2017 NCSA JUNIOR NATIONALS
- Tuesday, March 14 – Saturday, March 18, 2017
- Tuesday Timed Finals 4:00 PM Eastern
- Wed-Sat Prelims 8:30 AM / Finals 6:00 PM Eastern
- Live Stream
- Live results available on Meet Mobile
- Results will be posted here after each session
Claire Tuggle continues to smash the 11-12 National Age Group record lower and lower in the 200 freestyle, going 1:47.71 at finals of the NCSA Junior National meet.
Tuggle first broke the record in prelims, going 1:48.85 to cut almost a second off the existing NAG record. At night, she took 1.1 seconds off of that swim to become the fastest in history by almost two full seconds in the 11-12 age group.
Only three 11-12s had ever been under 1:50 in the race before Tuggle showed up. Kylie Stewart held the NAG record at 1:49.64, followed by Madeline Dressel (1:49.81) and Missy Franklin (1:49.84). Prior to this week, the fastest Tuggle had ever been was 1:50.29 back in December.
The owner of several 10 & Under NAGs, Tuggle is transitioning very well to higher age groups. At this point, she’s just about three seconds off the NAG in the next age group up, a 1:44.55 set by Franklin herself. She would already rank #24 in that age group.
Here’s a quick look at Tuggle’s splits in tonight’s race:
- 25.11
- 27.28 (52.39)
- 27.84 (1:20.23)
- 27.48 (1:47.71)
She finished 7th in the A final of that event, competing in a heat of 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds.
How tall is she?
Wow! But I’m not surprised. She looked so easy in prelims.
Congrat to Claire and her coach.
Now Sippy Woodhead’s legendary and antique 500 free NAG record as next target.
It’s cool to see the birth of a champion before our eyes.
Insane for a 12 year old! There were several women who went 1:47’s in the 4×200 Free Relay at the NCAA DI finals yesterday.
My goodness!!!
By 14, she will be ready for NCAAs. By 16 she will be the American Record Holder. She very much so reminds me of Sippy Woodhead when she was world ranked at 12. World top three at 13. World record holder at 14. Keep going, Claire!
Oh good grief. A Swimswam friend pointed out to me that my posting has five thumbs down. LOL How does comparing Claire to the great Sippy Woodhead merit even one negative thumbs down? Oh good grief.
Hard to see Tuggle cutting 8+ seconds to the American record as an age grouper, especially with people like Ledecky in the NCAA the next four years taking shots at the 200 free record.
I’m sure people told Ledecky that it was unlikely that she would be the Olympic Champion in 2012, when she was 14. Pretty sure she and her coach didn’t listen to those people. Who knows what will happen? We all worry about burn out or daunting expectations. I get to be part of the process with this young lady and we are just having fun. If you want to know more about her practices email me: [email protected] Let’s not hate on those people who believe it can be done. – Claire’s Coach
Do your homework and look at the past champions. Their times take huge drops. This is what separates the best from the rest. Tracy Caulkins dropped EIGHT SECONDS in ONE SUMMER to grab the world record in the 400IM. Brian Goodell dropped a huge chunk in his 400 free from the summer of 1975 to the Olympics in 1976. Jesse Vassal did the same to become the record holder in the 400IM.
Time drops for young girls are really easy they can put up amazing times look at Missy. Then puberty happens and they don’t accelerate as fast otherwise Missy would be a 45 second freestyler
…but I think the best thing we can do is to look at all the factors that exist with regard to why Missy isn’t 45 in the 100 free and work on those now with Claire to achieve potentially even better long term results. (You know…what USA Swimming has done for ages…share info and learn from our current super stars to continue a winning tradition).
Like I said before…WHO KNOWS what is going to happen? In the meantime, we have fun, do things right, and be free to dream.
Because the same thing happens to every girl? When a female swimmer hits puberty her time drops don’t go down as much.
Missy was such an insane age group swimmer