Ten U.S. Olympians on Roster for USA College Challenge

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

USA Swimming and the Big Ten Conference announced Monday the rosters for the upcoming USA College Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 12-13 in Indianapolis. Six members of this summer’s U.S. Olympic team will compete for the National Team squad, while a further four will represent the Big Ten in the short course yards dual meet.

Cody Miller, Jacob Pebley, Leah Smith, Tom Shields, Amanda Weir and Kelsi Worrell will compete for the U.S. National team, and Lilly King (Indiana), Blake Pieroni (Indiana), Cierra Runge (Wisconsin) and Jordan Wilimovsky (Northwestern) will represent the Big Ten. Foreign Olympians competing for the Big Ten include Kierra Smith (Canada/Minnesota), Shane Ryan (Ireland/Penn State) and Siobhan Haughney (Hong Kong/Michigan).

U.S. National team veterans Madison Kennedy, Ashley Twichell and Nic Fink will compete for the U.S. squad. The U.S. women’s team will also include Mallory Comerford, Andrea Cottrell, Ali Deloof, Brooke Forde, Eva Merrell, Hannah Saiz, Sierra Schmidt, Hannah Stevens, Kirsten Vose and Alex Walsh. On the men’s side, Michael Andrew, Cameron Craig, Robert Finke, Zane Grothe, Drew Kibler, Daniel Krueger, Sean Lehane, Samuel Pomajevich, Dillon Verva and Chris Wieser will wear the Stars and Stripes.

Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero will coach the American squad, and he will be assisted by Virginia assistant Cory Chitwood, Georgia assistant Stefanie Williams and Carmel Swim Club coaches Ian Murray and Chris Plumb.

The Big Ten squads include representatives from every swimming program in the conference. Michigan head coach Mike Bottom will lead the women’s team with assistance from Minnesota coach Kelly Kramer, and Indiana’s Ray Looze (head coach) and Ohio State’s Bill Wadley (assistant) will guide the men.

“The Big Ten vs. USA Swimming dual meet will be the first of its kind with regard to showcasing the top collegiate talent in the NCAA against the top talent from the best swimming nation in the world,” Looze said, via a press release from Indiana University. “I am humbled to be the head coach of the men’s Big Ten team and plan to utilize the best coaches from our conference to make this meet one for the ages.”

The Big Ten women’s roster includes Rose Bi (Michigan), Racheal Bulkowski (Michigan State), Hannah Burvill (Iowa), Lindsey Clary (Ohio State), Gia Dalesandro (Indiana), Gabby Deloof (Michigan), Casey Francis (Penn State), Kennedy Goss (Indiana), Lindsey Horejsi (Minnesota), Chase Kinney (Wisconsin), Li Zhesi (Ohio State), Kaersten Meitz (Purdue), Beata Nelson (Wisconsin), Maddie Nowak (Michigam State), Erin Oeltjen (Nebraska), Dana Posthuma (Nebraska), Melissa Postoll (Northwestern), Bailey Pressey (Indiana), Emma Rawson (Purdue), Clara Smiddy (Michigan), Brooklyn Snodgrass (Indiana), Emma Sougstad (Iowa), Katelyn Sowinski (Penn State), Gabbie Stecker (Illinois), Rachel Stoddard (Rutgers), Francesca Stoppa (Rutgers), Sam Stratford (Illinois), Taylor Vargo (Ohio State) and Brooke Zeiger (Minnesota).

Men competing for the Conference All-Star team include Marat Amaltdinov (Purdue), Cannon Clifton (Wisconsin), Ian Finnerty (Indiana), Josh Fleagle (Ohio State), Bob Glover (Indiana), Matt Hutchins (Wisconsin), Alec Kandt (Michigan State), Ali Khalafalla (Indiana), Vini Lanza (Indiana), Ching Lim (Ohio State), Jakub Maly (Minnesota), Connor McHugh (Minnesota), Matt McHugh (Ohio State), Kenneth Mende (Iowa), Adam Noens (Purdue), Almog Olshtein (Northwestern), Luke Papendick (Michigan), Brett Pinfold (Wisconsin), Paul Powers (Michigan), PJ Ransford (Michigan), Mitch Strahlman (Michigan State), Charlie Swanson (Michigan), Anze Tavcar (Indiana), Cody Taylor (Indiana), Thomas Trace (Ohio State), Jerzy Twarowski (Iowa) and Evan White (Michigan).

The meet will be held at the IUPUI Natatorium, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 12, and at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 13. The meet will be televised on the Big Ten network, with Sunday’s session being aired live. Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines will join play-by-play man Bernie Guenther on the call.

Click here to view the full press release from USA Swimming. Also check out full rosters for the U.S. team and the Big Ten team.

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Swimmer

7 years ago

Forgot to mention Anze Tavcar, Ali Khalafalla, and Kennedy Goss for the Hoosiers.

Swimfan

7 years ago

Kennedy Goss is a Canadian Olympian – bronze medallist

Bobby

7 years ago

This meet is a bust. Where did USA swimming come up with this roster? Why only the big10 conference? Is this roster the same as the US sc world team?

If so, the US will be in trouble.

-1

Leander

7 years ago

Reply to Bobby

Take a deep breath. This is just supposed to be an interesting and fun meet to generate some publicity for American swimming outside the Olympic games. Indianapolis is a geographically convenient location for the original Big 10 teams so it minimizes travel time and costs to have the meet there and have it be Big 10 versus National Team.

I doubt that American team is going to do that well at SCM Worlds given the number of post-Olympic retirements and the number of national team members who are collegiate swimmers and won’t take a week off school just before finals. But, who really cares after the summer Olympics we just had?

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David Rieder - Senior Writer

7 years ago

Reply to Bobby

Agree with Leander — just supposed to be a neat concept, and it could be a good meet with the rosters assembled. Better than having the typical November Pro Swim Series meet in Minnesota, which would have about the same attendance. At least this could be competitive and exciting for team reasons.

Leander, adding to your point about SC Worlds: wait and see who decided to go, but it is not a priority. USA will be just fine by Barcelona next summer.

Rachel

7 years ago

Reply to David Rieder - Senior Writer

Aren’t next summer’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary?

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David Rieder - Senior Writer

7 years ago

Reply to David Rieder - Senior Writer

Rachel — yes, very much so. I guess I was conditioned to say Barcelona in 2013. At Trials I kept saying the Olympics were in London.