National Junior Teamers Campbell McKean & Aiden Hammer Set LSC Records at Washington Open
01/26/2025 09:03 PM
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
2025 Washington Open
- January 16-19, 2025
- King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, Washington
- Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
- Full Meet Results (PDF)
The 2025 Washington Open featured a pair of Junior National Team members, Campbell McKean and Aiden Hammer, both of whom posted best times amid big performances at the King County Aquatic Center.
McKean of the Bend Swim Club in Oregon won 7 events at the meet, including his specialty the 100 breaststroke in a new best time of 51.70. That shaved .02 seconds off the time that he swam at Winter Juniors West in December and leaves him still as the 6th-best 17-18 in the 100 breaststroke in history, and re-breaks his own Oregon Swimming LSC Record.
He also won the 200 free (1:35.84), 500 free (4:24.35), 50 back (22.10), 200 back (1:44.32), 50 breast (24.18), and 100 fly (46.78), all of which were also lifetime bests. The 100 fly broke a two-year-old Oregon Swimming Record that was held by Charley Page-Jones at 47.40.
Recruited to Texas as a breaststroker for fall 2025, McKean flexed his versatility in this meet and this season. He has dropped, for example, 26 seconds in the 500 free and 1.2 seconds in the 100 fly. Versatile breaststrokers have done well at Texas – among them current sophomore Nate Germonprez, who currently ranks 2nd in the NCAA in the 100 breaststroke in 50.39.
Bend is a club that has gone through a number of head coaches in recent years, with the program currently being led by Jim Nickell. McKean’s progression hasn’t been hampered by the changes.
Hammer, meanwhile, didn’t show the same breadth of results as Campbell, but in his specialty distance freestyle races, he dropped big chunks.
While there was no 500 free matchup with McKean, Hammer won the 1000 free in 8:55.18 and the 1650 free in 15:13.86. That time in the 1000 was an 11-second improvement (March 2023 in this same pool), while the mile time was a more modest 2.3 seconds off a time done in this same pool in December. He has dropped exactly 20 seconds in the 1650 in the last two months.
Hammer is committed to Cal for the fall.
Zach Power, an SMU commit from the Lakeridge Swim Team in Reno, was 2nd in 9:11.76, which was his best time by 15 seconds.
Other Highlight Results
- 15-year-old Syunta Lee from West Coast Aquatics swept the 200 and 400 IM events in best times of 1:49.24 and 3:53.50, respectively. He also swam best times in the 50 free (21.66), 100 free (45.57), 200 free (1:39.57), 500 free (4:26.19), and 1000 free (9:12.72). Lee is a high school freshman.
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