It finally happened. Mary T. Meagher’s 1981 National Age Group Record for 15-16 girls’ 200 butterfly (1:52.99) has been broken. It took 37 years, but 16-year-old Regan Smith of Riptide took it down on the final night at 2018 Speedo Junior Championships – West in Austin, Texas. Not by a little, either. Smith swam a blistering 1:51.24, taking a full second and 75 hundredths off the old mark.

Smith’s not only set the 15-16 NAG, but she also downed the meet record of 1:54.37 set by Ella Eastin in 2014 and came within .20 of Eastin’s 17-18 NAG as well. In fact, Smith’s performance is the fastest 200 fly in the United States for all ages for the current swim year, and it ranks her #7 all-time behind:

Ella Eastin – 1:49.51 – 2018 Pac-12 Championships Elaine Breeden – 1:49.92 – 2009 Pac-12 Championships Kelsi Dahlia – 1:50.61 – 2016 NCAAs Katinka Hosszu – 1:51.02 – 2010 SCY Nationals Louise Hansson – 1:51.13 – 2018 Pac-12 Championships Kathleen Hersey – 1:51.18 – 2009 NCAAs Regan Smith – 1:51.24 – 2018 Speedo Winter Juniors – West

Smith’s best time prior to Saturday night’s final was 1:53.50 from Akron Sectionals in 2018. Take a look at how she has improved in 9 months:

Winter Juniors East, December 2018 Akron Sectionals, March 2018 50 24.63 25.12 100 52.67 (28.04) 54.05 (28.93) 150 1:21.38 (28.71) 1:23.43 (29.38) 200 1:51.24 (29.86) 1:53.50 (30.07)

Race Video: