College National Open Water Championships

Collegiate student-athletes from across the United States converge on Nathan Benderson Park for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America's Open Water Championships. The rigorous race utilizes the park's world-class, man-made lake, demanding both physical endurance and tactical drafting skills from the competing swimmers. The event acts as a proving ground for university distance specialists, shifting them out of the controlled environment of a pool into the unpredictable currents and pack-swimming dynamics of open water. The flat, buoy-marked course offers clear sightlines for coaches and spectators tracking the lead packs.