USA Swimming today announced the top 200 clubs recognized as Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal clubs in the 2023-2024 Club Excellence Program. The program annually recognizes the highest-performing clubs in developing athletes aged 18 years and younger. To learn more about the program and see the benefits of participation, click here. 

SwimMAC Carolina is the reigning champion for the second year in a row, earning an astonishing 89,639 points. This year marks the club’s 19th with Gold Medal status, with top performers including four USA Swimming National Junior Team members. Norvin Clontz (400 freestyle) and Ben Delmar (200 breaststroke) tied for earning the most points with 1,724 each, followed closely by Caleb Maldari (1,712) in the 200 backstroke and Jordan Willis (1,680) in the 200 breaststroke. 

The second through fifth place clubs are Sandpipers of Nevada (56,757), Carmel Swim Club (54,137), Nation’s Capital Swim Club (46,326), and Sarasota Sharks (45,677). 

Now in its 23rd year, the Club Excellence Program’s primary objectives are to recognize and promote:

• Development of strong, well-rounded age group and senior swimming programs that produce elite 18-and-under athletes
• Resources to motivate and assist USA Swimming member clubs to achieve the highest athlete performance ideals
• Grant funding
• The USA Swimming club development system

18-and-under athletes are eligible to earn points through pool and open-water performances between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023. Open water performances from the 5k and 10k at the 2023 USA Swimming Open Water National Championships and the 5k and 7.5k at the 2023 USA Swimming Open Water Junior National Championships are also eligible. 

In addition to athlete time standard requirements, member clubs must meet other requirements such as initiating the USA Swimming Safe Sport Club Recognition program by August 31, 2023. All program requirements, including time standards, can be viewed here. 

The following USA Swimming member clubs achieved the Gold Medal ranking for 2023-2024:

Crow Canyon Sharks (28,789) earned Gold Medal status for the first time, placing 18th. There are 10 first-time Silver Medal clubs, including The Swim Team (7,105), which earned Club Recognition for the first time in history. In addition to The Swim Team, 15 other clubs earned Club Recognition for the first time:  

• The Swim Team (7,105)
• Club Mountaineer Aquatics (6,833)
• Central Ohio Aquatics (6,583)
• Condors Swim Club (6,435)
• Valparaiso Swim Club (5,711)
• Las Vegas Swim Club (5,490)
• Verona Area Swim Team (5,113)
• Mount Pleasant Aqua Club (4,863)
• Los Angeles Swim Club (4,552)
• Life Time Southeast (4,501)
• Annapolis Swim Club (4,458)
• Cougar Aquatics (4,455)
• Texas Gold (4,382)
• Wyckoff YMCA (4,327)
• Life Time North Carolina (4,318)
• Golden West Swim Club (4,271)

In conjunction with the USA Swimming Club Excellence program, USA Swimming will honor 10 clubs as 2024 Podium Clubs. To qualify for Podium Club, a USA Swimming member club must achieve Gold Medal club status for four consecutive years. Congratulations to the following clubs for being recognized this year as a Podium Club:

• Carmel Swim Club
• Elmbrook Swim Club
• Lakeside Swim Team
• Long Island Aquatic Club
• Nation’s Capital Swim Club
• NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, Inc
• Sarasota Sharks
• Sandpipers of Nevada
• SwimMAC Carolina
• TAC Titans

Click here to view the 2023-2024 Club Excellence Program results. For more information about the Club Excellence program, click here.