While most of the swimming world’s attention has been fixed on events like the World University Games, FINA World Aquatic Championships, and Pan American Games this summer, a relatively unheralded group of swimmers have been quietly preparing for some big meets of their own.
That group, the US Paralympic National Team, is this week’s BSN Sports Swim Team of the Week, and members of that team will be participating in the Parapan American Games, which begin next week in Lima, Peru, and the World Para Swimming Championships, next month in London.
A Paralympic athlete may have one or more of several kinds of disabilities, including various physical disabilities and visual impairment, and competes in a certain classification, depending on the nature and severity of the disability. During competition, medals are awarded for each classification (each beginning with the letter “S”) competing in each event.
Notable US Paralympic swimmers include Brad Snyder, the US Navy veteran who was blinded in an IED attack in Afghanistan and went on to win gold medals in the London and Rio Paralympic Games, and current team member Jessica Long, who has won gold medals at each of the last four Paralympic Games.
Parapan American Games Roster
*denotes U.S. Paralympian
Women
Hallie Anderson (O’Fallon, Mo.) -NE/SB9/NE
*Hannah Aspden (Raleigh, N.C.) – S9/SB8/SM9
Grace Bristow (Murietta, Calif.) – S10/SB9/SM10
*Leslie Cichocki (Palos Hills, Ill.) – S14/SB14/SM14
Alyssia Crook (Allendale, Mich.) – S9/SB8/SM9
Abby Gase (Bowling Green, Ind.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Alyssia Gialamas (Naperville, Ill.) – S5/SB4/SM5
*McClain Hermes (Dacula, Ga.) – S11/SB11/SM11
Keegan Knott (Lake Villa, Ill.) – S10/SB9/SM10
Elise Morley (Norton, Mass.) – S9/SB9/SM9
Amanda Palyo (Castle Pines, Colo.) – S9/SB9/SM10
Cali Prochaska (Fort Wayne, Ind.) – S9/SB8/SM9
Summer Schmidt (Stillwater, Minn.) – S9/SB9/SM9
Aspen Shelton (Willow Park, Texas) – S12/SB12/SM12
Haven Shepherd (Carthage, Mo.) – S8/SB7/SM8
*Natalie Sims (Minneapolis, Minn.) – S9/SB9/SM9
*Lizzi Smith (Muncie, Ind.) – S9/SB9/SM9
Samantha Tubbs (King George, Va.) – S9/SB9/SM9
MeiMei White (Orlando, Fla.) – S9/SB8/SM9
Men
Caleb Cripe (Middlebury, Ind.) – S7/SB8/SM7
*Tharon Drake (Hobbs, N.M.) – S11/SB11/SM11
*Tye Dutcher (Merced, Calif.) – S10/SB9/SM10
David Gelfand (Weston, Conn.) – S9/SB8/SM9
Connor Gioffreda (Timonium, Md.) – S6/SB6/SM6
Jamal Hill (Inglewood, Calif.) – S10/SB9/SM10
Ross Minor (St. Augustine, Fla.) – S11/SB11/SM11
Garner Moss (Madison, Wis.) – S14/SB14/SM14
Samuel Murray (Burlington, N.C.) – S10/SB9/SM10
Joey Peppersack (Hopewell, Va.) – S8/SB7/SM8
Jonny Pierce (Torrance, Calif.) – S14/SB14/SM14
Morgan Ray (St. Augustine, Fla.) – S7/SB7/SM7
Carson Sanocki (Charlotte, N.C.) – S13/SB13/SM13
Zach Shattuck (Mt. Airy, Md.) – S6/SB6/SM6
Liam Smith (Rockford, Mich.) S7/SB7/SM7
Matthew Torres (Ansonia, Conn) – S8/SB8/SM8
World Para Swimming Championships Roster
*Denotes U.S. Paralympian
Women
*McKenzie Coan (Clarkesvilla, Ga.) – S7/SB6/SM7
Julia Gaffney (Mayflower, Ark.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Sophia Herzog (Fairplay, Colo.) – S6/SB6/SM6
Mikaela Jenkins (Evansville, Ind.) – S10/SB9/SM10
Ahalya Lettenberger (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.) – S8/SB7/SM8
*Elizabeth Marks (Prescott Valley, Ariz.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Becca Meyers (Timonium, Md.) – S12/SB12/SM12
Gia Pergolini (Roswell, Ga.) – S13/SB13/SM13
*Martha Ruether (Allegany, N.Y.) – S13/SB13/SM13
*Lizzi Smith (Muncie, Ind.) – S9/SB9/SM9
Leanne Smith (Salem, Mass.) – S3/SB3/SM3
*Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minn.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Colleen Young (St. Louis, Mo.) – S13/SB13/SM13
Men
*Evan Austin (Terre Haute, Ind.) – S7/SB6/SM7
*Robert Griswold (Freehold, N.J.) – S8/SB7/SM8
Lawrence Sapp (Waldorf, Md.) – S14/SB14/SM14
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