17-Year-Old Maximus Williamson Breaks His Two-Day Old NAG Record in 200 Free (1:31.37)

2023 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEST

• December 6-9, 2023
• FMC Natatorium, Westmont, Illinois
• Prelims: 9:00 am (CST)/ Finals: 5:00 pm (CST)
• Wednesday finals (relays only): 6:00 pm (CST)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central (USA Swimming)
• How To Watch
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FRIDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

Maximus Williamson‘s record-breaking barrage continued on Friday night at the Winter Junior Championships – West in Westmont, Illinois.

The 17-year-old Lakeside Aquatic Club (LAC) standout broke his two-day-old U.S. 17-18 boys’ national age group (NAG) record in the 200-yard freestyle, bringing his lifetime best down from 1:32.00 to 1:31.37. Before the meet started, the NAG record stood at 1:32.18 by Maxime Rooney in 2017.

Williamson is only a junior in high school, but his tonight is more than a second faster than the current program record at the University of Virginia (1:32.45 by Scot Robison in 2010) and the current ACC Championships record (1:32.23 by Blake Manoff in 2021).

Over the past year alone, Williamson has improved his personal-best time by nearly two seconds from 1:33.07 at the 2022 Winter Juniors – West meet. He would have placed 5th at the 2023 NCAA Championships with his time tonight – and that’s with more than two years to go before his first scheduled NCAA Championship meet.

Williamson, the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2025, is committed to Virginia along with top recruit Thomas Heilman, who broke the 15-16 NAG record in the 200 free (1:32.46) on Wednesday. Heilman opted not to swim the 200 free on Friday in favor of the 100 butterfly (44.80).

Williamson was a couple tenths off his record pace from Wednesday heading into the final 50, but he ripped a ridiculous 23.21 on the final two lengths of the pool to take down his own standard. It marked his third individual NAG record in as many days after also erasing David Nolan‘s legendary 200 IM standard of 1:41.39 from the books with a personal-best 1:41.18.

Splits Comparison:

LIVESTREAM COURTESY USA SWIMMING

BOYS’ 200 YARD FREESTYLE – FINALS

• West Record: 1:32.00, Maximus Williamson (2023)
• Meet Record: 1:32.00, Maximus Williamson (2023)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:34.68, Thomas Heilman (2021)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:32.46, Thomas Heilman (2023)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:32.00, Maximus Williamson (2023)

Podium:

1. Maximus Williamson, Lakeside Aquatic – 1:31.37 **Meet record, 17-18 NAG**
2. Cooper Lucas, Lakeside Aquatic – 1:35.64
3. Jones Lambert, Lubbock Swim Club – 1:35.97
4. Quin Seider, Ojai Heat Waves – 1:36.14
5. Nathan Kim, Rose Bowl Aquatics – 1:36.29
6. Eddie Jin, Blue Tide Aquatics – 1:37.17
7. Andrew Maksymowski, Novaquatics – 1:38.16
8. Henry Webb, Aquajets – 1:38.50

Williamson reached the wall more than four seconds ahead of his LAC teammate, Texas commit Cooper Lucas, who dominated the 500 free Thursday night with a winning time of 4:16.25 and won the 400 IM (3:42.63) at the beginning of Friday’s session.