Following Strong Freshman Campaign, Kennedi Dobson Preparing for Senior Team Debut at Pan Pacs
A bronze-medal-winning performance at the World Junior Championships last August had ramifications that went beyond just the podium finish. Kennedi Dobson finished in 4:06.66, behind the Chinese duo of Yang Peiqi and Yan Tiaoshan, and in the process, she booked her ticket for the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.
That time was third-best in the United States for 2025, a half-second quicker than the 4:07.11 from Bella Sims at U.S. Nationals, so Dobson would join Katie Ledecky and Claire Weinstein in the event on the international level. Moreover, Dobson put up incredible personal bests at the meet in Otopeni, dropping three seconds in the 400 free (four seconds from her time from Nationals earlier that summer) and three tenths in the 200-meter race to go 1:57.45 and become the 10th-fastest American this season.
Immediately after the junior meet, Dobson would head to the University of Georgia to begin her college career, returning to the States after the Bulldogs had already begun classes for the fall semester. Right away, Dobson asserted her status among the country’s top freshmen.
Typically, the grueling nature of in-season training prevents swimmers from going lifetime bests during the season. Not for Dobson, who achieved her fastest marks ever in the 200, 500 and 1000 free at her first college dual meet against South Carolina and kept going from there. Over the course of the season, the drops included:
Kennedi Dobson (right) with Georgia women’s coach Stefanie Williams Moreno — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
- 200 Freestyle: 1:44.07 to 1:42.19
- 500 Freestyle: 4:36.87 to 4:30.70
- 1000 Freestyle: 9:33.20 to 16:02.56
- 1650 Freestyle: 16:02.56 to 15:43.72
At the SEC Championships, Dobson finished second in the 500 and 1650, trailing only reigning national champion Jillian Cox in both events, and third in the 200 free, her efforts meriting the title of SEC Freshman of the Year. She did not swim best times at the NCAA Championships but still came through with solid swims. Dobson came in sixth in the 1650 free and 13th in the 200-yard race. With consolation finals dropped from the NCAA program this season, Dobson missed out on a second swim despite going 1:42.97, sufficient for an A-final spot almost any other year.
The NCAA meet concluded with Dobson placing third in the 500 free in 4:32.24, still more than 4.5 seconds quicker than her best time at the start of the season and behind only Weinstein and Cox.
Now, she is thinking long course and the opportunity to compete alongside the nation’s elite swimmers at Pan Pacs. Dobson will not be a medal favorite by any stretch, and she would likely need a significant time drop just to make the A final. Only two swimmers per country can advance to the championship heat, and Ledecky and Weinstein will be in the pole position for those slots to set up a race against Canadian world-record holder Summer McIntosh.
But it would be silly to assume Dobson’s time drops will suddenly cease, particularly after her huge season in the 25-yard format. Dobson is set for a seven-event slate at the upcoming Pro Swim Series in Sacramento, Calif., with chances to race against some of her main competitors in the middle distance races. She owns the fourth seed in the 200 free behind Weinstein, Torri Huske and Sims plus Liberty Clark just behind, and Weinstein and Sims both await in an intriguing 400-meter event. Dobson has also entered the 100 and 800 free, 100 and 200 back and 400 IM.
Nothing will be decided at the Sacramento meet, and nothing can take away her forthcoming opportunity to race at Pan Pacs. This represents the first check-in of the summer as Dobson seeks to continue her momentum and make a name for herself among the American freestyle mainstays.