The ISCA Summer Senior Championships in St. Petersburg, Florida, offers a great end-of-season championship for many of the countries best up-and-coming swimmers. Hosted outdoors at the North Shore Aquatic Complex, nearly 600 swimmers will compete from Tuesday to Saturday. 

The five-day competition is open to swimmers who meet the qualifying time standards and are also on a member team in the International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA). Teams from all across the country, including California and Connecticut, are attending the meet. Even swimmers from the Cayman Islands will be competing next week.

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Two age groups will be scored: one of 16-and-under swimmers and the other open to anyone. The preliminary session won’t be separated and swimmers under 16 had the option to swim in the open division when entering.

For 16-year-old Olivia Bray, the age group won’t matter. She is the top overall seed in four events. Bray, from the Virginia Gators, adds the 50-yard backstroke top seed to owning the butterfly events entering the meet. Teammate and NC State signee Emma Muzzy leads the way in two events, the 100 and 200 backstrokes.

Olivia Bray, Virginia Gators | 2017 ISCA Summer Sr. Champs

On the men’s side, Khalil Fonder, also of the Virginia Gators, enters with the top spot in five events. The Arizona State signee leads the 50 and 100 butterfly, the 50 and 100 backstroke, and the 100 freestyle. He also sits fourth entering the 200 freestyle.

Another Virginia Gator and Virginia Tech signee, Keith Myburgh, will be in contention in many races. The 18-year-old enters the meet with the top spot in the 200 and 400 IM. He’s seeded within striking distance in six additional races, making him a strong candidate to win high point for the men.

Tennessee signee Danika Katzer, from the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins, leads in three events. She sits in the top four in two additional races. Katzer is an overwhelming favorite in the 200 IM but will likely have a race on her hands with Muzzy in the 400 IM. She also leads the 50 breaststroke.

Many other swimmers enter the meet as the top seeds in multiple events.

Katherine Douglass, of Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club, enters first in the 50 and 100 freestyles. Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ (SPA) Peyton Palsha is the top seed in the 1500 freestyle and 200 breaststroke.

Khalil Fonder Is Ready To Join Arizona State

For the men, Will Smith, also from SPA, leads both long-distance freestyle events. Palo Alto’s Michael Lincoln leads the 200 and 400 freestyles. Michael Burris, from Snow Swimming, is the top seed in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes.

The top-seeded swimmers are ranked highly in most other events they are swimming.
All five relay events will be competed with the addition of a mixed medley relay, similar to how the Olympics will be adding that in the future. 

Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics and the Virginia Gators are set to dominate the relay events, creating an exciting competition between the two. The Virginia Gators are seeded to win nine relay events, while Palo Alto enters at the top in eight. When one isn’t first, they are often seeded second.

Awards will be given at the championships' conclusion to the overall team winner as well as gender-specific team awards. There will also be awards for the top male and female performances. 

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