2026 Athlete Awards Ballot

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Voter Name* This field is required.
First Name
Last Name
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USA Swimming ID* This field is required.Please Note: You MUST enter your USA Swimming member ID in order for your vote to count. Only registered ATHLETE members of USA Swimming may vote.

Female Athlete of the Year Nominees

Maggie Dahl (KCB)

Rapid improvement this summer. 2 Top 8 finishes at Futures (3rd in 50 Free, 4th in 100 Free)

MV Age Group (17-18) Rank

50 Free LCM - 2nd

100 Free LCM - 2nd

Avery Hogue (CNS)

Provides positivity and great leadership for her team

MV Age Group (15-16) Rank

1000 Free SCY - 2nd

400 IM SCY - 3rd

Averi Thornhill (NWSC)

Works hard and puts effort into every swim. Great teammate and is ready to make friends along the way.

Karsyn Ward (EKC)

Good sportsmanship and a kind person to have as a competitor.

MV Age Group (13-14) Rank

200 Backstroke LCM - 1st

400 IM SCY - 1st

Melinda Zhang (EKC)

Works hard in and out of the pool, great teammate and helps to lift others.

MV Age Group (13-14) Rank

200 Breaststroke LCM - 2nd

400 IM LCM - 3rd

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Female Athlete of the Year* This field is required.
Maggie Dahl
Avery Hogue
Averi Thornhill
Karsyn Ward
Melinda Zhang

Male Athlete of the Year Nominees

Banks Anderson (AAAA)

Great season! Making a Jump into the Junior National ranks. Always handles his business with great character and humility.

MV Age Group (17-18) Rank

200 Butterfly LCM - 2nd

200 IM LCM - 2nd

Ellis Crisci (TST)

Represented Team USA at Junior Pan Pacific Championships in four invdividual events as well as a member of the gold medal winning 800 Free Relay. Spring Sectionals Champ in 500, 1000, 1650 Free and 400 IM.

MV Age Group (17-18) Rank

400 Free LCM - 1st

1500 Free LCM - 1st

Grisham Gutshall (CNS)

Extremely hard worker, kindness to teammates, incredible determination.

MV Age Group (17-18) Rank

50 Butterfly LCM - 5th

100 Butterfly LCM - 7th

Will Hennenfent (TST)

He brings dedication and works hard every day to get better at practice. He shows support to all of his teammate’s in and out of the water, even when no one is watching.

MV Age Group (13-14) Rank

400 Free LCM - 4th

1500 Free LCM - 3rd

Mateo Sherwood (AAAA)

Very kind, hard worker.

MV Age Group (15-16) Rank

400 Free LCM - 2nd

1500 Free LCM - 2nd

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Male Athlete of the Year* This field is required.
Banks Anderson
Ellis Crisci
Grisham Gutshall
Will Hennenfent
Mateo Sherwood

12 & Under Female Performance Nominees

Hayley Anderson (WSC) - 12

200 IM LCM (2:29.65)

1st Place (11-12) at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships -

New Sectional qualification

848 Power Points

Layni Eggen (WAR) - 10

50 Breaststroke LCM (40.38)

2nd Place (10 & U) at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships

812 Power Points

Zoe Hatfield (TST) - 12

50 Breaststroke LCM (33.58)

1st Place (11-12) at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships

New Summer Junior Nationals qualification

968 Power Points

Sloan Wollard (CSC) - 11

200 Backstroke LCM (2:37.37)

2nd Place (11-12) at MV Long Course Championships

861 Power Points

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12 & Under Female Performance of the Year* This field is required.
Hayley Anderson
Layni Eggen
Zoe Hatfield
Sloan Wollard

12 & Under Male Performance Nominees

Owen Johnson (BSPC) - 10

50 Backstroke LCM (35.22)

1st Place (10 & U) at LC Age Group Championships

866 Power Points

Ralen Ryan (WSC) - 12

200 Free LCM (2:10.79)

2nd Place (11-12) at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships

820 Power Points

Guilherme Sposito (EKC) - 11

200 Breaststroke LCM (3:00.32)

3rd Place (11-12) at LC Age Group Championships

882 Power Points

Nathaniel Yeh (EKC) - 10

100 Butterfly LCM (1:15.60)

2nd Place (10 & U) at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships

812 Power Points

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12 & Under Male Performance of the Year* This field is required.
Owen Johnson
Ralen Ryan
Guilherme Sposito
Nathaniel Yeh

13 & Over Female Performance Nominees

Kinley Baber (EKC) - 16

50 Breaststroke SCY (28.67)

3rd Place at Region VIII Sectional Champsionships

934 Power Points

Katelyn Geren (EKC) - 13

50 Breast LCM (33.88)

3rd Place at Central Zone 14 & Under Championships

929 Power Points

Ella Marsh (AAAA) - 15

200 Butterfly SCY (2:02.40)

6th Place at Region VIII Sectional Champsionships

841 Power Points

Lucy Velte (EKC) - 17

200 IM LCM (2:15.77)

2nd Place at Summer Junior National Championships

938 Power Points

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13 & Over Female Performance of the Year* This field is required.
Kinley Baber
Katelyn Geren
Ella Marsh
Lucy Velte

13 & Over Male Performance Nominees

Ryan Coughenour (CSC) - 18

200 Breaststroke LCM (2:13.30)

1st Place at Summer Junior Nationals

1000 Power Points

Ellis Crisci (TST) - 17

1650 Free SCY (14:47.10)

1st Place at Spring Region VIII Sectionals

982 Power Points

Graham Ellis (WSC) - 14

200 Breaststroke LCM (2:27.68)

9th Place at Summer Region VIII Sectionals

908 Power Points

Graham Henderson (TST) - 16

50 Backstroke SCY (22.18)

2nd Place at Spring Region VIII Sectionals

1001 Power Points

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13 & Over Male Performance of the Year* This field is required.
Ryan Coughenour
Ellis Crisci
Graham Ellis
Graham Henderson

Most Improved Female Nominees

Maggie Dahl (KCB) - 18

Huge time cuts in sprint events over the last year. Placed 3rd in the 50 Free and 4th in the 100 Free at Futures.

Kaylee Thompson (WSC) - 12

Rapid development into a well-rounded swimmer. Won a handful of events at AG Long Course Championships and qualified for Zones in multiple strokes.

Josie Whorton (NWSC) - 14

Very successful summer being a first time Zone qualifier in three events.

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Most Improved Female* This field is required.
Maggie Dahl
Kaylee Thompson
Josie Whorton

Most Improved Male Nominees

Luis Gonzalez (WSC) - 14

A newcomer to the sport, Luis has improved quickly. A first time Zone qualifier, Luis won 2 individual events at AG Long Course Championships and one consolation final at Zones.

Hayden Hough (MSA) - 15

Hayden's development over the past year has been remarkable, progressing from a swimmer who earned his first short-course Age Group Champs qualification at Districts last season to an All-Star champion, Missouri Valley Senior Champion, and Sectionals finalist this season.
His most significant time drops include:
200 Fly SCY: 2:17.22 → 2:00.46 (2026), an improvement of 16.76 seconds
500 Free SCY: 6:15.79 → 4:54.33 (2026), an improvement of 1:21.46
200 Free SCY: 2:13.80 → 1:53.12 (2025), an improvement of 20.68 seconds
100 Fly SCY: 1:06.46 → 55.19 (2025), an improvement of 11.27 seconds
100 Free SCY: 1:00.31 → 50.60 (2026), an improvement of 9.71 seconds
1500 Free LCM: 19:06.75 → 17:23.72 (2026), an improvement of 1:43.03

Colborn Trout (AAAA) - 15

Started the year with 1 sectionals cut in the 1500.

Entered 6 events at Spring Sectionals with 2 events using bonus cuts.

Ended the summer with 5 events at Futures, making 2 Winter Junior cuts.

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Most Improved Male* This field is required.
Luis Gonzalez
Hayden Hough
Colborn Trout

Distance Performance of the Year

Ellis Crisci (TST) - 17

1650 Freestyle (14:47.10) as Spring Sectionals

This time was the 2nd fastest time this year in the 17-18 boys age group

Evan Parkes (TST) - 14

1500 Free (17:53.06) at AG Long Course Championships

Cut a minute off his best time to qualify for Zones with this swim.

Colborn Trout (AAAA) - 15

800 Free (8:27.32) at Futures

4th place finish and a Winter Juniors cut

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Distance Performance of they Year* This field is required.
Ellis Crisci
Evan Parkes
Colborn Trout
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