Ella Eastin and Zach Apple are among the top names representing Team USA at the 2019 World University Games (also known as the Universiade), per the roster released today.
Eastin, an American record-holder and standout in yards, will compete at World University Games instead of the World Championships due to a late-summer misfortune for the second time. In 2017, Eastin finished second at U.S. Nationals in the 400 IM, qualifying for Worlds. But a controversial Lochte Rule DQ bumped her off that team and sent her to World University Games. This past summer, Eastin was one of the frontrunners for the Worlds team, but fell ill with mono and had to scrape her way onto the World University Games team.
Apple is one of three swimmers who will compete at both World and World University Games. He qualified for two relays at the World Championships (4×100 free, 4×200 free), but should also swim the 50 and 100 frees individually at World University Games. The other swimmers doubling with Worlds are Gabby DeLoof and Jack LeVant.
The roster has some notable changes from what we projected at the end of the summer. Many of those have to do with athletes who still have WUGs eligibility we previously didn’t know about, but some could also be the result of athletes declining their spots.
World University Games is specifically for athletes enrolled in a university program. Per our summer look at the selection criteria: “To be eligible for World University Games, athletes must be between 17 and 23 as of July 3, 2019 and must be actively registered with a university as of WUGs or have just have completed their degree during the 2018-2019 season.”
USA Swimming should be releasing its rosters for the 2019 Pan American Games and 2018 Short Course World Championships soon.
Here is the full 2019 World University Games roster:
Women:
- Claire Adams
- Grace Ariola
- Taylor Ault
- Zoe Bartel
- Katharine Berkoff
- Lisa Bratton
- Veronica Burchill
- Megan Byrnes
- Jorie Caneta
- Olivia Carter
- Catie DeLoof
- Gabby DeLoof
- Ella Eastin
- Emily Escobedo
- Elise Haan
- Dakota Luther
- Paige Madden
- Kaersten Meitz
- Hannah Moore
- Ky-Lee Perry
- Evie Pfeifer
- Claire Rasmus
- Sierra Schmidt
- Makayla Sargent
- Asia Seidt
- Emily Weiss
Men:
- Zach Apple
- Clark Beach
- Dean Farris
- Robert Finke
- Trey Freeman
- Sean Grieshop
- Connor Hoppe
- Grant House
- Robert Howard
- Tate Jackson
- Michael Jensen
- Trenton Julian
- Austin Katz
- Jack Levant
- Bryce Mefford
- Jeff Newkirk
- Nick Norman
- Devon Nowicki
- Justin Ress
- Daniel Roy
- Jack Saunderson
- John Shebat
- Coleman Stewart
- Sam Stewart
- Jonathan Tybur
- Zach Yeadon
Changes From Our Projections
The majority of these changes are athletes who turned out to be World University Games eligible (meaning they were still enrolled in a university program at some point during this upcoming 2018-2019 school year) even though their NCAA eligibility wrapped up earlier.
Declined/Not Sure:
- Erica Sullivan doesn’t appear on the roster for either the 800 or the 1500. Sullivan isn’t competing for USC this fall, but is expected to join the team for the second semester as a freshman. It’s unclear whether she declined a spot or isn’t eligible. In her place, Taylor Ault made the 800 and Hannah Moore the 1500. That leaves one less roster spot, which ultimately bumps one of the relay swimmers we mention in the next section.
- Meanwhile Maxime Rooney doesn’t appear for either the 100 free or 800 free relay. He was in line to qualify for both. With Rooney out, Tate Jackson moves up to an individual spot in the 100. Trey Freeman gets the other individual 200 free spot and Jeff Newkirk is added to the team as a 4×200 free relay swimmer.
WUGs eligible:
- Gabby Deloof was already qualified for the Worlds team, but remains eligible for WUGs despite finishing her NCAA career last spring. She jumps into both the 100 and 200 frees, bumping former relay-only swimmers Isabel Ivey, Geena Freriks and Lucie Nordmann.
- Lisa Bratton remains eligible and takes a 200 back entry over Katharine Berkoff, who remains on the team in the 100 back. Jorie Caneta takes over a 100 breast spot that originally looked to be Riley Scott’s. And Emily Escobedo makes the 200 breast, which was formerly projected for Ella Nelson. Bratton and Caneta were 2018 NCAA seniors, while Escobedo was a senior back in 2017.
Congrats to all of the recipients, but particularly to each of the ones who have made their first national team. A great honor to remember for all your lifetime.
Is Gabby Deloof in grad school? Is that how she still qualifies for WUG’s??
I don’t know but she might be doing a 5th year?
Is no one going to note the ALMIGHTY KING FARRIS?
Who?
omg stop
Is Jack Saunderson the new Dean Farris?
PRINCE SAUNDERSON
Solid roster all around…great to see some new faces getting international experience.
Jack Saunderson moving up in the world! Good stuff
Can the swimmers enter extra events at this meet? Or are they limited to their qualifying events?
Do swimmers get to swim any other events other than what they have qualified for?
The U.S. is only allowed two entries per event, so athletes can only swim the events in which they’ve qualified, unless a vacancy opens up.
Grant House gets bread on a daily basis, big up and comer, will be opening a bakery in the near future.