Road to Tokyo: Gators Head to Omaha for U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Road to Tokyo: Gators Head to Omaha for U.S. Olympic Team Trials

Saturday, June 12, 2021 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving, Olympics

By: Bridgette Underwood

Live Results | Broadcasting & Streaming Info | Heat Sheets | Event Schedule |

OMAHA, Neb. – As the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan get closer, so do the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – the premier swimming event to determine who will reach Tokyo and compete as a member of Team USA in July.

Twenty-fsix current and former Gators will make the trip to Omaha, Nebraska this week to realize Olympic dreams or repeat as Olympians. The trials run from Sunday, June 13 to June 20 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Current Florida swimmers are Clark Beach, Ethan Beach, Adam Chaney, Jace Crawford, Will Davis, Trey Freeman, Brennan Gravley, Dillon Hillis, Caleb Kravitz, Kieran Smith, Tyler Watson, Bobby Finke, Kevin Vargas, Kathleen Golding, Vanessa Pearl, Allie Piccirillo, Taylor Ault, Amanda Ray, Talia Bates, Elise Bauer, and Tylor Mathieu are all scheduled to compete in various events at the trials. Alumni competing in Omaha include Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Lochte, Mitch D'Arrigo, Sherridon Dressel, and Natalie Hinds.

There are seven Gators in the top ten of their respective events and three former Gators in the top 10 of their events.

Top two in each event will make the Olympic team and in the 100 free and 200 free the top six.

Three new races will be added to the Olympic program in Tokyo: the women's 1,500 free, the men's 800 and the 4x100 mixed medley relay.

Team USA swimmers will be chasing their 250th gold medal in Tokyo; they currently have 246 gold medals.

The 2020 U.S. Olympic Swimming Team is estimated to have up to 52 athletes. Final selections to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee approval.

Gators To Watch For

Bobby Finke is ranked first in the 800 free by two seconds, first the 1500 free by five seconds, and is in fifth in the 400 IM heading into the trials looking to make his first Olympic team.

Heading into the wave two of the trials, Kieran Smith is ready to get to work as he ranked second in the 400 free, third in the 200 free, eighth in the 400 IM and 12th in the 200 IM.

In the 100 and 200 back, Clark Beach and Ethan Beach will be looking to qualify for their first Olympic Team. C. Beach is ranked fourth heading into the trials in the 200 back and 11th in the 100 Back. E. Beach is ranked 11th in the 200 back just behind his brother.

Trey Freeman and Brenna Gravley are ones to watch as well, Freeman is ranked eighth in the 400 free and Gravley is ranked ninth in the 1500 free.

In the 400 IM, Kevin Vargas is currently ranked ninth heading into the trials right behind Smith.

Vanessa Pearl looks to better her rank in the 200 breast and the 200 IM. Pearl is currently ranked seventh in the 200 breast and tenth in the 200 IM.

Former Gators to Watch For

Caeleb Dressel, the face of USA Swimming, is looking to make his second Olympic team this week. Coming into the trials Dressel is ranked first in the 50 free, 100 free, and that 100 fly. Dressel also ranks in the top 15 in the 200 Fly, 200 Free, and 200 IM.

Ryan Lochte will be trying for his fifth Olympic team heading into these trials. He ranks fifth in the 200 IM, 13th in the 200 back, and 15th in the 400 IM.

Incoming Gators to Watch For

Two incoming Gators will also be participating in wave two at the Olympic trials. Mason Laur will be in the 200 fly and he is currently ranked 37th in that event.

Micayla Cronk is the other incoming Gator to watch for as she is in three events is wave two at the trails. Cronk will be competing in the 50 free (43rd), 100 free (38th), and the 200 free (61st).

June 13-17: Prelims begin at 11am ET; semifinals/finals begin at 7:45pm ET (first race at 8pm).

June 18-19: Prelims begin at 11am ET; semifinals/finals begin at 8:45pm ET (first race at 9pm).

June 20: Finals begin at 8pm (first race at 8:15pm). [No prelims on Sunday, June 20.]

How to watch: Please view the trials broadcast schedule for details on when and how to watch.

Schedule: The full trials schedule is located online.

Below are the Athletes and their event they will be competing in during wave two (Pre-Scratch).

Athlete	Event	Entry Time	Event Date
Men
Clark Beach	100 Back 200 Back	53.95 1:57.14	June 14 June 17
Ethan Beach	100 Back 200 Back	55.97 1:58.69	June 14 June 17
Adam Chaney	100 Back 100 Free 50 Free	54.96 49.27 22.40	June 14 June 16 June 19
Jace Crawford	200 Fly 100 Fly	1:59.02 53.91	June 15 June 18
Will Davis	50 Free 100 Fly	22.70 53.50	June 19 June 18
Trey Freeman	400 Free 200 Free 800 Free	3:49.16 1:47.86 8:04.31	June 13 June 14 June 16
Brennan Gravley	800 Free 1500 Free	8:05.39 15:19.59	June 16 June 19
Dillon Hillis	100 Breast 200 Fly 200 Breast 100 Fly	1:01.53 1:59.89 2:16.79 53.42	June 13 June 15 June 16 June 18
Caleb Kravitz	800 Free 1500 Free	8:08.55 15:44.83	June 16 June 19
Kieran Smith	400 IM 400 Free 200 Free 100 Free 800 Free 200 Back 200 IM	4:15.17 3:47.71 1:46.21 49.11 7:59.27 2:00.33 1:59.38	June 13 June 13 June 14 June 16 June 16 June 17 June 17
Tyler Watson	400 Free 800 Free 1500 Free	3:55.76 8:03.59 15:26.26	June 13 June 16 June 19
Bobby Finke	400 IM 800 Free 1500 Free	4:13.15 7:47.58 14:51.15	June 13 June 16 June 19
Kevin Vargas	400 IM 200 Breast 200 IM	4:16.54 2:15.58 2:02.87	June 13 June 16 June 17
Women
Taylor Ault	400 Free 1500 Free 800 Free	4:12.79 16:41.66 8:39.21	June 14 June 15 June 18
Elise Bauer	1500 Free 800 Free	16.39.87 8:45.42	June 15 June18
Kathleen Golding	400 IM 400 Free 200 IM	4:46.12 4:14.38 2:15.48	June 13 June 14 June 15
Vanessa Pearl	400 IM 100 Breast 200 IM 200 Breast	4:42.32 1:09.37 2:12.49 2:24.99	June 13 June 14 June 15 June 17
Allie Piccirillo	200 Fly	2:11.88	June 16
Amanda Ray	200 Fly	2:11.11	June 16
Talia Bates	100 Fly 100 Back 200 Free 100 Free 200 Back 50 Free	1:00.07 1:01.78 1:59.97 55.95 2:14.20 25.79	June 13 June 14 June 15 June 17 June 18 June 19
Tylor Mathieu	100 Breast 400 Free 800 Free	1:09.78 4:12.89 8:45.95	June 14 June 14 June 18
Former Gators
Caeleb Dressel	200 Free 200 Fly 100 Free 200 IM 100 Fly 50 Free	1:47.31 1:56.29 46.96 1:59.97 49.50 21.04	June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19
Mitch D'Arrigo	400 Free 200 Free 800 Free	3:48.39 1:47.79 7:59.61	June 13 June 14 June 16
Ryan Lochte	400 IM 200 Free 100 Back 200 Back 200 IM 100 Fly	4:18.95 1:50.25 55.08 1:59.26 1:57.76 53.25	June 13 June 14 June 14 June 17 June 17 June 18
Natalie Hinds	100 Fly 100 Free 50 Free	58.61 54.29 25.02	June 13 June 17 June 19
Sherridon Dressel	100 Back 200 Back	1:01.66 2:12.03	June 14 June 18
Incoming Gators
Mason Laur	200 Fly	1:59.25	June 15
Micayla Cronk	200 Free 100 Free 50 Free	2:00.12 55.48 25.21	June 15 June 17 June 19

FloridaGators.com will recap the Gators' performance after each day of trials. Follow along on Twitter at @GatorsSwimDv, @GatorsOlympics and @USASwimming and check out the hashtags GatorsAlways and SwimTrials21 for more immediate coverage.