Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
COLORADO SPRINGS – USA Swimming released the third of three major international team rosters today as it revealed the swimmers selected for the World University Games. In sum, 46 swimmers were named to Team USA for the meet that will take place in Gwangju, South Korea, July 4-11, 2015.
The meet features swimmers who are 17-23 and are either current college students, recent college graduates or will be enrolled in a college by the time the meet starts in 2015.
A trio of Olympians, Rachel Bootsma, Lia Neal and Shannon Vreeland will lead Team USA into South Korea next summer with all three already having success at the collegiate level.
Shannon Vreeland helped the Georgia Bulldogs to the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Team titles, and this will be her second time at the World University Games. In 2011, she helped the 400-meter freestyle relay to a silver. This time around, she’ll have a much bigger impact as she’s set for the 100 and 200 free individually, and will likely swim the 400 and 800 free relays.
Neal, currently a swimmer at Stanford University, already took second at NCAAs in the 100-yard free during her freshman year. She also placed ninth in the 200-yard free and 10th in the 50-yard free as a three-time All-American. Neal is set to swim in the 400 free relay for Team USA in South Korea. Bootsma, who made the team in the 100 back, has had a strong collegiate career thus far as part of the California Golden Bears. The junior already is an individual NCAA champion with a win in the 100-yard back her freshman year, where she also took second in the 100 fly and sixth in the 200 fly.
California had a strong influence on this team with a total of nine Golden Bear-related swimmers making the squad.
Swimming World’s Jeff Commings spoke with USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch in Colorado Springs about the selection process and the rosters.
2015 World University Games Team:
Men (22 athletes):
Jack Conger, Texas: 100 free
Drew Cosgarea, Stanford: 800 free relay
Caeleb Dressel, Florida: 50 free
Matt Ellis, Texas: 100 fly
Connor Green, California: 200 back
Matt Josa, Queens: 100 fly
Jay Litherland, Georgia: 400 IM
DJ MacDonald, Ohio State: 100/200 breast
Reed Malone, USC: 200/400 free
John Murray, Texas: 400 free relay
Jacob Pebley, California: 100/200 back
Josh Prenot, California: 200 breast; 200/400 IM
Sean Ryan, Michigan: 400/1500 free
Shane Ryan, Penn State: 400 free relay
Andrew Seliskar, California: 200 fly
Seth Stubblefield, California: 50/100 free
Carsten Vissering, USC: 100 breast
James Wells, Indiana: 100 back
Kyle Whitaker, Michigan: 200 fly; 200 IM
Jordan Wilimovsky, Northwestern: 1500 free
Michael Wynalda, Michigan: 800 free relay
Clay Youngquist, Texas: 200 free
Women (24 athletes):
Christina Bechtel, Kentucky: 100 fly
Rachel Bootsma, California: 100 back
Lisa Bratton, Texas A&M: 200 back
Katy Campbell, UCLA: 800 free
Chelsea Chenault, USC: 800 free relay
Andee Cottrell, Louisville: 200 breast
Madisyn Cox, Texas: 200 IM
Hali Flickinger, Georgia: 200 fly; 400 IM
Molly Hannis, Tennessee: 200 breast
Sarah Henry, Texas A&M: 400 IM; 800 free relay
Melanie Klaren, California: 200 back
Lilly King, Indiana: 100 breast
Felicia Lee, Stanford: 100 fly
Celina Li, California: 200 IM
Madeline Locus, Georgia, 50 free
Lia Neal, Stanford, 400 free relay
Emma Nunn, North Carolina: 200 fly
Elizabeth Pelton, California: 100 back
Emma Reaney, Notre Dame: 100 breast
Maddy Schaefer, Stanford: 400 free relay
Leah Smith, Virginia: 200/400 free
Shannon Vreeland, Georgia: 100/200 free
Lindsay Vrooman, Indiana: 400/800 free
Abbey Weitzeil, Uncommited: 50/100 free