By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
Greater Somerset County YMCA Swimming (NJ) coach Mary Korey and Lakeside Aquatic Club (TX) coach Jason Walter have been chosen to lead the American team headed to the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships from August 21-24 in Canberra, Australia.
Korey and Walter both served as assistant coaches at the 2023 World Junior Championships last September in Netanya, Israel. Lakeside Aquatic Club (LAC) standouts Maximus Williamson and Cooper Lucas combined for seven world junior titles while Greater Somerset County YMCA star Anna Moesch brought home bronze in the 100 free along with a few relay medals. Team USA topped the medal table at that meet with 33 medals, including 15 gold.
Walter’s LAC squad achieved gold medal status in USA Swimming’s 2023-24 club excellence program. Korey’s Greater Somerset County YMCA program was a silver medal club last season.
“We are excited to have coaches Mary and Jason lead our junior athletes in Australia,” USA Swimming National Team managing director Lindsay Mintenko said. “Their contributions last year in Israel, in addition to their accomplishments locally, will help guide the continued success of the next generation of Olympians that develop from this meet.”
The last Junior Pan Pacs took place back in 2022, when Sarasota Sharks head coach Brent Arckey led the U.S. contingent of 41 swimmers competing in Hawaii. America topped the medal table with 46 total medals and 19 gold, ahead of Japan (29 total, eight gold) and Australia (25 total, eight gold).
USA Swimming is waiting until after this month’s Olympic Trials to name its roster for Junior Pan Pacs. Swimmers ages 14 through 18 who do not qualify for the Paris Olympics will be eligible to compete. The full qualification criteria can be found here.
Junior Pan Pacs began in 2005 with charter nations USA, Australia, Japan, and Canada, though any non-European country can be invited. This year will be the first time that Australia has hosted, as it has previously only ever taken place in Hawaii, Guam, or Fiji. The 2022 edition was the first Junior Pan Pacs in four years as the 2020 meet was canceled due to COVID-19.
Australia and Canada have already announced their Junior Pan Pacs rosters. World junior champion Jaclyn Barclay leads the Australian crew while Canada is taking up-and-coming backstrokers Madison Kryger, Delia Lloyd, and Aiden Norman.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: USA Swimming Names Mary Korey, Jason Walter Head Coaches for 2024 Junior Pan Pacs
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