A quartet of 15-16’s from SwimMAC Carolina has broken the National Age Group Record in the women’s 800 free relay on Thursday at Junior Nationals. The group of Kathleen Baker, Nora McCullagh, Elsa Welshofer, and Lauren Rhodes placed 3rd overall in the final in Indianapolis with a 8:17.06, but were the top-finishing relay with all four members in the age group. Baker and Welshofer are 15, while their teammates are 16.
The splits:
Baker: 2:02.04
McCullagh 2:04.26
Welshofer 2:06.03
Rhodes 2:04.73
That broke the existing record set three years ago by the Nova of Virginia quartet of Rachel Naurath, Alison Haulsee, Alaina Brown, and Allison Titley swam an 8:18.64 at the NCSA Junior Nationals.
The time is still two-and-a-half seconds slower than 15-year old Katie Ledecky swam at the Olympics in a solo 800.
Nice job girls! Still remarkable that the 15-16 individual 800 meter freestyle record is faster than the 800 meter relay record.