400 IM in 3:53.24, a drop of nearly two seconds.