Two of the most captivating 12-year old swimmers in history have both rolled through the age group in the last year, and it’s time for a quick update on how NCAP’s National Age Group Record breaker Cassidy Bayer and Kansas National Age Group Record demolisher Michael Andrew are swimming this fall.
Bayer raced this weekend at the Rockville-Montgomery hosted National Age Group Challenge meet. With NCAP (formerly Curl-Burke) likely beginning to build into some heavy yardage, now well into the swing of their season, the 13-year old Bayer looks phenomenal. At this weekend’s meet, her first of the season, she swam a 24.30 in the 50 free, a 2:03.88 in the 200 fly, and a shocking 55.30 in the 100 yard fly.
A 55.30 is an amazing time for a 13-year old if it comes at the end of a season. Coming this early in the year, it’s shockingly good (only 7 swimmers of the same age have been better than that in the last decade, period). She’s still a long way from the 53’s that Felicia Lee was going at this age, but this is a great start to her season.
Recall that this summer, Bayer broke all three 11-12 National Age Group butterfly records in long course. Read all about her long course exploits here.
This whole meet was stocked with fantastic results, showing just how much quality age group talent is concentrated in the Potomac Valley. Full results are not yet available online, but just picking-and-choosing a few events:
- Rockville-Montgomery 12-year old Sanjay Wijesekera already went a 1:52.0 in the 200 free, a time already better than all but one swimmer was through October and November last year – nationwide.
- The York YMCA’s Kacey Oberlander won the 14-year old girls’ 100 backstroke in 56.38.
- NCAP 14-year old Brandon Fabian won the 14-year old boys’ 50 freestyle in 22.61.
Ken I’m just guessing that you are not a parent ,you don’t know who we are and you’ve never even seen Michael .To even suggest we would give our kids ” supplements” ( drugs right) what because were foreign ,WOW . So you don’t think the correct form of training can have an athlete dropping time meet after meet ?
We do swim in our own region but Michael loves swimming in bigger meets also so for that we have to travel. Not sure if we are that different from most swimming families in that we love our kids and want to give them the very best we can . I am privileged to be able to train my… Read more »
I know people suggest that it’s training, but this family is different from most swimming families. Traveling so far for meets all around the country you have to wonder….why? Why they can say to “compete”, it seems swimming consumes the family, which makes you feel sorry for ALL the kids…even though they keep it “lighthearted”. The best thing this family could do would be to take a step back and swim for the love of swimming in their own region …but when you travel to meet after meet in different states all over the US, you wonder, is this for the kid or the parents……and especially wondering how a kid can drop time meet after meet….makes you question with foreign… Read more »
ken b – from what I know, I can give the following to assuage your concerns: Michael played football this fall, and only swam about 1 meet in the last 2 months or so…so to say that swimming consumes the family more than any other club would be a stretch.
Also, saw Michael at Trials…if he’s using supplements to increase muscle mass, then he’s doing something wrong, because he’s built like you would expect a 13-year old to be built, just very tall.
Ken B– Your comment about Michael using “supplements” to achieve muscle was was unfair and unkind. I do believe Michael has inherited great attributes from his athletic parents, and his training techniques and nutrition are cutting edge, but to imply that he is using any kind of performance enhancing drugs is unsportsmanlike, unless you have some kind of proof. And the “foreign” comment– what, you think Americans don’t use performance enhancing drugs? Ever heard of Lance Armstrong, or the NFL?
It appears to me that Michael and his dad are having fun. When I swam, I was so excited to travel and swim in new pools, and against new competition. I always swam my best at travel meets. And I… Read more »
Andrew @ 20.94 in the C final at GP. 13-14 nag is a 20.8… i say andrew gets under 20 as a 14 year old… 20.94 is disgusting fast. that gets top 3 at most hs state meets. that might even be a JR time… at 13!!!
Thank you for the news. I don’t read the Finals-C results very often. With the 45.34 from Ryan Murphy I think it’s perhaps the most impressive time of the weekend in USA. It’s incredible.
Beata nelson (who i believe is still 14) swam a 53.73 tonight in her 100 back at the wisconsin state meet, which overall was a very fast meet. (SHES A FRESHMAN). Might as well add her to the list of next generation superstars.
Thank you for the news. If France is a freestyle industry USA is a backstroke industry which works very well. You talk about Beata Nelson. In the young backstrokers on the women’s side you also have Kathleen Baker, Keaton Blovad, Courtney Mykkanen, Claire Adams, Kaitlin Harty or Taylor Garcia who will want to replace in the next years the very old Missy Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, Kylie Stewart, Elizabeth Pelton, Elizabeth Beisel, Cindy Tran or Olivia Smoliga. There’s an incredible depth.
Oh and she anchored her 200 free relay in 22.03, any college team would kill for someone with that speed.
I’ve seen Rongione swim once a year since she was 10 and she is amazing. I saw her swim the 400 free this summer and it was like she was shot out from a slingshot. Looked like she was sprinting a 50 but never slowed down. She’s the real deal. I had to prep my daugher (who has AAAA times) prior to the races where she swam against her just so she wasn’t shell shocked.
Isabella Rongione has already swum good times. At the end of October she has swum 4.50.21 in the 500 free, 9.54.58 in the 1000 free and 4.22.67 in the 400 IM. Not bad so early in the season. It will be very interesting to watch her in Minneapolis for example against Chloe Sutton, Ashley Steenvorden or Becca Mann in the 1650 free.
NBD as far as MA’s training goes , everything he does is race specific . This means when he trains for the 100 free he does it at the pace that he will race it , obviously it is impossible to swim 3 lengths or 4 lengths holding his 100 race pace so we break it down and swim 25s at the race pace with short rest intervals , when he fails we take a longer rest so he is ready to go again . For 200s we will swim 75s and 50s obviously holding 200 pace .
We work on stroke mechanics all the time as we believe technique is the most important aspect . The only kicking… Read more »
Your training seems legit. However what about the whole team experience your kids are missing? I personally believe there’s value in that. There’s a lot to be learned, even from your slower teammates. Just curious ….
Yes we do miss the team experience but we try to make up for that , we had Michael play football this season to be involved in a team . Sure its not quite the same but he had a blast and he was a huge asset to the team in his kicking role , he has an incredible boot on him . His training partner is his sister and she is not serious at all so she keeps practices pretty lighthearted .
Our training is so different to any teams around that michael wouldn’t feel comfortable being involved with another team . It really is Michaels decision as we discuss everything we do together as well as with… Read more »
“when you love what you do and you know you are loved you can enjoy swimming forever” sprinter or not. As long as Michael doesn’t break my 35-39 year old age group records I wish him an awesome healthy long career!
Josh Davis