Thomas Heilman Drops Three Seconds In 200 IM, Moves To #4 All-Time In 15-16 Age Group

2022 WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 7-10, 2022
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Start Times
  • Prelims @9:00AM ET
  • Finals at 5:00 PM ET (except for day 1 timed finals – 6:00 PM ET)
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Thomas Heilman unleashed the fastest 200 IM of his career by more than three seconds during Thursday morning prelims at Winter Juniors – East, launching himself up the all-time rankings in the boys’ 15-16 age group.

Heilman, who is still just 15, put up a time of 1:43.39 to dip well under his previous best of 1:46.61 and move into fourth all-time among 15-16s.

Heilman also came within 23 one-hundredths of becoming the fastest 15-year-old ever, slightly trailing Maximus Williamson, who clocked 1:43.16 last year.

The National Age Group Record of 1:42.77 set by Michael Andrew in 2015 is at risk this weekend, either from Heilman in the final or Williamson over at Winter Juniors – West. Williamson, 16, swam a time of 1:44.09 in the prelims over in Austin.

All-Time Performers, 200 IM – Boys’ 15-16 Age Group

1. Michael Andrew, 1:42.77 – 2015
2. Luca Urlando, 1:42.99 – 2018
3. Maximus Williamson, 1:43.16 – 2021
4. Thomas Heilman, 1:43.39 – 2022
5. Carson Foster, 1:43.79 – 2017
6. Reece Whitley, 1:43.93 – 2016
7. Andrew Seliskar, 1:44.03 – 2013
8. Destin Lasco, 1:44.59 – 2018
9. Tyler Lu, 1:44.87 – 2019
10. Carter Lancaster, 1:45.02 – 2022

Strictly looking at 15-year-olds, Williamson and Heilman have separated themselves from the pack, as no one else in the U.S. has even broken 1:46.

All-Time Performers, 200 IM – 15-Year-Old Boys

1. Maximus Williamson, 1:43.16 – 2021
2. Thomas Heilman, 1:43.39 – 2022
3. Shane Blinkman, 1:46.03 – 2016
4. Luca Urlando, 1:46.69 – 2018
5. Carter Lancaster, 1:46.91 – 2021

Heilman’s previous best of 1:46.61 is his only other swim sub-1:50, as he’s generally geared more towards the butterfly and freestyle events, but this performance displayed marked improvement in backstroke and breaststroke. He also notably swam a best time of 56.62 in the 100 breast last weekend.

Split Comparison

Heilman has had a strong opening two sessions to this competition, as last night he split 20.26 swimming fly on the Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA 200 medley relay, and then led off the club’s 800 free relay in a personal best time of 1:34.10. Both splits were the fastest in the field by nearly a second.

Individually, Heilman will also race the 100 fly, 200 fly and 100 breast this weekend.