2024 IL Swimming SC Age Group Championships
- Mar 7-10, 2024
- Hobart, IN
- Meet Page
- PDF Results
At the 2024 Illinois Swimming Short Course Age Group Championships last weekend, 14-year-old Luke Vatev of Hornet Swim Club broke five IL boys 13-14 LSC records. Vatev also flexed a nearly-impossible freestyle versatility success at a state championship meet, winning five boys 13-14 freestyle event titles from 50 through 1000 free.
Another boys 13-14 LSC record breaker, St. Charles’ Thomas McMillan, and Bullets’ John Murphy were other multi-title/stroke sweep winners. On the girls’ 13-14 side, NASA Wildcat’s Grace Koenig-Song also popped off five state titles and a LSC record, which also frightened a NAG record.
The highlight swim for Vatev came from the 200 free, where he destroyed Olympic champion Matt Grevers‘ 2000 LSC record of 1:41.66 by four seconds, smashing in a 1:37.56. Besides being an LSC Record, that ranks him #4 all-time in boys 13-14 history in the US. Vatev had a dominant finals performance, finishing 5.55s ahead of runner-up Bullet’s John Murphy (1:43.11).
Vatev then re-broke his own 100 free LSC record with another dominant title-winning time of 44.76, also #4 all-time in US history. He won that event final by 2.45 seconds over Palatine’s Victor Gut (47.21). Vatev’s former LSC record of 45.72 was set leading off a 400 free relay on March 3.
Vatev’s Results:
- 50 free – 1st, 21.11
- 100 free – 1st, 44.75 (#4 US all-time 13-14 boys)
- 200 free – 1st, 1:37.57 (#4 US all-time 13-14 boys)
- 500 free – 1st, 4:27.88 (#12 US all-time 13-14 boys)
- 1000 free – 1st, 9:27.49
- 100 back (relay leadoff – 49.23
- 200 back – 1st, 1:46.63
- 100 fly – 2nd, 49.26
More Boys 13-14 Highlights
Hornet’s Luke Vatev then won the 500 free at 4:27.88, ranking #12 all-time and breaking Brayden Capen LSC Record of 4:31.64. Vatev’s time is also six spots in that ranking behind Michael Phelps’ 13-14 event best time of 4:26.79, from March 2000. Vatev’s versatile freestyle success continued to extend to winning the 1000 free (9:27.49), just off the all-time top 100 list.
Bullets’ John Murphy once again took second to Vatev in both the 500 free (4:40.34) and the 1000 free (9:38.59). However Vatev did not swim in the 1650 free, and it was Murphy who came out on top at 16:09.71. Murphy also his own opportunities to sweep stroke event state titles, winning both the 400 IM (4:01.19) and 200 IM (1:54.74).
Back to Vatev, he then sprinted to the 50 free title (21.11). Vatev’s 50 free personal best is 20.94 (#42 all-time), where the 2023 LSC record stands at 20.81 by Patriot’s Enzo Desviat Ruiz. Vatev swam this personal best from Feb 25 leading off a 200 free relay, which marked a new boys 13-14 LSC relay record at 1:28.12.
In that 50 free final, St. Charles’ Thomas McMillan humbly placed second at 21.92 ahead of PPD’s Victor Gut (21.96) and Fox’s Jack Langan (22.20). McMillan and Vatev have had numerous state championship duels in the past, where they faced off in nearly identical events. As Vatev expanded on his freestyle, McMillan continued to focus on fly/back. However, Vatev still had flexing to do in those stroke events.
Flipping onto the 200 back, the versatile Vatev broke Capen’s LSC record (1:47.57) with a 1:46.63 in prelims, putting him at #9 all-time. Vatev scratched 200 back finals, opening up McMillan for the event state title at 1:48.73, now #26 all-time. Bullet’s Murphy took second behind McMillan, also cracking 1:50 at 1:49.97. McMillan also won the 200 fly at 1:51.66 by over three seconds ahead of runner-up Bullets’ Patrick O’Connor (1:55.35), scaring the 2005 LSC record of 1:51.25.
McMillan and Vatev’s spotlight duel was in the 100 fly, where they both swam under Alec Filipovic‘s 2018 LSC Record of 49.62 . However, it was McMillan taking his first title/LSC record of the meet with a 49.13, giving Vatev his lone individual event upset with his runner-up 49.26.
While McMillan won the individual 100 back at 49.34, under Brady Johnson‘a 2021 LSC record of 49.42, Vatev led off a 400 medley relay in 49.23. This marked Vatev’s fifth LSC record from these state championships.
Summary of Luke Vatev‘s Boys 13-14 IL LSC Records Set at 2024 IL Age Group State Champs
- 100 Free, 44.76 (#4 all-time)
- 200 Free, 1:37.56 (#4 all-time)
- 500 Free, 4:27.88 (#12 all-time)
- 100 Back, 49.23 (#14 all-time)
- 200 Back, 1:46.63 (#9 all-time)
McMillan and Vatev were not the only swimmers to break a boys 13-14 LSC record at this meet. Fox Valley’s Braden Meurer won the boys 13-14 200 breast at 2:04.12, taking one one-hundredth off the 2023 LSC record of 2:04.13 by Noah Chen. Fox teammate Langan placed third (2:08.38) to Meurer where FMC’s Gabriel Pelinkovic was runner-up at 2:04.35. Muerer (57.92) and Langan (58.78) also earned another Fox 1-2 finish in the 100 breast. Langan was also present in the 200 IM final, where he earned his third runner-up finish at 1:56.68.
Girls 13-14 Highlights
On the girls’ 13-14 side, NASA Wildcat’s Grace Koenig-Song posted a 2:10.92 to win the girls 13-14 200 breast, which took two seconds of Kaelyn Gridley‘s 2019 LSC record of 2:13.04. She is now #3 all-time in US girls 13-14 history, less than a second behind NAG holder Allie Szekely (2:10.22) and only 0.03s off Olympian/World champion Kate Douglass‘ 13-14 best (2:10.89).
Later, Grace and her twin sister Addy Koenig-Song went head-to-head in the 100 fly final, where Grace touched out Addy by 0.02s, 55.10 to 55.12. New Trier’s Lia Roggi placed third in the event at 55.82. Grace got the win, but Addy had the fastest time of the day at 54.90 to lead prelims, four-tenths off the 2016 LSC record of 54.57.
Just as Vatev and McMillan have faced off many times in the past, so have the Koenig-Song twins, Roggi, and Kowal. Grace Koenig-Song won another state title, this time in the 200 IM at 2:01.09, whereas Roggi placed 3rd at 2:04.24. The Bullets’ Paige Kowal was in between the two at 2:04.07.
Earlier, Kowal won the 200 free at 1:49.79, touching ahead of Addy Koenig-Song’s 1:50.58.
In the 100 free, Grace Koenig-Song took another title win at 50.21, where Roggi touched 0.64 seconds behind at 50.85. Kowal was also in the final, placing 4th (51.72) behind Rise’s Lilia Barber (50.95).
Addy Koenig-Song later won her own state title in the 200 fly (2:02.24).
In the 500 free, it was Kowal who earned another title at 4:56.53, winning by more than six seconds seconds over runner-up St. Charles’ Lucia Negra (5:04.09) and 3rd-place finisher Addy Koenig-Song (5:04.95).
Grace Koenig-Song capped off her stellar state championships performance with her fifth title in the 100 breast at 1:01.86 , just missing Kaylyn Gridley’s 2019 LSC record of 1:01.64.
After earning numerous medals to her name, Lia Roggi finally won a state title, taking the 50 free at 23.28. Rise’s Barber was runner-up at 23.74 while Addy Koenig-Song (23.82) and Kowal (23.96) placed 3rd and 5th respectively.
Additional 12&U Multi-Event State Champions
- Girls’ 11-12
- Kamryn Gardiner, Peoria Area Water Wizards- 100 breast (1:07.34), 50 fly (26.52), 100 fly (58.35), 200 fly (2:10.51), 100 IM (1:00.41), 200 IM (2:11.38)
- Avery Musick, NASA Wildcat Aquatics- 100 free (53.97), 200 free (1:56.09), 500 free (5:13.17), 50 back (27.89), 100 back (58.97), 200 back (2:05.80)
- Boys’ 11-12
- Sean Zhao, Palatine Park District- 200 free (1:50.28), 1000 free (10:20.51), 200 back (2:02.05), 100 IM (58.94), 200 IM (2:04.19)
- Lubomir Liu-Tchorbadjiyski, New Trier- 50 back (26.38), 100 back (56.64), 50 fly (25.58), 100 fly (57.62)
- Samuel Cast, New Trier- 50 free (23.62), 100 free (51.44), 500 free (4:55.35)
- Jeffrey Zhang, Palatine Park District- 50 breast (31.13), 100 breast (1:05.10), 200 breast (2:23.61)
- Girls’ 10&U
- Angie Lang, Mundelein Mustang Swim Club- 200 free (2:14.82), 500 free (5:51.28), 50 breast (35.02), 100 breast (1:13.61), 100 IM (1:09.64), 200 IM (2:27.62)
- Mia Bayan, Hinsdale Swim Club- 50 free (27.80), 100 free (1:00.90), 100 back (1:05.41), 50 fly (30.19), 100 fly (1:06.49)
- Boys’ 10&U
- Wyatt Torpey, Fox Valley Swim Club- 50 free (27.05), 100 free (59.80), 50 fly (29.69), 100 IM (1:07.65)
- James Day, Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club- 50 breast (34.73), 100 breast (1:16.86), 100 fly (1:07.25)
Top 10 Combined Team Scores
- Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club, 2393.5
- Academy Bullets Swim Club, 2260
- FMC Aquatic, 2092.5
- NASA Wildcat Aquatics, 1650
- Hinsdale Swim Club, 1578.5
- Fox Valley Swim Team, 1493
- St Charles Swim Team, 1478.5
- Rise Aquatic Club, 1423.5
- New Trier Aquatics, 1332
- Palatine Park District, 1065.5
Top 5 Girls’ Team Scores
- Academy Bullets Swim Club, 1417.5
- Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club, 1174.5
- FMC Aquatic, 1081
- NASA Wildcat Aquatics, 1059
- Hinsdale Swim Club, 1014
Top 5 Boys’ Team Scores
- Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club, 1219
- Fox Valley Swim Team, 1142.5
- FMC Aquatic, 1011.5
- St Charles Swim Team, 974
- New Trier Aquatics, 898.5
