Rhyan White Returns to Racing But Davis Jackson Steals the Show at the Big Southern Classic

2024 TAC Titans Big Southern Classic

• November 7-10, 2024
• Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, North Carolina
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Results (PDF)

The return-to-racing for US National Teamer Rhyan White after the Olympic Trials and Colombian Olympian Jorge Murillo brought a professional flavor to the 2024 TAC Titans Big Southern Classic meet two weeks ago. The event was also highlighted by some big age group swims.

The Pros

White won the 100 back (51.93), 100 fly (51.47), 200 fly (1:55.22), and 200 IM (1:58.75), skipping out on her primary event the 200 backstroke. This was her first meet back to racing after placing 5th in both backstroke races at the 2024 US Olympic Trials.

White, 24, was a Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist and a 2022 World Championship gold medalist as part of the US women’s 400 medley relay teams. She also won individual gold at the 2021 Short Course World Championships and individual bronze at the 2022 Long Course World Championships in the 200 back.

White attended college at the University of Alabama, but moved to train with NC State, nearby to the TAC Titans, in the run-up to the Olympic Games last season.

Murillo, meanwhile, is a coach with the host Titans and a 2016 and 2020 Olympian for Colombia. He won the 50 free (20.38), 100 breast (52.18), 200 breast (1:55.28), and 200 IM (1:49.23). Those were all new lifetime bests, as was his 49.83 in the 100 fly.

Top High School Performers

While the pros provide some energy, the Big Southern Classic has a history of producing some big-time age group performances too.

This year’s edition of standout swims included 16-year-old Davis Jackson from the host team.

Jackson, who had his big breakout in August at the Summer Sizzler meet, made another big lurch forward at the Big Southern Classic, swimming lifetime bests in the 50 free (20.95), 100 back (47.71), 200 back (1:43.38), 100 breast (57.51), and 400 IM (3:50.52). Those swims in the 100 back, 200 back, and 400 IM are all new US Open cuts.

Jackson’s time progressions are pointing steeply upward, including an almost four second drop in the 200 back midway through his sophomore season. That time now ranks him 33rd in the country among swimmers of all ages. There are only two high schoolers ahead of him on that list, both 17: Gavin Keogh from Colorado and Baylor Stanton from Georgia.

Davis Jackson Time Progression:

Jackson is a high school sophomore.

On the girls’ side, 15-year-old Nikki Nixon came the closest to taking out the Olympian White. Nixon swam 1:55.84 for 2nd place in the 200 fly, six-tenths behind White.

Nixon had only been under two minutes once before in this event, swimming 1:58.36 last March.

Her new time ranks her 19th nationally among swimmers of all ages and as the second-fastest 15-16 in the country behind only Audrey Derivaux (who is also 15).

Another high school sophomore, Nixon also swam best times in the 100 breast (1:03.67) and 100 fly (52.10).

TAC age group phenom Reina Liu won all eight of her individual events in the 13-14 age group, swimming at least one best time in each. That included the 200 free (1:47.33), 500 free (4:55.11), 200 back (1:56.01), 100 breast (1:03.91), 200 breast (2:17.00), 100 fly (53.73), 200 fly (1:59.00), and 200 IM (1:58.68).

Those times move Liu into the lead nationally in IMX rankings in the short course yards season for 14 & under girls. Only 18-year-old World Junior Champion Teagan O’Dell has a higher score so far this season.

Other Notable Results

• 17-year-old TAC swimmer Mere Whelehan won the girls’ 200 free in 1:47.01; her 15-year-old sister Sloane Whelehan was 2nd in the open age category in 1:48.29, and 13-year-old Finola Whelehan also grabbed a win in the 13-14 50 free (24.27). Their older brother Colin swims at North Carolina. Meter, a Tennessee commit, also won the 500 free in a new best time of 4:47.50.
• 16-year-old TAC junior Caden Martin, a 2026 commit to the University of Virginia, won the 50 free in 23.04, beating out Jenna Fernstrom (23.08). who was visiting as part of a crew from the ACES team in Colorado. Martin later won the 100 free in 49.71, about half-a-second shy of her best time in that event.
• Matthew Rose from the Arlington Aquatic Club in Virginia won both the 200 free (1:38.51) and 500 free (4:30.82). Those times both just-missed his personal bests, but the senior Purdue commit did a lot to round out his versatility, swimming best times in the 200 breast (2:12.85), 100 fly (51.73), and 200 IM (1:55.79).