WALNUT, CA---  St. Thomas Celt Aiden Stivers etched his name into the U.S. record book once again, breaking the American record in the men's S9 100-meter breaststroke at the 2026 Para Pan Pacific Championships, hosted by U.S. Paralympics Swimming at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California.

The Fortville, Indiana, native touched the wall in 1:09.90 during Sunday's finals session, shaving off his own record after posting 1:10.43 in the morning preliminaries — meaning he broke the national standard twice in a single day.
 

A Breakout Season

The record extends a remarkable run for the freshman, who has been one of the fastest-rising names in U.S. Para swimming since making his debut in the sport in 2022. Classified S10 overall and SB9 for breaststroke, Stivers set his first American record in the 200m breaststroke in 2023 and lowered it again the following year. His breakthrough truly arrived in 2025, when he earned a spot on his first world championships team, represented Team USA in Singapore, and set American records in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke.

Stivers joins the University of St. Thomas swim program this fall under Head Coach Hanna Huston, who brings her own international Para swimming pedigree to the role — Huston served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore. With Huston's guidance, Stivers will continue chasing his goals both in the classroom and the pool, with his sights set on the LA28 Paralympic Games — the first Paralympic Games to be held on U.S. soil since Atlanta 1996.

More Than a Stopwatch

Stivers has been candid about how much Para swimming has meant to him beyond the times on the board. Before finding the sport, he wasn't sure where he fit in; since then, he's found a community of teammates who compete alongside him rather than simply against him. He's described that shift as one where he no longer feels a step behind everyone else, and where celebrating a teammate's win feels like a win of his own. Coach Huston also expressed her excitement for Aiden, " Twice in one day! Aiden broke his own American record in the morning, then came back at night and lowered it again in finals. Breaking that 1:10 barrier is big time. I'm really impressed with him. He's had a lot of changes lately, and to perform the way he has at this meet says a lot about his commitment and talent."

That sense of team was on full display at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, where Stivers competed alongside Paralympians he had once only watched from afar — including silver medalist Grace Nuhfer, who called him a fresh presence on the U.S. roster who kept the team's energy up throughout the meet.

For Stivers, the record times are only part of the story. He's said he hopes to be remembered above all for the "legacy of kindness" he leaves behind in the sport.

Looking Ahead

With his American record now sitting at 1:09.90, Stivers heads into his collegiate career at St. Thomas as one of the top S9-classified breaststrokers in the country, and a name Celts fans will be watching closely on the road to LA28.

Tune in tonight as Aiden Competes in the Finals at 5:30 PM PDT time. Click here for updates...

UST Athletics congratulates Aiden Stivers on his American record and welcomes him to the Celts family.