U.S. Masters Swimming to Hold Nationals in Irvine and Sarasota in 2023
The governing body for masters swimming in the United States has announced the locations for its national championship events in 2023. The short course yards meet, known as the Spring National Championship, will be held at the Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, Calif., in late April, while the summer long course edition will go to Sarasota, Fla., for five days in early August.
The national meets attract 1500-2000 swimmers from across the country with ages 18 and up represented. Distance events are typically held on the first day or two days of competition followed by a full slate of events after that. This year, USMS already held the spring meet in San Antonio, while Richmond, Va., will play host to the long course meet. Those two locations were originally scheduled for hosting duties in 2020, but that year’s meets were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. USMS did host its meets in 2021 (Greensboro and Geneva, Ohio), but they were delayed to July and October, respectively, because of the pandemic.
Read the full announcement from U.S. Masters Swimming below:
The 2023 USMS Spring National Championship will be April 27–30 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine, California, and the 2023 USMS Summer National Championship will be Aug. 2–6 at the Selby Aquatic Center in Sarasota, Florida. The two national championships are expected to draw more than 3,000 swimmers combined from across the country.
“These are two amazing locations to host our pool national championships,” USMS CEO Dawson Hughes says. “After having grown up in Irvine and moving to Sarasota, I know first-hand that California and Florida are perfect swim vacation destinations and home to many of our biggest and most engaged Masters programs. Both hosts also have excellent support structures in place that’ll allow them to run their meets smoothly and provide our members with a memorable experience.”
The William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center has hosted many major competitions, including five USA Swimming National Championships and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.
The facility has undergone $2 million worth of recent investments, which includes upgrades to the scoreboards for each of the two 50-meter pools, dramatic locker room improvements, and the building of a shade structure for the 25-yard instructional pool.
“We’re excited to welcome USMS nationals back to Irvine for the first time since 1981,” says Cory Hilderbrand, community services manager for the City of Irvine, which is co-hosting the meet with Novaquatics. “The upgrades we’ve made to our historic facility will make this an enjoyable and fast meet for Masters swimmers, who’ll get a chance to explore the beaches, sights, and theme parks that make Orange County an iconic destination.”
The Selby Aquatic Center has been the site of the 2013 Pan American Masters Championships, multiple YMCA Masters National Swimming Championships, and the 2020 Toyota U.S. Open Championships. The facility is in the midst of a multi-million-dollar upgrade, which includes a new pool liner and scoreboard and mechanical and timing equipment upgrades.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to host our first USMS national championship,” says Sarasota Sharks CEO Brent Arckey, whose organization will be partnering with Visit Sarasota and Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources to host Summer Nationals. “Swimmers will get to enjoy both a fast and fun meet just a few miles away from the top beach in the U.S. and spend time in a host city home to amazing shopping and dining opportunities.”
USMS will also contest five open water national championships in 2023.
- July 13: USMS 2-Mile Cable Open Water Nationals in Foster Lake, Oregon
- July 15: USMS Marathon-Distance Open Water Nationals in Applegate Lake, Oregon
- Aug. 12: USMS Middle-Distance Open Water Nationals in Lake Oahe, South Dakota
- Sept. 10 or 17: USMS Long-Distance Open Water Nationals in Lake Mission Viejo, California
- Sept. 10 or 17: USMS Sprint-Distance Open Water Nationals in Lake Mission Viejo, California
USMS is also hosting five virtual championships: the 1-Hour Virtual Championship Jan. 1–31, the 5K/10K Virtual Championships May 15–Sept. 15, and the 3000/6000-Yard Virtual Championships Sept. 15–Nov. 15.