13-Year Old Charlotte Crush Drops 54.4 in 100 Fly Just After Aging Up

Kentucky LSC State Short Course Championships (USA Swimming) – Girls Meet

• March 12-14, 2021
• Blairwood Tennis, Swim & Fitness Club, Louisville, Kentucky
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Live Stream
• Live Results

Charlotte Crush, swimming in her first meet since turning 13, swam 54.49 in the 100 fly on Saturday evening in Louisville on the second day of the girls’ Kentucky LSC Short Course Championship meet, blowing away her own personal best in the event.

This weekend’s meet is part of a two-weekend LSC Championship meet that has the girls racing this weekend and the boys next. Swimmers are divided into four age groups: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14, and 15 & over.

Crush, who just aged up earlier this month, entered the meet with a lifetime best of 57.22 swum in December of 2020. She took more than 2 seconds off that time in prelims to swim 55.25, and then dropped down to a 54.49 in finals.

The 13-14 Kentucky LSC Record was set in 2003 by Elaine Breeden, who went on to win an Olympic silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Crush, before aging up, set 4 LSC Records in the 11-12 age group in December and January. The 100 fly wasn’t one of those records, however. Crush’s swim, in spite of being so shortly after her 13th birthday, ranks her as the 11th-best 13-year old in the event in USA Swimming history.

Charlotte’s older sister Annabel, a member of the US Junior National Team and an Olympic Trials qualifier, is also racing this weekend. Primarily a backstroker, Annabel finished 3rd in the 100 fly in 54.63. That’s faster than she swam at the Sectionals meet in Cary last weekend. Both swimmers train with the Lakeside Swim Team in Louisville.

Ella Welch won that 100 fly in 54.05.

Annabel Crush won the 200 free on Friday in 1:45.71, which cut six-tenths off her lifetime best of 1:46.36 from last week’s Sectionals meet. That puts her in play for another NC State relay next season when she begins competition for the Wolfpack. Her second individual win of the day on Friday came in the 200 back, where she swam 1:56.87 – not a best time.

The Crush sisters are the children of former Auburn swimmers Chip Crush and Mimi Bowen Crush. Their father Chip was a National High School Record holder and collegiate All-American, while Mimi was a two-time NCAA Champion in 1997.

They also have a brother Charlie Crush, a high school junior and Louisville commit, who is scheduled to race at the boys’ meet next weekend.

Another US Junior National Teamer Mariah Denigan won the 500 free on Saturday in 4:42.65. Another Lakeside product and Olympic Trials qualifier, that cuts 2 seconds off her previous lifetime best of 4:44.58 swum in January. Her best time coming into the season was a 4:46 from 2017.

She also won the 400 IM on Friday in 4:08.35, which is a lifetime best by almost 6 seconds.

Denigan, a distance specialist, hasn’t raced much short course in the last few seasons, resulting in big drops this week. She’s committed to swim at Indiana next season.

Other Noteworthy Results from Days 1 & 2:

• Duke commit Madeline Meredith from Lakeside won the 50 free in 23.26. That’s just .12 seconds short of the best time that she swam at Sectionals last weekend.
• Haley McDonald of Lakeside beat out her teammate Charlotte Crush in the 13-14 200 free. McDonald swam 1:50.20 to Crush’s 1:53.65. McDonald’s best time coming into the meet was 1:52.55 done in January, meaning she dropped more than 2 seconds to grab the win on Friday. McDonald also picked up a win in the 13-14 200 back (2:01.81 – a 3.2 second improvement), was 3rd in the 100 fly (56.58 – a 4.7 second improvement), won the 50 free (23.42 – a .7 second improvement), and won the 500 free (4:55.65 – a 9.1 second improvement).
• 17-year old Victoria Taylor of the Lexington Dolphins, an uncommitted high school junior, won the 15 & over 200 breaststroke in 2:16.06. That shaved about four-tenths of a second off her previous best time done in December.