RAYS EARN GOLD MEDAL CLUB EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Mason Manta Rays Recognized as Gold Medal Club
2019 USA Swimming Club Excellence List
Gold, Silver, Bronze recognition awarded to 200 clubs for performance excellence
Mason, OH – For the second year in a row in the Mason Manta Rays have been awarded the top honor of a Gold medal ranking in the USA Swimming Club Excellence program, recognizing the organization’s highest-performing clubs in the development of athletes 18 years and younger.
The City of Mason’s Mason Manta Rays finished in 8th place again this year out of over 3000 teams with more than 30,000 points. Not only were the Manta Rays the highest team ranked team from Ohio to achieve the Gold Medal status this year, but 8th place (34,000 points) is the highest ever Club Excellence place for a team from Ohio.
"Starting as City of Mason Parks & Recreation program 16 years ago, Mason Manta Rays have been blessed with so many talented young athletes and coaches that make it possible for us to achieve this standard of excellence for the first time. These swimmers all had great age group coaches who guided them along the way and we are very fortunate to have had had most of our coaches for over 10 years. We are so proud of the athletes who made this recognition possible as well as the swimmers who came before them who laid the foundation for this year’s success.” said Ken Heis, Mason Manta Rays Head Coach.
In its 18th year, the Club Excellence program identifies clubs that execute strong, well-rounded programs to produce elite 18-and-under athletes. The top 20 clubs earn Gold level ranking and those rated 21-100 are designated as Silver honorees. The next 100 clubs are recognized at the Bronze level.
“Earning a Gold, Silver or Bronze ranking has become a highly coveted honor for our club teams. The competition to earn a Club Excellence ranking continues to be more and more challenging.” said Pat Hogan, USA Swimming’s Club Development Managing Director. “On behalf of USA Swimming, I want to congratulate each of 200 clubs that have earned a ranking in the 2018 program.”
Each team’s ranking score is based on the FINA Points Table, a power point rating system that assigns point values to swimming performances based on the Gold, Silver or Bronze time standard. Starting with the 2017 Club Excellence rankings, Gold swims were multiplied by a factor of 2.0; points for Silver level swims were increased by a factor of 1.5.
The following clubs achieved the Gold Medal ranking for 2019, with Local Swimming Committee (LSC) designation. Sixteen different LSCs are represented in the Gold Medal level.
Rank Club (LSC), Points
1. Nation's Capital Swim Club (PV), 72,975
2. SwimMAC Carolina (NC), 59,332
3. SwimAtlanta (GA), 41,722
4. Irvine Novaquatics (CA), 40,471
5. Sandpipers of Nevada (CA), 39,503
6. Carmel Swim Club (IN), 35,235
7. Dynamo Swim Club (GA), 34,052
8. Mason Manta Rays (OH), 34,043
9. Virginia Gators (VA), 28,777
10. Fort Collins Area Swim Team (CO), 26,785
11. Marlins of Raleigh (NC), 25,712
12. Nashville Aquatic Club (SE), 24,619
13. Pleasanton Seahawks (PC), 24,543
14. Austin Swim Club (ST), 23,965
15. Lakeside Swim Team (KY), 22,991
16. Long Island Aquatic Club (MR), 22,580
17. Magnolia Aquatic Club (GU), 22,302
18. Dayton Raiders (OH), 21,719
19. Aquajets Swim Team (MN), 20,457
20. BREA Aquatics (CA), 20,048
Click here to view the complete 2019 Club Excellence Program results.
For more information about the Club Excellence program visit www.usaswimming.org.
About USA Swimming
As the National Governing Body for the sport of swimming in the United States, USA Swimming is a 400,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education. Our membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. USA Swimming is responsible for selecting and training teams for international competition including the Olympic Games, and strives to serve the sport through its core objectives: Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
