Claire Curzan Destroys NAG (15-16) Record in 100 Backstroke; Also Lowers 50 Freestyle Mark
The record-breaking wave of Claire Curzan continued on Saturday night as the 16-year-old standout lowered her National Age Group (NAG) standard in the 50-yard freestyle and destroyed the age-group record in the 100-yard backstroke while racing at the Cary Sectionals.
Curzan first posted a time of 21.50 for the sprint, shaving .01 off her previous record. The effort arrived one night after Curzan registered an NAG record of 49.51 in the 100-yard butterfly, a performance that was just off the American record of 49.38, set last year by former University of Tennessee star Erika Brown. Curzan had quality competition in her 50 free show, as Team USA veteran Madison Kennedy was the runnerup in 21.95.
The bigger performance followed, as Curzan delivered a time of 50.03 to win the 100 backstroke and take more than a half-second off the NAG mark of 50.58, set in 2018 by Regan Smith, who is now the world-record holder in the 100 and 200 backstroke events in the long-course pool.
While many swimmers are still finding their way in the water one year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Curzan has been a consistent force for the TAC Titans. In addition to her NAG records, she popped a time of 56.61 late last year in the 100-meter butterfly, a showing that solidified her status as a leading contender to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. It will be interesting to see what Curzan does in the long-course pool in the sprint-freestyles and 100 backstroke, which give her additional opportunities to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Curzan seems poised to add another NAG record to her collection on Sunday when she contests the 100 freestyle. Curzan is already the record-holder at 47.23.