RACE VIDEO: Spencer Nicholas Breaks 100 Fly Public HS Record Twice, Clocks 45.08 Title Win

2024 TISCA TN HS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Feb 9-10, 2024
• Hosted by Nashville Aquatic Club
• Centennial Sportsplex
• Nashville, TN
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Site
• Results via MeetMobile: “2024 TISCA TN HS Championship”
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Finals Recap

Race video of UVA commit Spencer Nicholas‘ national public high school record in the 100-yard fly has been released. Nicholas first dropped 0.69s off his former 46.13 personal best to crack Aiden Hayes‘ former public HS record of 45.47 with 45.44 in prelims. He followed up in finals by resetting his own national record time at 45.08 to win his 3rd-consecutive event state title. The national private/indepedent and unofficial overall HS record stands at 44.97, set by Scotty Buff in February 2023.

In less than 24 hours, Nicholas shaved 1.05s off his previous PB to solidify the national public HS record to his name at 45.08. Back at the 2023 Winter Juniors East, Nicholas placed 3rd at 46.13, splitting 21.64/24.99. Fast forward two months, Nicholas found how to slice a whole second off his closing 50 (23.98), plus 0.18s change off his first 50 (21.46), to crack 46 seconds for the first time at 45.44 at TISCA prelims.

Into 2024 TISCA finals, Nicholas blasted out 20.99, a tenth faster than current overall HS record holder Buff’s 21.09 opener. While former public HS record holder Hayes opened in 21.08, he closed in 24.39, four-tenths slower than Nicholas’ second 50 (24.9). Nicholas was up 0.11s, though, on his closing 50 at 24.09. Buff closed in 23.88, 0.11s faster than Nicholas’ best closing 50 from TISCA prelims. That 0.11s is also same difference Nicholas’ 45.08 total time is off Buff’s 44.97 overall record.

Comparative 100 Fly Splits

Race Video Analysis

As mentioned earlier, Nicholas dropped 1.05s off his 100 fly personal best in two months. While dominating the national public HS record time by four-tenths, there still is room to improve from the 0.08s off cracking 45 seconds, let alone the 0.11s that were shy of breaking Buff’s overall record. Luckily, there is race video not just of Nicholas’ 45.08 swim, but also his former 46.13 PB from December 2023, as well as Buff’s overall 44.97 HS record. Below are the video links, starting with Nicholas’ 45.08 public HS record for reference, followed by Nicholas’ 46.13 and Buff’s 44.97.

• Spencer Nicholas 45.08 100 Fly: TISCA TN HS State Final, 2/9/23
• Spencer Nicholas 46.13 100 Fly: Winter Juniors East A-Final, 12/9/23
• Scotty Buff 44.97 100 Fly: OH HS State Final, 2/25/23

Rewind a year ago, Buff’s sub-45 100 fly overall national HS mark video immediately hit social media. One clear difference with Buff’s race, in comparison to Nicholas’ race a year later, is that Buff had established breathing by every other stroke. Just as Caeleb Dressel has notoriously performed, Buff pulled out an entire n0-breath last 25 to crack 45 seconds. Nicholas, despite cleaning up his breakouts from Dec 2023 to Feb 2024, still had not consistently executed strict no-breath breakouts in his TISCA finals effort.

Comparing how Nicholas improved in roughly two months, he took five less breaths in his faster race. At TISCA, Nicholas kept his head down off the first two breakouts, then popped up to breathe on the remaining two. Coincidentally, he did swim his last 25 at TISCA almost identically to his Winter Juniors swim, hitting seven strokes, breathing every stroke until putting his head down for the last three.

Contrastingly, Buff had taken eight less strokes and ten less breaths than Nicholas’ fastest 100 fly effort. Looking at underwaters, Nicholas was only streamlining to roughly halfway (12.5 yards) each 25 in both his race videos. Buff, on the other hand, routinely smacked 15-meter underwaters.

100 Fly Stroke/Breath Comparison