Girls 17-18 LCM NAG Record Watch: 2025-2026 Season

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Revision (May 1, 2026):
This post has been updated to correct a filtering issue in the original dataset.
The initial version only included swimmers whose best times were recorded in the 17–18 age group.
This excluded some age-eligible swimmers whose best times were set at age 16.
The analysis below now reflects age eligibility as of August 1, 2026.

Data current as of April 23, 2026 | Age eligibility cutoff: August 1, 2026 (swimmer remains 17 or 18 as of 8/1/2026)

The Girls 17-18 LCM record book reads like a who's who of American swimming's recent past. Katie Ledecky holds the entire distance free lineup. Regan Smith owns both the 100 and 200 backstroke. Lilly King's 200 breast from 2015 is on the board. Alex Walsh, Torri Huske, Claire Curzan, Lydia Jacoby — the list of record holders reflects the depth of talent this age group has produced over the last decade.

Against those marks, this winter's 17-18 field is led by Charlotte Crush, who appears across eight events and projects near or into several records. The revised dataset also brings Rylee Erisman into sharper focus across sprint and mid-distance freestyle, where her real long course references are among the strongest in the field. Kayla Han remains a key distance and IM name, and Molly Sweeney leads one of the most compelling breaststroke events in the dataset.

A standing note on backstroke: classical SCY-to-LCM conversion produces aggressive results in backstroke at this age. Projections that appear to clip records should be read alongside last-season LCM references, which are the more reliable measure of where swimmers actually stand in long course competition.

Sprint Freestyle

50 Freestyle — NAG: 24.43 | Claire Curzan (2022)

Rylee Erisman (17) now leads the field at 21.67 SCY (24.85 projected, +1.72%), with a last-season LCM reference of 24.74 — just 0.31 seconds and 1.27% above Curzan's record in actual competition. Charlotte Crush (18) follows at 21.98 SCY (25.20 projected, +3.15%), with a last-season LCM reference of 26.08. Riley Anderson (18) rounds out the group at 22.07 SCY (25.30 projected), with a 25.65 last-season LCM reference.

Erisman's 24.74 last-season LCM time changes the tone of this event. The record is still protected, but the real gap is only 0.31 seconds — much closer than the rest of the field. She is the clear name to watch in the 50 free.

100 Freestyle — NAG: 53.25 | Simone Manuel (2014)

Manuel's 100 free has been on the books since 2014, and Rylee Erisman (17) now makes this event much more interesting. She leads at 46.73 SCY (53.47 projected, +0.41%), with a last-season LCM reference of 53.78 — just 0.53 seconds and 1.0% above the record in actual competition.

Charlotte Crush follows at 47.72 SCY (54.57 projected, +2.48%), with a last-season LCM reference of 55.54. Zoe Smith rounds out the group at 47.80 SCY (54.66 projected), with a 56.49 last-season LCM reference.

Erisman's 53.78 last-season LCM time is the defining real-world data point in this event — only 0.53 seconds off Manuel's record. This shifts the 100 free from safely protected to genuinely worth watching.

Distance Freestyle

200 Freestyle — NAG: 1:54.43 | Katie Ledecky (2016)

Ledecky's 200 free has held since 2016. Rylee Erisman (17) now leads the field at 1:40.93 SCY (1:55.23 projected, +0.70%), with a last-season LCM reference of 1:57.29 — 2.86 seconds and 2.50% above the record in actual competition.

Charlotte Crush follows at 1:44.67 SCY (1:59.38 projected, +4.33%), with a last-season LCM reference of 2:01.19. Elizabeth Eichbrecht (18) rounds out the group at 1:59.81 projected, with a 2:01.31 last-season LCM reference.

Erisman's 1:57.29 last-season LCM time is the strongest real 200 free baseline in this group. Ledecky's record remains protected, but Erisman changes this from an internal sub-2:00 storyline to a much more competitive watch.

400 Freestyle — NAG: 3:58.37 | Katie Ledecky (2014)

Rylee Erisman (17) leads on projection at 4:05.08 (+2.81%), though no last-season LCM reference is available. Sydney Schoeck (18) follows at 4:08.01 projected, with a last-season LCM reference of 4:15.99. Kayla Han (18) rounds out the top three projections at 4:08.36, with the most advanced real 400 free LCM time in this group: 4:10.38 — 12.01 seconds above the record in actual competition.

Erisman leads the projection list, but Han's 4:10.38 remains the most relevant real long course benchmark. The record has 12+ seconds of real-world protection — Ledecky's distance marks remain well guarded.

800 Freestyle — NAG: 8:06.68 | Katie Ledecky (2016)

Kayla Han leads at 8:29.67 projected (+4.72%), with a last-season LCM reference of 8:35.91 — over 29 seconds above the record in real competition. Sydney Schoeck follows at 8:30.77 projected, with a last-season LCM reference of 8:41.91. Elizabeth Eichbrecht rounds out the group at 8:36.78 projected, with an 8:48.54 last-season LCM reference.

Han's 8:35.91 last-season LCM time leads the field. Ledecky's 2016 records at distance are among the most protected marks in age group history — the real-world gap confirms that.

1500 Freestyle — NAG: 15:25.48 | Katie Ledecky (2015)

All three candidates project and swim well above Ledecky's 1500 record. Sydney Schoeck leads at 16:10.80 projected, with a last-season LCM reference of 16:28.74 — over a minute above the record in real competition. Kayla Han follows at 16:17.09 projected, with a 16:28.92 last-season LCM reference. Paige Downey (18) rounds out the group at 16:23.22 projected, with a 16:22.67 last-season LCM reference — her real performance is actually slightly ahead of her own projection.

Ledecky's distance records at 17-18 are in a category of their own. The field is competitive within itself — Schoeck and Han trading mid-16s — but the records are not under realistic pressure.

Backstroke

Classical backstroke conversion note: all three 50BK and 100BK projections clip the records on paper. Last-season LCM references — which are 3–8% above the records — are the more reliable guide to where this field actually stands.

50 Backstroke — NAG: 27.43 | Leah Shackley (2025)

A 2025 record with maximum recency protection. All three candidates project under it on classical conversion — Alyssa Sagle (18) at 26.93 (-1.82%), Charlotte Crush at 27.08 (-1.28%), Brynn Lavigueur (18) at 27.42 (-0.04%). Last-season LCM references of 28.35, 28.47, and 28.37 put the real picture in focus: all three were roughly 0.92–1.04 seconds above the record in actual competition last summer.

The projections here reflect SCY speed, not current LCM form. Last-season LCM references in the 28.35–28.47 range are the honest baseline — all within about 1 second of a mark set just last year, which is genuinely close but not a present threat given its recency.

100 Backstroke — NAG: 57.57 | Regan Smith (2019)

Charlotte Crush projects to 56.82 (-1.3%) — under the record on paper — with a last-season LCM reference of 59.30 (+3.01%). That 1.73-second gap between her real performance and Smith's record is the honest measure. Alyssa Sagle projects to 57.32 (-0.43%), with a last-season LCM reference of 1:00.64. Rylee Erisman (17) is third at 58.69 projected, with a strong last-season LCM reference of 59.39 — nearly identical to Crush in real competition.

Crush's 59.30 and Erisman's 59.39 are the two most developed real backstroke references in this group, both roughly 1.7–1.8 seconds above Smith's record. The record remains protected, but Erisman's inclusion gives this event more real long course depth.

200 Backstroke — NAG: 2:03.35 | Regan Smith (2019)

The 200 back is the most compelling backstroke event in the girls dataset — and one where the projection and real reference are closer than the shorter backstroke events. Charlotte Crush projects to 2:03.66 (+0.25%), just 0.31 seconds above Smith's record on paper. Her last-season LCM reference of 2:07.05 (+3.0%) puts her 3.70 seconds above the record in actual competition — a real gap, but meaningfully smaller than in the 50 and 100 back. Alyssa Sagle follows at 2:05.57 projected (+1.8%), with a 2:11.54 last-season LCM reference. Sydney Schoeck rounds out the group at 2:06.15 projected, with a 2:11.81 last-season LCM reference.

Crush's 2:07.05 last-season LCM time is the most advanced real reference in the backstroke field — 3.7 seconds and 3.0% above Smith's record. The projection gap is just 0.25%, but the real reference is the starting point. A meaningful drop in her long course 200 back this summer would put this record in genuine conversation.

Breaststroke

50 Breaststroke — NAG: 30.20 | Lydia Jacoby (2022)

The 50 breast field sits realistically 6–7% above Jacoby's record. Sofia Szymanowski (17) leads at 27.84 SCY (31.90 projected, +5.63%), with a last-season LCM reference of 32.36 (+7.15%). Kate Canales (17) follows at 28.11 SCY (32.20 projected, +6.62%), with a last-season LCM reference of 32.23 — the most advanced real 50 breast LCM time in this group. Molly Workman (18) rounds out the group at 32.44 projected, with a 33.56 last-season LCM reference.

The record has solid protection in all three cases. Canales has the best real LCM reference at 32.23, while Szymanowski leads on projection. The 6%+ real gap to Jacoby's mark is meaningful in the 50 breast.

100 Breaststroke — NAG: 1:04.95 | Lydia Jacoby (2021)

The 100 breast field projects 4–5% above the record, with last-season LCM references in the 1:08–1:09 range. Molly Sweeney (18) leads at 59.24 SCY (1:07.76 projected, +4.33%), with a last-season LCM reference of 1:08.98 — 4.03 seconds above the record in actual competition. Eliza Wallace (18) follows at 1:07.91 projected, with a 1:09.62 last-season LCM reference. Kayda Geyer (18) rounds out the group at 1:08.17 projected, with a 1:09.28 last-season LCM reference.

Jacoby's record has clear protection at this level. Sweeney leads the field — her 1:08.98 last-season LCM time is the best real 100 breast reference in the group, though still 4 seconds back of the mark.

200 Breaststroke — NAG: 2:24.47 | Lilly King (2015)

This is one of the most compelling events in the girls 17-18 dataset. Molly Sweeney projects to 2:24.66 — just 0.19 seconds and 0.13% above King's 2015 record on paper. Her last-season LCM reference of 2:28.92 (+3.08%) puts her 4.45 seconds above the record in real competition, which is the honest baseline. Kaidy Stout (17) follows at 2:26.88 projected (+1.67%), with a last-season LCM reference of 2:28.63 — the fastest real 200 breast LCM time in this group. Kayda Geyer (18) rounds out the group at 2:27.09 projected, with a 2:28.79 last-season LCM reference.

Sweeney's projection is one of the closest in the dataset to a standing record on paper — 0.13%. Her 2:28.92 last-season LCM time is the real baseline, while Stout and Geyer actually lead narrowly in real long course performance. If Sweeney closes her LCM gap by 4 seconds this summer, King's 2015 record moves into genuine conversation.

Butterfly

50 Butterfly — NAG: 25.43 | Claire Curzan (2022)

The 50 fly field sits roughly 5–10% above Curzan's record in real terms — meaningful protection in a sprint event. Abby Chan (17) leads on projection at 26.70 (+4.99%), though her last-season LCM reference of 28.08 is significantly further back. Lucy Velte (17) follows at 26.90 projected (+5.78%), with a last-season LCM reference of 26.84 — the best real 50 fly LCM time in this group and closely aligned with her projection. Mia Buff (18) rounds out the group at 27.11 projected, with no last-season LCM reference available.

Velte's 26.84 last-season LCM time is the standout real data point — the best actual long course performance in the group and closely aligned with her projection. Chan leads on converted SCY speed, but Velte is the more credible real-performance reference.

100 Butterfly — NAG: 55.66 | Torri Huske (2021)

Charlotte Crush projects to 56.90 (+2.23%), with a last-season LCM reference of 58.09 — 2.43 seconds above Huske's record in actual competition. Nikki Nixon (17) follows at 58.61 projected, with a 1:01.25 last-season LCM reference. Clare Watson (18) rounds out the group at 58.84 projected, with a 1:00.14 last-season LCM reference.

Crush's 58.09 last-season LCM time leads the field — 2.43 seconds and 4.37% above Huske's record in real competition. Protected for now, but her continued butterfly development is worth noting given her overall profile.

200 Butterfly — NAG: 2:06.10 | Alex Shackell (2024)

A 2024 record with recency protection. Alyce Lehman (18) leads at 1:53.84 SCY (2:09.16 projected, +2.43%), with a last-season LCM reference of 2:10.82 — 4.72 seconds above the record in actual competition. Nikki Nixon (17) follows at 2:09.38 projected, with a 2:14.83 last-season LCM reference. Clare Watson rounds out the group at 2:09.66 projected, with a 2:11.83 last-season LCM reference — the second-best real baseline in this group.

Shackell's 2024 record has real protection across both projection and reference measures. Lehman leads the field in actual competition at 2:10.82, still 4.72 seconds back. This event is one to track on a longer horizon.

Individual Medley

200 IM — NAG: 2:09.01 | Alex Walsh (2019)

Sadie Buckley (17) now leads the field at 1:54.84 SCY (2:10.67 projected, +1.29%), with a last-season LCM reference of 2:13.64 — 4.63 seconds and 3.59% above Walsh's record in actual competition. Charlotte Crush follows closely on projection at 2:10.71 (+1.32%), but her last-season LCM reference of 2:17.15 shows a larger real gap. Lucy Velte (17) rounds out the group at 2:11.62 projected, with a 2:18.14 last-season LCM reference.

Buckley's 2:13.64 last-season LCM time is the most relevant real reference — 4.63 seconds above Walsh's record and clearly ahead of the rest of this field. Crush remains close on projection, but Buckley leads the event in both converted and real long course terms.

400 IM — NAG: 4:31.41 | Katie Grimes (2023)

Sadie Buckley (17) leads on projection at 4:36.21 (+1.77%), with a last-season LCM reference of 4:45.21. Kayla Han follows at 4:36.44 (+1.85%), with the strongest real LCM reference in the field: 4:40.58 — 9.17 seconds and 3.38% above Grimes's 2023 record in actual competition. Sydney Schoeck rounds out the group at 4:37.48 projected, with a 4:43.20 last-season LCM reference.

Buckley leads on projection, but Han's 4:40.58 remains the most relevant real benchmark. Not an imminent threat, but Han still provides the most credible real-world pressure on this record in the current field.

Overall Picture

Charlotte Crush (18) remains one of the defining names of the Girls 17-18 dataset — appearing in eight events, with projections that clip or approach records in the backstroke, butterfly, and IM picture. The consistent theme across her profile, however, is a gap between her exceptional SCY performances and her current long course results. Her real LCM gaps in the 100 back (3.01%), 200 IM (6.31%), and 200 free (5.91%) are all meaningfully larger than her projection gaps suggest. The 200 back (3.0% real gap, 0.25% projection) is the event where the two measures are most aligned — and the one where her long course development matters most to watch.

Rylee Erisman (17) is the major addition in the revised dataset. Her real long course references in the 50 free (24.74), 100 free (53.78), 200 free (1:57.29), and 100 back (59.39) immediately change the profile of the girls field. The 100 free is especially notable: 53.78 is only 0.53 seconds off Simone Manuel's 2014 record, making it one of the strongest real-performance watches in the dataset.

Kayla Han (18) remains one of the most proven long course performers in the dataset. Her last-season LCM references in the 400 free (4:10.38), 800 free (8:35.91), and 400 IM (4:40.58) are among the strongest real-world baselines across those events. Her continued push toward the sub-4:10 400 free and sub-4:40 400 IM are the more meaningful milestones to track — ahead of any specific record.

Molly Sweeney (18) carries the most compelling breaststroke projection story: her 200 breast projection of 2:24.66 is just 0.13% above King's 2015 record. Her last-season LCM reference of 2:28.92 (3.08% above the record) is the realistic baseline, while Kaidy Stout and Kayda Geyer are slightly ahead in real long course performance. Sadie Buckley also becomes an important IM name, leading the 200 IM in both projection and real LCM reference.

All projections use classical SCY-to-LCM conversion. Converted times are estimates only. Backstroke projections in particular can run aggressive with classical conversion — last-season LCM references are the more reliable indicator in those events. Last-season LCM reference times are from the 2024–25 season. Age eligibility based on August 1, 2026 cutoff (swimmer remains 17 or 18 as of 8/1/2026).