USA Swimming, the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming, today announced its roster for the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, to be held August 21-24 in Canberra, Australia. Athletes qualified based on results from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming, presented by Lilly.
“Being able to represent the U.S. internationally provides an incredible opportunity to these athletes, coaches, and the pipeline of USA Swimming,” said USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko. “These athletes had impressive performances at Olympic Trials last month, and we look forward to watching them represent themselves, their clubs, and USA Swimming in Australia in August.
Luke Ellis (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) leads the men’s team, having qualified in three individual events (800-meter freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 400m IM), while Lilla Bognar (Travelers Rest, S.C./Team Greenville) is the lone female qualified in three individual events with the 200m IM, 400m IM, and 200m backstroke on her schedule. Olympic Trials finalists Audrey Derivaux (Haddonfield, N.J./Jersey Wahoos) and Gregg Enoch (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club) will also be making their international debuts.
The roster features numerous gold medalists from the 2023 World Aquatics Junior Championships, including Kayla Han (La Mirada, Calif./Carmel Swim Club), Norvin Clontz (Charlotte, N.C./Mecklenburg Swim Association), Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores), and Leah Shackley (Bedford, Penn./Blair Regional YMCA).
Coaches Mary Korey (Greater Somerset County YMCA Swimming) and Jason Walter (Lakeside Aquatic Club) will lead the women’s and men’s teams, respectively. Assistant coaches for the team will be Logan Redondo (Mission Viejo Nadadores), Mike Laitala (Longhorn Aquatics), Joe Natina (Crow Canyon Sharks), Emilie Hoeper (Mason Manta Rays), Christoper Pfaff (Carmel Swim Club), and Kyle Goller (Laker Aquatics).
Former USA Swimming competitors at Junior Pan Pacific Championships include U.S. National Team members and Paris Olympians Thomas Heilman and Erin Gemmell (2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships), Carson Foster and Phoebe Bacon (2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships), and Drew Kibler and Alex Walsh (2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships).