Team USA Wraps Indianapolis World Series With 21 Medals on Final Day of Competition

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – Team USA saved its best performance for the final day of competition at the 2025 Para Swimming World Series – USA at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. American athletes brought home its largest single-day medal haul of the weekend with 21, including four gold medals.

The event served as the U.S. selection event for the 2025 Para Swimming World Championships, which will take place in Singapore in September. U.S. Paralympics Swimming is expected to announce its team in May.

The third and final day of racing was headlined by a Team USA podium sweep in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S1-13 from Leanne Smith (Salem, Massachusetts), Gia Pergolini (Atlanta, Georgia) and Grace Nuhfer (Greenwood, Indiana), and 1-2 finishes in both the men’s and women’s 100-meter butterfly races.

Paris teammates and Paralympic medalists Smith, Pergolini and Nuhfer highlighted the evening by sweeping the women’s 50-meter freestyle S1-13 podium for Team USA. Smith’s time of 40.27 approached the S3 world record she set in the event on Thursday to win the event ahead of her S13 teammates, who finished in second and third.

Smith has had a dominant meet thus far, winning all five events she entered and setting three S3 world records.

“I went into Paris burnt out and was able to bury it, so as soon as I was home I didn’t want to see a pool for awhile. I think just shaking things up and taking that break and really reevaluating helped me. I quickly found that I still really enjoyed being in the water and the love for it came back. We’ve just really been checking in day in and day out and making sure life remains balanced and well-rounded, and we’re seeing the results as we’ve gotten into the start of the season.”

Pergolini also had a stellar night. In addition to her silver in the women’s 50-meter freestyle behind Smith, she also won her signature 100-meter backstroke event in dominant fashion, posting a time of 1:06.05 to win the mixed class event out of the S13 class. Close behind her was 10-time Paralympic medalist Elizabeth Marks (Colorado Springs, Colorado), who earned her first medal of the weekend with bronze.

Nuhfer also snagged two medals on the final night of competition. In addition to her bronze in the 50-meter freestyle, she earned silver in the women’s 100-meter butterfly.

The University of Akron swimmer just wrapped her final collegiate season.

“I’m really excited with how I performed this weekend,” she said. “It’s been a long road coming off of [the Paralympic Games] and then going into college season. I’m really proud of myself for showing up and working on some new things for world championships this fall.”

Also winning her first medal of the weekend was three-time Paralympic medalist Julia Gaffney (Mayflower, Arkansas), who combined with seven-time Paralympic medalist Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minnesota) for a 1-2 finish in the women’s 200-meter individual medley. Competing as an SM7, Gaffney’s time of 3:01.81 topped the field, with Weggemann, also an SM7, close behind in 3:05.84.

Rounding out a stellar weekend was 16-year-old Koehn Boyd (Ramsey, Minnesota), who capped his first international meet with his first gold medal with a win in the men’s 100-meter butterfly. His time of 56.59 edged teammate Lawrence Sapp (Waldorf, Maryland), who took silver in both the 100-meter butterfly and backstroke.

Boyd, who won six events at the 2024 U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships, is one of Team USA’s brightest young stars. He also took silver in the men’s 200-meter individual medley and set American records in both of his event finals today.

“In prelims I was just trying to see how I felt and knew I was going to get some good rest in before finals,” Boyd said. “With a lot of prayer and mental preparation I was able to bring home some really good times in finals. It was not only cool to win some medals, but it was so cool to watch everyone else compete and represent Team USA. It was so cool to see the team camaraderie and meeting all these new people, it was a great experience.”

Wrapping Team USA’s medals was Yaseen El-Demerdash (Overland Park, Kansas), who won bronze behind Sapp in the men’s 100-meter backstroke. El-Demerdash swam to a time of 1:04.60 to bring home his first medal of the weekend.

Up-and-coming American athletes also earned eight youth medals on the evening. Youth medals are awarded to the top 18-and-under finishers in the evening final events. Team USA was led by national team members Cara Pennington (Elkton, Maryland), who was the youth champion in the women’s 100-meter backstroke, and Lucas Culotta (Brecksville, Ohio), who earned two youth podiums with a silver and a bronze. National team members Kenley Teller (Haymarket, Virginia) and Noah Busch (Owings, Maryland), as well as Brit Conrad (Zionsville, Indiana), Momo Sutton (Kissimmee, Florida) and Casey Freeman (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) also appeared on youth podiums on the final night of competition.

With competition reaching its conclusion, U.S. Paralympics Swimming is set to name its team for the 2025 Para Swimming World Championships, which will take place in September in Singapore. Follow U.S. Paralympics Swimming on Facebook, X, and Instagram for updates on the team.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – Day 3

Men’s 100-meter Backstroke S1-2, 6-14

1. Thomas Gallagher (AUS)
2. Lawrence Sapp (USA)
3. Yaseen El-Demerdash (USA)

Men’s 100-meter Backstroke S1-2, 6-14 – Youth

1. Juan Ruiz Ascencio (MEX)
2. Lucas Culotta (USA)
3. Jonathan Hernandez Gonzalez (MEX)

Women’s 100-meter Backstroke S1-2, 6-14

1. Gia Pergolini (USA)
2. Mary Jibb (CAN)
3. Ellie Marks (USA)

Women’s 100-meter Backstroke S1-2, 6-14 – Youth

1. Cara Pennington (USA)
2. Kenley Teller (USA)
3. Alma Jimenez Pinedo (MEX)

Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S1-13

1. Simone Barlaam (ITA)
2. Gabriel Dos Santos Araujo (BRA)
3. Callum Simpson (AUS)

Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S1-13 – Youth

1. Callum Simpson (AUS)
2. Noah Busch (USA)
3. Lucas Culotta (USA)

Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S1-13

1. Leanne Smith (USA)
2. Gia Pergolini (USA)
3. Grace Nuhfer (USA)

Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S1-13 – Youth

1. Husnah Kukundakwe (UGA)
2. Brit Conrad (USA)
3. Ali Diehl (CAN)

Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM5-14

1. Ricky Betar (AUS)
2. Koehn Boyd (USA)
3. Simone Barlaam (ITA)

Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM5-14

1. Julia Gaffney (USA)
2. Mallory Weggemann (USA)
3. Kael Thompson (AUS)

Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM5-14 – Youth

1. Kael Thompson (AUS)
2. Ali Diehl (CAN)
3. Casey Freeman (USA)

Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S8-14

1. Koehn Boyd (USA)
2. Lawrence Sapp (USA)
3. Alex Saffy (AUS)

Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S8-14

1. Emily Beecroft (AUS)
2. Grace Nuhfer (USA)
3. Kael Thompson (AUS)

Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S8-14 – Youth

1. Kael Thompson (AUS)
2. Victoria Belando Nicholson (AUS)
3. Momo Sutton (USA)