2024 CSCAA College Open Water National Championship
- December 15, 2024
- Florida International University in Biscayne Bay
- Men’s Individual Results
- Women’s Individual Results
- Team Results
The 2024 CSCAA 5K National Championships made a much-anticipated comeback on December 15 at Florida International University in Biscayne Bay. Last year’s event was canceled due to inclement weather, but this year’s edition more than made up for it. To make things even more exciting, the top 5 finishers in both the men’s and women’s 5K races will earn spots at the 2025 U.S. Open Water National Championships in Sarasota, Florida. The 2024 CSCAA 5K Nationals returned with thrilling races in Biscayne Bay, where top 5 finishers earned spots at the 2025 U.S. Open Water Nationals.
The day started bright and early at 8:00 a.m. with the men’s 5K race, where Australia’s Ben Wainman put on a clinic in open-water swimming. Representing Saginaw Valley State University, Wainman stormed to victory with a time of 1:00:41.97, finishing a whopping 28.2 seconds ahead of his closest competitor, Max Vega Cuevas from Texas A&M University, who clocked in at 1:01:10.17, just beating out 3rd place finisher Connor Fry (1:01:10.88) from the University of South Carolina. Trey Dickey from Texas A&M University placed 4th with a time of 1:01:12.82, and Jacob Hamlin of the University of Tampa rounded out the top 5 in 1:01:13.10.
Men’s Individual 5K Results
- Ben Wainman – 1:00:41.97 (Saginaw Valley State University)
- Max Vega Cuevas – 1:01:10.17 (Texas A&M University)
- Connor Fry – 1:01:10.88 (University of South Carolina)
- Trey Dickey – 1:01:12.82 (Texas A&M University)
- Jacob Hamlin – 1:01:13.10 (University of Tampa)
The women’s 5K kicked off at 10:00 a.m., with Ella Dyson from Rice University defending her title from 2022. Dyson, who hails from Marlow, England, cruised to the win with a time of 1:03:31.40. Miriam Frass from Youngstown State University finished 2nd in 1:06:40.41, followed closely by Villanova University’s Marlene Blanke in 3rd with a time of 1:06:41.78. Nora Fluck from the University of South Carolina secured 4th place in 1:06:41.80, and Rice University’s Ava S. Hamblett completed the top 5 with a time of 1:07:04.17.
Women’s Individual 5K Results
- Ella Dyson – 1:03:31.40 (Rice University)
- Miriam Frass – 1:06:40.41 (Youngstown State University)
- Marlene Blanke – 1:06:41.78 (Villanova University)
- Nora Fluck – 1:06:41.80 (University of South Carolina)
- Ava S. Hamblett – 1:07:04.17 (Rice University)
Notably, the men’s top 2 finishers, Wainman and Vega Cuevas, represented Australia and Mexico, respectively. On the women’s side, 4 of the top 5 finishers hailed from outside the U.S.: Dyson represented Great Britain, Frass and Blanke were from Germany, and Fluck came from Hungary. Ava Hamblett, from Orange, Connecticut, was the only U.S.-based swimmer in the women’s top 5. Similar to last month’s MPSF Championship, where all of the men’s top 3 finishers were international, it remains unclear whether U.S. Swimming will extend bids to international swimmers for the 2025 U.S. Open Water Nationals.
Men’s Team Results
- University of South Carolina: 3:03:58
- Denver University: 3:06:06
- University of Cincinnati: 3:08:50
Beyond individual performances, the team event brought another layer of competition, with results determined by the combined times of each university’s top 3 finishers. The University of South Carolina claimed the men’s team title with standout performances by Connor Fry (1:01:10.88), Ryan Turner (1:01:21.00), and Umut Yildirim (1:01:26.00), combining for a total time of 3:03:58. Following closely, Denver University secured 2nd place, with Connor Hughes (1:01:17), Joe Hancock (1:01:21), and Will Melsha (1:03:28) combining for a time of 3:06:06. The University of Cincinnati rounded out the podium, as Ido Gal (1:01:17), Max Murray (1:03:34), and Brady Beyer (1:03:59) posted a collective 3:08:50.
Women’s Team Results
- Rice University: 3:17:44
- University of South Carolina: 3:22:16
- Purdue University: 3:23:38
On the women’s side, Rice University secured the team victory, led by Ella Dyson (1:03:31.40), Ava Hamblett (1:07:04.17), and Amelia Kane (1:07:07.00), finishing with a combined time of 3:17:44. The University of South Carolina came in 2nd place with strong contributions from Nora Fluck (1:06:42), Sianna Savarda (1:07:15), and Emma Reiser (1:07:32), combining for 3:22:16. Purdue University followed in 3rd, powered by Adele Sands (1:07:20), Reagan Mattice (1:07:22), and Caitlin M. Hurley (1:07:34), finishing with a total time of 3:23:38.
Back when I raced this event there was around 40 male competitors and this year there’s more than double that. Love to see it! It would be awesome if one day it became an official NCAA sport, like swimming’s cross country.
Some people are really trying, they really are, but OW swimming continues not to get much traction in US. Somehow need to get it over the hump.
I think the solution to this would be expanding jr National along with zone level competition for swimmers which would slow more people to experience vastly different sport than pool swimming.
Some training camps would be helpful too. Pool swimming doesn’t prepare you for currents, drafting, and swimming around buoys. The fact that the US Olympic team for open water appeared to mainly train in the pool in the leadup to the Olympics and then struggled with navigating the significant current in the Seine was frustrating. We need to be offering regular opportunities for elite and developmental open water swimmers to be experiencing various open water conditions (lakes, rivers, and the ocean), as each requires a different skill set.
The US Olympic team was grossly over matched.
ASUs Dylan Gravley did not compete in this race. I assume this is because he is already a national team member with a time for the 5k of 57.20 at World Aquatics Championships – Fukuoka 2023
Times mean nothing in open water