Samuel Wooten Sets 1650 LSC Record, Reina Liu Triples On Final Night of NC Age Group Champs

2025 North Carolina Swimming Short Course Age Group Champs

• Feb 13-16, 2025
• Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, North Carolina
• Short Course Yards (Prelims/Finals)
• Psych Sheet
• Meet Central
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Recap
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 NCS SC AG Champs”
• Full Results (PDF)
• Team Scores (PDF)

Samuel Wooten lowered a state record and Reina Liu ran the table on the final night of racing at the 2025 North Carolina Swimming Short Course Age Group Championships on Sunday.

Wooten, 14, slashed more than 30 seconds off his personal best time in the boys’ 1650 free, clocking 15:29.25 to lower Ross Dant‘s North Carolina Swimming Record and move into #12 all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group.

Dant previously held the North Carolina LSC record of 15:30.25, set in December 2015, while Wooten’s previous best time stood at 16:00.13, set just over two months ago at the ATOM Winter Invite in early December.

All-Time Performers, Boys’ 13-14 1650 Freestyle (SCY)

1. Luka Mijatovic (Pleasanton Seahawks), 14:45.79 – 2023
2. Sean Green (Long Island Aquatic Club), 15:05.83 – 2022
3. Arthur Frayler (Germantown Academy Aquatic Club), 15:14.17 – 2008
4. Matthew Hirschberger (Clearwater Aquatic Team), 15:14.42 – 2013
5. Cooper Lucas (Lakeside Aquatic Club), 15:19.78 – 2019
6. Noah Brune (Mission Viejo Nadadores), 15:21.16 – 2016
7. Lleyton Plattel (Pleasanton Seahawks), 15:22.96 – 2016
8. Brennan Morris (Big Cat Aquatics), 15:26.93 – 2005
9. Michael Brinegar (Donner Swim Club), 15:28.29 – 2014
10. Eegan Groome (Unattached), 15:28.86 – 2007
11. Paul Budd (Memphis Tiger Swimming), 15:28.92 – 1980
12. Sam Wooten (Marlins of Raleigh), 15:29.25 – 2025

Approximately 18 minutes later, Wooten was back in the water in the boys’ 200 back, picking up a big win in 1:50.79 to lower his previous best of 1:51.66 from December and rank him 10th in the 13-14 age group this season.

Wooten opened the meet by setting a North Carolina LSC record in the 1000 free in 9:12.85.

Liu, 14, started things off in the girls’ 13-14 200 back, clocking 1:55.97 to lead runner-up Karina Plaza by well over two seconds. Liu’s time was over two seconds shy of her PB of 1:53.84 set at Winter Juniors – East in December.

Plaza, the 14-year-old SwimMAC product who set a pair of 13-14 NAG records in the breaststroke events on Friday and Saturday, placed 2nd in the 200 back in 1:58.25, with her best time sitting at 1:56.06 from Winter Juniors – East.

Liu followed up with a win in the 100 free in 49.62, with SwimMAC’s Arizona Smith (50.02) and Plaza (50.48) rounding out the podium.

Liu has been as fast as 48.98, but the swims for both Smith and Plaza were new bests. Smith was 51.08 earlier in the month at the NCHSAA 4A Championships, while Plaza’s old best of 50.78 from the NCHSAA 4A Western Regionals one week prior.

To close things out, Liu cruised to her third win of the night in the 200 IM, clocking 1:59.97 to lead teammate Finola Whelehan by more than five seconds. Liu set her best time of 1:57.46 on Feb. 8 at the NCHSAA 1A/2A State Champs, which ranks her #8 all-time in the 13-14 age group.

Whelehan, 13, improves her previous best of 2:07.59 by more than two seconds in 2:05.17.

In the girls’ 1650 free, North Carolina Aquatic Club’s Mia Pistanek picked up the win in 17:16.37, having set a best time of 17:11.89 in December.

In addition to Wooten the boys’ side, SwimMAC’s John Williams won two events on the final day, topping the 100 free (47.12) and 200 IM (1:52.09) in personal best fashion.

The 14-year-old’s swim in the 100 free bettered his previous best of 48.08, and in the 200 IM, he went under his previous PB of 1:53.21, both set in December at the ATOM Winter Invite.

SwimMAC came out on top in the team standings (combined), scoring 5,227 points to sit more than 1,100 clear of the runner-up TAC Titans (4,103).

See the full team standings here.