USATF Names 40 Athletes to 2025 Para World Championships Team

INDIANAPOLIS – After three action-packed days of competition at the USATF Para National Championships in Eugene, Ore., USA Track & Field today announced the 40 athletes that will represent the United States at the 2025 Para Athletics World Championships this September in New Delhi, India. 

A veteran-loaded squad will head to New Delhi to represent Team USA, with 31 athletes having competed last summer at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

“As we enter this new Paralympic quad, it is essential for us to reestablish ourselves as one of the most dominant teams on the world stage,” Sherrice Fox, Director, Paralympics Track & Field, at USATF, said. “These athletes all have elite international experience, and I am confident that they will set the tone in New Delhi as we start to build toward Los Angeles in 2028.”

Four athletes who won Paralympic gold in 2024 will lead the U.S. contingent in New Delhi, including two-time Paris champions Ezra Frech (Los Angeles, California) and Jaydin Blackwell (Oak Park, Michigan), who are on the rise after each earning the first Paralympic medals of their careers last summer. Frech was victorious in the men’s high jump and men’s 100m T63, while Blackwell earned his titles in the 100m and 400m T38. 

Five-time Paralympic medalists Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah) and Roderick Townsend (Stockton, California) are the other 2024 Paralympic champions to make the roster. Woodhall captured both the men’s 100m T62/64 and men’s 400m T62 national titles in Eugene. Townsend took home a national title in his signature event, the men’s high jump T46.

Team USA will bring a wealth of experience to jumps. In addition to Frech and Townsend, Paralympic medalists Derek Loccident (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), Jaleen Roberts (Kent, Washington), Beatriz Hatz (Lakewood, Colorado), Trenten Merrill (San Juan Capistrano, California) and Isaac Jean-Paul (Grayslake, Illinois) will seek podium repeats in the men’s and women’s long jump T64 (Loccident and Hatz), women’s long jump T37 (Roberts) and the men’s long jump T13 (Jean-Paul) after medaling in Paris last summer. Looking for their first international podiums since switching to long jump, Nick Mayhugh (Manassas, Virginia) and Noelle Lambert (Manchester, New Hampshire) will compete in the long jump T38 and T63, respectively, along with the 100m. 

In addition to Blackwell and Woodhall, Team USA fields a team of sprinters who has proven experience on the world stage. Paralympic silver medalist Ryan Medrano (El Paso, Texas) will join Blackwell in the T38 sprints as he makes his third world championships team. Paralympic medalists Taylor Swanson (Spokane, Washington), Korban Best (Southlake, Texas), Kym Crosby (Yuba City, California), Jarryd Wallace (Athens, Georgia), Brittni Mason (Cleveland, Ohio), as well as Paralympians Sydney Barta (Arlington, Virginia), Lindi Marcusen (Spokane, Washington), Jonathan Gore (Fayetteville, West Virginia), Desmond Jackson (Durham, North Carolina) and Annie Carey (Boise, Idaho) will also represent the U.S. in ambulatory sprints. 

Two-time Paralympian Hannah Dederick (Mead, Washington) will be Team USA’s sole representative in wheelchair racing after several teammates opted out due to marathon obligations, while Sayers Grooms (Gainesville, Florida) makes the team in frame running. 

Five middle distance runners punched their tickets to New Delhi out of Eugene, led by 2016 Paralympic champion Michael Brannigan (Northport, New York) and two-time Paralympic medalist Liza Corso (Newmarket, New Hampshire). Paralympians Leo Merle (Folsom, California), Kaitlin Bounds (Ruselville, Arkansas) and Joel Gomez (Encinitas, California) round out Team USA’s mid-distance roster.

Throwers returning to the world championships stage include Paralympic silver medalist and reigning shot put F44/64 world championships silver medalist Arelle Middleton (Rancho Cucamonga, California). The 17-year-old has burst onto the scene in the sport and has medaled at both of the major international events at which she has competed. Also competing in throws will be Paralympic medalists Josh Cinnamo (San Diego, California) and Justin Phongsavanh (Des Moines, Iowa) and Paralympians Jessica Heims (Swisher, Iowa) and Samantha Heyison (Adamstown, Maryland). 

Several athletes will make their world championships debuts for Team USA in India, including T36 athlete Kate Hwang (Courtland, Minnesota), who came into her first-ever Para National Championships and qualified for worlds in women’s shot put F36. Hwang, a former Kansas City police officer who retired after sustaining a traumatic brain injury on-duty, won a second national title in the 100m T36. Joining Hwang in throws is retired U.S. Navy corp Max Rohn (Longmont, Colorado), San Diego State University adaptive athlete Alicia Guerrero (Wapato, Washington) and Chloe Chavez (Panhandle, Texas). Guerrero and Chavez are set for their first world championships after last competing internationally at the 2023 Parapan American Games. 

Also making her international debut is 17-year-old Violet Hall (Bloomington, Indiana), who impressed in her first nationals, winning the 200m T47 and the 100m ambulatory open competitions. She will be joined by newcomer Kerragan Johnson (Arlington, Texas), also a high schooler who stood out in her first national meet. 

A full roster can be found below.

2025 USATF Para World Championships Roster

Men

Korban Best (Southlake, Texas)

Jaydin Blackwell (Oak Park, Michigan)

Michael Brannigan (Northport, New York)

Josh Cinnamo (San Diego, California)

Ezra Frech (Los Angeles, California)

Joel Gomez (Encinitas, California)

Jonathan Gore (Fayetteville, West Virginia)

Desmond Jackson (Durham, North Carolina)

Isaac Jean-Paul (Grayslake, Illinois)

Derek Loccident (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

Nick Mayhugh (Manassas, Virginia)

Ryan Medrano (El Paso, Texas)

Leo Merle (Folsom, California)

Trenten Merrill (San Juan Capistrano, California)

Justin Phongsavanh (Des Moines, Iowa)

Max Rohn (Longmont, Colorado)

Roderick Townsend (Stockton, California)

Jarryd Wallace (Athens, Georgia)

Hunter Woodhall (Syracuse, Utah)

Women

Sydney Barta (Arlington, Virginia)

Kaitlin Bounds (Russelville, Arkansas)

Annie Carey (Boise, Idaho)

Chloe Chavez (Panhandle, Texas)

Liza Corso (Newmarket, New Hampshire)

Kym Crosby (Yuba City, California)

Hannah Dederick (Mead, Washington)

Sayers Grooms (Gainsville, Florida)

Alicia Guerrero (Wapato, Washington)

Violet Hall (Bloomington, Indiana)

Beatriz Hatz (Lakewood, Colorado)

Jessica Heims (Swisher, Iowa)

Samantha Heyison (Adamstown, Maryland)

Kate Hwang (Courtland, Minnesota)

Kerragan Johnson (Arlington, Texas)

Noelle Lambert (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Lindi Marcusen (Spokane, Washington)

Brittni Mason (Richmond Heights, Ohio)

Arelle Middleton (Rancho Cucamonga, California)

Jaleen Roberts (Kent, Washington)

Taylor Swanson (Spokane, Washington)