Twenty-six of the country’s top swimmers will head to Belgrade, Serbia next summer to compete in the 2009 World University Games. The swimming competition will take place July 5-11, while the entire competition of the Games will run from July 1-12, 2009.
The team features 2007 World University Games gold medalist Chad LaTourette (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and bronze medalist Kelsey Ditto (Austin, Texas), 2007 Pan American Games gold medalists Ava Ohlgren (Northville, Mich.), Michelle McKeehan (Franklin, Ind.), and Matt Patton (Charlotte, N.C.).
In past years, The World University Games has been a breeding ground for some of the best swimming talent in the nation. Many Olympic swimmers have at one time been a member of a World University Games team and most recently, the 2007 U.S. World University Games Team saw three members all go on to compete in the 2008 Olympics. These three swimmers - Matt Grevers, Emily Silver and Elaine Breeden – all took home Olympic hardware in Beijing.
Swimmers on the 2009 World University Games Team roster were selected based upon their performance at the 2008 USA Swimming U.S. Open Championships that took place July 29-August 2 in Minneapolis, Minn. All athletes selected for the team must be at least 17 years old and less than 28 years old on Jan. 1, 2009. In addition, athletes selected must be a student competitor who will be officially enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institute of higher education prior to the entry deadline, or enrolled as a full-time university student through Jan. 1, 2009. All members of the World University Games team roster are pending final approval by the USOC.
Additional members of the men’s team include Bobby Bollier (Mission Hills, Kan.), Chris Brady (Wilmington, Del.), Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), William Copeland (Lexington, Va.), John Criste (Saugus, Calif.), Eugene Godsoe (Greensboro, N.C.), Sean Mahoney (Rio Vista, Calif.), Eric McGinnis (Raleigh, N.C.), Scot Robison (Charlotte, N.C.), Kevin Swander (Carmel, Ind.), and Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.). On the women’s side, Lyndsay DePaul (Orange, Calif.), Katy Freeman (Concord, Calif.) Kristen Heiss (Casper, Wyo.), Madison Kennedy (Avon, Conn.), Michele King (York, Pa.) Chelsea Nauta (Tampa, Fla.), Emily Neal (Plano, Texas), Lauren Rogers (Concord, Calif.), Morgan Scroggy (Aurora, Ore.), and Amanda Sims (Santa Rosa, Calif.), will also represent the U.S. in Serbia.
For the complete team roster, please visit www.usaswimming.org/nationalteam.