Syunta Lee Dazzles With Pacific Northwest LSC Record in 500 Free at Age Group Regionals

2024 Northwest Age Group Regionals

• March 21-24, 2024
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center
  • Federal Way, Washington
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2024 Northwest Region Age Group Regionals”

Syunta Lee put on a show at the Northwest Regional Age Group Championships last week in Federal Way, Washington.

The 14-year-old West Coast Aquatics standout climbed the national age group (NAG) rankings in several events while also lowering his own Pacific Northwest LSC record in the 500-yard freestyle (4:28.56) along the way.

Lee knocked almost four seconds off his previous-best 500 free time of 4:32.40 from December, moving up to 17th in the U.S. 13-14 boys NAG rankings. Before this season, the Pacific Northwest LSC standard stood at 4:34.25 by Aiden Hammer in 2022.

Lee sliced more than a second off his best 200 free time with a personal-best 1:39.73, scaring Ugur Taner’s LSC record of 1:39.50 from way back in 1989. He now ranks 33rd in the NAG rankings.

Lee also made major improvements in the 200 IM (1:50.73) and 400 IM (3:53.62). He dropped more than a second in the 200 IM, touching within a few tenths of current Northwestern junior Tyler Lu’s LSC record (1:50.46) from 2017. In the 400 IM, Lee lowered his lifetime best by more than three seconds, leaping up to 12th in the NAG rankings.

Lee added two more best times in the 50 free (21.69) and 100 free (46.01), the latter of which ranks 56th in the NAG rankings.

Lee wasn’t the only record breaker among the boys as Charlie Cancelmo established a new LSC record in the 100 butterfly. The Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club 14-year-old got under 50 seconds for the first time at 49.61, sneaking under the old LSC standard of 49.77 by Andrew Coombs in 2022. Cancelmo now ranks 44th nationally in the history of his 13-14 age group.

Cancelmo collected a speedy 200 fly victory in 1:50.29, within a second of his personal-best 1:49.40 from December that stands as the LSC record. He showed off his versatility by adding lifetime bests in the 50 free (21.65), 100 free (46.26), 200 free (1:40.24), and 500 free (4:35.50). Cancelmo dropped seven-tenths of a second in the 50 free, more than a second in the 100 free, more than three seconds in the 200 free, and more than eight seconds in the 500 free off his previous bests from December.

Issaquah Swim Team 14-year-old Owen Stauffer claimed the 100 back crown in 50.21, shaving a few tenths off his previous-best 50.58 from December. In the process, he moved up to 51st in the NAG rankings. Stauffer also clocked lifetime bests in the 50 back (23.53 relay leadoff), 200 back (1:50.37), and 50 free (22.16), dropping more than two seconds off his previous-best 200 back (1:52.75) from January.

University Place Aquatics Club 13-year-old Grant Bellin also threw down some fast backstroke times in the 50 (24.72), 100 (52.05), and 200 (1:53.65) distances. He dropped more than half a second in both the 50 back and 100 back while knocking almost two seconds off his previous-best 200 back (1:55.52) from last month. Bellin also posted personal bests in the 50 free (22.89), 100 free (49.71), 100 fly (54.50), and 200 IM (2:04.35). He had some sizable drops in the latter off-events, taking more than four seconds off both his previous-best 100 fly (58.70) and 200 IM (2:08.67).

Olympic Cascade Aquatics 13-year-old Luke Dunn racked up some big time drops en route to six new lifetime bests. He dropped more than two seconds in the 200 fly (1:55.51), three seconds in the 400 IM (4:08.30), one second in the 200 free (1:45.44), four seconds in the 500 free (4:39.48), and two seconds in the 200 IM (1:57.91). Dunn also shaved more than half a second off his previous-best 100 fly time from December (53.98) with his personal-best 53.28.

Girls Recap

Bellevue Club Swim Team 12-year-old Brooklyn Lang continued her tear in the 50 free with a huge lifetime best that cracked the top 100 NAG rankings.

Lang reached the wall in 24.17, taking a few tenths off her previous-best 24.54 from last month and ranking 94th nationally in the history of her age group. Before this month, her best time was just 24.78 from December. Now Lang is only about a tenth shy of Air Force graduate Lia Campbell’s LSC record of 24.05 from 2012.

Lang also dropped almost four seconds in the 500 free (5:16.10) and nearly two seconds in the 100 back (59.99).

West Coast Aquatics 11-year-old Anju Lee fired off five impressive personal bests across a wide range of events. She dropped almost seven seconds in the 200 back (2:10.40), more than 38 seconds in the 500 free (5:40.20), a couple tenths in the 100 IM (1:05.33), almost six seconds in the 200 IM (2:16.70), and nearly seven seconds in the 400 IM (4:55.43).

Pacific Dragons Swim Team 11-year-old Emma Li pulled out victories against Lee in the 500 free (5:29.70) and 200 IM (2:15.81). She dropped more than six seconds in the 500 free (previous-best 5:35.81 from November) and almost three seconds in the 200 IM (previous-best 2:18.78 from earlier this month). Li clocked four more lifetime bests in the 50 fly (27.22), 100 fly (1:00.50), 100 free (56.46), and 200 free (2:01.09).

West Coast Aquatics 11-year-old Emily Garcia narrowly missed her best times from last month in the 50 back (28.99) and 100 back (1:01.94) while posting a pair of personal bests in the 100 breast (1:13.82) and 100 IM (1:04.74 in prelims). She has been as fast as 28.72 in the 50 back and 1:01.90 in the 100 back.

Pacific Dragons Swim Team 10-year-old Valerie Gan left with five new personal bests in the 50 back (30.68), 100 back (1:06.07), 50 breast (35.68), 100 fly (1:07.59), and 100 IM (1:08.68). She dropped almost two seconds off her best 100 fly time from last month (1:09.46).

One of the most eye-popping drops of the day came courtesy of Pro Swimming 11-year-old Sophia Liang in the 200 IM (2:25.36). She dropped 10 seconds in prelims (2:29.55) before knocking another four seconds off her best time in the final. Liang also sliced almost three seconds off her lifetime best in the 50 breast (32.47) and nearly six seconds in the 100 breast (1:13.39). She added another personal best in the 50 free (27.45), dropping almost a second off her previous-best 28.40 from December.