There were no National Age Group Records set in the 10 & Under age group this season for either gender, so deciding a top-swimmer was more difficult than other age groups. On the girl's side, the award goes to Vanessa Delev who carried top-10 times in everything but breaststroke, and on the boy's side Luca Ferrera has done the same.
10 & Under Girls
Vanessa Delev was last year's award winner, and she actually aged out of the 10 & Under age group after the long course season, but she made a significant impact on the group through the end of the 2023-2024 short course season, and through long course.
Delev finished her 10-year-old career with the top-time in almost every long course event, excluding the breaststroke events and the 200 IM where she was 3rd, leaving her with eight number one spots. Many of her times also rank her in the top-20 10&Under swimmers all time with her highest ranking coming at 3rd in the 200 free.
The end of last short course season was the same. When we wrote this article last year, Delev led the nation in two events, the 200 free and the 100 back. She ended the season with five top times, adding the 500 free, 50 back, and the 100 IM. She finished in the top-5 in five other events, which is every event except breaststroke.
10 & Under Boys
The boy's decision was a little harder than the girl's with two athletes leading the nation in four events, but it came down to the number of top-five swims each had, and Luca Ferrera came out on top with thirteen other events this year.
Ferrera currently holds the top-times in the 50 free, 200 free, 500 free, and the 100 IM, and he appears in the top-five this short course season in the 100 free (2nd), the 50 fly (3rd), the 100 fly (2nd), and the 200 IM (3rd).
He also has a few top-five swims from long course in his 50 free (2nd), 100 free (3rd), 200 free (3rd), 400 free, (3rd), 100 back (4th), 50 fly (3rd), and 200 IM (3rd).
Ferrera saw a few other high ranking swims over the 2023-2024 short course season with his 100 free (5th), 200 free (4th), and 100 IM (3rd) making top-five appearances.