Chasing History: 11 Pre-2000 NAG Records Still Standing — and How Close Today's Swimmers Came This Season
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Some records just don't fall. While much of the USA Swimming National Age Group record book has turned over in recent years, a stubborn group of marks — most set in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s — are still standing today. This week we're taking a look at 11 pre-2000 LCM NAG records and stacking them up against the best swims turned in by today's age groupers during the 2025-2026 season.
None of these records fell. But a few swimmers got remarkably close, and the gaps tell an interesting story about which of these old standards are genuinely vulnerable and which remain out of reach for now.
The Full Picture
Event Category Record Holder Record Date 2025-26 Season Best Swimmer Gap 200 Breast Girls 15-16 2:25.35 Anita Nall 03/02/1992 2:26.35 Mikayla Tan +1.00 200 Free Girls 13-14 1:58.53 Sippy Woodhead 08/22/1978 2:00.33 Finola Whelehan +1.80 200 Fly Girls 15-16 2:05.96 Mary Meagher 08/13/1981 2:08.56 Audrey Derivaux +2.60 100 Breast Girls 13-14 1:08.09 Amanda Beard 09/20/1996 1:11.11 Payton Garnsey +3.02 100 Fly Boys 11-12 58.74 Chas Morton 01/02/1983 1:02.48 Alexander Kovtounenko +3.74 100 Back Girls 11-12 1:03.08 Beth Botsford 01/01/1994 1:06.92 Penelope Chao +3.84 100 Breast Girls 11-12 1:09.87 Carly Geehr 01/01/1997 1:15.33 Yan Zheng +5.46 200 Fly Girls 13-14 2:07.01 Mary Meagher 08/16/1979 2:13.99 Finola Whelehan +6.98 200 Breast Girls 13-14 2:25.75 Amanda Beard 09/20/1996 2:33.35 Emma Fouke +7.60 400 Free Girls 13-14 4:07.15 Sippy Woodhead 08/24/1978 4:18.51 Autumn McIntosh +11.36 1500 Free Boys 15-16 15:03.91 Bob Hackett 07/17/1976 15:17.02 Luka Mijatovic +13.11 Ranked closest-to-farthest from the standing record.
The Closest Calls
Anita Nall's 200 Breast (Girls 15-16) is the one to watch. Mikayla Tan of San Ramon Valley Aquatics went 2:26.35 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Sacramento this May, just a single second off a record that has stood since 1992. Of everything on this list, this is the record sitting on the shakiest ground.
Right behind it, Sippy Woodhead's 200 Free (Girls 13-14) — untouched since 1978 — saw Finola Whelehan of TAC Titans come within 1.80 seconds, going 2:00.33 at the NCS LC AG Championships. Whelehan is worth watching closely: she's the only swimmer to show up twice on this list, also posting a 2:13.99 in the 200 Fly that put her 6.98 seconds behind Mary Meagher's 1979 mark. Two events, two nearly 50-year-old records, one swimmer knocking on both doors.
Mary Meagher's 200 Fly (Girls 15-16) record from 1981 also drew a serious challenge, with Audrey Derivaux of Jersey Wahoos touching in 2:08.56 at Indianapolis — just 2.60 seconds shy.
The Longer Roads
On the other end of the spectrum, the distance events show just how far ahead of their time Woodhead and Hackett really were. Autumn McIntosh of Berzerker Swimming trimmed the field down to 11.36 seconds in the 400 Free, and Luka Mijatovic of Pleasanton Sea Hawks sits 13.11 seconds off Bob Hackett's 1500 Free mark from 1976 — still the largest gap on this list, and a reminder that some 20th-century performances remain genuinely elite by today's standards.
The breaststroke events for the 13-14 and 11-12 age groups also remain firmly in place. Amanda Beard's 200 Breast (13-14) and Carly Geehr's 100 Breast (11-12) both saw gaps north of five seconds this season, from Emma Fouke and Yan Zheng respectively.
Key Takeaways
- Most vulnerable: Anita Nall's 1992 200 Breast (Girls 15-16) — down to a 1.00-second gap.
- Most durable: Bob Hackett's 1976 1500 Free (Boys 15-16) — still 13+ seconds clear of the field.
- Name to watch: Finola Whelehan is chasing two separate pre-2000 records (200 Free and 200 Fly) in the same age group.
- Breaststroke shows up three times on this list, and none of the three gaps dipped under 3 seconds — a sign these marks may hold for a while longer.
These 11 records are a small but telling cross-section of just how good swimming was in the sport's earlier eras. Some, like Nall's and Woodhead's 200 Free, look increasingly within reach. Others, like Hackett's 1500, remain a reminder that not every "old" record is a soft target.
For the complete list of standing marks, visit the NAG Records page to explore the fastest All-Time National Age Group records in USA Swimming history.
