USA Swimming Announces 2015-16 National Team Roster

USA Swimming has announced its 2015-16 National Team roster, which is headlined by veteran Olympic gold medalists Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky on with women’s side, as well as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps on the men’s side.

To qualify for the 2015-16 National Team, swimmers had to post a time that ranked in the top 6 of their respective Olympic events. The main difference between this year and last is that there was an open qualifying period, as opposed to having swimmers qualify at a National meet. Times done at any USA Swimming or FINA sanctioned meet between Jan. 1, 2015 and Aug. 10, 2015 were viable for selection, which we talked about more extensively in this article on selection procedures.

This meant that swimmers who qualified for international meets this summer would have to swim double taper meets to qualify for the National Team in events that they wouldn’t be swimming at their respective meets.

This was particularly difficult in the case of the World Championships swimmers, who were still in Kazan until Aug. 9. If they missed a top 6 slot at Worlds or didn’t have a chance to swim an event individually, they would only have one day following the meet to qualify at a sanctioned event. That left them with the option of tapering for a meet before worlds, or taking their chances.

One of the notable names affected was Shannon Vreeland. Heading into Worlds and Nationals, Vreeland was ranked 3rd in the 100 free with her time from World University Games. She had no chances left to post a faster time, as she tapered for Worlds as a relay only swimmer. Following the meets, she ended up as the 7th fastest American.

Leah Smith, who led off the 4×200 free relay in Kazan with the 4th fastest American time, did not qualify for the National Team in that event. She gave her best for the Americans, as her 1:57.52 was a full second faster than her individual swim at World University Games, but USA Swimming does not consider times from flat start relay swims.

Also missing the team off the 2015 World Championships roster were Rachel Bootsma, Ivy Martin, Lia Neal, Abbey WeitzeilMichael Klueh, Michael Weiss, and Clay Youngquist.

Of the swimmers who did qualify were World Record holders Ledecky, Lochte, and Phelps, who each earned National Team status in 3 events. Ledecky’s performances in the 200, 400, and 800 free on the way to 5 gold medals in Kazan landed her on the team this year. Lochte qualified in the 200 free, 200 IM, and 200 back. Phelps hit the world’s best times in 2015 in all 3 of his qualifying events at U.S. Nationals: the 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 IM.

Natalie Coughlin also qualified for the team in 3 events after a stellar Pan Ams performance. She made it in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 back. Coughlin has been swimming on the U.S. National Team since the late 1990s, and is nearing 2 straight decades of being on the squad.

Franklin cemented her spots in the 100 back, 200 back, 100 free and 200 free, making her one of only 3 swimmers to qualify in 4 events. She’s joined by Georgia’s Hali Flickinger, whose versatility at U.S. Nationals earned her a spot in the 200 free, 400 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

Also qualifying was Jack Conger, the only male swimmer to hit the mark in 4 events. He earned a spot for his 100 free and 100 back, as well as his world-ranked 100 and 200 fly swims at Nationals.

Being selected to the team can give these athletes benefits such as athlete health insurance, monthly stipends, and reimbursements for expenses at meets. We reported more in-depth earlier on what it means to be a U.S. National Team member and some of the big benefits. You can read about it here.

2015-2016 NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER

National Team
Women Stroke Hometown Club
Adams, Cammile 200 FL Cypress, Texas SwimMAC Carolina/Texas A&M
Adams, Claire  100/200 BK Carmel, Ind. Carmel Swim Club
Anderson, Haley 10K Open Water Granite Bay, Calif. Trojan Swim Club
Baker, Kathleen 100/200 BK Winston-Salem, N.C. SwimMAC Carolina
Baxter, Tristin 10K Fresno, Calif. Trojan Swim Club
Bayer, Cassidy  200 FL Alexandria, Va Nation’s Capital Swim Club
Bechtel, Christina 100 FL Franklin, Tenn. University of Kentucky Swim Team
Beisel, Elizabeth 200 BK, 400 IM Saunderstown, R.I. Bluefish Swim Club/Florida
Bilquist, Amy  50 FR Carmel, INd. Carmel Swim Club
Bratton, Lisa  200 BK Richland, Wash. Tri-City Channel Cats
Brunemann, Emily 10K Open Water Crescent Springs, Ky. Club Wolverine
Coughlin, Natalie 50/100 FR, 100 BK Vallejo, Calif. California Aquatics
Cox, Madisyn  200 IM Lubbock, TX Texas Longhorn Aquatics
DiRado, Maya 200 BK, 200/400
IM
Santa Rosa, Calif. Stanford Swimming
Donahue, Claire  100 FL Lenoir City, Tenn. Western Kentucky University
Fabian, Eva  10K Open Water Keene, N.H. Greenwood Swimming/Yale University
Flickinger, Hali  200/400 FR, 200 FL, 400 IM Spring Grove, Pa. Athens Bulldog Swim Club/Georgia
Franklin, Missy 100/200 FR, 100/200 BK, Centennial, Colo. Colorado Stars
Galyer, Danielle 200 BK Greenville, S.C. University of Kentucky Swim
Team
Geer, Margo  100 FR Milford Center, Ohio Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatics/Spring Y
Hannis, Molly  200 BR Santa Rosa, Calif. Tennessee Aquatics
Hardy, Jessica 100 BR Long Beach, Calif. Trojan Swim Club
Harnish, Courtney 400 FR York, Penn. York YMCA
Henry, Sarah  400 IM Garner, N.C. Aggie Swim Club/Texas A&M
Kennedy, Madison 50 FR Avon, Conn. SwimMAC Carolina
King, Lilly  100 BR Evansville, Ind. Newburgh Sea Creatures
Larson, Breeja  100/200 BR Mesa, Ariz. Aggie Swim Club
Lawrence, Micah  200 BR Pflugerville, Texas SwimMAC Carolina
Lazor, Annie  200 BR Beverly Hills, Mich. Auburn University Swim Club
Ledecky, Katie  200/400/800 FR Bethesda, Md. Nation’s Capitol Swim Club
Lee, Felicia  100 FL Wayne, N.J. Stanford Swimming/NBAC
Leverenz, Caitlin  200/400 IM Tucson, Ariz. California Aquatics
Mann, Becca 800 FR, 10K Homer Glen, Ill. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Manuel, Simone 50/100 FR Sugar Land, Tex. Stanford Swimming
Margalis, Melanie  200 FR, 100 BR, 200
IM
Clearwater, Fla. St. Petersburg Aquatics/Georgia
McLaughlin, Katie 200 FR, 100/200
FL
Dana Point, Calif. Mission Viejo Nadadores
Meili, Katie  100 BR Colleyville, Tex. SwimMAC Carolina/Columbia
Mills, Kate 200 FL; 400
IM
Sacramento, Calif. SwimMAC Carolina
Peacock, Stephanie  800 FR Cape Coral,
Fla.
Mission Viejo Nadadores
Runge, Cierra 400 FR Cochranville, Pa. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Schmidt, Sierra 800 FR Baltimore, Md. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Schmitt, Allison 100/200 FR Canton, Mich. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Schoettmer, Emma  200 BR Greenwood, Ind. Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics
Small, Meghan 200 IM Lineboro, Md. York YMCA
Smith, Leah  400/800 FR Pittsburgh, Pa. Cavalier Swimming
Smoliga, Olivia 100 BK Glenview, Ill. Athens Bulldog Swim Club/Georgia
Sogar, Laura  100/200 BR Exeter, R.I. Bluefish Swim Club/Texas
Stevens, Hannah 100 BK Lexington, Ohio University of Missouri
Stewart, Kendyl 100 FL Carlsbad, Calif. North Coast Aquatics/USC
Twichell, Ashley  10K Open Water Fayetteville, N.Y. Triangle Aquatics Club Titans
Vrooman, Lindsay 400/800 FR Baden, Penn. Badger Swim Club/Indiana
Weir, Amanda 50/100 FR Lawrenceville, Ga. SwimAtlanta
Worrell, Kelsi  50 FR; 100/200
FL
Mt. Holly, N.J. University of Louisville
*Club affiliation when named to the 2015-16 USA Swimming National Team 
Men Stroke Hometown Club
Adrian, Nathan 50/100 FR Bremerton, Wash. California Aquatics
Bentz, Gunnar 400 IM Atlanta, Ga. Dynamo Swim Club/Georgia
Chadwick, Michael  50/100 FR Charlotte, N.C. SwimMAC Carolina/Missouri
Clark, Pace 200 FL Memphis, Tenn. Athens Bulldog Swim Club
Clary, Tyler 200 BK, 200 FL, 400 IM Riverside, Calif. SwimMAC Carolina
Conger, Jack 100 FR; 100 BK; 100/200 FL Rockville, Md. Nation’s Capital Swim Club/Texas
Copeland, Will  100 FR Lexington, Va. Rockbridge Storm Swim Team
Cordes, Kevin 100/200 BR Naperville, Ill. Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics/Fox Valley
Dressel, Caeleb 50/100 FR Green Cove Springs, Fla Bolles School Sharks/Florida
Dwyer, Conor  200/400 FR, 200 IM Winnetka, Ill. Trojan Swim Club
Ervin, Anthony 50 FR Valencia, Calif. California Aquatics
Feigen, Jimmy 100 FR San Antonio, Texas New York Athletic Club/Longhorn Aquatics
Fink, Nic 100/200 BR Morristown, N.J. Athens Bulldog Swim Club/Georgia
Gemmell, Andrew 1500 FR, 10K Open Water Wilmington, Del. Nation’s Capital Swim Club
Godsoe, Eugene 100 BK Greensboro, N.C. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics
Grevers, Matt 100/200 BK Lake Forest, Ill. Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics
Grothe, Zane  200/400 FR Boulder City, Nev. Badger Swim Club/Indiana
Haas, Townley  400 FR Richmond, Va. NOVA of Virginia Aquatics
Heron, David 10K Open Water Mission Viejo, Calif. Tennessee Aquatics/Mission Viejo
Jaeger, Connor 400/1500 FR Fair Haven, N.J. Club Wolverine
Jones, Cullen  50 FR Irvington, N.J. SwimMAC Carolina
Kalisz, Chase  400 IM Bel Air, Md. North Baltimore Aquatic Club/Georgia
Lehane, Sean  200 BK Naperville, Ill. University of Tennessee
Licon, Will  200 BR; 200 IM El Paso, Texas Nitro Swimming
Litherland, Jay 400 IM Alpharetta, Ga. Dynamo Swim Club/Georgia
Lochte, Ryan 200 FR; 200 BK; 200
IM
Daytona Beach, Fla. SwimMAC Carolina
MacDonald, DJ 100 BR Toledo, Ohio Ohio State University
Malone, Reed 200 FR Winnetka, Ill. Trojan Swim Club/USC
McBroom, Michael   400/1500 Free The Woodlands, Texas The Woodlands Swim Team/Texas
McHugh, Brendan  100 BR Sicklerville, N.J. Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club
Meyer, Alex  10K Open Water Ithaca, N.Y. Tennessee Aquatics
Miller, Cody  100/200 BR Las Vegas, Nev. Badger Swim Club/Indiana
Murphy, Ryan 100/200 BK Jacksonville, Fla. California Aquatics
Nolan, David  100 FL Hershey, PA Stanford Swimming
Pebley, Jacob 200 BK Corvallis, Ore. California Aquatics
Peterson, Chip
10K Open Water Pine Knoll Shores, N.C. North Carolina Aquatic Club
Phelps, Michael 100/200 FL; 200
IM
Baltimore, Md. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Phillips, Tim 100 FL Vienna, West Va. SwimMAC Carolina/Ohio State
Pieroni, Blake 200 FR Valparaiso, Ind. Indiana, University
Plummer, David  100 BK Oklahoma City, Okla. New York Athletic Club/Minnesota
Prenot, Josh 200 BR; 200/400 IM Santa Monica, Calif California Aquatics
Ransford, PJ  1500 FR Pittsford, N.Y. Club Wolverine
Rooney, Maxime 200 FR Livermore,
Calif.
Pleasanton Seahawks
Ryan Sean 10K Open Water Chattanooga, Tenn. Club Wolverine
Schneider, Josh 50 FR Cincinnati, Ohio New York Athletic Club/Cincinnati
Seliskar, Andrew 200 FL, 400 IM McLean, Va. Nation’s Capital Aquatic Club
Shields, Tom 100/200 FL Huntington Beach, Calif. California Aquatics
Smith, Clark  400 FR Denver, Col. Longhorn Aquatics/Texas
Smith, Giles 100 FL Baltimore, Md. Phoenix Swim Club
Surhoff, Austin  200 IM Cockeysville, Md. North Baltimore Aquatic Club
Sweetser, True 1500 FR Hernando, Fla. Gator Swim Club
Thoman, Nick 100 BK Cincinnati, Ohio SwimMAC Carolina
Wilimovsky, Jordan 1500 FR, 10K Open Water Malibu, Calif. Team Santa Monica/Northwestern
Wilson, Andrew 100/200 BR Bethesda, Md. Longhorn Aquatics/Dynamo

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dmswim
8 years ago

The following athletes competed at Worlds but didn’t make the National Team for this year:
Rachel Bootsma (swam the 50 back at Worlds)
Katy Campbell (swam the 1500 at Worlds)
Chelsea Chernault (relay)
Ivy Martin
Lia Neal (relay)
Shannon Vreeland (relays)
Abbey Weitzeil (relay)
Michael Weiss (relay)
Clay Youngquist (relay)
All except one, Ivy Martin, competed in relays only or non Olympic events at Worlds. Some had strong relay performances in Worlds so it’s disappointing to see them off the National team, but I guess that’s the way it goes.

dmswim
Reply to  dmswim
8 years ago

Just realized the article listed these. Glad my research matched theirs!

Phil jackson
8 years ago

I didnt know that Licon could swim longcourse. Amazing.

SUNY cal
8 years ago

No Elizabeth Pelton this year either!

marley09
8 years ago

Lia Neal? Weitzel? I think we talked about this here before how It could be tough on swimmers who qualified last year in Irvine as relay only swimmers for worlds. If Kazan was to be their end of year taper-focus meet then possibility of not qualifying for stipends existed unless they put up a top 6 time in season. Didn’t USA swimming offer time trials at one time for swimmers in this situation?

weirdo
Reply to  marley09
8 years ago

All these 100 and 200 free swimmers from Worlds had the option to go to WUGs or Pan ams to make the times flat start…..or even do it at a Sectional meet or GP or such. Some chose this route and others didn’t. Everyone has an equal chance to make the top 6. But relays don’t count and they all knew that….otherwise there might be politics to see who gets the lead off swim and that could be a disaster. Also, why should these two events (100back too) get more chances to make it than a 100 breastroker or 400 IMer?

Joel Lin
8 years ago

So Smith leading off at Worlds with the 4th fastest American time doesn’t count for the national team in the 200 free? Time to start breathalyzer tests before the vote at USA Swimming rules committee meetings.

Pvk
8 years ago

hmm didn’t know Mr. Baker made the national team.

Carlitos
8 years ago

Its interesting that Ryan Baker isnt on this….

Reply to  Carlitos
8 years ago

Why is that interesting?

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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