Sullivan & Heron Join U.S. National Team Roster Via Open Water Titles

Open Water 10K national champs Erica Sullivan and David Heron have joined the U.S. National Team for 2021 along with 6 other new additions.

Last week’s Open Water Nationals served as the selection meet for several key national teams: the 2021 Open Water National Team, the 2021 Open Water National Junior Team, and the 2021 World Junior Championships team.

We’ll run through the World Juniors team in a separate story later today. But for now, we’ll break down selection for the National Team and National Junior Team, with spots on next year’s National Team and this year’s Junior National Team still to-be-determined later on this year.

Open Water National Team

USA Swimming has announced criteria for its Open Water National Team for two seasons:

• 2021 National Team (active roster from May 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021)
• 2021-2022 National Team (active roster from November 1, 2021 to May 1, 2022)

National team status comes with benefits including a monthly stipend and access to elite athlete health insurance for the time-frame of the national team roster.

2021 National Team (Open Water)

Criteria:

1. Olympic representatives in 10K
2. Top 5 women and top 5 men in the 10K at Open Water Nationals

The team:

Women:

1. Haley Anderson (Olympic rep)
2. Ashley Twichell (Olympic rep)
3. Erica Sullivan (National Champ)
4. Katie Grimes (4th at Nationals)
5. Blair Stoneburg (5th at Nationals)

Men:

1. Jordan Wilimovsky (Olympic rep)
2. David Heron (National Champ)
3. Brennan Gravley (2nd at Nationals)
4. T.C. Smith (3rd at Nationals)
5. Joey Tepper (4th at Nationals)
6. Dylan Gravley (5th at Nationals)

2021-2022 National Team (Open Water) – selection in progress

Criteria:

1. Olympic representatives in 10K
2. Top 5 women and top 5 men in the 10K at the 2021 Open Water Invitational (in Las Vegas on October 8)

Women:

1. Haley Anderson (Olympic rep)
2. Ashley Twichell (Olympic rep)
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD
6. TBD

Men:

1. Jordan Wilimovsky (Olympic rep)
2. TBD
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD
6. TBD

Open Water National Junior Team – In Progress

Criteria:

Athletes must be 20 and under as of December 31, 2021. (Born in 2001 or later).

Athletes on the senior national team (or who compete in a USA Swimming Operation Gold event) are not eligible.

At least 4 girls and 4 boys (and up to 7 girls and 7 boys) will be selected based on the following priorities:

1. Top 2 female and male finishers in 10K at Open Water Nationals
2. Top female and male finishers at 2021 10K Open Water Invite (in Las Vegas on October 8)
3. First-place female and male finishers in 7.5K at Open Water Nationals
4. Any female or male individual medalists from 2021 World Junior Open Water Championships

Girls:

1. Cadence Fort (top available finisher in National 10K)
2. Julissa Arzave (second available finisher in National 10K)
3. Mariah Denigan (tentative – 7.5K Junior National Champ)

Boys:

1. Joshua Brown (top available finisher in National 10K)
2. Ivan Puskovitch (second available finisher in National 10K)
3. Jacob Pishko (tentative – 7.5K Junior National Champ)

A few notable omissions: Grimes and Stoneburg would be on the Junior National team if they weren’t already on the senior national team. Same goes for Tepper and Dylan Gravley on the men’s side.