FORT MYERS, Fla. – Four FGCU representatives will trade the green and blue for red, white and blue this week as head coach Dave Rollins, assistant coach Antonio Nunez-Alvarez and swimmers Izzy Ackley and Aislyn Barnett join Team USA at the 2026 FISU America Games in Lima, Peru.
The three-day swimming competition opens Friday as part of a larger multi-sport event that has drawn more than 2,000 university athletes from 18 countries to the Peruvian capital. It marks the fourth edition of the America Games, held every two years for university students throughout the Western Hemisphere. The last edition of the Games, in 2024, was held in Colombia.
Rollins will serve as head coach for Team USA, an assignment he does not take lightly.
"Representing the country is an incredible honor, first and foremost, and getting an opportunity to work with not just our student athletes but some really high-level athletes from all over the country is going to be a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me as well," Rollins said. "I can't take representing the country for granted. That's obviously the highest of highs, and I can't be more excited for it."
Nunez-Alvarez, who joins Rollins on the Team USA staff as an assistant coach, echoed that sentiment.
"It's an honor to represent Team USA at the FISU America Games. I'm very excited to see our swimmers race and compete at the highest level in Peru," Nunez-Alvarez said.
For Rollins, coaching two of his own swimmers on the international stage speaks to the trajectory of the FGCU program.
"I think it shows the growth that we've been making over the last few years," Rollins said. "Obviously Izzy and Aislyn are high level athletes that have done some incredible things for us, and they still have more time to represent FGCU, but it's continuing to show that you can accomplish really high level successes at FGCU."
Ackley and Barnett will each swim multiple events in Lima. Barnett is entered in the 400 and 1500 freestyle, while Ackley will race the 50 and 100 backstroke along with a leg on the 400 medley relay.
For both swimmers, pulling on a cap with the American flag is a milestone years in the making.
"I feel like it's the goal for everybody. Whenever you're younger, swimming for Team USA is just such an amazing opportunity," Ackley said. "And I thought swimming Division I was a great opportunity, and now to see that continue to progress and be able to now wear the title of representing the US, it's just amazing."
"We get to wear a cap with the American flag on it, that's everybody's dream," Barnett added. "We're biased but, we're swimming for our favorite country in the world."
Both swimmers pointed to the team environment as one of the more unexpected rewards of the trip. For Ackley, who has never competed on a stage of this magnitude, simply knowing she won't be racing alone is part of what makes the moment feel bigger.
"I think it's just excitement. Being on that scale is just so exciting, because I have never personally competed at a level like this, and just knowing that we'll be there together, and we'll have a team, and we'll all be working towards the same goal, and just representing is awesome," Ackley said.
The transition from short course to long course racing has also required an adjustment. Ackley, who thrives off her walls and underwater work, said she has had to focus on maintaining her stroke and speed on top of the water in the more open long course format. Barnett, a distance swimmer who spends less time underwater, said the shift has actually suited her well.
Ackley named the 50 backstroke, an event tied to a personal long-term goal, as the race she's most looking forward to in Lima.
"I love that race," Ackley said. "When I was younger, doing summer swim, my coach told me that one day he hopes I would beat the world record for the 50 backstroke in long course. That's always been my favorite goal and it's always been my favorite race."
Barnett is looking forward to a different kind of challenge in the 1500 freestyle, an event that reflects a shift in her training focus this summer.
"I love distance events," Barnett said. "Going into the college season, I had more of an emphasis on breaststroke, and then a little bit more on the distance side this summer, so I think it's really exciting getting to do new events with people I haven't swam with before."
Rollins, who has never coached in South America, said he is looking forward to the cultural experience Lima offers in addition to the competition itself.
"Getting to go to a new country I've never been to and having the opportunity to go and see and experience different cultures, interacting with teams and athletes and coaches from different countries," Rollins said. "But we're going for some business, and we're definitely going to enjoy it while we're there, but you still want to make sure that we're doing the best that we can."
Prelims begin each day at 10 a.m. ET, with finals following at 7 p.m. ET. The meet can be streamed here, with results available here.
THE FIELD IN LIMA
Team USA's roster for the swimming competition includes 44 athletes from 27 universities, split evenly between 22 men and 22 women. The group includes NCAA qualifiers, All-Americans, conference champions and record holders from both Power Four and mid-major programs, positioning Team USA as a top favorite for the swimming medal table.
The FISU America Games use entry limits that differ from most major international meets: each country may enter up to three swimmers per gender in every individual event and up to two teams in each relay. Athletes may compete in a maximum of six events and are not permitted to scratch races during the meet: any athlete who scratches after Thursday's 6 p.m. technical meeting will be barred from swimming any other event in that session.
The competition features 42 total events: 34 individual races, six traditional men's and women's relays, and two mixed relays. The mixed 4x100 freestyle relay will close out the opening day of competition, while the mixed 4x100 medley relay will cap the meet on its final day.
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