USA Swimming News
USA Swimming Finishes 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships with 44 Medals and 11 Records
![JPP 2024 Final Day](https://websitedevsa.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/images/default-source/events/jpp-2024-final-day.jpeg?sfvrsn=6d140632_1&size=1220)
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USA Swimming athletes solidified their international standing by closing out the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships with 44 total medals, 11 Junior Pan Pacific Championship records, and one National Age Group record. American athletes claimed 14 medals and two Junior Pan Pacific Championship records on the fourth and final day of competition.
“It’s been a fantastic experience leading this team in Australia,” 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships Technical Leader and USA Swimming Director of Team Services Brendan Hansen said. “This group truly understands what it means to be a member of the USA Swimming team. They took care of themselves and uplifted each other, making for an unstoppable team. I look forward to seeing what this group continues to accomplish in the future.”
The final night of competition began with a gold-silver finish by the women’s team captains. Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores) finished first with a 2:11.57 in the women’s 200-meter individual medley, followed closely by teammate Lilla Bognar (Travelers Rest, S.C./Team Greenville). Building off the momentum, Gregg Enoch (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), claimed gold and dropped three seconds from his personal best in the men’s 200m individual medley. Later in the evening, the American women grabbed another gold-silver finish in the final individual event of the competition, with dominant performances from Kayla Han (La Mirada, Calif./Carmel Swim Club) and Kennedi Dobson (Levittown, Pa./Eastern Express Swim Team) in the 800m freestyle.
To finish the competition in Canberra, the women’s and men’s 4x100m medley relays claimed gold and set Junior Pan Pacific Championship records. The women’s relay consisted of teammates Leah Shackley (Bedford, Penn./Blair Regional YMCA), Elle Scott (Charlotte, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina), Audrey Derivaux (Haddonfield, N.J./Jersey Wahoos), and Rylee Erisman (Windermere, Fla./Laker Swim). The men’s team included Gavin Keogh (Erie, Colo./Flatiron Athletic Club), Joe Polyak (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Flyers Swim Club), Rowan Cox (Austin, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), and team captain Jason Zhao (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays).
Earlier in the evening, Quin Seider (Oak View, Calif./Ojai Heat Waves) and Josh Howat (Springfield, Va./Nations Capital Swim Club) claimed a silver-bronze finish, respectively, in the men’s 50m freestyle. In the women’s 50m freestyle, Rylee Erisman (Windermere, Fla./Laker Swim) finished in 24.78 to earn a silver. The Americans showcased another podium duo when Josh Bey (Hinsdale, Ill./Highland Hurricanes Swim Club) and Jordan Willis (Waxhaw, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina) earned silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s 200m breaststroke. Addie Robillard (Mason, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays) added a bronze in the women’s 200m breaststroke, and team captain Luke Ellis (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) grabbed a silver in the men’s 1500m freestyle to round out the medal performances for USA Swimming.
Women’s 200m Individual Medley – FINAL
Gold – Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores), 2:11.57
Silver – Lilla Bognar (Travelers Rest, S.C./Team Greenville), 2:11.77
9 – Audrey Derivaux (Haddonfield, N.J./Jersey Wahoos), 2:13.67
13 – Kennedi Dobson (Levittown, Pa./Eastern Express Swim Team), 2:17.68
O’Dell on her swim: “To go 1-2 with my teammate Lilla was a dream come true. That race has been very hard for me over the past three years, and I was finally able to go a best time. I’m grateful that I was able to swim it next to her tonight.”
Bognar on the 1-2 U.S. finish: “It was our goal going into the meet and this race. We were looking at each other in the ready room and nodding. Teagan is one of my best friends, so it is exciting to be there for my team and be here with her.”
Men’s 200m Individual Medley – FINAL
Gold – Gregg Enoch (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 2:00.58
4 – Joe Polyak (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Flyers Swim Club), 2:01.35
9 – Campbell McKean (Bend. Ore./Bend Swim Club), 2:01.70
13 – Logan Robinson (Pensacola, Fla./Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club), 2:08.26
Enoch on winning gold: “It’s surreal – going in with a 2:03 personal best and dropping three seconds to win gold for Team USA is exciting. To do it on the last day and end on a high note, I just can’t explain it.”
Women’s 50m Freestyle – FINAL
Silver – Rylee Erisman (Windermere, Fla./Laker Swim), 24.78
4 – Lily King (Latrobe, Pa./Mount Pleasant Aqua Club), 25.21
9 – Annam Olasewere (Greenwich, Conn./Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club), 25.33
12 – Erika Pelaez (Hialeah, Fla./Eagle Aquatics), 25.96
Erisman on her swim: “I thought it was a super fun race. I definitely have some things I can work on, but overall I’m proud of it.”
Men’s 50m Freestyle – FINAL
Silver – Quin Seider (Oak View, Calif./Ojai Heat Waves), 22.72
Bronze – Josh Howat (Springfield, Va./Nations Capital Swim Club), 22.87
9 – Jason Zhao (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 22.90
10 – Sam Lorenz (Thiensville, Wisc./Schroeder YMCA Swim Team), 22.96
17 – August Vetsch (Queen Creek, Ariz./Swim Neptune), 23.27
18 – Blake Amlicke (Clarksville, Tenn./Nashville Aquatic Club), 23.36
24 – Rowan Cox (Austin, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 24.38
25 – Andrew Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 24.40
Seider on going 2-3 with Howat: “The relay was so much fun, and then getting to race with Josh again – he's been my training partner this whole trip in the sprint group – getting to go 2-3 with him was the coolest thing ever. He was in the lane right next to me, so it was perfect.”
Howat on sharing the podium with Seider: “I’m just happy that Quin and I were able to do that. We knew that this was going to be a hard race going into it. It was a great way to end the meet and end the season. To represent the U.S. here was a dream come true.”
Women’s 200m Breaststroke – FINAL
Bronze – Addie Robillard (Mason, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays), 2:30.20
8 – Raya Mellott (Danville, Calif./Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks), 2:33.96
10 – Eliza Wallace (Charlotte, N.C./Mecklenburg Swim Association), 2:35.35
Robillard on medaling: “It was so amazing. That last 50 hurt so bad, but I fought so hard because I knew that I wanted to medal for Team USA and because of this amazing opportunity that I’ve been blessed with.”
Men’s 200m Breaststroke – FINAL
Silver – Josh Bey (Hinsdale, Ill./Highland Hurricanes Swim Club), 2:11.96
Bronze – Jordan Willis (Waxhaw, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina), 2:13.45
11 – Norvin Clontz (Charlotte, N.C./Mecklenburg Swim Association), 2:19.85
Bey on his silver: “I feel pretty good, especially considering that last year (at the World Aquatics Junior Championships), I was second at the 150 and sixth at the 200, it is nice to be second at the 150 and second at the 200 this time. I can’t complain about it at all.”
Willis on his swim and medaling with Bey: “Josh and I were on the World Juniors team last year and we swam in the final together there too. I’m glad that this year, we were able to be on the podium. I had to tweak a few things between prelims and finals, and I’m glad that I was able to do that. The time doesn’t matter much to me because I changed what I needed to change and that’s all that matters.”
Men’s 1500m Freestyle – FINAL
Silver – Luke Ellis (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada), 15:00.24
4 – Luka Mijatovic (Pleasanton, Calif./Pleasanton Seahawks), 15:15.95
5 – William Mulgrew (Walpole, Mass./Shawmut Aquatic Club), 15:16.74
7 – Aiden Hammer (Fox Island, Wash./King Aquatic Club), 15:40.60
Ellis on his swim: “I’m feeling good. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get that (gold) at the end, but I tell myself that I would rather have a fun race and lose than win a race and not have fun at all. The race that we had; he (Japanese gold medalist Kazushi Imafuku) has all my respect. He made it interesting and fun, and I’m glad we could put on a show for everyone.”
Women’s 800m Freestyle – FINAL
Gold – Kayla Han (La Mirada, Calif./Carmel Swim Club), 8:36.77
Silver – Kennedi Dobson (Levittown, Pa./Eastern Express Swim Team), 8:39.61
5 – Paige Downey (Gilbert, Ariz./Gold Medal Swim Club), 8:44.58
Han on the race: “I’m so proud of Kennedi. Throughout this whole meet, we’ve become really close and I’m excited to see what she becomes. Getting a 1-2 finish is always amazing for Team USA. I still have a lot of work to do, and I’m excited for the journey ahead, but being here, I’m proud of myself. The last couple of days have been kind of tough, so bringing home a gold on the last day means a lot.”
Dobson on her silver: “It means everything. I’m really honored to be a part of this team, and racing Kayla was awesome. I don’t get to race her all that much, so it was cool to be there with her. I’m so happy for her getting gold – it was a great race.”
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay – FINAL
Gold – Team USA-A, 3:58.88*
Leah Shackley (Bedford, Penn./Blair Regional YMCA)
Elle Scott (Charlotte, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina)
Audrey Derivaux (Haddonfield, N.J./Jersey Wahoos)
Rylee Erisman (Windermere, Fla./Laker Swim)
*Junior Pan Pacific Championship record
O’Dell on the swim: “I was so happy. I love relays and I was glad that I was able to end my meet with one. I’m so proud of what Team USA has done in this meet. It couldn’t have ended on a better note.”
Erisman on her mentality going into the race: “I was so excited and ready to anchor the relay again. It was amazing. The finals energy is just unbeatable, and I love it so much.”
Scott on the relay gold: “I was excited to be on the A relay. I knew that Leah was going to get us out in a lead, and I wanted to hold that, if not extend it. It was my last race of the meet and I feel like I left everything in the pool. Honestly, my teammates really egged us on and helped us get the win.”
10 – Team USA-B, 4:04.58
Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores)
Addie Robillard (Mason, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays)
Charlotte Crush (Louisville, Ky./Lakeside Swim Team)
Erika Pelaez (Hialeah, Fla./Eagle Aquatics)
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay – FINAL
Gold – Team USA-A, 3:35.60*
Gavin Keogh (Erie, Colo./Flatiron Athletic Club)
Joe Polyak (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Flyers Swim Club)
Rowan Cox (Austin, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics)
Jason Zhao (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason Manta Rays)
*Junior Pan Pacific Championship record
Keogh on leading off: “It was so awesome. Knowing it was the last event of the meet and knowing that the entire team is there to watch you was great. The team gave me so much energy because I had been tweaking some things before the race. Those changes helped me drop those tenths off my previous best.”
Zhao on the swim: “It’s always a great feeling to win a relay with three other guys. To top the meet off that way and sing the National Anthem as loud as possible - there is no better feeling.”
8 – Team USA-B, 3:39.15
Blake Amlicke (Clarksville, Tenn./Nashville Aquatic Club)
Campbell McKean (Bend. Ore./Bend Swim Club)
August Vetsch (Queen Creek, Ariz./Swim Neptune)
Quin Seider (Oak View, Calif./Ojai Heat Waves)
Women’s 200m Individual Medley – Prelims
18 – Elle Scott (Charlotte, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina), 2:18.44
19 – Madi Mintenko (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pikes Peak Athletics), 2:19.72
Women’s 50m Freestyle – Prelims
17 – Charlotte Crush (Louisville, Ky./Lakeside Swim Team), 26.29
25 – Kelsey Zhang (Saratoga, Calif./Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics), 27.06
27 – Eliza Wallace (Charlotte, N.C./Mecklenburg Swim Association), 27.31
Men’s 50m Freestyle – Prelims
17 – August Vetsch (Queen Creek, Ariz./Swim Neptune), 23.27
18 – Blake Amlicke (Clarksville, Tenn./Nashville Aquatic Club), 23.36
24 – Rowan Cox (Austin, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 24.38
25 – Andrew Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club), 24.40