LEXINGTON, Ky. – As announced Monday evening, Carson Hick is a member of the 2025-26 USA Swimming National Team. The men’s team includes 67 of the country’s most elite swimmers and 21 represented universities, Hick being among those selected for his national team debut.
Huge news broke for the junior, who is coming off an impressive summer and sophomore year finishes. This includes representing Team USA at the World University Games in Germany, picking up the sixth-place finish in the 1500M freestyle race in his first international meet, and placing fourth in the same race at the US Toyota Nationals.
“We’re excited for this year’s roster,” USA Swimming National Team Managing Director Greg Meehan said. “We witnessed some strong performances across national and international events this past summer, reinforcing that our team is set up well for the Pan Pacific Championships and future competitions as we look towards LA28.”
The selection process for the honor is purely based on times. The six athletes with the fastest times at any qualifying competition for each individual Olympic event were chosen as part of the team. The complete list of athlete selected for the 2025-26 U.S. National Team can be found here.
The excitement surrounding Hick’s honor is giving the Wildcats a spark of motivation for the 2025-26 collegiate season. Hick is one of 39 student athletes selected that will be competing in the NCAA this 2025-26 season. A good number of those whom he is familiar with racing at the recent 2025 SEC Championship and 2025 NCAA Men’s Championship.
“Our mission here at Kentucky is to be a destination for world class swimming, and developing athletes to be on the national team is a significant component of that,” said Head Coach Bret Lundgaard. “I am so proud of Carson, his teammates, and his coaches for their commitment to continual improvement. I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring for him and the entire program.”
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