The 2026 U.S. Junior National Championships, held in Irvine, California, from August 3 to August 7, 2026, saw Waterloo Swimming make history in the 200 medley relay. Their time of 1:39.61 shattered the 15-18 and 17-18 National Age Group records, breaking the previous standard by over two seconds. Waterloo didn’t just beat the old record—they beat it decisively. Their winning margin of 1.40 seconds over NASA Wildcat Aquatics, who clocked 1:41.03, proved the dominance of their strategy and execution.
Ben Jaggers had already shown his strength in the 50 backstroke on Monday. The leadoff leg was a 25.18. That was barely off his 25.03 from earlier in the week. It set the tone. Max Laine followed with a blistering 27.82 breaststroke leg. That was the fastest in the competition. At the halfway mark, Waterloo had built a lead. They had over a second and a half lead. They hit 53.00 to the previous 54.74. Sawyer Stolarczyk added a solid butterfly split. His split was 24.36. Julian Rusk closed the race with a 22.25 anchor leg. That was the second fastest of the week. It was just behind Owen McDonald’s 24.24.
Julian Rusk’s 22.25 on the anchor leg was not only a personal breakthrough. It was over a second faster than his previous 50 free best. His best was 23.51. Max Laine also improved. He cut more than half a second off his 28.44. That was from the 50 breaststroke final. Stolarczyk himself shaved over four tenths of a second. He improved his best 50 fly time of 24.79. That time was set in the 100 fly B final. That was earlier the same night with a 54.17. That was a new personal best.
Dominance continues as Waterloo builds legacy
Waterloo’s 1:39.61 crushed the prior 17-18 NAG record of 1:41.93. It also beat the 15-18 mark of 1:41.44. This victory marks their third NAG record in the 200 medley relay. It has been over the past year. Earlier in May, they lowered the 15-16 NAG record. They set it to 1:44.53. At Winter Juniors in December, they broke that same age group record. They did it in the 200 yard medley relay. Jaggers, Rusk, and Laine were all part of those teams as well.
Looking ahead, Jaggers, Laine, and Stolarczyk will compete in their next events. Jaggers will compete in the 100 back. He is seeded 56.18. Laine will compete in the 200 breast. He is seeded 2:21.57. Stolarczyk will compete in the 50 fly. He is seeded 24.79. Jaggers and Laine are both part of the class of 2027. They are committed to prestigious college programs. Rusk, also in the class of 2027, is set to join Florida State. Stolarczyk is a member of the 2026 graduating class. He has pledged to UNC. Under coach Will Trusler, Waterloo continues to build a legacy. They are one of the top junior swim programs in the country.