Erika Braun of Raleigh Area Masters blasted a 1:00.13 100 yard fly to notch a new U.S. Masters national record at the 2023 North Carolina Short Course Championships on Saturday. While she already held three American records in the 50-54 age group (the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 IM), this was an entirely new mark for her, taking .04 off the previous record set by Jill Hernandez in 2013.
51-year-old Braun’s opening speed made all the difference. She went out about half a second faster than Hernandez did in 2013, turning at 28.05 at the 50-yard-mark. She held on during the final 50 with a split of 32.08.
Split Comparison
| Braun – 2023 |
Hernandez – 2013
|
|
| 50 | 28.05 | 28.55 |
| 100 | 32.08 | 31.62 |
| Final Time: | 1:00.13 | 1:00.17 |
Less than two hours later, Braun lit up the Triangle Aquatics Center again by posting a 31.55 in the 50 breast to set another U.S. Masters national record. The previous record was 31.61, set by Olympic medalist Susan von der Lippe in 2018. At the time, von der Lippe was the first 50-54-year-old woman to put the record under 32.20, let alone 32.00.
These two races were just the beginning of Braun’s event lineup this weekend at the North Carolina Championships, a meet of about 180 swimmers. She raced four other individual events (the 50 back, 100 breast, 50 free, and 200 free) and two relays (women’s and mixed 400 medley relays), placing first in her age group in each swim. She came within .02 of her own 50 free national record (24.19) which she set in April 2022. Braun also scared the 100 breast national record with a time of 1:09.37, about .16 off Caroline Krattli‘s mark from 2012.
Braun’s 2023 short course season started off with a bang when she broke the 100 free U.S. Masters national record at the TAC Polar Plunge in January.
The Midwest native first qualified for Olympic Trials in 1988 while in high school. She went on to swim for the University of Georgia for two years and she graduated as part of their class of 1994. After a 12-year break from the sport, she joined the Raleigh Area Masters and TAC Titans swim clubs, returned to training, and she qualified for the Olympic Trials again in 2012 at the age of 40.
In 2016, Braun was inducted into the North Carolina Swimming Hall of Fame alongside two-time Olympian and former world record holder Ricky Berens. There, they joined the likes of Olympians and former world record holders Cullen Jones and Mel Stewart. Her post-college swimming career includes accumulating seven Masters world records in long course: age 40-44 100 free (58.04) and 50 fly (28.36), age 45-49 50 fly (28.40), age 50-54 50 fly (29.47) alongside three relay records.
2023 North Carolina SCY Championships Race Videos
Courtesy of Eric Braun
@ErikaSwims breaks the US Masters National Record in the 100 Butterfly today with a 1:00.13! @swimswamnews pic.twitter.com/AtTRpvBi6x
— Eric Braun (@moderatepolicy) April 1, 2023
@ErikaSwims breaks her 2nd Masters National record today with a 31.55 in the breast stroke! @swimswamnews pic.twitter.com/sNWVGAg7us
— Eric Braun (@moderatepolicy) April 1, 2023
that was demented!
Awesome swimming Erika! Can’t wait to see what you do at Nationals!
“American Record”?????
Notably, Erika split 59.0 100 fly on a relay at this meet. Incredible!
That is way out of this world.