Caymanian swimmer Jillian Crooks, 17, has put the US National Collegiate Athletic Association roster on notice following her record-shattering performance at the 2023 Winter Junior Nationals East in Columbus, Ohio, which took place 6-9 Dec.
Crooks, who has committed to begin her freshman term at the University of Tennessee next year – joining her brother Jordan – swam a historic 21.95 seconds in the 50-yard finals, making her the first female junior swimmer from the CARIFTA region to go sub-22 seconds.
Her time comes on the heels of her brother’s record-breaking school opening meet – the Tennessee Invitational, which took place 15-17 Nov., at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.
With athletes now breaking from competition for the holidays, the Crooks siblings have cemented themselves as the fastest regional swimmers in the 50-yard event for 2023.
While Jillian, who currently trains under TAC Titans in North Carolina, still has time before she joins her older brother at Tennessee, her times rank with some of the best in the school and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Her time of 21.95 seconds would have placed her among the top four 50-yard women swimmers during the finals of the 2023 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships.
But that’s not all. During the meet in Ohio, Crooks led from start to finish en route to the 100m freestyle title, splitting 22.62/24.68 for a time of 47.30 – eclipsing her previous best time by over a second (48.47).
She then took bronze in the 100m backstroke, recording a time of 51.54 to undercut her previous best result of 51.87, ahead of fellow Cayman swimmer Lila Higgo, who placed fifth.
Crooks splits read 24.89 and 26.65 for a total time of 51.54 – a time that would position her as sixth all-time best in Tennessee.
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