Rising Stars: 10 & Under Swimmer of the Year Award!

View all of our 2024 Swammy Awards here.

2024 Awardees: Vanessa Delev & Luca Ferrera

This season, there were no National Age Group Records established in the 10 & Under category for either gender, making the selection of a leading swimmer more challenging than in other categories. For the girls, the accolade goes to Vanessa Delev, who achieved top-10 times in every event aside from breaststroke, while for the boys Luca Ferrera has accomplished a similar feat.

10 & Under Girls

Vanessa Delev, Badger Swim Club

Vanessa Delev won the award last year, and she actually aged out of the 10 & Under classification after the long course season, yet she made a substantial influence on the category through the conclusion of the 2023-2024 short course season, as well as through long course.

Delev concluded her 10-year-old tenure with top-times in nearly every long course event, barring the breaststroke events and the 200 IM where she was 3rd, securing eight number one positions. Numerous times also rank her among the top-20 10&Under swimmers of all time, with her highest position being 3rd in the 200 free.

The conclusion of last short course season mirrored this. When we authored this article the previous year, Delev topped the nation in two events, the 200 free and the 100 back. She finished that season with five top times, including the 500 free, 50 back, and the 100 IM. She placed in the top-5 for five additional events, missing only breaststroke.

Delev’s Nation Leading Times:

• 200 Free SCY: 2:00.39 (#11 All-Time)
• 500 Free SCY: 5:25.28
• 50 Back SCY: 29.65
• 100 Back SCY: 1:03.28
• 100 Fly SCY: 1:02.29
• 50 Free LCM: 29.25
• 100 Free LCM: 1:03.47 (#14 All-Time)
• 200 Free LCM: 2:14.82 (#3 All-Time)
• 400 Free LCM: 4:47.98 (#9 All-Time)
• 50 Back LCM: 33.81
• 100 Back LCM: 1:11.61 (#18 All-Time)
• 50 Fly LCM: 31.88
• 100 Fly LCM: 1:10.55

Honorable Mentions:

• Kyra Tan, Crow Canyon Sharks: Kyra Tan presently leads the nation in two events, the 50 back (29.21) and the 50 fly (27.51), which ranks 7th all time for 10&Under girls. She also holds top-five times in four additional events, including the 50 free (3rd), the 100 back (2nd), the 100 IM (2nd), and the 200 IM (5th). This season has been a breakout for Tan, who only featured in one event’s top-10 last short course, the 50 fly at 6th, and had no appearances during long course.
• Abby Fang, Whitewaters Swimming: Abby Fang also boasts two nation-leading times in the 100 fly (1:02.15) and the 100 IM (1:04.06). She ranks in the top-five for six other events, including the 100 free (4th), 200 free (3rd), 500 free (5th), 50 breast (5th), 50 fly (2nd), and the 200 IM (2nd). Fang had several top-10 times last short course in the 50 fly (10th), 100 fly (5th), 100 IM (8th), and 200 IM (6th). She also made appearances in long course, placing 10th in the 50 fly, 5th in the 100 fly, and 7th in the 200 IM.

10 & Under Boys

Luca Ferrera, Saint Petersburg Aquatics:

The decision for the boys was slightly more challenging than for the girls, with two competitors leading the nation in four events. Ultimately, it came down to the quantity of top-five swims each had, and Luca Ferrera emerged victorious with thirteen additional events this year.

Ferrera currently possesses the top-times in the 50 free, 200 free, 500 free, and the 100 IM, and he features 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 several 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 recorded several other high-ranking swims during the 2023-2024 short course season, with his 100 free (5th), 200 free (4th), and 100 IM (3rd) securing top-five finishes.

Ferrera’s Nation-Leading Times:

• 50 Free SCY: 25.66
• 200 Free SCY: 2:02.59
• 500 Free SCY: 5:23.59
• 100 IM SCY: 1:06.32

Honorable Mentions:

• Jasper Ye, Aquazot Swim Club: Ye was another swimmer boasting four top-times this year. He maintains the #1 time in the 100 back (1:04.27), 50 breast (33.14), 100 breast (1:12.32), and 200 IM (2:20.43). Ye also has a few top-five swims in the 100 free (3rd) and the 200 free (3rd) from this season, along with the 100 breast (5th) for both last short course and long course.
• Caleb Goodavish, Verona Area Swim Team: Goodavish aged-up prior to this season, yet he left a significant impact on last year’s long and short course rankings. He held the leading time in five events across the two seasons. In the 2023-2024 short course he ranked first in the 100 free (55.58) and the 200 free (2:00.60) and during long course, he was first in the 100 free (1:03.00), 200 free (2:15.80), and 200 IM (2:35.47). He was also present in the top-five for four events during long course, including 50 free (4th), 50 back (2nd), 50 fly (2nd), and 100 fly (4th), as well as two events during short course, the 50 free (5th) and the 100 fly (2nd).

PAST WINNERS

YEAR	10-U GIRL	10-U BOY
2023	Vanessa Delev	Ayden Tan
2022	Drue Rogers	Ayden Tan
2021	Delaney O’Toole	Reef McMeeking
2020	Lexi Sereno	Spencer Belbot
2019	Kayla Han	Joey Campagnola
2018	Alexis Mesina	Timothy Lee
2017	Erika Pelaez	Kaii Winkler
2016	Leah Hayes	Jaeddan Gamilla
2015	Miriam Sheehan	Ronald Dalmacio
2014	Meghan Lynch	Andrew Rogers
2013	Lillie Nordmann	Winn Aung
2012	Regan Smith	Destin Lasco