NCAA Champions Emma Sticklen, Kaitlyn Dobler, Paige McKenna Lead U.S. Roster for LEN U23 Championships
Fourteen swimmers will represent the United States at the inaugural LEN European Championships. The meet, scheduled for Aug. 11-13 in Dublin, Ireland, is one of four to which USA Swimming will send international delegations to this summer, joining the ongoing World Championships, the World Junior Championships and the Pan American Games, all with the goal of allowing swimmers to have international racing opportunities leading into the Paris Olympic season.
The names on the U.S. roster include Emma Sticklen, a rising senior at the University of Texas who captured the NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly earlier this year, and two swimmers who won NCAA titles in 2022: USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler (100-yard breaststroke) and Wisconsin’s Paige McKenna (1650-yard freestyle). Consistent Cal backstroker Isabelle Stadden is part of the women’s group along with Texas’ Grace Cooper, USC teammates Justina Kozan and Louisville’s Julia Dennis are also part of the women’s roster.
On the men’s side, 2022 U.S. Nationals 200 butterfly winner Gabriel Jett is on the team, with the Cal junior looking to bounce back after a disappointing performance at this year’s selection meet. The roster also includes Arizona State’s Patrick Sammon, LSU’s Mitch Mason and NC State teammates Owen Lloyd and Hunter Tapp plus two swimmers yet to begin their college careers, Stanford-bound Rex Maurer and incoming Cal Bear Aaron Shackell.
Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero will lead the American coaching staff with assistants Lea Mauer (USC) and Yuri Suguiyama (Wisconsin).
Athletes entered in the LEN U23 Championships must be between the ages of 19 and 23, although one swimmer per country aged 14 through 18 may race in each event.
More information about the LEN U23 Championships is available here.
ASU’s Patrick Sammon is an excellent rising sprint free swimmer who should do well in this meet.