Local Alto Swim Club Coaches and Athletes Compete on International Stage 

Local Team Hosts US National Swimming Championships

PALO ALTO, CA [July 2019] -- Over the next month, eleven local Alto Swim Club athletes and two Alto Swim Club coaches will represent Team USA and other home countries at the FINA World Championships (Gwangju, South Korea), the World University Games (Naples, Italy) and the Pan American Games (Lima, Peru). These three international competitions are the highest level of international swimming this summer.

FINA World Championships will be the premiere international swimming competition and is set to run from July 21 - 28. Seven Alto Swim Club athletes will be competing in South Korea and Team USA will be led by ALTO Head Coach Greg Meehan. Meehan is also Head Coach of Stanford Women’s Swimming and USA’s 2020 Women’s Swimming Olympic Team Coach. 

At World Championships, Olympic Gold Medalist and local Alto Swim Club team member Simone Manuel will look to defend her World Championship crown in the 100 Meter Freestyle and will also compete individually in the 50 Meter Freestyle, where she is the American Record holder in both of these events. She is expected to have a big presence at the meet and will also be a key player on Team USA relays. Manuel will be joined on Team USA by ALTO teammates Katie Drabot, Brooke Forde, Ella Eastin, Abrahm Devine and Grant Shoults.

At Worlds, Drabot will compete in the 200 Meter Butterfly where she is currently ranked third in the world with a time of 2:06.67. Forde will compete in the 400 Meter Individual Medley, Eastin and Devine will compete in the 200 Meter Individual Medley, Levant will compete as part of Team USA’s 800 Meter Freestyle Relay and Shoults will compete in the 400 Meter Freestyle. 

Alto Swim Club’s Taylor Ruck will also be competing at Worlds, where she will represent Team Canada. Ruck will swim the 100 and 200 Meter Freestyle, the 100 and 200 Meter Backstroke, and will be a key relay contributor for Team Canada.

In Italy, four local Alto Swim Club and Stanford University athletes are representing Team USA at the World University Games, where competition is already underway. World University Games runs July 4 - 10 and is an international multi-sport event organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). This year, the Team USA is lead by Games Head Coach Tracy Slusser. Slusser is a coach at ALTO and the Associate Head Coach of Stanford University Women’s Swimming.

ALTO team members Megan Byrnes, Zoe Bartel, Daniel Roy and Ella Eastin are representing the United States. Byrnes will compete in the 800 and 1500 Meter Freestyle and both Bartel and Roy will compete in the 200 Meter Breaststroke. Eastin will be competing in the 200 Meter Individual Medley.

In Peru, Alto Swim Club’s Allie Szekely will compete in the 400 IM for team USA at the Pan American Games. The Pan American Games is an international competition held among athletes from nations of the Americas every four years in the year before the Summer Olympic Games.

“These three summer international competitions are an important step in preparation for next Summer’s Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska and the Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan,” said  Head Coach Joey Sementelli, who leads Alto Swim Club’s top high school training group. Sementelli is also heading up the Local Organizing Committee for the 2019 US National and Junior National Swimming Championships.

“Alto Swim Club is excited for this summer’s upcoming international competitions and for our team’s unique opportunity to host the fastest swimming in the US this summer at Stanford University.”

In addition to having some of the world's best athletes competing internationally, Alto Swim Club will also be hosting United States Swimming National Championship from July 31- August 3 and Junior National Championship from August 7- 10 at the Avery Aquatic Center on the Sanford University Campus. These two swim meets will be the highest level swimming competitions held in the United States this year and promise to attract swimmers with National and International swimming recognition. 

For local community members interested in gaining access to America's fastest swim meets of the year, or who want a behind the scenes look at the operations of a National Championship, ALTO is still seeking volunteer help for both Nationals and Junior Nationals. Those interested in volunteering at either meet can reach out to the Local Organizing Committee via email at info@altoswimclub.com. 

Alto Swim Club was formed in October, 2018 and is the premier United States Swimming team in Palo Alto and Stanford, CA and the surrounding area. Alto Swim Club offers top tier competitive groups for all ages, from the beginner swimmer to the Olympian. ALTO also offers community swim lessons and recreational programs for all ages and levels.