Audrey Derivaux Breaks the 200 IM Barrier, Posting 1:53.87 to Become the Second-Fastest 15–16 Hit in History
2025 Winter Junior Championships – East
December 10–13, 2025 | Indianapolis, Indiana
Prelims: 9:00 a.m. EST | Finals: 5:00 p.m. EST
Short Course Yards (25 yards)
Event links and coverage: Meet Central, Psych Sheet, How to Watch, Live Results, and Live Recaps.
GIRLS’ 200 IM – Finals
Record markers and past benchmarks: Meet Record 1:52.21 by Katie Grimes (2022); 13–14 NAG Record 1:55.73 set by Audrey Derivaux (2024); 15–16 NAG Record 1:53.38 by Teagan O’Dell (2023); 17–18 NAG Record 1:51.36 by Kate Douglass (2020).
Top eight finishers:
1) Audrey Derivaux (JW) — 1:53.87
2) Charlotte Crush (LAK) — 1:54.87
3) Reina Liu (TAC) — 1:56.60
4) Brynn Lavigueur (LAKR) — 1:57.69
5) Molly Sweeney (CSC) — 1:57.90
6) June Delmar (MAC) — 1:59.72
7) KC Braeger (LAK) — 1:59.84
8) Finola Whelehan (TAC) — 2:00.06
In the finals, Audrey Derivaux, a Texas commitment, delivered the second-fastest 200 IM ever recorded by a girl in the 15–16 age group, touching in 1:53.87.
Split breakdown:
- Fly: 24.36
- Back: 28.18 (52.54 at 100 yards)
- Breast: 34.11 (1:26.65 at 150 yards)
- Free: 27.22 (1:53.87 final time)
Derivaux came into the final with a preliminary time of 1:55.53, just over a second ahead of Charlotte Crush (1:56.80) which set the stage for a dramatic showdown.
Crush led for the first four lengths, opening up a near two-second advantage (50.65 split to 52.54). Derivaux trimmed the gap with a commanding breaststroke leg, out-splitting Crush 34.11 to 36.69 to swing the momentum and carry a roughly seven-tenths margin into the final 50.
The concluding 50 cemented Derivaux’s win and cemented her status as the second-fastest 15–16 performer in the event’s history. Derivaux already holds the 13–14 NAG Record at 1:55.73.
The new 1:53.87 marks a lifetime best for Derivaux, shaving 1:55.24 from her performance at this meet last year and placing her just under half a second behind Teagan O’Dell’s 1:53.38 NAG mark. Derivaux remains age-eligible through August 2026, giving her more than eight months to chase the NAG standard.
Crush’s finals effort stood as her fastest performance yet, surpassing her 2024 best by about a second and a half (1:56.44).
Additional context: The competition spotlighted a rising field in the girls’ 200 IM, showcasing how precision across all four strokes can tilt the race in the closing legs. With Derivaux flirting with legendary times and Crush delivering personal-best pace, the event highlighted the nuanced strategy of a well-rounded IM swimmer and set the stage for an exciting continued season.
Would you like a brief comparison of how typical splits in elite girls’ 200 IM races trend across age groups, or a quick explainer on how breaststroke speed often becomes the deciding factor in the final 50?
