Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com

A Howell native and swimming standout recently competed in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

For the first time ever, the event is being staged on a football field and is being hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It started June 15th and runs through Sunday, June 23rd.

22-year-old Hunter Gubeno attends the University of Cincinnati and competed in the trials on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Gubeno swam in the 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter individual medley. He made the semi-finals in the 200-backstroke and took 15th overall in the U.S. for the event.

Gubeno holds nearly every swimming record at Howell High School and is wrapping up his academic career at the University of Cincinnati. The 5th year returned to the Olympic Trials after qualifying his freshman year in the 200-meter backstroke. He qualified for this year's trials last summer and again this past May.

Having been to the Olympic Trials twice now, Gubeno told WHMI it’s a very prestigious meet with all of the top swimmers and very competitive. He said the experience has been surreal and something he dreamed of in middle and high school so “it’s crazy to be living it”.

The meet was held in the stadium where the Colts play and Gubeno said a huge Olympic-sized competition pool and another warm-up pool were built right on top of the football field. He said there was also record attendance for any swim meet ever, around 22,000 attendees, and “it was an insane performance put on by USA swimming and Indianapolis”.

Gubeno added he’s proud to be able to represent Howell and the swim team there and all of the coaches and everyone who helped him get to where he is today – as well as Cincinnati for giving him the opportunity to be able to do it.

More information on Gubeno is available in the provided link.