U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier Danica Aten Sends Verbal to Navy for Fall 2026

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Danica Aten, who raced on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, has verbally dedicated to swim for the U.S. Naval Academy starting within the fall of 2026.

“I’m extremely proud to announce my dedication to swim, research, and serve on the US Naval Academy! I want to thank Coach Morrison, Coach Carlye, Murphy, and Winston in addition to my household, coaches, and teammates for supporting me. ️GO NAVY!”

A junior at Riverview Excessive College in Sarasota, Florida, Aten is a two-time Florida highschool state champion. On the 2024 FHSAA Class 4A State Championships again in November, she helped her staff to victory within the 200 medley relay, splitting 29.04 on the breaststroke leg, earlier than selecting up her first particular person state title within the 100 breast with a lifetime greatest time of 1:02.16.

Specializing in breast, free and IM, Aten at present trains year-round with the Sarasota Sharks and was thought-about among the many “Better of the Relaxation” recruits on our Method Too Early rating of high swimmers from the category of 2026.

Aten turned in a collection of high swims on the Speedo Winter Junior Championship – East (SCY) again in December. Her greatest performances got here within the breaststroke occasions; she positioned thirteenth within the 100 breast in 1:01.91 and positioned seventeenth within the 200 breast in 2:13.96, each marking new private greatest instances and Futures cuts. Aten additionally posted lifetime greatest instances within the 200 IM (2:07.20), 400 IM (4:26.40) and 100 fly (1:00.05).

Aten competed on the Florida Senior Championships (SCY) in March, the place she logged a handful of recent greatest instances. Aten confirmed off her versatility within the pool by putting 14th within the 500 free, handing over a lifetime greatest time of 4:59.36, posting a private greatest time of 1:54.04 within the 200 free.

Final summer time, Aten contested the 200-meter breast on the U.S. Olympic Trials, ending forty first total in 2:36.00. The efficiency was virtually seven seconds off of her lifetime greatest (2:29.75) that she posted on the 2023 U.S. Open Championships, which was the swim that certified her for Trials.

Greatest Occasions SCY

100 breast – 1:01.91
200 breast – 2:13.96
200 IM – 2:07.20
400 IM – 4:26.40
200 free – 1:54.04
500 free – 4:59.36

A Division I Mid-Main program, Navy competes within the Patriot League; the ladies are the 13-time defending convention champions, having gained each Patriot League Championships since 2012.

Primarily based on the outcomes from the 2025 championships, Aten would have landed within the ‘A’ remaining within the 100 breast, 200 breast and 400 IM and the ‘C’ remaining within the 200 IM, 200 free and 500 free, setting her as much as be a high contributor proper from the beginning. Most notably, Aten’s greatest instances would have positioned third in each the 100 and 200 breast on the meet. With one other season to go earlier than Aten joins the staff, the convention rankings may shake out in another way by the point she arrives in Annapolis, however Aten ought to be one among Navy’s top-scoring swimmers.

Presently despatched to affix Aten as a part of Navy’s class of 2030 are Elizabeth Bryan, Caprie Moreno, Hannah Bateman, Janice Qiu, Ridley Hagerman and Anastasia Orlic, who will all make for robust coaching companions over their 4 years collectively.

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