Nation’s Capital Swim Club earned the top spot in the USA Swimming Club Excellence program rankings for the 2026-27 season, up from 6th place last season and ending Swim MAC Carolina’s five-year streak at the top.
Released on October 27th, the rankings are published annually to recognize the 200 highest-performing USA Swimming clubs in developing 18-and-under swimmers. Point totals are based on team performance and are tallied to award clubs Gold, Silver, or Bronze status.
Nation’s Capital topped the rankings with 75,451 points, more than 15,000 more than the next closest club, Pleasanton Seahawks, with 60,051. This was the 24th time that the club earned Gold medal status, behind some major points from their top ten scorers: Sadie Buckley (6,740), Emma Cigna (5,839.5), Alyssa Sagle (4,824), Luc Dionne (4,671.5), Alex Grocholski (3,787.5), Maya McCarney (3,585), Emma Young (3,455.5), McKenzie Cory (3,172), Quinn Caputo (3,066), and Leopold Nurit (3,030)
Swim MAC Carolina, which has finished atop these rankings each of the last five years, finished 5th in the latest rankings with 49,128 points.
Top 10 Clubs:
- Nation’s Capital Swim Club (PV) – 75,451
- Pleasanton Seahawks (PC) – 60,051
- Long Island Aquatic Club (MR) – 54,784
- Carmel Swim Club (IN) – 51,668
- SwimMAC Carolina (NC) – 49,128
- TAC Titans (NC) – 47,860
- Bolles School Sharks (FL) – 44,001
- Lakeside Swim Team (KY) – 43,309
- Sarasota Sharks (FL) – 42,312
- Irvine Novaquatics (CA) – 42,088
This season, 21 teams earned gold medal status, 79 earned silver, and 100 clubs received bronze medal status. The full list can be seen here.
18 clubs earned Club Excellence status for the first time.
- Waukee Waves (Silver, 9,410)
- Mesa Aquatics Club (Bronze, 8,580)
- University Of Arkansas Swimming (Bronze, 6,800)
- North East Aquatic Team (Bronze, 6,661)
- Reach Aquatics Swim Club (Bronze, 6,429)
- Mt. Vernon Swim Team (Bronze, 5,981)
- AquaStorm (Bronze, 5,822)
- Cumberland Valley Aquatic Club (Bronze, 5,596)
- Berzerker Swimming (Bronze, 5,525)
- Hill Country Aquatics (Bronze, 5,439)
- SwimRise Aquatics (Bronze, 4,986)
- Sun Devil Swimming (Bronze, 4,911)
- Pointe Aquatics (Bronze, 4,557)
- North Suburban Aquatic Club (Bronze, 4,251)
- Sawtooth Aquatic Club (Bronze, 4,235)
- Michiana Marlins Swim Club (Bronze, 4,227)
- Franco’s Fins (Bronze, 4,100)
- Houston Bridge Bats (Bronze, 3,970)
USA Swimming also honored 11 clubs as Podium Clubs, which have achieved Gold Medal status for four straight years.
USA Swimming Podium Clubs 2026-27
- Nation’s Capital Swim Club (75,451)
- Long Island Aquatic Club (54,784)
- Carmel Swim Club (51,668)
- SwimMAC Carolina (49,128)
- Bolles School Sharks (44,001)
- Lakeside Swim Team (43,309)
- Sarasota Sharks (42,312)
- Irvine Novaquatics (42,088)
- NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, Inc. (36,711)
- Sandpipers Of Nevada (28,357)
- Lakeside Aquatic Club (22,868)
