Sydney Hardy Blasts 4th-Fastest 400 IM This Season for 15-16 Girls at Florida Senior Championships

2026 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Championships

• March 12-16, 2026
• Orlando, FL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results: Meet Mobile “2026 FL Swimming Spring Senior Championships”

Sydney Hardy stunned at the Florida Spring Senior Championships last month, turning in a series of top swims en route to winning four individual events.

The 15-year-old, who trains with the Sarasota Sharks, delivered an eye-catching performance in the 400 IM. Hardy threw down a time of 4:09.73 to claim the victory in the event, knocking almost three full seconds off of her previous lifetime best (4:12.55) from November 2025.

Her performance marked the 4th-fastest time in the country this season in the girls’ 15-16 age group, making Hardy one of only five swimmers in her age group under 4:10 this season. With the top three spots occupied by 16-year-old athletes, Hardy is the highest-ranked 15-year-old on the list.

Hardy also jumped up the historical rankings in the girls’ 15-16 age group in the 400 IM, moving into 40th all-time. Her previous best of 4:12.55 ranks her 20th all-time in the 13-14 age group.

In addition to winning the 400 IM, Hardy picked up three more individual victories during the competition. She won the 1650 free (16.17.53) and 200 fly (1:58.01) and had the fastest time in the 15-16 age group in the 100 back (54.79), posting personal best times in all three races.

Hardy turned in another top performance in the 1650 free, knocking almost 16 seconds off of her lifetime best and launching herself up the national rankings. She now sits in 5th for top times this season in the girls’ 15-16 age group and in 90th on the ranking of all-time top 100 performances for the same age group.

Meanwhile, her performance in the 200 fly marked her first time ever breaking the 2:00 barrier, dropping over four seconds, and bumped her up to 13th on the ranking of top times this season in the girls’ 15-16 age group.

She dropped almost three seconds in the 100 back, blowing past her previous best time of 57.68.

Hardy also placed 2nd in the 100 fly (53.35) and 4th in the 500 free (4:46.84), setting new lifetime best times in both and landing at 18th and 17th, respectively, on the list of top times this season in her age group for those events. She logged two more best times as the lead-off on the 400 free and 800 free relays, posting times of 50.64 in the 100 free and 1:47.28 in the 200 free.

Other Notable Performers

• Brynn Lavigueur of the Sarasota Sharks won five events and logged three new lifetime best performances. The 18-year-old prevailed in the 100 back in a personal best time of 52.16, marking the 10th-fastest time this season in the girls’ 17-18 age group. She won the 100 breast in a best time of 1:01.56 and the 50 breast in 28.87 after setting a best time of 28.67 during prelims, ranking her 38th and 19th, respectively, this season in her age group. Lavigueur also took home the title in the 50 free (22.71) and 50 back (24.42) and placed 3rd in the 200 free (1:46.78).
• T2 Aquatics’ Abi Burke delivered a noteworthy performance in the 200 free, snagging the runner-up spot in a best time of 1:45.56 to mark the 5th-fastest time this season in the girls’ 15-16 age group. The 15-year-old took 3rd in the 500 free (4:45.50 – PB) and 1st in the 100 fly (53.28 – PB), landing at #11 and #15, respectively, on the ranking of top times this season in her age group. Burke also won the 100 free (48.96) and placed 2nd in the 50 free (22.74 – PB) and 3rd in the 50 back (25.63 – PB).
• Grant Sanders turned in a series of strong swims at the meet, prevailing in four events and posting two new lifetime bests. The 28-year-old, who swims for Saint Petersburg Aquatics, won the 500 free (4:23.06 – SB), 1000 free (9:06.58 – PB), 200 IM (1:45.53) and 400 IM (3:46.32 – SB). Sanders also placed 2nd in the 200 breast (1:56.44) and 3rd in the 200 fly (1:45.05 – PB). His performances landed him at 77th on the ranking of top times this season in the men’s 19 and over age group in the 1000 free and 84th in the 400 IM.
• Sixteen-year-old Noah Stotler of Bolles School Sharks had a great meet, posting a personal best time in all five of his individual events. He won the 200 free in 1:35.43, marking the 6th-fastest time this season in the boys’ 15-16 age group and landing him at 22nd on the ranking of the all-time top 100 times in that event for the age group. That time also broke the Florida Swimming LSC record for 15-16 boys. Stotler took 2nd in the 200 fly (1:44.90), breaking another Florida Swimming record and landing at 25th on the ranking of all-time top 100 times in the boys’ 15-16 age group, and placed 3rd in the 100 free (44.67), 5th in the 100 fly (48.44) and 8th in the 100 back (49.80). His performances in the 100 free and 100 fly bumped him up to 28th this season in the boys’ 15-16 age group for both events.