Last week, USA swimming announced the 2025-26 National Team that features 121 athletes (54 women, 67 men), and 20 of those swimmers were on the National Junior team last season.
Campbell McKean and Luka Mijatovic lead the list of 11 men that made the jump with both athletes earning spots on the USA Swimming Worlds team in the pool this year.
In order to be on the National Junior Team, the athlete must be 18 years or younger as of December 31st of that year and must not be selected to the National Team. Many of the swimmers who made the jump would still have been eligible for the Junior team based on their age.
McKean, who is ineligible for the Junior team since he turned 19 in August, had a breakout meet at the USA Swimming Nationals in June, winning the 50 and 100 breaststroke events to make his first senior international team. Those swims also earned him his spot on the Senior National Team after he was on the Junior team in just one event, the 100 breaststroke, last year.
The 16-year-old Mijatovic finished 2nd in the 400 freestyle at Nationals to earn a swim in Singapore and a spot on the National Team roster this year. Last season, he was a Junior team member in four different events, the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free.
There are nine other men who made the jump with four of them, Ryan Erisman (18*, 400/800 free), Aiden Hammer (17, 800/1500 free), Colin Jacobs (17, 1500 free), and William Mulgrew (18, 800/1500 free), making the team in the distance freestyle events and two, Gabriel Manteufel (17) and Will Siegel (18), making the team in open water.
The other two are stroke specialists with PJ Foy (19) who was selected in the 50 fly and Gabe Nunziata (18) who made the team in the 200 breaststroke.
On the women’s side, there were a few swimmers who made the jump after competing at the World University games, including Teagan O’Dell and Leah Shackley.
O’Dell (18*) made the Junior team in five events for 2024-25: the 200 free, 100 back, 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM. She swam the 200 and 400 IM at the WUGs, and she made the senior National Team in the 400 IM.
Shackley (19), was on the Junior team in four events last year: 100 back, 200 back, 100 fly, and 200 fly. This year, she qualified for all four of those events on the National Team, the most of anyone on this list.
Just like the men, there are two open water swimmers in Daisy Collins (16) and Brinkleigh Hansen (15). Hansen was a member of the Open Water Worlds team after she won the women’s 10k at the 2025 Open Water Nationals.
Of the other five women’s team members who made the jump, Piper Enge (19) is the only one who qualified in multiple events, making the team in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes after they were on the Junior team in the 100 breast last year (there were no 50s of stroke last year).
Kennedi Dobson (18, 400 free), Kayla Han (17, 400 IM), Caroline Larsen (19, 50 fly), and Addie Robillard (18, 200 breast) make up the rest of the women’s athletes who earned a spot on the senior team this year.
* notates athletes who will turn 19 before the end of the year, making them ineligible for the National Junior Team
Why is Ian Call not on here? He went straight to national team off an major injury
As alluded to in the headline and body of the article, his is a list of individuals who were on the Junior National Team last year and are now on the Senior National Team.
Ian Call was not on the Junior National Team last year.
Interestingly, I believe Piper Enge was on the Junior team for a year, then the National team for a year, then the Junior team for a year, and now the National team again. I wonder how many times that’s ever happened.
Does making this team have any bearing on who the swimmer competes for in the future? Or do they have to actually represent USA in an international competition?
Where Gavin keogh at?
They have had fast 800 free relays for decades. Many times medley. Please don’t forget what Eddie did there for decades….it was amazing!
Pan Pacs