Maximus Williamson Clocks 1:40.88 in the 200 Back, Clips Ryan Murphy’s 15-16 NAG Record

2022 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEST

• December 7-10, 2022
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Prelims @10:00AM ET, Finals at 6:00 PM ET (except for day 1 timed finals)
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There’s been plenty of great times at both sites of the Winter Junior Championships tonight, but it wasn’t until two hours after the East meet started that we “finally” saw the first NAG record of the night go down.

And, this time, despite starting an hour later, that first record came courtesy of the West site, where 16 year-old Maximus Williamson took down his second 15-16 NAG record in as many days with a 1:40.88 in the 200 back. That time just clipped one of the older NAG records on the book, a 1:40.90 that eventual Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy set back in 2011.

It wasn’t a walk in the park for Williamson, either, as he swam against a tough field that included 18 year-old Keaton Jones, who went 1:40.32 in prelims this morning. But Williamson went out half a second faster than Jones on the first 50 and hung on over the back half, ultimately by over half a second, as Jones touched in 1:41.43.

All-Time Rankings, Boys 15-16 200 Yard Backstroke

1. Maximus Williamson, 1:40.88 – 2022
2. Ryan Murphy, 1:40.90 – 2022
3. Josh Zuchowski, 1:41.68 – 2021
4. Destin Lasco, 1:41.77 – 2018
5. Daniel Diehl, 1:41.92 – 2022

Williamson, who swims for the Lakeside Aquatic Club, possesses a very unique combination of versatility with top-end talent, and has a meet for the ages.

He broke the NAG record in the 200 free on Wednesday with a 1:33.07 leadoff on the 800 free relay. He won the 200 IM in 1:42.07, which would have been an age group record had not Thomas Heilman broken it about an hour earlier in Greensboro. Last night, he shattered Michael Phelps’ last remaining yards NAG record with a 3:39.83 in the 400 IM, then won the 200 free and 100 back and split a 19.4 on the 200 free relay for good measure.

He’s not even done yet, as he’s scheduled to swim the 100 free momentarily, and most likely he’ll also swim on Lakeside’s 400 free relay to wrap up the session and the meet.

Barely 20 minutes after his 200 back NAG, Williamson continued his run of domination by clocking a 42.61 in the 100 free. That would have been a new NAG record a month, ago, but Kaii Winkler broke it back in November at the Florida High School State Championships, and then reset it this morning over the East site. Williamson’s previous best time was a 42.98.

All-Time Rankings, Boys 15-16 100 Yard Freestyle

1. Kaii Winkler, 42.21 – 2022
2. Maximus Williamson, 42.49 – 2022
3. Ryan Hoffer, 42.67 – 2014
4. Jack Alexy, 42.87 – 2019
5. Drew Kibler, 42.99 – 2016

Update: Over at the East site, 15 year-old Thomas Heilman led off Cavalier Aquatics’ 400 free relay in 42.97, which moves him up to #5 on the above list. Additionally, Williamson led off Lakeside’s relay in 42.49, improving on his previous best of 42.61.