Shouldering the Load — and Setting a World Junior Record

Bend’s Campbell McKean, 18, competing at the 2025 USA Swimming National Championship on June 5. Credit: USA Swimming

One of Bend’s fastest-rising, world-caliber athletes only recently graduated from high school.

On June 5, while his friends and classmates at Caldera High School threw their graduation caps into the air, McKean was at the 2025 USA Swimming National Championship in Indianapolis, competing neck-to-neck with an Olympian in the Men’s 50 Meter Breaststroke race. In the end, McKean nosed out Michael Andrew by 2-10ths of a second, finishing in 26.9 seconds. The next day, McKean secured a dub in the Men’s 100 Meter Breaststroke in 58.96 — a national record for Men 18-and-under, held by Andrew since 2016. In doing so, McKean is also the fastest 18-and-under 100 Meter breaststroker in swimming world history, according to SwimSwam and Swimmingstats.

[A previous version of this story mischaracterized McKean’s world record, which is the record for men 17-18, not overall. The Source regrets the error.]

McKean’s victories mean he’ll join Team USA, as he did in 2024. This time, they’ll compete at the World Championships in Singapore, beginning July 26. And this fall, McKean will join first-pick swimming and diving program at the University of Texas, which won the 2025 NCAA National Championship in March.

Back in Bend and reached by phone, McKean said the dust was still settling after his two national championship wins and world record. But he was also pleased with his other placements — sixth in the 200 Meter Breaststroke (2:11.13) on June 4 and seventh in the Men’s 200 Meter Individual Medley (2:02.06) on June 7. McKean noted that he was seeded in 31st place going into the 200 Breaststroke; he set personal records in each of these events, as well.

McKean’s performances have firmly placed him in the big leagues.

“I’m a little nervous just to be up there with the older guys, but yeah, it feels great,” McKean said. “I qualified for Team USA last year and I’m super excited the same way.”

McKean’s coach Jim Nickell puts the swimmer’s personal bests in perspective.

“Now Campbell is the second-fastest breaststroker in the world,” Nickell said. “His development has been magnificent over the last four years.”

McKean competed in the 2024 Olympic Trails, racing in the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Breaststroke.

At this year’s national championships, it may have seemed risky that McKean tackled an energy-zapping 200 Breaststroke the day before his two best events, which both rely on explosive power and perfect timing. But that risk was one that McKean and Nickell calculated together. By competing in the extra races, McKean demonstrated that he can shoulder a broadened race load and still dominate in his specialty events. That’s a winning quality for a newly reminted member of Team USA, which has a place for a standout breaststroker in their medley relays, Nickell said.

“We wanted to put something out in international space, like, ‘We have a breaststroker that nobody knows about yet,’” Nickell said. “You gotta wait to prove it, and this week was a big step in that direction.”

Nickell is the executive director and head coach of Bend Swim Club. He became McKean’s coach when he took the job at Bend Swim last fall. Nickell was struck by the grounding effect McKean’s focus and work ethic has on his teammates. Having coached swimming for 44 years, Nickell said he’s only worked with four or five swimmers that possess McKean’s special alchemy of talent, focus, discipline and drive.

“Campbell is always first in the water,” Nickell said. “Anytime I’ve challenged Campbell, he’s said, ‘OK, let’s try it.’”