The first two qualifying meets for the Junior World Championships in Dubai, the World Championship Trials and U.S. Open have both finished and we have the rankings. This is USA Swimming’s official selection standings as of August 4th. The team will be announced on August 12th at the latest.
Recognizing the vastly-different strategies being used this summer by junior level swimmers in terms of when to taper (some went to Indy, others will wait until the US Open or Juniors in Irvine in August to swim), USA Swimming has accepted all three meets as qualifiers for the Junior World Championship Team this year.
With that in mind, and to give targets for the later meets, USA Swimming has listed the top eligible swimmers for Junior Worlds in each of the qualifying events after the World Championship Trials in Indianapolis last week. The qualifying criteria are similar to those for the World Championships, with the top four 100 and 200 freestylers + the top two in the other individual events with two exceptions: only four swimmers from each of the two free relay events will be taken, and selections will be made only in Olympic events.
Below is the current rankings for eligible swimmers, which is specifically female candidates born from 1996-1999, and male candidates born from 1995-1998. The full team is expected to be named by August 12th. Note that unlike meets like the World University Games, there is no restriction on members of the World Championship Team that would prevent them from competing at Junior Worlds, which means swimmers like Simone Manuel and Katie Ledecky can swim both meets if they so choose.
Also remember that swimmers lower than 6th in the final rankings, per USA Swimming rules, cannot be taken to Junior Worlds (by declines to swim, etc.) even if there is a spot for them. Those with times currently ranked lower than 6th are already eliminated from consideration. Swimmers in that category would need to improve their times in August to make the team.
Regardless of the number of scratches, those swimmers would need to improve their times at the US Open or Juniors to make the team. Among contenders for this team who didn’t swim at Trials include butterflier Justin Wright, who was on the Jr. Pan Pacs squad last year.
| WOMEN |
| 50 Freestyle |
| 1. Simone Manuel (First Colony Swim Team) 25.01 |
| 2. Abbigail Weitzeil (Canyons Aquatic Club) 25.64 |
| 3. Cierra Runge (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 25.90 |
| 4. Kaitlyn Albertoli (San Clemente Aquatic Team) 26.06 |
| 5. Nora McCullagh (SwimMAC Carolina) 26.06 |
| 6. Samantha Scenczyszyn (Ozaukee Aquatics) 26.06 |
| 100 Freestyle |
| 1. Simone Manuel (First Colony Swim Team) 53.86 |
| 2. Cierra Runge (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 55.62 |
| 3. Alexandra Meyers (Schroeder YMCA) 56.20 |
| 4. Abbigail Weitzeil (Canyons Aquatic Club) 56.26 |
| 5. Lindsey Engel (JCC Waves) 56.63 |
| 6. Nora McCullagh (SwimMAC Carolina) 56.76 |
| 200 Freestyle |
| 1. Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 1:57.63 |
| 2. Quinn Carrozza (Longhorn Aquatics) 1:59.47 |
| 3. Simone Manuel (First Colony Swim Team) 1:59.83 |
| 4. Cierra Runge (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 2:00.70 |
| 5. Kyleigh Stewart (Dynamo Swim Club) 2:01.54 |
| 6. Katie McLaughlin (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 2:01.69 |
| 400 Freestyle |
| 1. Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 4:04.05 |
| 2. Quinn Carrozza (Longhorn Aquatics) 4:11.15 |
| 3. Rebecca Mann (Clearwater Aquatic Team) 4:13.09 |
| 4. Cierra Runge (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 4:14.40 |
| 5. Moriah Simonds (Pleasanton Seahawks) 4:15.76 |
| 6. Isabella Rongione (The Fish) 4:15.79 |
| 800 Freestyle |
| 1. Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 8:22.41 |
| 2. Leah Stevens (Lakeside Swim Team) 8:41.70 |
| 3. Rebecca Mann (Clearwater Aquatic Team) 8:41.93 |
| 4. Isabella Rongione (The Fish) 8:44.92 |
| 5. Moriah Simonds (Pleasanton Seahawks) 8:45.74 |
| 6. Brooke Zeiger (Bluefish Swim Club) 8:47.08 |
| 100 Breaststroke |
| 1. Emily Kopas (Unattached) 1:10.11 |
| 2. Kennedy Lohman (Lakeside Swim team) 1:10.13 |
| 3. Lilly King (Newburgh Sea Creatures) 1:10.24 |
| 4. Riley Scott (Marin Pirates) 1:10.99 |
| 5. Andrea Kyriakidis (Nashville Aquatic Club) 1:12.73 |
| 6. Heidi Poppe (Unattached) 1:13.53 |
| 200 Breaststroke |
| 1. Riley Scott (Marin Pirates) 2:31.11 |
| 2. Bethany Leap (Sarasota YMCA Sharks) 2:31.69 |
| 3. Ali Szekely (Central Bucks Swim Team) 2:31.92 |
| 4. Emily Kopas (Unattached) 2:32.58 |
| 5. Katherine Drabot (Ozaukee Aquatics) 2:32.82 |
| 6. Lauren James (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 2:33.32 |
| 100 Backstroke |
| 1. Kathleen Baker (SwimMAC Carolina) 1:00.62 |
| 2. Clara Smiddy (Aqua Kids Sharks) 1:01.06 |
| 3. Kylie Stewart (Dynamo Swim Club) 1:01.46 |
| 4. Courtney Mykkanen (Irvine Novaquatics) 1:01.88 |
| 5. Claire Adams (Carmel Swim Club) 1:02.20 |
| 6. Taylor Garcia (Byron Center) 1:02.27 |
| 200 Backstroke |
| 1. Kathleen Baker (SwimMAC Carolina) 2:10.23 |
| 2. Kylie Stewart (Dynamo Swim Club) 2:11.34 |
| 3. Clara Smiddy (Aqua Kids Sharks) 2:11.53 |
| 4. Courtney Mykkanen (Irvine Novaquatics) 2:12.04 |
| 5. Kaitlin Harty (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) 2:13.35 |
| 6. Hannah Moore (Triangle Aquatics Club Titans) 2:13.61 |
| 100 Butterfly |
| 1. Katie McLaughlin (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 59.70 |
| 2. Cassidy Bayer (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 59.99 |
| 3. Courtney Weaver (Flint “Y” Falcons) 1:00.75 |
| 4. Lindsey Engel (JCC Waves) 1:00.96 |
| 5. Sonia Wang (Redlands Swim Team) 1:01.11 |
| 6. Kathleen Baker (SwimMAC Carolina) 1:01.66 |
| 200 Butterfly |
| 1. Katie McLaughlin (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 2:10.41 |
| 2. Rebecca Mann (Clearwater Aquatic Team) 2:10.46 |
| 3. Megan Kingsley (Mount Pleasant Swim Club) 2:11.13 |
| 4. Madison Wright (Kingfish Aquatic Club) 2:11.18 |
| 5. Courtney Weaver (Flint “Y” Falcons) 2:11.38 |
| 6. Cassidy Bayer (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 2:11.44 |
| 200 Individual Medley |
| 1. Kathleen Baker (SwimMAC Carolina) 2:13.35 |
| 2. Katherine Drabot (Ozaukee Aquatics) 2:14.80 |
| 3. Ella Eastin (SOCAL Aquatics) 2:15.10 |
| 4. Brooke Zeiger (Bluefish Swim Club) 2:15.77 |
| 5. Cierra Runge (North Baltimore Aquatic Club) 2:16.03 |
| 6. Kylie Stewart (Dynamo Swim Club) 2:17.13 |
| 400 Individual Medley |
| 1. Rebecca Mann (Clearwater Aquatic Team) 4:42.46 |
| 2. Brooke Zeiger (Bluefish Swim Club) 4:42.89 |
| 3. Katherine Drabot (Ozaukee Aquatics) 4:47.56 |
| 4. Kylie Stewart (Dynamo Swim Club) 4:48.42 |
| 5. Megan Kingsley (Mount Pleasant Swim Club) 4:48.59 |
| 6. Hannah Moore (Triangle Aquatics Club Titans) 4:49.63 |
| MEN |
| 50 Freestyle |
| 1. Paul Powers (Splash Aquatic Club) 22.71 |
| 2. Santo Condorelli (Bolles School Sharks) 22.73 |
| 3. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 23.16 |
| 4. Brett Ringgold (North Texas Nadadores) 23.18 |
| 5. Daryl Turner (Ace Swim Club) 24.09 |
| 6. Edward Kim (Bellevue Club Swim Team) 24.35 |
| 100 Freestyle |
| 1. Caeleb Dressel (Bolles School Sharks) 49.50 |
| 2. Santo Condorelli (Bolles School Sharks) 49.71 |
| 3. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 49.96 |
| 4. Daryl Turner (Ace Swim Club) 50.76 |
| 5. Michael Domagala (Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics) 50.78 |
| 6. Nicholas Silverthorn (Pleasanton Seahawks) 51.30 |
| 200 Freestyle |
| 1. Caeleb Dressel (Bolles School Sharks) 1:49.83 |
| 2. Gunnar Bentz (Dynamo Swim Club) 1:49.83 |
| 3. Michael Domagala (Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics) 1:50.28 |
| 4. Liam Egan (Crimson Aquatics) 1:51.31 |
| 5. Ryan Kao (La Mirada Armada) 1:51.67 |
| 6. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 1:51.87 |
| 400 Freestyle |
| 1. Janardana Burns (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 3:53.68 |
| 2. Reed Malone (New Tier Swim Club) 3:54.69 |
| 3. Alexander Katz (Sarasota YMCA Sharks) 3:54.85 |
| 4. Ryan Kao (La Mirada Armada) 3:54.99 |
| 5. Liam Egan (Crimson Aquatics) 3:55.31 |
| 6. Clark Smith (Denver Swim Academy) 3:58.37 |
| 1500 Freestyle |
| 1. David Heron (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 15:24.54 |
| 2. Liam Egan (Crimson Aquatics) 15:33.79 |
| 3. Janardana Burns (Mission Viejo Nadadores) 15:34.16 |
| 4. Patrick Ransford (PACK Swim Team of Pittsford) 15:35.91 |
| 5. Matthew Hirschberger (Clearwater Aquatic Team) 15:44.44 |
| 6. Logan Samuelson (Swim Florida) 15:50.34 |
| 100 Breaststroke |
| 1. Carsten Vissering (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 1:02.97 |
| 2. Ross Palazzo (Hudson Explorer Aquatic Team) 1:03.24 |
| 3. Nicholas Silverthorn (Pleasanton Seahawks) 1:03.56 |
| 4. Andrew Seliskar (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 1:03.66 |
| 5. Zachary Stevens (Puma Aquatic Team) 1:04.02 |
| 6. Anthony Marcantonio (Bluefish Swim Club) 1:04.30 |
| 200 Breaststroke |
| 1. Carsten Vissering (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 2:15.85 |
| 2. Derek Kao (La Mirada Armada) 2:19.16 |
| 3. Nicholas Silverthorn (Pleasanton Seahawks) 2:19.64 |
| 4. Curtis Ogren (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics) 2:19.70 |
| 5. Christopher Klein (Club Wolverine) 2:21.08 |
| 6. Zachary Stevens (Puma Aquatic Team) 2:22.14 |
| 100 Backstroke |
| 1. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 53.38 |
| 2. Ryan Harty (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) 55.31 |
| 3. Connor Green (Bluefish Swim Club) 56.60 |
| 4. Matthew Josa (SwimMAC Carolina) 56.70 |
| 5. Jack Manchester (SwimMAC Carolina) 57.12 |
| 6. John Blyzinskyj (Bernal’s Gators) 57.14 |
| 200 Backstroke |
| 1. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 1:55.87 |
| 2. Alexander Katz (Sarasota YMCA Sharks) 1:58.95 |
| 3. Connor Green (Bluefish Swim Club) 1:59.01 |
| 4. Corey Okubo (Aquazot Swim Club) 2:01.47 |
| 5. Ryan Harty (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) 2:02.18 |
| 6. Curtis Ogren (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics) 2:02.57 |
| 100 Butterfly |
| 1. Matthew Josa (SwimMAC Carolina) 52.46 |
| 2. Justin Lynch (Terrapins Swim Team) 52.75 |
| 3. Santo Condorelli (Bolles School Sharks) 53.55 |
| 4. Michael Domagala (Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics) 53.90 |
| 5. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 54.00 |
| 6. Kyle Gornay (Redlands Swim Team) 54.10 |
| 200 Butterfly |
| 1. Andrew Seliskar (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 1:57.48 |
| 2. Corey Okubo (Aquazot Swim Club) 1:58.57 |
| 3. Justin Lynch (Terrapins Swim Team) 1:58.82 |
| 4. Clark Smith (Denver Swim Academy) 1:59.01 |
| 5. Robert McHugh (Baylor Swim Club) 1:59.23 |
| 6. Justin Wright (Fresno Dolphins Swim TEAM) 1:59.51 |
| 200 Individual Medley |
| 1. Gunnar Bentz (Dynamo Swim Club) 2:00.88 |
| 2. Andrew Seliskar (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 2:01.81 |
| 3. Jay Litherland (Dynamo Swim Club) 2:02.24 |
| 4. Ryan Harty (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club) 2:03.62 |
| 5. Ryan Murphy (Bolles School Sharks) 2:03.88 |
| 6. Curtis Ogren (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics) 2:04.26 |
| 400 Individual Medley |
| 1. Gunnar Bentz (Dynamo Swim Club) 4:15.81 |
| 2. Corey Okubo (Aquazot Swim Club) 4:19.87 |
| 3. Curtis Ogren (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics) 4:20.18 |
| 4. Andrew Seliskar (Nation’s Capital Swim Club) 4:20.96 |
| 5. Connor Green (Bluefish Swim Club) 4:21.22 |
| 6. Alexander Katz (Sarasota YMCA Sharks) 4:22.53 |
Just saw on the FINA site that there is a men’s 800 free and a women’s 1500 free. Do we think they will pick separate kids to go or double up the men’s 1500/women’s 800 swimmers?
Don’t rule out South Africa. Looking at what has happened in this past year, they could perhaps be the underdog at Junior Worlds.
Certainly agree USA Swimming should drop the ego and realize there are a lot of ‘big meet’ options out there and should take top times not limit the qualifier meets. Some teams have to decide what meet is a better option for full team not just the star swimmer.
Really? This is the last step for these kids before moving on to making Worlds. Most think it is ridiculous to pick from three meets because the kids are missing an opportunity to learn how to perform on the spot. They also aren’t going to have three prelim chances at Jr Worlds. No comfort of cruising prelims. No comfort in having clear water. No comfort in being the big fish.
2 meet records for the first day.
1.56.54 in the 200 fly for Andrew Seliskar.
2.12.88 in the 200 breast for Gunnar Bentz.
Andrew Seliskar huge in the 200 fly.
In the same race Justin Lynch swims a great new PB. His butterfly is beautiful to watch.
Gunnar Bentz destroys his PB in the 200 breast. He always has monster finishes. What a talent! Every time I see him I think the same. He’s a diamond to polish. Give him a few steaks and he will dominate swimming.
USA has with these 2 guys 2 huge versatile swimmers for the next years.
I can’t wait to see their battles in the IM races this week.
Becca Mann won the 800m ahead of Danielle Valley. Third place went to 13 year-old Isabella Rongione and in fourth was Leah Stevens,
800m Freestyle
1. Katie Ledecky – 8:22.41
2. Rebecca Mann – 8:36.72
3. Danielle Valley – 8:38.03
4. Isabella Rongione – 8:39.09
5. Leah Stevens – 8:39.32
6. Courtney Harnish – 8:40.69
I believe Danielle Valley cannot be considered- she is 18…
Keep in mind not all swimmers at the meet are eligible due to birth year. This is especially true for the girls. Valley is not eligible for the team this year. Her time from WCT would have made her second on the initial list, but she is not listed as she is too old.
Thanks for the heads up guys.
Olivia Barker in the 200 fly, Valley in the 800m, Madisyn Cox in the 200m breast are all too old unfortunately.
Rongione will make the team in the 800m if Ledecky decides she’s not going.
Gunnar Bentz won the men’s 200m breaststroke in a meet record 2.12.88 to move top of the rankings. Andrew Schuehler took both 2nd place in the final and in the overall rankings with a 2:14.03.
Updated Rankings:
200m Breaststroke
1. Gunnar Bentz – 2:12.88
2. Andrew Schuehler – 2:14.03
3. Nicolas Hatanaka – 2:15.82
4. Carsten Vissering – 2:15.85
5. Cody Taylor – 2:16.12
6. Thomas Brewer – 2:16.68
Maija Roses wins the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2.31.77 to move into 3rd place in the overall rankings. Madisyn Cox is now 5th overall after finishing second in Irvine with a 2:32.09. Katherine Drabot was third in 2.32.58 and is now tied for 6th overall… Read more »
Congrats to Madisyn . I have never seen that creative spelling before. Riley Scott should be writing airport novels.
Curious to see if Simone and Ledecky go to Jr worlds after going to ‘real’ worlds? Can’t imagine they would.
Murphy will not go this time because he will be heading out to Cal Berkeley instead