December 13, 2025 – The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) proudly hosted the Open Water National Championship today at the beautiful Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. The event, featured an exhilarating competition with nearly 240 student-athletes from 45 institutions, representing teams from all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA.
This year’s championship recognized top finishers by division. The first-place finisher for each gender in Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA were honored during the award ceremonies.
Maureen Palchak, CSCAA Chief Operations Officer said, “What a fantastic weekend, an incredible location, outstanding competition, and a level of enthusiasm for open water that continues to rise. We’re excited to help elevate the sport in any way we can. Kudos to the swimmers, especially those who tried something new, and a sincere thanks to the coaches who made it all possible.”
Each institution’s team score was calculated using the times of its top three finishers. The combined time of these three athletes determined the team’s placement, with the lowest total time earning the highest team position. A maximum of five athletes per team were entered for scoring purposes. Teams must enter at least three athletes to be eligible for team scoring.
The CSCAA would also like to extend our gratitude to Visit Sarasota and Keifer for their generous sponsorship and hospitality.
The top finishers and full results can be found below and on the CSCAA Open Water webpage.
Men's Results
Team Results
Grand Valley State University: 2:40:37.1
West Virginia University: 2:44:05.3
- University of Cincinnati : 2:47:09
Individual Results
Mevlut Efe Guler, Lynn University 52:54.1
Joshua Brown, University of Michigan 52:55.6
Matt Cinque, Boston College 52:56.0
The Grand Valley State trio of Berk Boz (53:22.7), Raul Briceno (53:29.4), and Anton Zeno Rauch (53:45) secured first place with a combined time of 2:40:37.1. Finishing in second place were the West Virginia Mountaineers, represented by Parker Sterlitz (53:16.1), Jake Salcedo (55:19.6), and Ian McKinney (55:30.2) for a combined time of 2:44:05.3.
Mevlut Efe Guler (1st), Lynn University was the overall winner as well as the highest place Division II competitor, Joshua Brown (2nd), University of Michigan claimed the title as highest Division I athlete, Thomas Langlois (8th), Whittier College placed highest amongst Division III entrants while Atakan Ercan (11th), Milligan University was the highest placing NAIA racer.
Women's Results
Team Results
Rice University: 3:17:44
Villanova University: 3:22:10
- University of Cincinnati: 2:59:49
Individual Results
Ella Dyson, Rice University 56:05.7
Ava Portello, Rice University 57:46.7
Marlene Blanke, Villanova University 58:31.1
The Rice Owls trio of Ella Dyson (56:05.7), Ava Portello (57:46.7) and Ava Hamblett (59:18) finished in first place with a combined time of 2:53:10.4. Coming in second place was the Villanova Wildcats group of Marlene Blanke (58:31.1), Riley Hull (58:39.2) and Peri Gaguzis (59:21.5) with a combined time of 2:56:31.8.
Ella Dyson (1st), Rice University represents the highest overall and Division I women’s finisher, Katharina Hibbeln (4th), Tampa University came in as the highest placing Division II athlete, Lydia Buechler (54th), DePauw University was the highest placing Division III swimmer while Riley Renaud (44th), Milligan University placed the highest amongst NAIA competitors
Thank You to our Sponsors
About the CSCAA
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) – the first collegiate coaches association – is a professional organization of college swimming and diving coaches dedicated to serving and leading the advancement of the sport of swimming & diving at the collegiate level. With a mission to protect, preserve and expand college swimming and diving opportunities, the CSCAA provides valuable resources, educational opportunities, and leadership development to its members, fostering a thriving and competitive collegiate swimming and diving community.
