ASAU Nationals Brings Together Nation’s Top Club Swimmers

Feature by Emily Sampl

BOULDER, Colorado, April 13. EVERY spring, the NCAA Men's and Women's Division I, II and III National Championships steal the attention of the swimming world. But, there's one meet in April that flies under the radar, a competition steadily becoming faster and faster while attracting hundreds of swimmers eager to make a statement.

The American Swimming Association-University League National Championships, held last weekend at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, showcased a battle among the top collegiate club swim teams in the country, including several recently-cut varsity teams. What began as a low-key, poorly-attended meet just four years ago has blossomed into club swimming's version of the Olympics, which became immediately apparent as racing got underway last Saturday.

As three-time defending ASAU National Champions, my University of Colorado teammates and I could not ignore the fact that we would be facing much tougher competition this year than in the past. Last year, we won all eight relays contested, with our A and B teams going 1-2 in half of them.

This year, that seemed to be a tall order. With strong contingents from Penn State and Florida, led by former varsity standout Tobias Work, the relays would be anything but easy. A new rule allowing only four swimmers per team in each event would prevent any team from running the table in any individual events as well. But, these obstacles far from hindered the competition; if anything, they inspired everyone to swim just a little harder.

After only a few preliminary heats had been completed, it became apparent that the record books were under siege. In a lot of events, the previous record was lowered multiple times by more than one swimmer, and by the end of the meet, only 19 of the 50 records remained. One of the announcers probably summed it up best when the awards for the final relay of the meet were handed out: "And both teams went under the previous record…by a lot." Yeah.

Over the weekend, I witnessed some of the fastest swims I've ever seen in person, at a meet I hardly would've expected to see them at. A 20.62 50 free split? A 50.64 in the 100 IM? A couple 46's in the 100 free? These times are just a testament to how hard club swimmers work and race, and I fully expect to see even faster times next year.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend for swimming. Congratulations to my University of Colorado Buffalo teammates for winning the meet for a fourth consecutive time, and to everyone else who competed! I can hardly wait to see what next year's meet will bring!

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