ATLANTA, Georgia, April 16. ON April Fools' Day 2012, club swimmers all over the country were not fooling around. Over 1,100 swimmers from fifty-six different teams were competing at the annual East Coast Collegiate Swim and Dive National Championships at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta. Race footage from 2012 available at SwimmingWorld.TV.
Twenty-five meet records fell, and Colorado – Boulder won its second consecutive national title. Missouri made a comeback placing in the top three for men, women, and overall. Florida clenched the men's title, holding back Colorado from sweeping the podium. Anyone who thought the 2011 championships were stunning was stunned by the amount of talent that came in 2012. It doesn't end here.
Starting this Friday, April 19th, these teams are back in Atlanta for the 2013 East Coast Collegiate Swim and Dive National Championship. Race footage will be available at SwimmingWorld.TV once again.
The meet has exploded in attendance in nine years. Beginning in 2004, only seventy-three athletes from six teams participated. The number of teams and athletes fluctuated in the beginning until a huge jump in participation in 2011. The number of teams (twenty-eight to forty-seven) and athletes (469 to 980) almost doubled between 2010 and 2011. Georgia Tech, host of the meet, claimed the national title in its inaugural three years. Indiana claimed the title in the next three years from 2007 to 2009 and Missouri claimed the title in 2010. Colorado won the title for the past two years and hoping for its third title this year. This increase in participation and excellent reputation are making the championship more spirited, competitive, and prestigious. This year, the meet will feature sixty-one teams and 1,170 swimmers and divers from all over the country, all vying for a chance to claim the title that marks the decade of this championship meet.
Here are some headlines to watch out for this year. Colorado hopes to follow in the footsteps of Georgia Tech and Indiana and claim a third consecutive team national title. Florida returns, hungry for a second men's championship, but also have their sights set on taking Colorado down and claim the team championship themselves. Rhode Island, winners of the men's title two years ago is back from a hiatus. And Missouri, who finished third in the overall ranking in the past two years, will be seeking its first team championship trophy since 2010.
The competition at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center combines the fastest non-NCAA collegiate swimmers with one of the fastest pools in the world, providing some of the best swimming action outside the NCAA. Be sure to tune in to live stats or stop by the pool to enjoy a weekend of exciting swimming and diving action. Live stat link: http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/livestats/c-swim/
The meet begins on Friday, April 19, 2013 at 6:30PM, continuing through Saturday preliminary round at 10:00AM, finals at 6:30PM and Sunday, preliminary round starting at 9:00AM and finals starting two hours after the conclusion of the prelims. The meet is free for spectators.
For additional information, Psych Sheets, and Full Results, visit, http://www.gtswimclub.com/ecc.php
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