NCAP 13-14s Break National Age Group Record in Mixed 200 Free Relay

Potomac Valley 14 & Under Short Course Championships

• March 13-16, 2025
• University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Meet Central
• Results on Meet Mobile: “PV SC 14 & Under Championships 2025”

NCAP, USA Swimming’s largest competitive club, broke a 13-14 National Age Group relay record on Sunday at the Potomac Valley LSC age group championships in Maryland.

The team of Jilly Shifflett, Gabe Hanson, Harper Bartholomew, and Finn O’Shea combined for a 1:29.13 in the mixed 200 yard free relay, which took a tenth off the record that a fully-different NCAP relay set in 2018.

• Jilly Schifflett and Finn O’Shea swim for Bryce Bohman at NCAP West
• Harper Bartholomew swims for Dory Halbe at Georgetown Prep
• Gabe Hanson swims for Stephen Sakaris at Georgetown Prep

That record was part of a haul of mixed records set by NCAP in 2018, the year USA Swimming began recognizing mixed relays for National Age Group marks. While most of the mixed relay records have been broken several times in the last six years, all four 13-14 records stood – until Sunday.

Splits Comparison:

This version of the NCAP relay used an unusual order. The standard wisdom on mixed free relays is to swim boy-boy-girl-girl, with the idea being that having a girl in the first two legs risks the back half of the relay getting stuck behind the wake of their opponents. We saw that in the former record-setting relay, for example, which was set in a competitive pool.

This relay was so good, however, that they were ahead of the rest of the field at the halfway mark regardless – even those that used a M-M-F-F order.

NCAP was rewarded with an extra little boost – Jilly Shifflett’s leadoff split of 23.35 was a new lifetime best for her, improving on the 23.41 she swam in December. She also won the 50 free, 50 fly, and 50 back individually at the meet, with the 50 fly and 50 back wins both setting lifetime bests by at least a second. She remains the 4th-best 13-year-old in the 50 free nationally this season, albeit with a better time.

Other members of the relay with individual wins included Harper Bartholomew, who won the girls’ 100 free in 51.55; and Finn O’Shea, who won the boys’ 100 fly (51.08), 50 back (25.13), 50 fly (23.10), 100 free (46.11); and 100 IM (53.62).

The old relay includes a number of swimmers who went on to success at the collegiate level. Notably, that includes Camille Spink, who won the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free for the University of Tennessee at February’s SEC Championship meet. Gentry swims at Virginia Tech, Sebring swims at Auburn, and LaSpida swims at NCAA Division III Case Western Reserve.