Kaii Winkler Breaks NAG (15-16) Record in 100 Freestyle At Florida State Champs
Due to weather issues, Kaii Winkler had to wait a week to make history. But the 16-year-old did so in style on Friday, as he established a National Age Group (NAG) record in the 100-yard freestyle while racing at the Florida 1A High School Championships. The meet took place in Stuart at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center.
A member of the United States Junior National Team and a home-schooled student, Winkler blazed a time of 42.52 in the 100 free, a performance which bettered the previous standard in the 15-16 classification of 42.67. The old mark was set in 2014 by Ryan Hoffer, who went on to enjoy an NCAA-championship career at the University of California-Berkeley.
En route to the new record, Winkler was out in 20.57 and came home in 21.95. His time supplied a comfortable victory over Andrew Kravchenko, who claimed second place in 44.68. Prior to breaking the NAG record in the 100 free, Winkler shined in the 200 freestyle, where he clocked a winning mark of 1:34.18. That time was less than a second off the NAG mark of 1:33.30, set in 2017 by future Olympian Drew Kibler.
At the Junior Pan Pacific Championships last summer, Winkler was the silver medalist in the 50 freestyle and helped Team USA to a world junior record in the 400 freestyle relay.