The Irvine NovAquatics 13-14 boys are on a tear this summer. First they broke the national age group record for the 800 free relay (8:00.81) at Southern California Swimming’s June Age Group meet. (That record was then surpassed three weeks later by Cincinnati Marlins with their 7:58.64)
Next they went after the 200 free relay (1:41.00) at Los Angeles Invitational a week ago. (A couple of days later that was eclipsed by Washington Township with 1:39.56)
And now they have completed the freestyle relay trifecta with the missing piece: the 4 x 100.
Competing at the Southern California Junior Olympics Relay Day at Mission Viejo, the NovAquatics quartet of Owen Kao, Justin Nguyen, Andrew Koustik, and Hunter Hitchens went 3:37.77 to crash through the 3:40.75 barrier set by Wildcat Aquatics (Andrew Jovanovic, Brian Walsh, Kevin Tom, Stephen Shull) in 2009.
NOVA’s splits on 7/27/2014:
Owen Kao,14 – 53.33
Justin Nguyen, 14 – 55.14
Andrew Koustik, 14 – 55.53
Hunter Hitchens, 14 – 53.77
Final time – 3:37.77
Prior to this relay, the NovAquatics quartet’s best flat-start 100 times were:
Kao – went 53.34 at this JOs (seed time was 54.07)
Nguyen – went 54.85 at JOs (seed time was 55.29)
Koustik – 55.72
Hitchens – went 53.32 at JOs (seed time was 54.10)
Very impressive quartet put together. Nova is just flat-out loaded with 13-14 boys sprinters. When you see the amazing junior swimmers coming in, you can’t help but think the future is going to be even more exciting.
If you look at that Top 10 report closer you’ll see that both those boys had 200 Free times faster than Michael Andrew. Not too surprised as a team with their record breaking result.
Anyone know how old into the 14 years these boys are? The 100 Free NAG is 51.30 set this year.
Hitchens and Kao appear to have the 2nd and 3rd fastest flat-start 100 Free times in the nation for 14 year olds. Hitchens 53.32 is right behind Michael Andrew. Kao’s 53.34 is right there with him.
http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/649d97df-4d81-4613-8158-7915ba0d5004/boys_1118_toptimes.pdf
Updated rankings after the last weekend.
Alexander Zettle from Lakeside Aquatic Club has swum 52.64 at the Texas age group championships.
Andrew is first in 51.30.
Zettle is second in 52.64.
Hitchens is third 53.32.
Kao is fourth in 53.34.
And Clayton BOBO 😎 is fifth in 53.41!
Since most of these age-group swimmers train 3/4 of the year in yards it truly is amazing what they’ve accomplished with the transition to long course in breaking these National Age Group relay records. Congratulations to you boys.
You’re right.
But why 3/4 of the year in yards? It will never change? I believe there are a few 50 meter-pools in USA!
Sorry for that question from a non-American but in Australia or here in France, it’s probably 90% of the year in long course. That’s why it seems to us a little crazy. But on the other hand, it works very well like that so why change? You train 3/4 of the year in yards from the early age to the college years and it doesn’t prevent you from easily dominating the medal tables world meet after world meet. Always the same question. If you trained 90% of the year in long course, what would happen? 🙂
nice to see the special supplements helping the youngest kids to smash record after record.