Australian NextGen Squad Named; Atherton and Wilson Headline

Two of Australia‘s top youngsters, Minna Atherton and Matthew Wilson, headline the Australian NextGen Squad.

The 2016 Australian Commonwealth Games Association’s (AGCA) NextGen Squad is made up of some of the top Aussie juniors who are on the brink of competitiveness on the senior international level. According to Swimming Australia, “each year the ACGA and Swimming Australia select a NextGEN Squad and provides the identified junior athletes with the opportunity to gain exposure at International competitions and therefore, assist these promising athletes to be selected in future Australian Commonwealth Games teams.”

Atherton recently broke the World Junior record in the 100 backstroke, and was third at the Australian Trials in that event– just off of qualifying for the Olympic team. Wilson, meanwhile, actually won the 200 breast at those Trials, but was not quite fast enough to get under Swimming Australia‘s Olympic qualifying standard.

The 2016 NextGEN Squad:

Minna Atherton – Brisbane Grammar                     Kaylee McKeown – USC Spartans

Molly Batchelor – Melbourne Vicentre                  Mikayla Messer – Chandler

Sarah Beale – Acacia Bayside                                      Alex Milligan – UWA West Coast

Jordan Brunt – Southport Olympic                           Nathan Robinson – St Peters Western

Jack Cartwright – St Peters Western                        Laura Taylor – TSS Aquatics

Daniel Cave – Melbourne Vicentre                          Ariarne Titmus – St Peters Western

Gemma Cooney – Brisbane Grammar                    Louis Townsend – Rackley

Vincent Dai – SOPAC                                                      Jacob Vincent – Miami

Francesca Fitzhenry – Trinity Grammar                  Matthew Wilson – SOPAC

Julia Hawkins – Nunawading                                        Elijah Winnington – Bond

Elli Mackay – St Peters Western                                Bradley Woodward – Mingara Aquatic

All 22 of these athletes are among the 30 selected to compete at the 2016 Jr Pan Pac Games this summer.

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About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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