Justina Kozan Breaks 40-Year-Old Age Group Record

In 1978, Sippy Woodhead turned in an unthinkable 1:46.40 in the 200 free, setting the Southern California swimming LSC record for the 13-14 age group in short-course yards.

Forty years later, that mark has finally been broken.

Justina Kozan of Brea Aquatics bettered Woodhead’s mark by swimming a 1:45.77 at the Kevin B. Perry invite last weekend.

Woodhead still holds the records for 200 and 400 free long course events, also in 1978, the longest national age group records.

But Kozan took more than a half second off the previous mark — and it wasn’t her only record.

Kozan swam the 200 IM in 1:58.57 to break the 13-14 record set by Ella Eastin (1:59.27) in 2011. She set the 100 free record (49.05) beating Lindsey Engel (49.37, 2011) and the 100 fly in 52.83, beating Eva Merrell (53.19, 2014).

Kozan had the 200 fly record and bettered that mark, but Mission Viejo’s Katie Crom went even faster with a 1:56.00 to set the mark and a national age group record.

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