Michigan Swimming News & Updates

14 & U Michigan Swimming Athletes, Check Your Summer Calendar! Represent Team Michigan at Summer Regional Championships!

The 2026 Central Zone Championship Meet will be here before we know it. It is scheduled for July 30-August 2 in Evansville, Indiana.

This meet is a special opportunity for Michigan’s top 14 & Under swimmers who have achieved AAA qualifying times. Athletes from clubs across the state come together as Team Michigan to compete against the best swimmers from surrounding states.

The Central Zone Championship offers a unique experience. It gives swimmers the chance to compete at a higher level than they typically see locally, while also building lasting friendships with teammates from across Michigan.

This year is especially notable, as it will be the final year under the current expanded team format. Beginning next year, the championship will transition to a three-team format consisting of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

More information will be shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, mark your calendars and encourage your swimmers to begin working toward their zone cuts early. This is an experience they won’t want to miss.

Jamal Roberts

Team Michigan Head Coach

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Coach Patrick Foley Starts a New Chapter!

Michigan Swimming would like to recognize a member of our LSC who has recently taken on a new opportunity out of state.

Formerly of Mid-Michigan Aquatics, Patrick Foley was a dedicated member of the Michigan LSC for 8 years. During that time, he served as the Jr/Sr Coaches Representative and Vice Chair of Age Group Programming. He was also an active member of the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association while serving as Head Coach at Grand Ledge High School and later as an assistant coach at DeWitt High School.

Patrick, along with his wife Laura and their newborn daughter Tessa, has returned to his home state of North Carolina, where he has accepted a full-time position with the Marlins of Raleigh (MoR).

Michigan Swimming thanks Patrick for his service, friendship, and professionalism, and we wish him and his family all the best in this next chapter.

Patrick Saucedo, MMA Head Coach

Central Zone Open Water Championship Meet Information

The details for the 2026 Central Zone Open Water Meet are now posted on the Team Michigan website.

The event will be held on June 11-12, 2026 in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. If you have participated in any Team Michigan event in the past, you can login to your account and commit to the event. If you are new to Team Michigan, you will need to register and create an account. Accounts will be approved within 24 hours.

CZ Open Water Information

2026-2027 SCY Meet Bid Process

Michigan Swimming will be accepting Meet Bids for the 2026-2027 Short Course Yard (SCY) season starting May 2, 2026 until 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 31, 2026. This process is for both the regular and championship competitions. Please fill out a form for each meet that you wish to host.

DO NOT complete the application to host a meet. This form is used once your bid has been accepted and it is time to submit your meet documents.

2026-2027 SCY Regular & Championship Competition Bids – Fill out form

Championship Meet Season: Thank You & Looking Ahead to What’s Next

As we conclude another successful Michigan Swimming Championship Meet season, we extend our sincere appreciation to the clubs, coaches, officials, and volunteers who made these events possible. Hosting a championship meet requires an extraordinary commitment of time, resources, and teamwork, and our entire LSC benefits from your dedication.

We would like to recognize and thank our Regional Meet hosts—EGRA, MMA/LAC, CW, GPG, and GLT—for providing essential and foundational competitive opportunities for swimmers across the state.

A special thank you goes to SST for hosting the 10 & Under Championships, to MLA for hosting the 11–14 MAGS Championships and to OLY for hosting the Michigan Ultra Championships. Each of these meets were very well-run, competitive, and reflected the high standards that define Michigan Swimming.

As we look ahead to the summer championship season, we’re excited for two premier events on the LSC Long Course calendar. The 14 & Under MAGS Championships (July 17–19) and the Michigan Ultra State Championships (July 24–26).

In addition to preparing for this summer’s events, the Championship Meet Committee has begun early work looking ahead to the 2027 and 2028 championship seasons. We have been gathering and reviewing feedback from coaches and teams across the LSC regarding meet structure, format, and overall experience.

While no significant changes have been finalized at this time, these discussions are focused on identifying opportunities to strengthen athlete development through the championship meet model—particularly in enhancing competitiveness at all levels. Our goal is to ensure that Michigan Swimming championship meets continue to provide a high-quality, efficient, and rewarding experience for all participants.

We appreciate the ongoing feedback and engagement from our membership and look forward to sharing updates as this work progresses. Thank you again to everyone who contributes to making Michigan Swimming’s championship meets a success.

James DeWitte

Championship Meet Committee Chair

Michigan Swimming Equipment Grant Update

An independent committee was selected to award 14 teams equipment grants of either $1000 or $2000. Teams being awarded the grant monies will be notified shortly. Next year, 7 teams will be awarded equipment grants; teams awarded this year are not eligible next year. A reminder to teams being awarded equipment grants: you must purchase the equipment and turn in receipts by August 15, 2026.

DEI Grant Information

Michigan Swimming member teams serving low-income and under-represented communities are encouraged to share their vision for developing strong community swim programs with Michigan Swimming. Funds are available to assist these teams in good standing with strengthening their ability to provide their communities with high-quality learn-to-swim and learn-to-swim-better-and-faster programming.

Annual grants of up to $5,000 are available. Additionally, long range programming may be recognized.

If your team is interested in working with Michigan Swimming to develop your program, please contact our DEI Committee for details. Grant applications for this summer are due by May 15 with a May 31 awards decision deadline.

DEI Grant Application – Fill out form

Open Water & Camps/Clinics Update

Open Water Training Camp Sites will be announced mid-May. These sites will offer distance training with an emphasis on successful preparation for open water races. As the weather warms the pure waters of our state (early to mid-June), open water training sites and times will be shared.

IMX Training Camp Sites, geared toward 11-14 year-olds, will also be announced mid-May. These sites are going to focus on collecting training data for long-term development, with an emphasis on improving technique

The “8 in ‘28” Elite Camp, designed for accelerating the LSC’s 18 & Under performance at the 2028 Olympic Trials, is currently aiming for an elite travel camp in late-August, early-September. Keep an eye to this if you have your eye on 2028!

2026 Graduates: Where Are They Going and What Are They Going To Do?

Over the next month, some of our teammates will be graduating from high school. We wish everyone success on their next chapters, and we are asking teams to send in a photo of your graduating seniors with a short note about their future plans. We’ll share each team’s photos and notes in this bi-weekly newsletter.

Please send all information to Dawn Gurley at dawn.gurley@miswim.org

Mission Statement

Michigan Swimming inspires excellence through education and develops integrity in a fun, inclusive environment.

Core Values

Integrity, Inclusion, Education, Excellence

Vision Statement

Pure Excellence! Made in Michigan Swimming!

Long Course Season

Long course season has arrived. The schedule is published on the Michigan Swimming website. As meets are sanctioned, the information will be posted on the events page. Below is a link to that page,

2026 Long Course Schedule

Officials Committee Update

For questions or ongoing updates related to officiating, the Officials Website remains an excellent and regularly updated resource.

If you need assistance or have additional questions, please feel free to contact the Officials Committee at officialscommittee@miswim.org.

Certification Reminder

In order for Coaches and officials certifications to be updated and show in good standing, all certification documents must be sent to certifications@miswim.org. Certification documents cannot be shown to Meet Directors or Meet Referees the day of the meet. They are not able to update certifications or allow you access to the pool deck if your membership card is not in good standing.