Campbell McKean Brings Light to Breaststroke Legacy in Oregon

Oregon is one of six states in the U.S. that does not sponsor a Division I Swimming program, and it is not considered a “swimming state” by any means, but the Beaver State is starting to make an argument to be added to the conversation, at least when it comes to producing world-class breaststrokers.

Campbell McKean is the Oregonian at the forefront of everyone’s minds, as he was the breakout star of the United States Nationals, winning the 50 and 100 breaststroke events and qualifying for his first World Championships team.

McKean, a native of Bend Oregon, is not the first breaststroker to come out of the state. He is just highlighting a pattern that has only been growing for the last 10 years.

We don’t have to look far to find more of these swimmers, just a few spots back in the men’s 100 breaststroke final at Nationals. Drew Eubanks, a 16-year-old out of the Portland Dolphins, took the win in the ‘B’ final, touching in 1:00.79. He also swam the 200 breaststroke at the meet where he finished 10th overall. With these swims, Eubanks earned a spot on the United States World Juniors team this summer.

Oregon has also produced an Olympic medalist in Caspar Corbeau, who swims internationally for The Netherlands, but grew up in Portland, swimming for Tualatin-Hills Swim Club just south of the city.

Corbeau is undoubtedly the most accomplished breaststroker to come out of Oregon in recent memory, winning the Olympic bronze medal in the men’s 200 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also has three Long Course World Championship meets under his belt, most recently the 2024 meet where he won silver in the 200 breast.

We have only mentioned men’s swimmers so far, but there are plenty of women’s swimmers as well. The National High School Record Holder in the women’s 100 breaststroke, Kaitlyn Dobler, is yet another example.

Dobler, who also swam for the Dolphins in Portland, never made a World Championships or Olympic roster, finishing just behind Lilly King and Lydia Jacoby on multiple occasions, but she has certainly made her mark on the world of breaststroke swimming. On top of setting the National High School Record back in 2020, Dobler won the 100 breast for five years in a row at USC’s conference meet (four times at Pac-12s and once at Big Tens), and she won the NCAA title in the event in 2022.

The easiest place to see this phenomenon in action is at the Winter Junior Nationals Championships. Most club teams attend the meet, and athletes are still classified under their home LSC, Oregon Swimming in this case.

In the last eight Winter Juniors-West meets, OR has put eight different swimmers into ‘A’ finals in breaststroke events, totaling 16 swims. This comes out to 6% of the finals swims coming out of Oregon.

2024

• Men’s 100 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 1st; Andrew Eubanks (TDPS)- 5th
• Men’s 200 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 1st; Andrew Eubanks (TDPS)- 3rd

2023

• Men’s 100 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 5th

2022

• Women’s 100 Breast: Kinley Wigle (BEND)- 7th

2019

• Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 1st; Eva Carlson (TDPS)- 6th
• Women’s 200 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 1st; Eva Carlson (TDPS)- 8th

2018

• Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 2nd; Ellie Jew (LOSC)- 4th
• Women’s 200 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 5th

2017

• Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 5th; Ellie Jew (LOSC)- 8th

2016

• Men’s 200 Breast: Josh Bottelberghe (PAC)- 3rd

Besides McKean, seven Oregon natives have made the U.S. World Champs roster since 1973, one of which also swam breaststroke. In 1986, Cara Hafner became the first Oregonian breaststroker, qualifying in the women’s 100 breaststroke, ultimately finishing 10th overall. She also swam the prelims of the women’s 400 medley relay that went on to win a silver medal.

Oregon World Championships Team Members

Is Oregon the newest breaststroke state? With Lilly King retiring and men’s breaststroke experiencing a changing of the guard, the U.S. can use all the breaststrokers it can get right now, and Oregon is producing them.