COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou men's and women's swimming programs will be represented by 10 Tigers at the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Collegiate Open Water Championship, held Saturday, Sept. 22 at Lone Star Lake in Lawrence, Kansas.

The 5,000-meter race (3.1 miles) will consist of a two-loop swim with the women's race beginning at 8:30 a.m., and the men's competition beginning at 10:30 a.m. One individual from each race will be crowned a CSCAA national champion. In addition, the top-eight from each event will be honored, along with the top team from each race. The first three swimmers from each team to cross the finish line receive the points that correspond to their place. The first place swimmer receives one point, the second place swimmer two, and so on. The team receiving the lowest score wins.

The championship field consists of 73 females and 68 males coming from a diverse group of colleges and universities spanning across the entire United States.

Last season, current redshirt junior Giovanni Gutierrez Lozano claimed the CSCAA men's national champion as the Mizzou men easily won the team title with eight points. 

Five men and five women are slated to swim in Saturday's event. Women's competitors include senior Courtney Evensen, junior Azra Avdic and freshmen Molly Gowans, Audrey Guyett and Ana Pozder, while Gutierrez Lozano, senior Jacob Wielinski, junior Giovanny Lima and freshmen Jack Dubois and Dane Florea will compete on the men's side. 

The Tiger swimming and diving programs officially open the 2018-19 season at the 13th annual Show-Me Showdown on Friday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.