Justina Kozan, Tess Howley Hit #9 All-Time in Girls 200 Fly for 15-16, 13-14

2019 USA SWIMMING SPEEDO JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, August 6 – Saturday, August 10, 2019
• Stanford Avery Aquatic Center, Palo Alto, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 5 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
• LCM format
• Psych sheet
• Live stream (all sessions)
• Start Lists & Live Results

Justina Kozan, a 15-year-old from BREA Aquatics, led a young field in the A final of the women’s 200 fly at Speedo US Junior Nationals tonight. Kozan clocked a 2:09.58, breaking 2:10 for the first time in her career and taking .82 seconds off her previous best time. Kozan’s previous best was 2:10.50, which she had just swum less than a month ago at the 2019 CA Los Angeles Invite.

At just 15, Kozan’s time brought her into the top 10 all-time rankings for 15-16 girls. She’s now tied for 9th all-time with Hannah Kukurugya, who swam her 2:09.68 at the 2014 Jr. Pan Pacs.

Here is the current top 10 all-time for 15-16 girls:

1. Mary T Meagher (1981) – 2:05.96
2. Regan Smith (2018) – 2:07.43
3. Lillie Nordmann (2019) – 2:07.43
4. Charlotte Hook (2019) – 2:07.87
5. Cassidy Bayer (2016) – 2:07.97
6. Katie McLaughlin (2013) – 2:08.72
7. Lindsay Looney (2017) – 2:09.22
8. Jasmine Tosky (2010) – 2:09.28
9. Hannah Kukurugya (2014)/Justina Kozan (2019) – 2:09.68

Kozan went at the race hard from the beginning, hitting the 100 mark in 1:01.19 (29.48/31.71), and came home in 1:08.49 (33.84/34.65). She led a young firled, with fellow 15-year-old Lucy Bell (Fort Collins Area Swim Team) coming in 2nd with a best time of 2:11.18. That time ties Bell for 31st all-time with Maddie Wright.

14-Year-Old Tess Howley form Long Island Aquatic Club came in 3rd, posting a personal best of 2:11.41. Her time came in a little under her previous best of 2:11.87, which she swam a month ago in Michigan. The drop boosted Howley up from 10th all-time in the 13-14 girls rankings, to 9th all-time. She hopped over Maddie Wright, who was 9th with a 2:11.77.

Here is the current all-time top 10 for 13-14 girls:

1. Mary T. Meagher (1979) – 2:07.01
2. Cassidy Bayer (2014) – 2:09.08
3. Lauren Torpey (1997) – 2:10.03
4. Easop Lee (2014) – 2:10.40
5. Justina Kozan (2018) – 2:10.83
6. Whitney Phelps (1994) – 2:11.04
7. Charlotte Hook (2018) – 2:11.09
8. Becca Mann (2012) – 2:11.19
9. Tess Howley (2019) – 2:11.41
10. Maddie Wright (2011) – 2:11.77