Claire Curzan Goes 50.18 to Nab 100 Back NAG at TAC Titans Blizzard Blitz Day 3

TAC TITANS BLIZZARD BLITZ

• December 10-13, 2020
• Cary, NC
• SCY
• Results on Meet Mobile as “2020 TAC Titans Blizzard Blitz Meet”

Claire Curzan continued with the torrid pace she’s been on this year, racking up yet another National Age Group record with a 50.18 performance in the 100 back tonight at the 2020 TAC Titans Blizzard Blitz Meet, where times for junior swimmers will count towards USA Swimming’s 18& Winter Championships.

The 16 year-old Curzan came into the meet already sitting 2nd all-time in the 15-16 age group with her 51.01 from July, and her time tonight vaulted her over world record holder Regan Smith’s mark of 50.58 from 2018. Curzan now owns a total of five 15-16 age group records: 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, and 100 fly in yards, and the 100 fly in LCM.

Coming into 2020, Curzan’s best time in this event with a 51.23, a time she hit twice in a week in March of 2019 while still 14. Curzan then went 51.01 at the Titans’ intraquad meet this July, before knocking the better part of a second off of her best tonight. That 50.18 makes her the 13th-fastest woman of any age in the event, according to USA Swimming’s rankings.

Earlier in the session, Curzan won the 50 free by over a second with a time of 21.71, exactly 0.20s off of her lifetime best. She also won the 100 fly yesterday, and is entered in both the 200 back and the 100 free tomorrow.

In other events, Curzan’s TAC Titans teammate Charlotte Hook won the 200 fly by over three seconds with a time of 1:54.11, just a little over a half second off of her best time from this June. Yesterday, Hook won the 200 free and took 2nd in the 400 IM.

YSSC’s Annika McEnroe continued a strong meet by winning the 200 breast in 2:12.80, less than half a second away from her personal best of 2:12.43. Earlier in the session she took 2nd to Hook in the 200 fly with a 1:57.45, hitting a new lifetime best (previously 1:58.27). McEnroe has had a busy and successful two days, taking 1st in 100 breast, 2nd in 100 fly, and 1st in 400 IM yesterday.

On the men’s side, we were treated to a trio of repeat winners. In the 50 free, Michael Cotter knocked nearly a second off of his lifetime best today, to earn the win. He came with a best time of 21.05, then went 20.38 in prelims and won finals with a 20.19. Cotter also hit a lifetime best in winning the 200 free yesterday, and he’s looking increasingly like he could make an immediate impact on any free relay when he arrives at NC State in the fall of 2022, and NC State should be absolutely stacked with 50/100/200 free types in a few years.

That 50 free tonight was one of the closer races, as Cotter got the touch just ahead of 19 year-old TAC Titans teammate Michael Ivy, who also hit a lifetime best with his time of 20.26.

Another Titans swimmer, Max Kreidl, won the 200 fly with a 1:48.23, a second off of his lifetime best of 1:46.92. Kreidl won the 100 fly yesterday. 29 year-old Jorge Murillo completed the breaststroke sweep with a 1:57.05, only 0.04s off his lifetime best, as the only man under 2:00 tonight.

Results for the championship heat of the boys 100 back do not appear to have been uploaded to Meet Mobile, and will be added in when available.