Northern Michigan University women swimmers Anika Wright, left, and Caitlin Aarseth show off their identification markings for the Open Water Collegiate Nationals at Florida’s Biscayne Bay in Miami on Dec. 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Sounds like spring break a bit early, eh?

Except that it’s a business trip for a half-dozen swimmers from the Northern Michigan University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams today.

The six swimmers have traveled to Sarasota, Florida, and its Gulf of Mexico coast to take part in this morning’s Open Water Collegiate Nationals sponsored by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America.

From the Wildcats women’s team are senior Caitlin Aarseth, junior Anika Wright and sophomore Ellie Kilgard, while the NMU men will be represented by freshman Timothee Garin, junior Alessandro Rosatelli and sophomore Zachary Billotte.

Only Aarseth and Wright have competed in this event before, which is an open-water five-kilometer race, each swimmer completing a 1.67-K lap three times.

This is designated an approved qualifying event by USA Swimming, meaning the top five finishers of each gender earn invites to the USA Swimming 5K Open Water Championships.

The men jump in the refreshing water at a bright and early 8:30 a.m. today, with the women are scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m.

At the 2024 nationals on the other side of Florida in Miami and the Atlantic Ocean, Wright finished fourth among NCAA Division II women swimmers and 35th overall, while Aarseth was ninth in D-II and 81st overall.

Aarseth was also at the 2022 Open Water Collegiate Nationals, and probably would’ve been at the 2023 event except that it was canceled due to bad weather.

Wright is currently the No. 7-ranked swimmer in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference following an All-American performance in last spring’s 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division II Championships meet.

From the men’s team, Garin is No. 6 in the GLIAC and specializes in distance events, finishing third in the 1,650 free and fifth in the 500 free at last week’s Calvin Invitational. Rosatelli also had strong performances at Calvin, while Billotte competed with Garin in the 1,650 free at the Grand Rapids meet.

There is precedence for some amazing performances by NMU swimmers at this meet. Ondrej Zach won the men’s 1,650 free at the Division II nationals in 2022, about six months after winning the men’s title at the Open Water Collegiate Championship in an unlikely state, Kansas.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.