SwimMAC Boys Break 13-14 800 Free National Relay Record Led by David Sammons’ 1:38.81

2024 North Carolina Swimming Age Group Championships

• February 15-18, 2024
• Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, North Carolina
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 NCS SC AG Champs”

The 2024 North Carolina Swimming Age Group Championships got off to a hot start on Thursday in Cary with a new National Age Group Record from the 13-14 boys of SwimMAC Carolina.

The team of David Sammons, Eli Sweet, Dean Hamid, and Griffin Cagle combined for 6:51.02. That shaved .24 seconds off the previous record that was set in 2022 by Irvine Novaquatics.

Splits Comparison

The SwimMAC relay isn’t as deep as the Irvine squad whose record they broke, but the 1:38.81 lead-off leg from Sammons was a huge difference maker. Individually, that moves him into the top 10 all-time in the age group.

Top 10 13-14 Boys, 200 SCY Free

1. Thomas Heilman, Cavalier Aquatics – 1:34.68
2. Luka Mijatovic, Pleasanton Seahawks – 1:36.30
3. Daniel Diehl, Cumberland YMCA – 1:36.75
4. Destin Lasco, Pleasantville – 1:38.24
5. Michael Andrew, Indie Swimming – 1:38.31
6. Maxime Rooney, Pleasanton Seahawks – 1:38.42
7. Andrea Maksymowski, Irvine Novaquatics – 1:38.54
8. Cooper Lucas, North Texas Nadadores – 1:38.58
9. David Sammons, SwimMAC Carolina – 1:38.81
10. Trey Freeman, Baylor Swim Club – 1:38.82

Sammons also won the 100 IM in 51.70: a two-second margin of victory.

Other Notable Day 1 Results

• Jonathan Palamar of the host TAC Titans won the boys’ 1000 free in 9:25.72. That ranks him in the top 100 all-time in the age group rankings. That’s a 22-second improvement off his previous personal best from November.
• In the girls’ race, the winner Kate Guenther from the Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg also dropped 22 seconds to roar to a dominant victory, touching in 10:07.37. She came into this meet straight off the North Carolina high school state championships last week, where she was unable to match best times in the 200 and 500 free, but the extra week of rest did wonders for her results.