Earlier in the month, USA Swimming named 121 athletes to the 2025-2026 National Team. The roster consists of 54 women and 67 men from 33 states and 25 universities, with the state of California boasting the largest number of represented athletes (14). The University of Virginia is the top represented university with 14 athletes.
Some readers have asked for some specifics regarding the benefits of being a National Team or National Junior Team Member. When one qualifies for the team, they gain access to elite-focused support including direct financial stipends (based on event ranking and world-class “A” time standards), elite athlete health insurance, dedicated travel and recovery funding (covering training, travel, therapy, nutrition, etc.), confidential assistance via an Athlete Ombuds for disputes or mental health support, and career/education resources through the USOPC’s ACE Program, all designed to help athletes focus on training and competing at the highest level.
See a comprehensive list of all the benefits available to team members below, along with a refresher of who made both rosters for the 2025-26 season.
National Team
Services and Opportunities:
- Athlete Performance Funding (Unspecified Stipend)
- Elite Athlete Health Insurance
- Contact Lens Program
- National Medical Network access
- Basic Dental Care Services (Directory)
- Travel health insurance for international competitions/camps
- Travel Assistance to TYR Pro Swim Series and various National level competitions
- Training at the USOPTC
- Room and Board
- Access to Strength and Conditioning
- Access to Sports Medicine
- Access to Recovery Services
- Scheduled pool time
- Scheduled strength & conditioning time
- USA Swimming Foundation Donor and Athlete Partner Program – athletes who have exhausted or relinquished their NCAA eligibility may apply
- OneAmerica Financial Resources
Mental Health:
- Access to work with numerous mental health providers
- Access to Online Education resources
- USOPC Mental Health resources
- USOPC Mental Health Assistance Fund
High Performance Services:
- High Performance Video Analysis at National Level Competitions
- Race stats resources
- Early entry into the TYR Pro Series Competitions
- Educational resources and access to USOPC Physiology Experts
Nutrition:
- Work with USOPC dieticians
- Educational information and resources
- A variety of nutrition resources provided by the USOPC
- Nutrition Courses provided by USOPC provider
Sports Medicine:
- Access to screening at National Team Onboarding
- Access to USA Swimming Sports Medicine Network
- FitRWoman program
Strength and Conditioning:
- Work with USOPC Strength and Conditioning providers
Outside Financial Resources: (Information shared with athletes who are eligible to apply)
- LSC Travel Assistance program
- Level Field Fund
- Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation Grant
- USOPC Tuition Grants
- William Simon Grant
- Road to LA28 Grant
- Women’s Sports Foundation Travel and Training Grant
- Tylenol and WSF Athlete Recovery and Care Commitment Grant
USOPC Resources: (Information shared with athletes who are eligible to apply, and is offered by USOPC)
- Medical Assistance Fund
- Various professional development resources
- Various educational opportunities
Junior National Team
- Spring High Performance Altitude Camp at the USOPTC
- Open Water Camp held before Open Water Nationals
- High Performance Video Analysis at National Level Competitions
- Mental Health Provider and Online Education resources
- Nutrition Courses provided by USOPC provider
- Outside of NT/NJT selection meets; another Long Course International Competition (ie. Mel Zajac)
- Early entry into the TYR Pro Series Competitions
Refresher Of Women’s 2025-26 National Team Roster:
| Name | Event(s) | Hometown | Home Club | Training Location |
College Affiliation
|
| Phoebe Bacon | 100/200 BK, 200 IM | Chevy Chase, Md. | Nation’s Capital Swim Club | Wisconsin Aquatics | Wisconsin |
| Katharine Berkof | 50/100 BK | Missoula, Mont. | Missoula Aquatic Club | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Caroline Bricker | 200 FL, 200 IM | Colorado Springs, Colo | Pikes Peak Athletics | Alto Swim Club | Stanford |
| Katie Christopherson | 200 BR | Atlanta, Ga. | SwimAtlanta | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Daisy Collins | Open Water | Chapel Hill, N.C. | North Carolina Aquatic Club | North Carolina Aquatic Club | N/A |
| Jillian Cox | 400/800/1500 FR | Cedar Park, Texas | Longhorn Aquatics | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Claire Curzan | 50/100/200 BK | Cary, N.C. | TAC Titans | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Mariah Denigan | Open Water | Walton, Ky. | Northern Kentucky Clippers | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Julia Dennis | 50 FR | Oxford, Miss. | Shock Wave Aquatics | Cardinal Aquatics | Louisville |
| Audrey Derivaux | 200 BK, 100/200 FL, 200/400 IM | Haddonfield, N.J. | Jersey Wahoos | Jersey Wahoos | N/A |
| Kennedi Dobson | 400 FR | Levittown, Pa. | Eastern Express Swim Team | Eastern Express Swim Team | Georgia |
| Kate Douglass | 50/100 FR, 100/200 BR, 50 FL | Pelham, N.Y. | Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics/New York Athletic Club | Virginia |
| Piper Enge | 50/100 BR | Mercer Island, Wash. | Bellevue Club Swim Team | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Rylee Erisman | 100/200 FR | Windermere, Fla. | Windermere Laker Aquatics | Windermere Laker Aquatics | N/A |
| Erin Gemmell | 100/200/400 FR | Potomac, Md. | Nation’s Capital Swim Club | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Cavan Gormsen | 400 FR | Wantagh, N.Y. | Long Island Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Katie Grimes | 400 IM | Las Vegas, Nev. | Sandpipers of Nevada | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Kayla Han | 400 IM | La Mirada, Calif. | La Mirada Armada | La Mirada Armada | N/A |
| Brinkleigh Hansen | Open Water | Saint Petersburg, Fla. | Saint Petersburg Aquatics | Saint Petersburg Aquatics | N/A |
| Leah Hayes | 200/400 IM | Sugar Grove, Ill. | Fox Valley Park District Riptides | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Abigail Herscu | 200 BR | Livermore, Calif. | Livermore Aqua Cowboys Club | California Aquatics | Cal |
| Tess Howley | 200 FL | Rockaway Beach, N.Y. | Long Island Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Kate Hurst | 800/1500 FR | Hillsdale, N.J. | Scarlet Aquatics | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Torri Huske | 50/100/200 FR, 100 FL | Arlington, Va. | Arlington Aquatic Club | Alto Swim Club | Stanford |
| Gena Jorgenson | 800/1500 FR | Aberdeen, S.D. | Aberdeen Swim Club | Club Husker | Nebraska |
| Brady Kendall | 50 FL | Canton, Mich. | Plymouth Canton Cruisers | Club Wolverine | Michigan |
| Lilly King | 50/100 BR | Evansville, Ind. | Newburgh Sea Creatures | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Caroline Larsen | 50 FL | Eden Prairie, Minn. | Foxjets Swim Team | Cardinal Aquatics | Louisville |
| Katie Ledecky | 200/400/800/1500 FR | Bethesda, Md. | Nation’s Capital Swim Club | Gator Swim Club | Stanford |
| Lindsay Looney | 200 FL | Denison, Texas | Metroplex Aquatics | Longhorn Aquatics | Arizona State |
| Becca Mann | Open Water | Homer Glen, Ill. | Team Santa Monica | TAC Titans | USC |
| Simone Manuel | 50/100 FR | Sugar Land, Texas | First Colony Swim Team | Longhorn Aquatics | Stanford |
| Michaela Mattes | 1500 FR | Sarasota, Fla. | Sarasota Sharks | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
| Beata Nelson | 50 FL | Madison, Wisc. | Madison Aquatic Club | Wisconsin Aquatics | Wisconsin |
| Mila Nikanorov | 800 FR | Castle Rock, Colo. | Highlands Ranch Aquatics | Ohio State University | Ohio State |
| Kennedy Noble | 50/100/200 BK | Goodyear, Ariz. | Phoenix Swim Club | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Teagan O’Dell | 400 IM | Chino Hills, Calif. | Pleasanton Seahawks | Pleasanton Seahawks | Cal |
| Kaitlyn Owens | 50 BK | College Station, Texas | Magnolia Aquatic Club | Texas A&M | Texas A&M |
| Maxine Parker | 50 FR | Bannockburn, Ill. | RISE Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Anna Peplowski | 200 FR | Germantown Hills, Ill. | Bloomington Normal YMCA Waves | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Addie Robillard | 200 BR | Mason, Ohio | Mason Manta Rays | Mason Manta Rays | Stanford |
| Alex Shackell | 100/200 FL | Carmel, Ind. | Carmel Swim Club | Carmel Swim Club | Indiana |
| Leah Shackley | 50/100/200 BK, 100 FL | Bedford, Pa. | Blair Regional YMCA | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Bella Sims | 400 FR | Las Vegas, Nev. | Sandpipers of Nevada | Sandpipers of Nevada | Michigan |
| McKenzie Siroky | 50/100 BR | Livonia, Mich. | Unattached | Tennessee Aquatics | Tennessee |
| Regan Smith | 50/100/200 BK, 50/100/200 FL, 200 IM | Lakeville, Minn. | Riptide Swim Team | Longhorn Aquatics | N/A |
| Skyler Smith | 50 BR | San Jose, Calif. | Peak Swimming | North Carolina Aquatic Club | North Carolina |
| Kaidy Stout | 200 BR | Lewisville, N.C. | Greensboro Swim Association | Greensboro Swim Association | N/A |
| Brooke Travis | Open Water | Newark, Del. | Nation’s Capital Swim Club | TAC Titans | NC State |
| Alex Walsh | 50/100/200 BR, 200 IM | Nashville, Tenn. | Nashville Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics/New York Athletic Club V | Virginia |
| Gretchen Walsh | 50/100 FR, 50/100 FL | Nashville, Tenn. | Nashville Aquatic Club | Cavalier Aquatics/New York Athletic Club | Virginia |
| Emma Weber | 50/100 BR | Denver, Colo | Denver Hilltoppers | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Claire Weinstein | 200/400/800/1500 FR, Open Water | White Plains, N.Y. | Sandpipers of Nevada | Sandpipers of Nevada | Cal |
| Emma Weyant | 400 IM | Sarasota, Fla. | Sarasota Sharks | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
Refresher Of Men’s 2025-26 National Team Roster:
| Name | Event(s) | Hometown | Home Club | Training Location |
College Affiliation
|
| Jack Aikins | 100/200 BK | Atlanta, Ga. | SwimAtlanta | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Jack Alexy | 50/100 FR | Mendham, N.J. | Greater Somerset County YMCA | California Aquatics | Cal |
| Michael Andrew | 50 BR, 50 FL | Encinitas, Calif. | MA Swim Academy | Sun Devil Swimming | N/A |
| Hunter Armstrong | 50 FR | Dover, Ohio | Unattached | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Alexei Avakov | 100 BR | Machester, N.H. | Phoenix Swimming | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Brian Benzing | 50 BR | Ellicott City, Md. | YMCA of Central Maryland | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Ian Call | 50 BR | Collierville, Tenn. | Memphis Thunder Aquatic Club | Memphis Thunder Aquatic Club | N/A |
| Shaine Casas | 100 FR, 50/100 BK, 50/100 FL, 200 IM | McAllen, Texas | Nitro Swimming | Longhorn Aquatics | N/A |
| Adam Chaney | 50 BK | Mason, Ohio | Mason Manta Rays | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Charlie Clark | Open Water | Sandusky, Ohio | Vacationland Swim Club | Ohio State University | Ohio State |
| Santo Condorelli | 50 FR | Jacksonville, Fla. | Bolles School Sharks | FAST Swim Team | USC |
| Ben Delmar | 100/200 BR | Charlotte, N.C. | SwimMAC Carolina | North Carolina Aquatic Club | North Carolina |
| Daniel Diehl | 50/100/200 BK | Cumberland, Md. | YMCA of Cumberland | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Caeleb Dressel | 50 FL | Green Cove Springs, Fla. | Bolles School Sharks | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
| Ryan Erisman | 400/800 FR | Windermere, Fla. | Windermere Laker Aquatics | Windermere Laker Aquatics | Cal |
| Matthew Fallon | 200 BR | Warren, N.J. | Somerset Hills YMCA | University of Pennsylvania | Penn |
| Bobby Finke | 800/1500 FR, 400 IM | Clearwater, Fla. | Saint Petersburg Aquatics | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
| Carson Foster | 200/400 FR, 200 FL, 200/400 IM | Cincinnati, Ohio | Mason Manta Rays | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| PJ Foy | 50 FL | Juneau, Alaska | Glacier Swim Club | North Carolina Aquatic Club | North Carolina |
| Nate Germonprez | 100 BR | Omaha, Neb. | Greater Omaha Aquatics | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Dylan Gravley | Open Water | Las Vegas, Nev. | Sandpipers of Nevada | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Chris Guiliano | 100 FR | Douglassville, Pa. | TOPS Swimming | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Travis Gulledge | 50 BR | Frisco, Texas | Texas Ford Aquatics | Texas Ford Aquatics | Indiana |
| Tommy Hagar | 200 BK | Braintree, Mass. | Weymouth Club Waves | University of Alabama Swim Club | Alabama |
| Aiden Hammer | 800/1500 FR | Fox Island, Wash. | King Aquatic Club | King Aquatic Club | Texas |
| Aiden Hayes | 50 BK, 100 FL | Norman, Okla. | Sooner Swim Club | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Thomas Heilman | 100/200 FL | Crozet Va. | Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Carson Hick | 1500 FR | White Rock, N.M. | Los Alamos Aquatomics | Kentucky Aquatics | Kentucky |
| Luke Hobson | 200 FR | Reno, Nev. | Lakeridge Swim Team | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Michael Hochwalt | 200 BK, 400 IM | Colbert, Wash. | Spokane Waves Aquatic Team | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Grant House | 200 IM | Maineville, Ohio | Countryside YMCA | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Colin Jacobs | 1500 FR | Bradenton, Fla. | Sarasota Sharks | Cercle des Nageurs d’Antibes | N/A |
| Tommy Janton | 100 BK | Kennett Square, Pa. | Kennett Area Ymca Sea Dragons | Irish Aquatics | Notre Dame |
| Gabriel Jett | 200 FR, 200 FL | Clovis, Calif. | Clovis Swim Club | California Aquatics | Cal |
| David Johnston | 800/1500 FR, 400 IM | Dallas, Texas | Rockwall Aquatics Center of Excellence | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Keaton Jones | 200 BK | Gilbert, Ariz. | Swim Neptune | California Aquatics | Cal |
| Trenton Julian | 100/200 FL, 200 IM | Glendale, Calif. | Rose Bowl Aquatics | Mission Viejo Nadadores | Cal |
| Gavin Keogh | 100 BK | Erie, Colo. | Flatiron Athletic Club | Flatiron Athletic Club | NC State |
| David King | 200 BK | Crozet, Va. | Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA | Cavalier Aquatics | Virginia |
| Matt King | 50 FR | Snohomish, Wash. | Bellevue Club Swim Team | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Jonny Kulow | 50/100 FR | Lander Wyo. | Lander Swim Club | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Destin Lasco | 100 FR | Lindwood, N.J. | PDR Swimming | California Aquatics | Cal |
| Mason Laur | 200 FL | Naples, Fla. | T2 Aquatics | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
| Gabriel Manteufel | Open Water | Las Vegas, Nev. | Sandpipers of Nevada | Sandpipers of Nevada | N/A |
| Josh Matheny | 100/200 BR | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Team Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Van Mathias | 50/100 BR | Portland, Ore | Multnomah Athletic Club | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Rex Maurer | 200/400/800 FR, 400 IM | Pasadena, Calif. | Rose Bowl Aquatics | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Quintin McCarty | 50 FR, 50 BK | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Pikes Peak Athletics | Wolfpack Elite | NC State |
| Owen McDonald | 200 IM | Alpharetta, Ga. | Dynamo Swim Club | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
| Henry McFadden | 200 FR | Haddonfield, N.J. | Jersey Wahoos | Alto Swim Club | Stanford |
| Campbell McKean | 50/100 BR | Bend, Ore. | Bend Swim Club | Bend Swim Club | Texas |
| Luka Mijatovic | 400 FR | Pleasanton, Calif. | Pleasanton Seahawks | Pleasanton Seahawks | N/A |
| Will Modglin | 50/100 BK | Zionsville, Ind. | Zionsville Swim Club | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Kamal Muhammad | 50 FL | Atlanta, Ga. | Spartan Aquatic Club | Tennessee Aquatics | Tennessee |
| William Mulgrew | 800/1500 FR | Walpole, Mass. | Shawmut Aquatic Club | Shawmut Aquatic Club | Harvard |
| Baylor Nelson | 400 IM | Huntersville, N.C. | SwimMAC Carolina | Longhorn Aquatics | Texas |
| Gabe Nunziata | 200 BR | Suffolk, Va. | Old Dominion Aquatic Club | Old Dominion Aquatic Club | Tennessee |
| AJ Pouch | 200 BR | Henderson, Nev. | Team Rebel Aquatics | Pinnacle Racing | Virginia Tech |
| Ivan Puskovitch | Open Water | West Chester, Pa. | Unattached | TSM Aquatics | West Virginia |
| Dare Rose | 50/100 FL | Jersey City, N.J. | Scarlet Aquatics | California Aquatics | Cal |
| Patrick Sammon | 100 FR | El Dorado Hills, Calif. | AquaSol Swim Team | Sun Devil Swimming | Arizona State |
| Aaron Shackell | 400 FR | Carmel, Ind. | Carmel Swim Club | Carmel Swim Club | Indiana |
| Will Siegel | Open Water | Merrick, N.Y. | Long Island Aquatic Club | Club Wolverine | Michigan |
| Kieran Smith | 200/400 FR, 200 IM | Ridgefield, Conn. | Ridgefield Aquatic Club | Gator Swim Club | Florida |
| Joey Tepper | Open Water | Egg Harbor Township, N.J. | Egg Harbor Township Seahawks | University of Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Luca Urlando | 100/200 FL | Sacramento, Calif. | Dart Swimming | Athens Bulldog Swim Club | Georgia |
| Jassen Yep | 200 BR | Saratoga, Calif. | Peak Swimming | Indiana Swim Club | Indiana |
This junior national team “perks” are comical. It’s the equivalent of getting some bullfrog and Tampax in a disposable speedo bag at Nationals.
I have an Idea on how to pay/reward our National Team athletes. I know in this day and age everyone wants guaranteed money, but I am a firm believer you should get what you earn. Take the National team rankings 1 – $50000, 2 – $40000, 3 – $30000, 4 – $20000, 5 – $10000, 6 – $10000. For each event and open water. That roughly comes to 6 million dollars. This would be based on the previous year performance, so it would be treated as money already earned so if an athlete retires or doesn’t compete the next season it wouldn’t matter. Katie Ledecky $190000, Reagan Smith $270000, Bobby Finke $150000, Kate Douglass 180000, etc. Now where to get… Read more »
Hilarious. What would LSC’s get for paying this money. They already pay a ton to USA Swimming for little gain. This would just accelerate the move to AAU.
As I recall, it used to be that only swimmers ranked in the top 8 in the world received a full stipend and those ranked 9-16 received a lessor amount – not sure when the change was made.
Correct me if I’m wrong Mel, but currently not everyone on the National Team receives direct funding from USAS. Only the top 30 men and top 30 women receive direct funding from USA Swimming based on their rankings in the Olympic events. Those top 30 swimmers start with those ranked first in each event plus nos. 2,3 and 4 in the 100 and 200 freestyles. Then it goes by fastest percentage of the “A” Standard for the 202 World Championships until the… Read more »
I assume information is available for the other sports to start drawing a comparison on support of Atheletes.
Im a simple person, revanue in equals revanue out in the form of grants and stipends.
How does USA Swimming increase revenue.
Marketing and promotions.
USA Swimming should meet with sponsors and try to stear attention away from established sports and professional atheletes. LA28 is an opportunity to re-invent national pride (still exists, right) if I say Lake Placid we all get it.
My suggestion – find a corporate sponsor for the National Team, with zero funds going anywhere but monthly stipends for any athlete on the National Team roster.
$1.5 million a year provides each National team a monthly stipend of $1,000. Not earth shattering but makes rent achievable in most places (it’s ok to have roommates when you’re in your early 20’s! – we all did it).
So for under $5 million, a company can have their name attached to the National Team up and through the 2028 games which would then provide 120+ of our best swimmers with chances to medal a small boost in the run up to the games.
There are tons of companies out there… Read more »
Can you imagine a company getting the type of recognition during the 2028 games where during introductions
“And in lane 4 is Thomas Heilman, a Company A national team member for the past 4 years!”
That’s a great sell! There would be articles written about the company and how they are directly supporting national sports, easy bait for any company looking for a positive image.
This would be amazing. Would take a lot of cultural changes to allow something like this to happen, though.
The sad thing is that any change would even need to exist simply to provide direct funds to the athletes. Would love for the new CEO to do a few things such as this just to spice it up a bit.
Sorry but I doubt that $1000 a month would boost medal chances. There are a lot more expenses such as food, electricity, utilities, transportation just to name a few. Currently only 60 members of the National Team (30 men and 30 women) receive direct funding from USA Swimming and it’s nothing compared to what they could be making outside the sport.
I don’t disagree with finding corporate sponsorships for the national team. I think it’s a great idea. But I doubt any company is going to put in the dollars you are talking about for 9 days of a mention every four years. Like it or not, companies and the general non-swimming public see swimming as only of interest at… Read more »
Do coaches get anything for having an athlete make the natl team? Is there a list of coaches currently on natl team? Any incentive to put swimmers on natl team?
So. Not shit. Got it!
Sad.
Benefits of making the Junior Team: Hype and Aura for college recruiting
Would I be far off the mark if I were to wonder out loud: Will TEAM USA/swimming succeed at LA28 because of USA Swimming and its work — or, in spite of it?
I suspect that if they were generous in their athlete funding, we would know the figures. Lacking that, make your own conclusions.
That’s a four quadrant chart and you’ve left off the other two quadrants…
While I love your the line of thought, I don’t like the use of the word generous. In my view, “fair funding” makes sense, BUT, at the end of the day, I see National Team revenue as “earned” dollars. And, “earned” is the most accurate. Here’s why: Over 2024 (these are rounded numbers) $50M was generated in gross revenue. $24M was generated in member dues. So, $26M was generated and driven, largely, due the Olympic Brand, and the Olympic Brand is the national team. If anyone on the board of directors or in the C-suite say they don’t have the budget to increase direct support to the National Team (AND national team coaches), then they need to break it down… Read more »