NCAP 16-year old Matthew Hirschberger showed that his club is deep in distance well beyond the World Record holder Katie Ledecky. On Tuesday, in the first men’s race of the 2015 NCSA Junior National Championships, he won the 1000 yard free in 8:45.11, which breaks the old National Age Group Record that was set in 1982.
The old record was an 8:49.97 done by prep distance swimming legend Jeff Kostoff.
Hirschberger’s time is so fast, that it is actually better than the 8:48.57 that is the National Age Group Record for 17-18’s (also done by Kostoff, in 1983). That record will stand, for now, but Hirschberger will get the unofficial honor of the fastest junior swimmer ever in the event.
Hirschberger was seeded at 8:58.21, making this a 13-second improvement.
15-year old Cincinnati Marlins swimmer Josh McDonald was 2nd in 9:03.50, which means that Hirschberger’s record is already in the sights of the next challenger.
Speaking in a broad context, Hirschberger’s is the 10th-fastest performance of all-time, and he now ranks behind only some of the great names of American distance swimming on the all-time rankings.
10 fastest 1000 freestylers of all-time, ranked by personal best.
- Erik Vendt – 8:36.49 (2008)
- Connor Jaeger – 8:41.09 (2014)
- Michael McBroom – 8:42.25 (2014)
- Yannick Agnel – 8:42.58 (2013)
- Robert Margalis – 8:42.64 (2007)
- Chris Thompson – 8:44.11 (2001)
- Matthew Hirschberger – 8:44.15 (2015)
- Chad Carvin – 8:45.27 (1995)
- Matt McLean – 8:46.50 (2009)
- Michael Klueh – 8:46.83 (2014)
Besides the typical caveats to yards records (namely, that they’re swum most seriously by primarily Americans and by college aged and younger swimmers), the 1000 is an even more off-beat event in that it’s not raced at the NCAA Division I Championship meet. This means that most of the best times above were done at off-peak meets.
Splits:
By 100:
- 50.96
- 52.99
- 52.39
- 52.46
- 52.75
- 52.88
- 52.92
- 52.86
- 52.95
- 51.95
By 200:
- 1:43.95
- 1:44.85
- 1:45.63
- 1:45.78
- 1:44.90
By 500:
- 4:21.55
- 4:23.56
I feel like Mr. Kostoff should give him a trophy in a special award ceremony or something! That record has been in existence since I became aware that swimming records existed!
Wow! Look at those 500 splits! Just awesome! So happy for this young man.
Bruce Gemmell’s interview on the USA swimming website
http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=7743&mid=14491
Awesome swim.
He was in my list of possible NAG records this week.
Congrats.
When you train at NCAP you know you are in the right place for distance swimming.
I love the splitting but I believe the last 200 should be 1:44.9.
SMASH
WOW…I believe someone was saying a few weeks ago on some article that Kostoff’s records could stand another two decades or so lol
Never mind, there’s no 1650 for boys. Still, 500 record in the morning?