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400 Free Jr. National Champ Jillian Cox Breaks Into All-time Top-10 for 13-14s

2019 USA Swimming Speedo Junior National Championships

Austin Trinity Aquatic Club’s Jillian Cox, who has been 14 years old all of three weeks, became the ninth-fastest swimmer in girls’ 13-14 history when she won the 400 free at U.S. Junior Nationals on Thursday. Cox came into the meet seeded fifth in the event with 4:16.27, a PB by 3.7 seconds she had swum at Mission Viejo’s SMOC in June. Last summer, her best time in the 400 free was 4:30.63. Since then, she has made steady progression in the distance. She opened the 2019 long-course season with 4:23.27 at College Station Sectionals in February, hit 4:19.95 in April and again at the beginning of June, then notched her 4:16.27 at SMOC at the end of June to earn a berth at 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Cox’s improvement has come primarily up front, but she has dropped time on all four 100s:

  June 2019 August 2019
1st 100 1:02.58 1:01.12
2nd 100 1:05.85 1:04.91
3rd 100 1:04.85 1:04.48
4th 100 1:02.99 1:02.73
  4:16.27 4:13.24

With another year left to improve her standings in the all-time rankings, Cox is a second outside of the top-5.

Top Ten 13-14 Girls

Time Swimmer LSC Club Meet Date Location
4:07.15 Sippy Woodhead US UN 1978 US NAG Records 1/1/1978
4:08.65 Becca Mann AZ CAT 2012 USA Olympic Team Trials 6/24/2012 Omaha
4:09.30 Katie Ledecky PV NCAP 2012 Missouri Grand Prix 2/9/2012 Columbia
4:10.11 Claire Tuggle CC CLOV 2018 Speedo Junior Nationals 8/1/2018 Irvine
4:12.30 Maddie Homovich GA NCAC 2014 Summer Junior Nationals 7/29/2014 Irvine
4:12.41 Courtney Harnish MA YY 2/12/2014 Orlando
4:12.53 Chelsea Chenault CA TERA 2009 CA/NV Speedo Championship 7/21/2009 Clovis
4:12.83 Michele Richardson US UN 12/31/1982
4:13.24 Jillian Cox ST ATAC 2019 Speedo Junior Nationals 8/8/2019 Stanford
4:13.25 G Ryan MI PAAC 2010 Junior National Champs 8/8/2010 Irvine

Cox was runner-up in the 800 free on Tuesday night, going 8:44.99 which is also a 2020 Olympic Trials cut.

 

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Austinpoolboy
5 years ago

Wow! Congrats Jillian!

Amazing Sippy Woodhead’s record untouched from 1982

Walter
Reply to  Austinpoolboy
5 years ago

1978!

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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