By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam
Oregon is one of six states in the U.S. that does not sponsor a Division I Swimming program, and it is not considered a “swimming state” by any means, but the Beaver State is starting to make an argument to be added to the conversation, at least when it comes to producing world-class breaststrokers.
Campbell McKean is the Oregonian at the forefront of everyone’s minds, as he was the breakout star of the United States Nationals, winning the 50 and 100 breaststroke events and qualifying for his first World Championships team.
McKean, a native of Bend Oregon, is not the first breaststroker to come out of the state. He is just highlighting a pattern that has only been growing for the last 10 years.
We don’t have to look far to find more of these swimmers, just a few spots back in the men’s 100 breaststroke final at Nationals. Drew Eubanks, a 16-year-old out of the Portland Dolphins, took the win in the ‘B’ final, touching in 1:00.79. He also swam the 200 breaststroke at the meet where he finished 10th overall. With these swims, Eubanks earned a spot on the United States World Juniors team this summer.
Oregon has also produced an Olympic medalist in Caspar Corbeau, who swims internationally for The Netherlands, but grew up in Portland, swimming for Tualatin-Hills Swim Club just south of the city.
Corbeau is undoubtedly the most accomplished breaststroker to come out of Oregon in recent memory, winning the Olympic bronze medal in the men’s 200 at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also has three Long Course World Championship meets under his belt, most recently the 2024 meet where he won silver in the 200 breast.
We have only mentioned men’s swimmers so far, but there are plenty of women’s swimmers as well. The National High School Record Holder in the women’s 100 breaststroke, Kaitlyn Dobler, is yet another example.
Dobler, who also swam for the Dolphins in Portland, never made a World Championships or Olympic roster, finishing just behind Lily King and Lydia Jacoby on multiple occasions, but she has certainly made her mark on the world of breaststroke swimming. On top of setting the National High School Record back in 2020, Dobler won the 100 breast for five years in a row at USC’s conference meet (four times at Pac-12s and once at Big Tens), and she won the NCAA title in the event in 2022.
The easiest place to see this phenomenon in action is at the Winter Junior Nationals Championships. Most club teams attend the meet, and athletes are still classified under their home LSC, Oregon Swimming in this case.
In the last eight Winter Juniors-West meets, OR has put eight different swimmers into ‘A’ finals in breaststroke events, totaling 16 swims. This comes out to 6% of the finals swims coming out of Oregon.
2024
Men’s 100 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 1st; Andrew Eubanks (TDPS)- 5th Men’s 200 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 1st; Andrew Eubanks (TDPS)- 3rd2023
Men’s 100 Breast: Campbell McKean (BEND)- 5th2022
Women’s 100 Breast: Kinley Wigle (BEND)- 7th2019
Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 1st; Eva Carlson (TDPS)- 6th Women’s 200 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 1st; Eva Carlson (TDPS)- 8th2018
Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 2nd; Ellie Jew (LOSC)- 4th Women’s 200 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 5th2017
Women’s 100 Breast: Kaitlyn Dobler (TDPS)- 5th; Ellie Jew (LOSC)- 8th2016
Men’s 200 Breast: Josh Bottelberghe (PAC)- 3rdBesides McKean, seven Oregon natives have made the U.S. World Champs roster since 1973, one of which also swam breaststroke. In 1986, Cara Hafner became the first Oregonian breaststroker, qualifying in the women’s 100 breaststroke, ultimately finishing 10th overall. She also swam the prelims of the women’s 400 medley relay that went on to win a silver medal.
Oregon World Championships Team Members
Year Athlete Club Event (Place) 1973 Kim Peyton David Douglas Swim Club 400 FR (2nd) 1986 Cara Hafner Corvallis Aquatic Team 100 Breast (10th), 400 MR (Prelims- 2nd) Daniel Jorgensen Multnomah Athletic Club 400 Free (3rd), 1500 Free (3rd) 1991 Daniel Jorgensen Multnomah Athletic Club 400 Free (8th) 1994 Rachel Joseph Team Eugene Aquatics 200 Back (18th) 2005 Chris Thompson Roseburg 1500 Free (20th) 2011 Morgan Scroggy Tualatin Hills Swim Club 200 Free (20th) 2017 Jacob Pebley Corvallis Aquatic Team 200 Back (3rd) 2019 Jacob Pebley Corvallis Aquatic Team 200 Back (6th)Is Oregon the newest breaststroke state? With Lily King retiring and men’s breaststroke experiencing a changing of the guard, the U.S. can use all the breaststrokers it can get right now, and Oregon is producing them.
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