Before they can race in Paris for Olympic gold, Northeast Florida’s kings of the pool must first take a page from Trevor Lawrence’s playbook.
Winning in the home of the Indianapolis Colts.
Olympic gold medalists Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy lead a pack of more than a dozen Northeast Florida swimmers set to begin Saturday’s U.S. Olympic Trials for swimming inside Lucas Oil Stadium, the 70,000-seat venue normally used for the Colts’ NFL games.
And just as Lawrence led the Jacksonville Jaguars to victory in his last visit to the stadium to open 2023, area swimmers are eyeing the chance to make Indy a stepping stone toward growing their medal collections in France.
They’ll do it inside a Olympic-size pool constructed inside the stadium, a gigantic temporary aquatic complex that spreads for more than an acre and forced venue officials to temporarily relocate several rows of seats.
Caeleb Dressel chases Olympic history
Among all Northeast Florida athletes, none can claim an Olympic resume quite like Dressel’s.
The former Clay High sprinter owns an area-record seven Olympic gold medals — two relay golds in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and five in the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo edition of the Games.
If he wins one gold medal in Paris, he would equal Usain Bolt and Matt Biondi. If he wins two, Dressel would enter the stratosphere reached by only five Olympians in history: Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, American sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis, Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi and American swimmer Mark Spitz each own nine, while aquatic legend Michael Phelps is in a class of his own with 23.
Tokyo memories: As Caeleb Dressel chases Team USA gold, family watches on edge of seats
The undisputed master of the sprints worldwide between 2017 and 2022 with 21 gold world championship medals, Dressel has only sporadically raced top-tier events since withdrawing midway through the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Hungary.
Dressel’s times are showing improvement, like his 48.30 in the 100-meter freestyle at last month’s Atlanta Classic. Still, he enters with only the 10th-best seed time in the 100 free, the fifth-best in the 50 free and the third-best in the 100 fly.
He’ll have to overcome the likes of Dare Rose and Shaine Casas in the butterfly. In the freestyle events, rivals include Jack Alexy, the No. 1 seed and a five-time World Championship medalist at California; veterans like Ryan Held, Michael Andrew and Brooks Curry; and promising college swimmers like Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano.
Will Ryan Murphy conquer backstroke field again?
A dozen years after his first Olympic Trials experience — he narrowly missed qualifying for the London Games as a 16-year-old in 2012 — Murphy is still going strong.
The top American backstroke swimmer of the past decade, the former Bolles School swimmer has four Olympic gold medals, a silver and a bronze to his name, including a sweep of the 100 and 200 back in Rio de Janeiro. He enters the Olympic Trials as the No. 1 seed in both backstroke distances.
By now, some of the toughest competition for both Dressel and Murphy comes from Father Time. Dressel is now 27, while Murphy will turn 29 next month. Both now occupy the upper end of the age range for a young man’s sport in which China’s Pan Zhanle and Romania’s David Popovici, who have lowered the 100 free world record within the last 22 months, are still both teenagers.
Gold standard: Bolles School product Ryan Murphy ready to earn another Olympic spot in backstroke events
How do swimmers qualify for the Paris Olympics?
Only the top two finishers in each event qualify for the Olympics. The main exception is the relay teams (4×100 free relay, 4×200 free relay and 4×100 medley relay): As many as six competitors at the 100 and 200 free distances could find themselves on the plane to Paris.
Dressel and Murphy are far from the only Jacksonville-area swimmers testing their times against the nation’s best.
If there’s an under-the-radar First Coast swimmer who could break through to the Olympic team, it could be former Bartram Trail swimmer Macguire McDuff, who is coming off an outstanding season at the University of Florida. McDuff is seeded seventh in the men’s 100 free, a race that could be the most hotly-contested at the trials.
Here’s a complete look at swimmers with Northeast Florida ties who have qualified for the Olympic Trials. Note that swimmers might not necessarily compete in every event for which they have recorded qualifying times.
MEN
Caeleb Dressel
Local connection: Clay.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 free (48.30, 10th), 50 free (21.84, fifth), 100 fly (50.84, third).
Notable: Seven-time Olympic gold medalist shows signs of improving form after hiatus from swimming.
T.J. Frost
Local connection: Bartram Trail.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 400 IM (4:23.50, 52nd), 400 free (3:54.95, late qualifier).
Notable: Miami-Ohio signee placed second in Class 4A last fall with Bartram Trail.
Harry Herrera
Local connection: Bolles.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 200 breast (2:14.84, 38th).
Notable: Part of Indiana team that placed fourth at NCAAs.
Billy Jones
Local connection: Stanton
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 fly (53.23, 41st).
Notable: Senior helped Gators bring home SEC championship.
Landon Kyser
Local connection: Bolles
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 back (55.69, late qualifier).
Notable: Wisconsin signee posted qualifying time in Friday meet at Bolles; qualifying sheets were already released, but he will race in Indy.
Carter Lancaster
Local connection: Bolles
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 200 IM (2:02.04, 41st).
Notable: Cal signee holds FHSAA record in the 200-yard IM.
Kayden Lancaster
Local connection: Bolles
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 200 free (1:49.81, 53rd).
Notable: Louisville freshman previously won 500 free high school title at Bolles.
Macguire McDuff
Local connection: Bartram Trail.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 free (48.08, seventh), 50 free (22.42, 26th).
Notable: 12-time All-American anchored two NCAA champion relays this spring for Florida and could be a contender in 100 free.
Ryan Murphy
Local connection: Bolles
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 back (52.02, first), 200 back (1:54.83, first), 100 fly (51.35, sixth).
Notable: World’s top backstroker of the past decade, Murphy is a clear favorite at Olympic Trials and may add to his six career medals in Paris.
Aidan Paro
Local connection: Bolles
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 fly (53.05, 27th).
Notable: Former Bolles swimmer is entering sophomore year at Louisville.
Raymond Prosinski
Local connection: Bartram Trail
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 400 IM (4:22.88, 45th).
Notable: Led South Carolina in two events this year as Gamecocks freshman.
Drew Salls
Local connection: Sandalwood
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 50 free (22.62, 50th).
Notable: Helped N.C. State to fifth-place team finish at NCAA Championships.
Julian Smith
Local connection: Episcopal
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 free (49.15, 28th), 50 free (22.61, 49th).
Notable: Now a 10-time All-American, Smith won two NCAA championships in relays this year at Florida.
Tyler Watson
Local connection: Paxon
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 400 free (3:53.52, 31st), 800 free (8:07.43, 42nd), 1,500 free (15:33.59, 32nd).
Notable: Distance specialist twice earned All-America honors at Florida.
WOMEN
Olivia Peoples
Local connection: Nease
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 fly (59.95, 58th).
Notable: Six-time All-American earned SEC championship this spring in 100 fly as Gators junior; holds UF record in the event.
Summer Stanfield
Local connection: Bartram Trail.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 200 back (2:13.55, 60th).
Notable: Just wrapped up college career as graduate student at Utah.
Sara Stotler
Local connection: Clay.
Scheduled events with seed time ranking: 100 fly (59.66, 45th), 200 fly (2:11.31, 22nd), 200 IM (2:15.38, 33rd).
Notable: Former Blue Devil was SEC bronze medalist in 200-yard fly at Tennessee in just-completed junior season.
What is the schedule of events for U.S. Olympic Trials swimming?
Saturday, June 15
Early session
Heats: Women’s 100 fly, women’s 400 free, men’s 100 breast, men’s 400 free.
Late session
Semis: Women’s 100 fly, men’s 100 breast
Finals: Men’s 400 free, women’s 400 free
Sunday, June 16
Early session
Heats: Men’s 200 free, men’s 400 IM, women’s 100 breast, men’s 100 back, women’s 200 free
Late session
Semis: Men’s 200 free, women’s 100 breast, men’s 100 back, women’s 200 free
Finals: Men’s 400 IM, women’s 100 fly, men’s 100 breast
Monday, June 17
Early session
Heats: Women’s 400 IM, women’s 100 back, men’s 800 free
Late session
Semis: Women’s 100 back
Finals: Women’s 400 IM, men’s 200 free, men’s 100 back, women’s 100 breast, women’s 200 free
Tuesday, June 18
Early session
Heats: Men’s 200 fly, men’s 100 free, women’s 1,500 free, women’s 100 free, men’s 200 breast
Late session
Semis: Men’s 100 free, men’s 200 fly, women’s 100 free, men’s 200 breast
Finals: Women’s 100 back, men’s 800 free
Wednesday, June 19
Early session
Heats: Women’s 200 breast, men’s 200 back, women’s 200 fly
Late session
Semis: Women’s 200 fly, men’s 200 back, women’s 200 breast
Finals: Women’s 100 free, men’s 200 fly, women’s 1,500 free, men’s 200 breast, men’s 100 free
Thursday, June 20
Early session
Heats: Women’s 200 back, men’s 50 free, men’s 200 IM
Late session
Semis: Men’s 50 free, women’s 200 back, men’s 200 IM
Finals: Women’s 200 fly, men’s 200 back, women’s 200 breast
Friday, June 21
Early session
Heats: Men’s 100 fly, women’s 200 IM, women’s 800 free
Late session
Semis: Men’s 100 fly, women’s 200 IM
Finals: Men’s 50 free, women’s 200 back, men’s 200 IM
Saturday, June 22
Early session
Heats: Women’s 50 free, men’s 1,500 free
Late session
Semis: Women’s 50 free
Finals: Men’s 100 fly, women’s 200 IM, women’s 800 free
Sunday, June 23
Late session only (no morning heats)
Finals: Women’s 50, men’s 1,500 free
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Olympic Trials swimming: Northeast Florida swimmers race for 2024
