2021 Swammy Awards: Age Group Swimmer of the Year – 13-14

To see all of our 2021 Swammy Awards, click here.

2021 Honorees: Teagan O’Dell and Thomas Heilman

13-14 Girls

Teagan O’Dell, Irvine Novaquatics (Irvine, CA)

O’Dell was one of three girls to break individual National Age Group Records in the 13-14 category this year. She took down Missy Franklin’s 2009 national mark of 2:12.73 with her second-place finish at Speedo Summer Championships-West in August.

O’Dell narrowly missed another of Franklin’s records, the LCM 200 back, and now ranks second all-time in that event. She finished 2021 with the top swims among 13-14 girls in the LCM 100/200 back and 200/400 IM, notching Olympic Trials Wave II cuts in all four events. She was #2 in the LCM 50/100 free; #3 in the SCY 400 IM and LCM 200 free; #4 in the SCY 100/200 back and 200 IM; #5 in the SCY 100 free and LCM 100 breast; #9 in the SCY 200 free and 100 fly; and #10 in the SCY 100 breast.

Runner-Up

Erika Pelaez, Eagle Aquatics (Miami, FL)

Pelaez had 15 top-10 swims in 2021, including the number one LCM 50/100 freestyles for 13-14s. She ranked 2nd in the SCY 200 free; 3rd in the SCY 100/200 back and LCM 100 back; 5th in the SCY 50 free and 200 IM and the LCM 200 free and 100 fly; 6th in the SCY 100 fly and LCM 200 back; 7th in the SCY 400 IM; and 8th in the SCY 500 free.

After aging up during the summer, she finished the year with the #2 50 free time for 15-16 girls (22.29) and was ranked 3rd in the LCM 50 free; 4th in the LCM 100 free; 5th in the SCY 100 free; 7th in the SCY 100 back; and 9th in the SCY 100 fly and LCM100 back.

Honorable Mention

• Levenia Sim – TNT Swimming-SE: Sim aged out of the 13-14s before the summer but left a NAG record in her wake. In March, she broke the SCY 100 back national record for 13-14 girls with 51.03 at the NCSA Spring Swimming Championships. She also finished the year #1 in the SCY 200 fly; #2 in the SCY 100 free and 200 back and the LCM 100 back; #3 in the SCY 100 fly; #5 in the LCM 200 back; #6 in the LCM 100 fly; and #7 in the SCY 200 IM.

• Claire Weinstein – Westchester Aquatic Club-MR/Sandpipers of Nevada-CA: Not long after moving to Sandpipers, Weinstein produced the age group’s leading times in the SCY 200/500/1000/1650 free, the last of which was a National Age Group Record for 13-14 girls. She was also third in the SCY 100 free. While still attached to Westchester Aquatic Club, she was # in IMX rankings among 13-year-olds and #3 for 14-year-olds for the 2020-21 short course season. She also swam the #1 LCM 400/800 free times and was #2 in the LCM 200/1500 free; #3 in the LCM 200 IM; #4 in the LCM 100 free; and #9 in the SCY 400 IM.

13-14 Boys

Thomas Heilman, Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA (Charlottesville, VA)

Heilman had momentum coming into 2021 (in November 2020, he destroyed a pair of NAG Records in the LCM 100 free and 100 fly at the U.S. Open in Richmond) and he kept his foot on the gas throughout the year. Then, in a ten-day span in December, he broke National Age Group Records for the boys 13-14 age category 13 times. At U.S. Open, he broke the LCM 50 free (twice), 100 fly (twice), 100 free, and 200 free, lowering his own previous NAG marks in the 100 free and 100 fly.

At 2021 YOTA Arena Capital Classic, he broke the SCY 100 free record leading off the CA-Y 400 free relay, which went on to post a 3:07.45 to take down the 13-14 NAG relay record, as well.

The next week, swimming at Winter Juniors East, he took a chunk out of his own SCY 200 free record (two chunks, actually) and broke the 100 fly and 200 fly NAGs, twice each. Heilman came awfully close in two more events: Michael Andrew’s 50y free and Michael Phelps’ 200m fly.

Heilman had eleven top-10 swims for the 13-14 age group in 2021 and he was number 1 in each of them. His 100m fly time of 53.27 made him the only 14-year-old boy with an Olympic Trials Wave II qualifying time.

He leads the nation in IMX scores for 14-year-old so far this 2021-22 short course season.

Runner-Up

Maximus Williamson, North Texas Nadadores (Southlake, TX)

Williamson was the first to break the LCM 200 free record, going 1:53.26 in July at the Texas Age Group Swimming Championships. A week later, he lowered it by another .22 at West Fargo Futures, and his name remained in the record books until Heilman torched all the records in December.

Williamson produced 15 top-10 swims for the age group during 2021. He was #1 in the LCM 400 free and 400 IM; #2 in the LCM 100/200 free, 100/200 back, and 200 IM; #3 in the SCY 200 back; #4 in the SCY 500 free; #5 in the LCM 50 free; #7 in the SCY 100 back and 200 IM; #8 in the SCY 100 free; and #9 in the SCY 50 free.

After aging up, he competed at Winter Juniors West in December and notched the top times in the SCY 200/400 IM among all 13-14 boys for all of 2021. He was also 2nd in the 200 free, 6th in the 100 free and 200 back, and 9th in the 100 back.

Honorable Mention

• Norvin Clontz – SwimMAC Carolina-NC: Clontz led the nation in three events for the boys 13-14 age group and had top-10 swims in another nine. He also contributed to a pair of relay NAGs (SCY 4×200 free and LCM 4×200 free) with his SwimMAC Carolina teammates. Clontz finished 2021 ranked #1 in the SCY 500 Free, 200 breast, and 400 IM; #2 in the SCY 1650 free; #3 in the LCM 1500 free; #4 in the SCY 200 IM and LCM 200/400 free; #5 in the LCM 800 free and 200/400 IM; and #8 in the SCY 200 free. Clontz had the number one IMX score for 14-year-olds during the 2021 LCM season and ranks third thus far in the 2021-22 SCY season.

• Carter Lancaster – Carmel Swim Club-IN: Lancaster dominated the age group in backstroke and IM, with the nation’s top performances for the year in the SCY 100 back and 400 IM and LCM 100/200 back and 200 IM. He also notched the 2nd SCY 200 IM and LCM 100 fly times and was 4th in the SCY 100 fly; and 5th in the SCY 50 free and 100/200 breast.

• Sean Green – Long Island Aquatic Club-MR: Green established himself as the top distance swimmer of the cohort, with the nation’s top times in the SCY 1000/1650 free and the LCM 800/1500 free. He also finished 2nd in the LCM 400 free; 3rd in the SCY 500 free and LCM 400 IM; 5th in the SCY 200 back; 7th in the SCY 400 IM and LCM 200 back; and 8th in the LCM 200 free.

Past Winners