By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
NCAA All-Americans Tyler Ray, Jack Wilkening, and Jack Aikins will all be making the move to Texas to train under Bob Bowman in Austin. All three just wrapped up there NCAA careers. Ray and Wilkening spent their collegiate careers at Michigan while Aikins spent his career at Virginia.
Aikins is currently a member of the 2025-2026 US National Team in the 200 backstroke. Aikins represented the US at the 2025 World Championships last summer, swimming in prelims of the 100 and 200 backstrokes. He earned his spot on the Worlds team after winning the 200 back in a lifetime best 1:54.25 at 2025 US Nationals. He also was 2nd in the 100 back in a 53.19.
Aikins will be joining the training group at altitude camp on May 18th, right after his graduation from Virginia.
He told SwimSwam, “I have nothing but love and respect for UVA and the people there. However, I’ve been training there since 2021, and believe a change in training stimulus and a new environment will be really beneficial as I move forward into my professional career. It’ll be exciting to be part of a big professional group that’s collectively focused on ambitious goals in the post-NCAA world of swimming. I’ll have a pretty insane group of training partners as well. No better way to challenge myself and grow.”
Ray will make the move to Texas despite a huge senior season with the Michigan Wolverines. Ray was 3rd in the 200 fly and 5th in the 100 fly at the 2026 NCAA Championships. Ray did not swim at all last summer, so his last long course meet is back from July 2024.
“There’s superstars from top to bottom in that group,” Ray said to the Livingston Daily. “There are U.S. and international Olympians and Olympic medalists in that group. I was looking for a big step out of my comfort zone. I really loved my time at Michigan. I have great training partners here and great coaches.”
Fellow Michigan teammate Jack Wilkening is also making the move to Austin. Wilkening swam a lifetime best 43.98 100 back while leading off Michigan’s 400 medley relay at 2026 NCAAs.
Wilkening did compete during long course season last summer and was 6th in both the 50 back (24.88) and 100 back (53.87) at 2025 US Summer Nationals. He was in the same finals heats as Aikins.
“Super excited for the opportunity in Texas, and grateful for everyone in Ann Arbor who has helped me become the swimmer and person I am today,” Wilkening told SwimSwam. “I would especially like to thank Matt and Gunnar for their investment into growing the UM program and thankful they support my decision. Grateful for the opportunity to train with and learn from Coach Bowman and some of the best backstrokers in American and the world!”
Wilkening and Aikins will join a backstroke group that includes names such as 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 200 back Hubert Kos as well as Will Modglin who was 3rd in the 50 back and 5th in the 100 back at 2025 US Summer Nationals. Ray joins the butterfly group that includes 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist in the 200 fly Leon Marchand, 2025 Worlds finalist in the 200 fly Carson Foster, as well as Mitchell Schott who was an ‘A’ finalist at 2026 NCAAs in the 200 fly and is arriving after graduating from Princeton.
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