On Wednesday, Matthew Fallon, a sophomore phenom on Penn men's swimming, was named to the 2022-23 United States National Team along with 98 other swimmers.
Fallon — who has set stellar performances since his Penn debut — earned the spot after a recent race in the 2022 Phillips 66 National Championship in which he finished with the fastest time in the 200-meter breaststroke, touching the wall at 2:07.91. The time marked the No. 7-fastest 200 breaststroke swim in U.S. history.
The U.S. men’s national team that Fallon was just named to features 36 Olympians — 31 of which are medalists — and accomplished stars like Caeleb Dressel. The national team has many swimmers that are favorites to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris as well as some up-and-coming swimmers looking to qualify for the first time.
“My goal is always to just improve. I sort of set goals as they come,” Fallon told the DP this summer. “I haven’t pinpointed any goals for the season yet. Right now, I’m just working on improving even further.”
Fallon also performed well at the collegiate level during his sole season as a Quaker, as he is currently the reigning 200 breast champion, runner-up in the 100 breast event, and eighth-place finisher in the 200 IM at the Ivy Championships. Fallon also qualified for the NCAA Championships last year in the 100 and 200 breast events.
The Warren, N.J. native’s strongest stroke is the breaststroke, specifically the 200 event, which is the expected event he will swim for the national team.
“Separating the kick and the pull a little bit was something small that I put into my training, that I think helps in the long run,” Fallon reviewed following his training in Athens, Ga. through the summer. “But this summer was just all about improving and building on what I had done previously in the year.”
Fallon has many competitive years ahead of him — three with the Red and Blue — as he looks to elevate his name on the stage of competitive swimming. At his current form, the star Quaker forecasts a bright future ahead, and making the national team is yet a gateway to accomplishing higher goals.
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