Kaii Winkler Lowers 15-16 100 Free NAG Record with 42.21 Prelims Swim in Greensboro

2022 WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 7-10, 2022
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Start Times
  • Prelims at 9 a.m. ET
  • Finals at 5 p.m. ET
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Kaii Winkler didn’t bother waiting for finals to swim fast today. The 16 year-old Eagle Aquatics swimmer blasted a 42.21 in this morning’s prelims session at the Winter Junior Championships – East site in Greensboro, NC, to lower his own 15-16 National Age Group record in the 100 yard freestyle.

While USA Swimming’s documents still show that mark having belonged to Ryan Hoffer at 42.67, Winkler actually first clipped the mark last month at the Florida High School State Championships, where he went 42.52.

Age group rankings are a bit of a moving target this week, but best we can tell, here’s the current all-time rankings for the 15-16 age group in this event:

1. Kaii Winkler, 42.21 – 2022
2. Ryan Hoffer, 42.67 – 2014
3. Jack Alexy, 42.87 – 2019
4. Maximus Williamson, 42.98 – 2022
5. Drew Kibler, 42.99 – 2016

While you never know where swimmers are at physically on the final day of a meet like this, it’s worth noting that Winkler went 1:34.63 in prelims of the 200 free yesterday before improving to a 1:33.36 in finals. A comparable drop could see Winkler threaten to the 42-barrier. Obviously no 16 year-old has done that before, and only three swimmers in the 17-18 age group — Ryan Hoffer (41.23), Matt Brownstead (41.87), and Caeleb Dressel (41.90) have ever managed that feet. Hoffer, notably, actually hit that time while he was still just 17.

Along the same theme, Winkler’s time from this morning would rank him 7th all-time in the 17-18 age group, behind the three men mentioned above, plus Kibler (42.15), Matt King (42.19), and Adam Chaney (42.20).

The long course NAG record holder for the same event, 15 year-old Thomas Heilman, is also competing in Greensboro this week, and he’s been having a heckuva week, having reset the NAG records in the 200 IM and the 100 fly. However, he opted to forgo the 100 free in favor of the 200 fly today. Regardless, based on the last few days, there’s a strong chance we’ll see additional NAG records fall today both in Greensboro and at the Austin site.