2025 North Carolina Swimming Short Course Age Group Champs
- Feb 13-16, 2025
- Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, North Carolina
- Short Course Yards (Prelims/Finals)
- Psych Sheet
- Meet Central
- Day 1 Recap
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 NCS SC AG Champs”
SwimMAC Carolina’s Karina Plaza, a freshman at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, has broken the 13-14 National Age Group Record in the 100 yard breaststroke. The record has stood since 2015, and was previously held by Alexis Wenger at 1:00.02. Wenger went on to swim at UVA and is currently the #7 performer in short course yard history. With this swim, Plaza becomes the youngest ever female swimmer to break the 1:00 barrier in the 100 breast.
Plaza also reset the North Carolina LSC record, which was previously 1:01.31. It was held by Abby Arens, who ended up swimming for NC State in college and is currently at Texas for her 5th year.
Plaza is not new to NAGs however, as she is a member of SwimMAC’s relay that broke the 13-14 National Age Group record in the 400 medley relay just last month. In that relay, she swam backstroke, leading the team off in 1:03.56 (LCM).
Plaza’s previous best time in the 100 breast was 1:00.67, a PB set nearly a year ago in March of 2024 at the North Carolina TAC Sectionals meet when she was still 13.
Splits Comparison:
| Wenger | Plaza | Plaza | |
| Old 13-14 NAG Record | |||
| 50y | 28.00 | 28.49 | 28.71 |
| 100y | 32.02 | 31.45 | 31.96 |
| Total Time | 1:00.02 | 59.94 | 1:00.67 |
Although Wenger’s first 50 was quick, Plaza’s strength lies in her back-half. In both her previous personal best and this new NAG record, Plaza finished stronger than Wenger’s 32.02. In this record-breaking swim, she not only started faster than her previous best but outpaced both her past performance and Wenger’s closing split.
Plaza also won the 400 IM in 4:12.12. With that 5 second drop from her previous best, she is now ranked #10 all time in the 13-14 age group.
Other Day 2 Highlights
- Reina Liu, the 100 IM champion last night, won the 200 free with a decisive 1:47.13—nearly 2 seconds ahead of Arizona Smith (1:49.06). This was a .2 second drop from her PB (1:47.33) and moves her up to 29th all time in the 13-14 age group.
- SwimMAC’s John Williams won the 200 free in 1:41.22 after battling it out with Samuel Wooten (1:41.70). Over the past 2 days, Williams has taken over 3 seconds off his PB. Wooten broke the North Carolina LSC 13-14 record in the 1000 free last night.
- Liu came in 2nd in the 400 IM behind Plaza, swimming a 4:12.14. This swim slots her #11 all time in 13-14 history, just behind Plaza.
- SwimMAC (3:22.27) edged out TAC Titans (3:22.77) for the win in the 400 free relay. Although Liu anchored TAC home in a blistering 48.83, the quartet of Plaza (50.75), Emma Richardson (50.49), Erin Greathouse (50.84), and Arizona Smith (50.19) held on for the win.
