The 2016 Collegiate Swim Coaches’ Association of American (CSCAA) Open Water National Championships, the first-ever edition of the meet organized by the group, was raced today in Lone Star Lake outside of Lawrence, Kansas.
The Kansas Jayhawks, on the strength of the top three individual finishers, won the women’s team title with a combined time of 3:17:20.99 from their top 3 finishers. That put them three minutes faster than the runners-up from Rice University.
Meanwhile, on the men’s side, the University of Cincinnati topped the field by a similar margin, though Division II school Emmanuel College and Carson Newman had the top two individual finisherse.
Women’s Race
The official results showed a dead-heat for the victory in the race, as Kansas’ Libby Walker and Haley Bishop touched at the end of the 5 kilometer race in 1:05:48.32, with teammate Jenny Nusbaum just behind them in 1:05:48.85.
The highest non-Kansas finisher was former NCSA Junior National Champion Hanna Huston of Rice, who was two seconds behind in 1:05:50.08.
Kansas was the only “Power 5 Conference” school to participate in the event.
Final women’s team standings:
- Kansas – 3:17:20.99
- Rice – 3:20:24.06
- Cincinnati – 3:25:23.75
- Carson-Newman – 3:28:09.32
- St. Louis – 3:33:50.93
- Oklahoma Baptist “A” – 3:37:12.09
- Oklahoma Baptist “B” – 3:48:58.80
- Colorado School of Mines – 3:51:11.49
Alaska-Fairbanks, North Florida, and Ohio Wesleyan were also represented in the championships, but without 5 participants to register in the team standings.
Men’s Race
The hosts from Kansas don’t have a men’s team, leaving the day’s other race wide open.
The final battle still came down to a touch, with Emmanuel College’s Stanislas Raczynski and Carson-Newman’s Marcelo Figueiredo separated by less than a second.
On the clock, it was Raczynski, a two-time Appalachian Conference Champion, who touched first.
Cincinnati, however, finished 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th, and that depth gave them the team title.
- Cincinnati – 3:09.29
- Carson-Newman – 3:12.43
- St. Louis “A” – 3:14.46
- Oklahoma Baptist “A” – 3:16:28
- Colorado School of Mines “”A” – 3:23:48
- Saint Louis “B” – 3:25:07
- Albion College – 3:28:49
- Colorado School of Mines “B” – 3:39:09
- Oklahoma Baptist “B” – 3:39:10
Ohio Wesleyan was also represented in the championships, but without 5 participants to register in the team standings.
Great to see this event happening in college ranks now, finally. Questions:
1. Shouldn’t the men’s section read “The hosts from Kansas don’t have a *men’s* team”, especially since the Kansas women won the women’s title?
2. How far did the men swim?
Thank you.
Great to see an open water championship. Hopefully the 1st step in making it an NCAA Sport!