(RACE VIDEO) Claire Tuggle Breaks Girls 11-12 200 IM NAG Record

Claire Tuggle​, the 12 year-old superstar for Clovis Swim Club in Fresno, California, recently broke two Girls 11-12 National Age Group Records at the NCSA Junior National Championships in Orlando, Florida. In the 200 freestyle, Tuggle obliterated the previous record of 1:49.64 by almost two seconds with a blistering 1:47.71. In the 500 freestyle, Tuggle broke the third-longest standing NAG Record all the way back from 1977 -- yes, you read that correctly -- by ​Sippy Woodhead. ​Woodhead's 4:49.51 sat atop the record books for 40 years, until Tuggle came along and broke it with a 4:49.32.​

Tuggle continued her record-breaking streak Friday night at the 2017 Speedo Far Western Championships in Pleasanton, California. The freestyle specialist showed some versatility by breaking the Girls 11-12 NAG Record in the 200 IM with a sterling 2:03.23, bettering the previous record of 2:03.50 from ​Clara Smiddy ​in 2008.​

Before tonight, Tuggle was the fifth fastest performer in her age group with a 2:04.31 from the NCSA Junior National Championships a couple of weeks ago. Her 2:03.23 catapulted her ahead of some elite names including ​Ella Eastin​ and ​Missy Franklin​. Not bad company at all.
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Her coach, ​Mark Bennett​, noted in an interview with FloSwimming after the race, "She (Claire) has actually been more focused on IM training than freestyle training." He went on to say, "I don't think it was surprising that she broke an IM record, but probably more relief for us as coaches being that she has done a lot of her work in IM."