2020 Swammy Awards: Age Group Swimmer of the Year – 15-16

To see all of our 2020 Swammy Awards, click here.

2020 Honorees: Claire Curzan and Liam Custer

Claire Curzan – TAC Titans (Cary, NC)

As it turns out, Curzan was just getting started in 2019. She had closed out the year at Winter Juniors East with a pair of 15-16 NAG Records in the 50 free (21.77) and 100 fly (50.87). After four months of pandemic-induced shutdown, she went to work on the record books beginning in July at a TAC intrasquad meet. With times of 21.51 in the 50 free, 47.23 in the 100 free, 51.01 in the 100 back, 50.03 in the 100 fly, and 1:53.59 in the 200 fly, she went under the NAG record times in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly. In August, at another TAC-sponsored meet, she became the youngest American woman to break 50 seconds in the 100 fly, going 49.73 to lower the NAG Record.

In November, competing at U.S. Open in Greensboro, Curzan took a huge, .87-second bite out of the 15-16 NAG Record in the 100m fly and became the 3rd-fastest American of all-time with 56.61. Finally, in December, at the TAC Blizzard Blitz, she downed Regan Smith’s 100 back NAG Record with 50.18, taking a full .83 off her previous best time and nearly cracking the 50-second barrier.

Curzan wrapped up 2020 with the age-group’s top performances in the SCY 50/100 free, 50/100/200 back, and 100 fly, and the LCM 50 free, 100 back, and 100 fly. She was #2 in the 200y fly and 200m free, #5 in the 200y free, #6 in the 200m back, and #7 in the 200m free.

With half a year left to do further damage in the age group, Curzan already has all-time top-100 SCY rankings of #1 in the 50 free, #1 in the 100 free, #36 in the 200 free, #1 in the 100 back, #2 in the 200 back, #1 in the 100 fly, and #4 in the 200 fly. In LCM, she is ranked #8 in the 50 free, #8 in the 100 free, #7 in the 100 back, #12 in the 200 back, and #1 in the 100 fly.

She is an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 200 back, and 100 fly and is considered a serious contender for a spot on the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team in the 100m fly.

Runners-Up

Bella Sims – Sandpipers of Nevada (Las Vegas, NV)

Sims entered the 15-16s in the spring, and once the pools opened up again in the summer, she immediately went to work moving up the ranks. She warmed up with a couple of PBs in off events (LCM 200 back and 200 breast) in August at a SAND intrasquad meet, then let loose in November and December with an array of dazzling swims at U.S. Open in Irvine, Red Rock Invitational, and Las Vegas Super Finals Invitational. When the dust had settled, Sims had new PBs in the SCY 50/200/500 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM and the LCM 100/200/400/800/1500 free, 100/200 back, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 400 IM. Of the 14 events offered at U.S. Olympic Trials, Sims has now qualified for eight of them (100/200/400/800/1500 free, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM). She has Summer Juniors cuts in the LCM 50 free, 100/200 back, and 100 fly.

Sims ended 2020 ranked #1 among 15-16 girls for the year in the SCY 500 free and 200 IM and the LCM 200/800/1500 free. She was #2 in the 400y IM; #3 in the 200y free and 200y back; #4 in the 200y fly and 100m free; #5 in the 200m IM; #6 in the 1000y free; and #7 in the 100y fly.

She appears 12 times already on the all-time performance lists for 15-16 girls, including the SCY 200 free (#20), 500 free (#10), 1000 free (#82), 200 back (#24), 100 fly (#46), 200 fly (#16), 200 IM (#11), and 400 IM (#12), and the LCM 100 free (#52), 200 free (#27), 800 free (#5), and 1500 free (#28). Sims still has a year and a quarter left in the age group to improve her positions.

Charlotte Hook – TAC Titans (Cary, NC)

Hook had a tremendous year, as well. Beginning with Cary Sectionals in March, she improved her PBs in the 1000y free, 100y fly, 400m free, and 400m IM. Also, while it wasn’t her personal best, she clocked the #1 time in the country for 15-16 girls in the 200m fly. In July, she picked up two more PBs in the SCY 50 free and 100 free at the TAC Titans intrasquad meet. At the TAC intrasquad in August, she added new SCY bests in the 500 free, 1650 free, and 200 fly, the latter of which –at 1:53.49– ranks 3rd all-time behind only Regan Smith and Mary Meagher for 15-16 girls. At U.S. Open in Greensboro, she won the 200 fly (2:10.90) and placed 4th in both the 100 fly (1:00.13) and 200 IM (2:18.03), making her 3rd, 13th, and 28th, respectively, overall in the combined standings. Hook finished with a new PB in the SCY 200 free at the TAC Blizzard Blitz, where she won the 200 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM, placed 2nd in the 400 IM, and came in 3rd in the 500 free.

Hook closed out the year with the #1 200y fly and 200m fly in the age group. She was 2nd in the 200y IM, 100m fly, and 200m IM; 3rd in the 400m IM; 4th in the 200y free, 1000y free, 100y fly, and 400y IM; 5th in the 500y free; 9th in the 1650y free; and 10th in the 50y free.

She is ranked #32 all-time in the 200y free, #40 in the 500y free, #43 in the 1000y free, #41 in the 100y back, #60 in the 200y back, #15 in the 100y fly, #3 in the 200y fly, #6 in the 200y IM, #14 in the 400y IM, #75 in the 100m back, #25 in the 100m fly, #4 in the 200m fly, #17 in the 200m IM, and #62 in the 400m IM.

She is qualified for 2021 Olympic Trials in the 100/200m fly and 200/400m IM.

15-16 Boys

Liam Custer – Sarasota Sharks (Sarasota, FL)

Custer broke the lone individual NAG Record among 15-16 boys in 2020 with his 14:37.86 mile at the 18&U Virtual Championships in Sarasota in December. He took nearly a full minute off his previous PB and lowered Sean Grieshop’s 2014 NAG (14:45.40) by 7.24 seconds. His was the fastest mile of the combined 18&U virtual championship meets across the country. Also in Sarasota, he won the 500 free, was runner-up in the 200 free, 200 back, and 400 IM, and took 3rd in the 200 IM.

In November, after winning the 500 free and 200 IM at the Florida High School 4A State Championships, he competed at U.S. Open in Sarasota and scored PBs in the 200/400/800/1500 free and 400 IM, picking up Olympic Trials cuts in the 800/1500 freestyles. In the combined results of all 9 sites, he wound up 7th in the 1500, 16th in the 800 free, 17th in the 400 IM, 25th in the 400 free, 42nd in the 200 back, and 78th in the 200 free. In July, at his first racing opportunity after the coronavirus pandemic brought swimming to a halt for several months, he unleashed some massive time drops at the SYS Summer Social Distance Meet, including 5 seconds in the 200 free and 5 in the 400 IM.

Custer is one of the top swimmers in the country in distance freestyler, 200-yard stroke events, and IM. He ended 2020 with the top 15-16 performances of the year in the 500y free, 1650y free, 400m IM, and 1500m IM. He was #2 in the 400y IM and 800m free; #4 in the 200y free; #7 in the 1000 free and 200y IM; and #9 in the 200m back and 400m IM.

His SCY times appear six times on the 15-16 all-time top-100 list: #25 in the 200 free, #10 in the 500 free, #1 in the 1650 free, #81 in the 200 back, #39 in the 200 IM, and #19 in the 400 IM. In LCM, he ranks 85th all-time in the 400 free, 46th in the 800 free, 49th in the 1500 free, and 100th in the 400 IM.

Custer has qualified for 2021 Olympic Trials in the 800/1500m free.

Runners-Up

Landon Gentry – Nation’s Capital Swim Club (Vienna, VA)

Gentry graced the 2020 top-ten age group lists only six times but he posted the nation’s leading time among 15-16 boys in five of those events. He kicked off the year with a PB in the mile at the NCAP West 1650 meet and followed it up two weeks later with lifetime bests in the LCM 100/200400 free at the NOVA Winter Invitational. After he won the 100 fly and placed 2nd in the 200 IM at the Virginia High School Class 6 State Championships, the pandemic shut down the pools and he didn’t get another chance to race until the fall. Gentry exploded at the end of the year, dropping tons of time (4.4 seconds in the 400y IM, 4.1 seconds in the 100y back, 3.4 seconds in the 200y free, 1.1 seconds in the 100y free, .9 in the 100y breast, and .35 in the 50y free.

At the 2020 U.S. Open in Richmond, he placed 2nd in the 200m fly, 2nd in the 200m IM, and 3rd in the 100m fly, which translated to 8th, 15th, and 15th in the combined results. He swam a second 200m fly in time trials and cracked 2:00 for the first time. Gentry then competed at 18&U Winter Championships in December. There, he won the combined meet in the 200 fly, finished 2nd in the 100 fly, and came in 13th in the 200 IM. All three times were personal bests, as were the 100/200 free and 100 back he swam at the meet.

Gentry ended 2020 with the year’s fastest 15-16 times in the SCY 100/200 fly and LCM 100/200 fly and 200 IM; he was 4th in the SCY 200 IM.

In SCY, he ranks 93rd all-time for 15-16s in the 100 back, 6th in the 100 fly, 5th in the 200 fly, and 25th in the 200 IM. His LCM rankings include 9th in the 100 fly, 12th in the 200 fly, and 13th in the 200 IM.

Gentry is an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100/200m fly and the 200m IM.

Honorable Mention

• Josh Zuchowski – Flood Aquatics Swim Team-FG: Zuchowski scored a number of PBs during the year. He began with the Zone Winter Open in January where he won the 500 free, 200 back, and 200 breast and earned PBs in the free and breast. He swam at Plantation Sectionals in March, placing among the top 6 in all his events (50 back, 100 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM). He began the fall by defending his 2019 titles in the 100 back and 200 IM at Florida High School Class 1A State Championships. He logged best times in both events, as well as in the 50 back while leading off the medley relay. Also in November, he took a second off his best 200 back time at Flood Aquatics Closed Invite. Zuchowski ended the year with new PBs in the 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM at the 18&U Virtual Championships in Stuart.
  He ranks #21 all-time in the 100y back, #20 in the 200y back, #40 in the 200y fly, #23 in the 200y IM, #15 in the 400y IM, #41 in the 400m free, #9 in the 200m back, and #32 in the 400 IM. He has qualified for 2021 Olympic Trials in the 100/200m back and 400m IM.

• Sebastien Sergile – SwimAtlanta-GA: Sergile improved in leaps and bounds this year. After placing 2nd in both the 200 free and 500 free at the Georgia High School 6-7A State Championships, he competed at Southern Premier where he won the mile with a PB of 15:32.55. He also finaled in the 100/200 free, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. He didn’t race again until the fall, but then he went on a tear. At U.S. Open in Huntsville, he won the 400 IM and notched PBs in the 400 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM. He finished 58th, 18th, and 29th overall in those respective events in the combined results. At the 18&U Peach State Winter Championships, he dropped 4 seconds off his previous PB in the 200 fly to win the event and post the nation’s #2 time for the year. He then dropped 3 seconds to win the 400 IM and placed 2nd in the 200 free with a PB. He closed the meet with a win in the 500 free and a time-trial PB in the 50 free. At the SwimAtlanta intrasquad in December, Sergile capped an already spectacular year by winning the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 back, dropping .3, .6, and 3.1 seconds in the respective events.
  Sergile is now 51st all-time among 15-16 boys in the 100y free, 27th in the 200y free, 10th in the 200y fly, 51st in the 200y IM, 22nd in the 400y IM, and 61st in the 200m fly.

Past Winners