Seeds Set for Inaugural CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge
The seeds are set for next week’s inaugural CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge, with the most recent CSCAA Top 25 poll setting the hierarchy of conference representatives.
The first-of-its-kind dual meet showcase will bring together Tennessee, Michigan, Arizona State and Virginia for a series of dual meets at Knoxville’s Allan Jones Aquatic Center from Nov. 21-23. The tournament is double-elimination, with the No. 2 seed taking on No. 4 and a 2-vs.-3 matchup.
Winners will face each other, as well as losers, with the loser of the first meet to take on the winner of the second meet. That sets up the Day 3 meets for first place and third place.
The seeds on the men’s side are:
- No. 1 Arizona State (No. 2 overall in the latest CSCAA rankings)
- No. 2 Tennessee (No. 9 overall)
- No. 3 Michigan (No. 11 overall)
- No. 4 Virginia (No. 12 overall)
And on the women’s:
- No. 1 Virginia (No. 1 overall)
- No. 2 Michigan (No. 7 overall)
- No. 3 Tennessee (No. 9 overall)
- No. 4 Arizona State (No. 19 overall)
Each participant represents a different conference: Tennessee from the SEC, Michigan from the Big Ten, the ACC’s Virginia and Big 12 rep Arizona State.
Admission to the event is free. Video will be broadcast on SEC+ Network and the USA Swimming Network. The weekend will include an instructional clinic for local club swimmers led by Olympians Chase Kalisz and Elizabeth Beisel. The meet will also feature a 12-and-under exhibition race for USA Swimming athletes, as part of a “a block-party-style environment that brings together collegiate competitors, rising age-group swimmers, and the broader swimming community.”
“The Dual Meet Challenge represents a new way to bring excitement and connection to collegiate swimming,” Sam Barany, Executive Director of the CSCAA, said in a press release. “This event brings together top-ranked teams, innovative coaches, and engaged fans in a format that celebrates competition while creating a blueprint for the future of the sport.”
Partners and founding sponsors for the event include Hydrosite, Visit Knox Sports, Speedo and Dude Wipes.