Longhorn Swimmers Leverage International Experience for Collegiate Success
The relentless demands of competitive swimming – “stroke after stroke, lap after lap and meet after meet” – require unwavering discipline, especially when facing pressure, regardless of the venue. For the University of Texas swim program, this pressure extends beyond the collegiate arena, with a growing emphasis on international competition fueling success back on the Forty Acres.
The Longhorns demonstrated their dominance early in the season, securing a commanding 216-82 victory over Alabama in their first dual meet. This win, while expected for the defending national champions, was built on a foundation of global experience. Eleven Longhorn swimmers represented Team USA at the World Aquatics Championships in singapore this past summer, alongside other athletes competing for their respective home countries.
These international performances weren’t simply accolades; they were a exhibition of the team’s dedication as they navigate the increasingly competitive landscape of the Southeastern Conference. Assistant coach Erik Posegay emphasized the program’s ambition: “We want our whole team to be going to nationals in the summer… We want our whole team to have an expectation or a goal of trying to make an international team… we want a group of men that are gonna be able to expect that for themselves and want to do that every day.”
The impact of this international exposure was promptly visible in the Alabama meet. Graduate student David Johnston, a veteran of the World Aquatics Championships, led the Longhorns with first-place finishes in both the 1,000-yard and 500-yard freestyle. Freshman Campbell McKean also made an immediate impact, winning the 200-yard breaststroke – a performance he attributes to his first international competition in Singapore.
Posegay highlighted the importance of this experience for incoming athletes: “we need our freshmen to have some of that experience because they can’t be wowed in the big lights of NCAAs… We need them to be able to step in there and perform right away. So having that international experience coming in certainly helps them, and they’re gonna be more ready to make an impact.”
Former Longhorn Chris Guiliano, a 2024 Olympic gold medalist currently training at the Texas Swimming Center in preparation for the 2028 Games, echoed this sentiment. He described the importance of making an international team, noting the need for constant self-assessment and striving for improvement. “To actually make an international team, it meant so much,” Guiliano said. ”I think even at times I need to zoom out and really understand the position that I’m in and how I’m at this level now, but like, how can I continue to get better?”
With the SEC implementing a roster cap of 22 athletes for men’s swim and dive, the ability to perform under global pressure is becoming increasingly crucial for maintaining the program’s No. 1 ranking. Texas aims to not only maintain its position but to set the standard, embodying a relentless pursuit of improvement – a team that doesn’t just keep going, but never stops.
