2025 Collegiate Championship Kicks Off USA Artistic Swimming’s Event Season

The 2025 Collegiate Championships wrapped up this past Saturday in Ypsilanti, Michigan, marking an exciting start to the USA Artistic Swimming (USAAS) event season. Hosted at Eastern Michigan University, the competition showcased 13 incredibly talented teams, with the energy and excitement building throughout the meet, culminating in the highly anticipated Team Awards. 

The event began with the fundamentals, where top athletes demonstrated their skills in A, B, C, and D Figures. Ohio State’s Ruby Remati, an Olympic Silver Medalist, claimed first place in the A Figures. Rikki Evans, also from Ohio State, topped the B Figures, while Mae Turman from the University of Minnesota took first in the C Figures, and Allison Yang from the University of Michigan earned the top spot in the D Figures. 

The competition then shifted to the solo events, with 20 beautifully crafted routines filling the air with anticipation. Marloes Steenbeek from the University of Incarnate Word emerged victorious, delivering a flawless performance that earned her Gold with a perfect basemark free score and a total routine score of 198.2725. Canadian Olympian Scarlett Finn of Ohio State took Silver, while Maya Schwickert from Texas Woman’s University secured Bronze. 

Next up was the Women’s Duet Free Final, where Dalia Ovadia and Olympic Silver Medalist Megumi Field from Stanford University captured first place with a stellar performance, edging out the University of Incarnate Word’s Abbygayle Remmers and Paige Areizaga by a mere 0.4841 points for the Gold. Stanford University also secured Bronze, with former 2024 Senior National Team Member and Paris 2024 Olympic Alternate Calista Liu and 2020 Olympian Lindi Schroeder rounding out the top three. 

On the second and final day in Ypsilanti, the competition continued with the Trio Free Final. The ‘triple threat’ of Audrey Kwon, Megumi Field, and Dalia Ovadia brought home the Gold with a final score of 261.2529 and a declared difficulty of 49.100. Ohio State’s Keana Hunter, Ruby Remati, and Hannah Heffernan followed closely in second place, while University of Incarnate Word’s Paige Areizaga, Maria Strub Bofill, and Abbygale Remmers earned Bronze after an exceptional performance. 

The 2025 Collegiate Championships concluded with the Team Free Final, which featured spectacular swims from 17 different teams. As the event wrapped up, the University of Incarnate Word initially claimed first place with a jaw-dropping performance, earning 296.7071 points. However, after further review, Stanford’s routine was awarded 303.3688 points, securing them the Gold Medal position and influencing the overall Team High Point tally. 

There was no doubt that this weekend’s competition was packed with immense talent. The closely contested final scores and the overall Team High Point results reflected the dedication and skill of all teams involved—athletes from coast to coast committed to the art of synchronized swimming. In the final standings, Stanford University emerged as the 2025 Collegiate National Champions, thanks to their outstanding performances across multiple disciplines. Megan Abarca was honored as Collegiate Coach of the Year for her leadership and guidance throughout the season.  

Dalia Ovadia of Stanford, the 2024 USAAS Junior/Senior National Champion High Point Athlete of the Year, added another High Point Athlete of the Year award to her collection after excelling in four different events and placing in the top four of each. 

Isabella Blaza of the University of Michigan was also recognized as Athlete of the Year for her remarkable career in Artistic Swimming, her academic accomplishments, and the unwavering drive she embodies in both her sport and her studies.