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The American Swimming Coaches Association announced the 2025 Top 50 Age-Group Teams in the nation. For the 1,75 teams under 200 swimmers, Orinda Aquatics was #1. |
Please see the Orinda Aquatics TeamFeed on the website or Instagram for more updates and achievments.
Orinda Aquatics 2024 Season Highlights
Orinda Aquatics completed one of its strongest seasons in the team's histroy. Please see the links below for a summary of the past year, as well as some of the histortical chievements of the team.
2023-2024 Season Highlights (including six Pacific Swimming age-group records)
30th Anniversary Letter to Team
2024 Graduating Senior Letters
National/Development Team 2024 (including 53 Sectionals Qualifiers)
Top 50 Age-Group Programs in the US (highest scoring with teams under 60 swimmers)
Stella Canoles - Swimming World Spotlight
Orinda Aquatics Historical Success Overview
Orinda Aquatics has had an unparalleled history of success (in all areas - perfomance, culture, academics) for a team of its size, averaging 150 swimmers. The club's success has been culturally driven and has remained consistent, with an average of eight to twelve Junior National swimmers, forty to fifty Sectional swimmers, and eight Scholastic All-Americans each year, and at the team level, Orinda Aquatics has been the highest scoring team over the past 22 years in the USA Swimming Virtual Club Championships for the 2,000+ teams under 200 swimmers.
Senior Group Clovis travel trip
Orinda Aquatics College History
Orinda Aquatics has been a perennial Silver and Bronze Medal Club in the USA Swimming's Club Excellence Program. Minimum qualification is Summer Junior National qualifying.
30 Olympic Trial qualifiers with 12 Orinda Aquatics swimmers competing at the 2008 Trials
The Senior Group GPA (90 swimmers) is near 4.0
2023 Memory Book
2023 Graduating Senior Letters
2023 Sectionals Recap
OA Hosts the 2019 Long Course Far Western Championships
Orinda Aquatics wins the 2019 Long Course Western Zone Senior Championships in Clovis CA (47 swimmers attended)
In 2019 Orinda Aquatics won the Western Zone Senior Championships (Women and Men)
American Swimming Magazine - OA Best Practices in USA (age-group) Swimming
In 2012, Orinda Aquatics finished third at Long Course/Summer Junior Nationals in Indiana, with the men leading scoring after day 1, and two swimmers, Steven Stumph and Sven Campbell finishing in the top three in high point scoring
2012 - Steven Stumph breaks the Junior National Record in the 200 Breast (1:55.8) and wins the 200 Breast at Summer Juniors
IN 2008, Orinda Aquatics had 12 swimmers at the Olympic Trials
In 2008, Kim Vandenberg and Peter Varellas receive Olympic medals in Beijing
In 2004, Orinda Aquatics finished second the Long Course NCSA Junior National Championships at Stanford
IN 2003, Orinda Aquatics sent 12 swimmers to the US National Championships
In 2001, Orinda Aquatics won Sectionals and Far Westerns
IN 2001, Orinda Aquatics had 8 swimmers (and 16 relays) with National Age-Group Top 16 rankings, and broke 6 PacSwim records
In 2000, Orinda Aquatics won Junior Nationals West in Anchorage Alaska
In 2000, Orinda Aquatics won Far Westerns
In 2000, Orinda Aquatics won Sectionals and Long Course JO's
In 2000, Orinda Aquatics athletes broke seven Pacific Swimming records
In 1994 the team was featured in Swimming World magazine's Club Spotlight
Clovis Travel
Orinda Aquatics has a long history of traveling with large groups in a highly positive, productive, and inspiring manner. The team consistently travels to Sectionals and the Western Zone Senior Championships with thirty to fifty+ swimmers. The annual Clovis Senior Meet in Febrauary is a defining event for the team. Orinda Aquatics has traveled to this meet with up with 100 swimmers (two full charter buses), all coach and athlete-run, and impeccable behavior.
See "The Art of Team Travel" presentation in Coach Education tab
High School - North Coast Section/CIF
Orinda Aquatics coaches are the most successful in North Coast History, with 23 NCS Championships and over 75 top-three finishes. Ron and Don Heidary are NCS Honor Coaches, and Ron was named California Coach of the Year in 2006.
2023 - Campolindo High School (OA swimmers) finish second in the State of California (and won the womens 200 Medley Relay)
In 2013 Campolindo High School (Ron Heidary and OA Swimmers) won the National Public High School Championship, and:
- Campolindo (OA) swimmers broke/held nine of eleven NCS records
- Steven Stumph breaks the National Public High School Record in the 100 Breast
in 2001 Kim Vandenberg breaks National Public High School Record in the 100 Free
In 2003, at the North Coast Championships, Orinda Aquatics had:
- 52 swimmers place in the Top 16
- 33 swimmers place in the top 8
- 25 high school All Americans
- 4 of the top 5 women 100 freestylers
College
Orinda Aquatics consistently has thirty-five to forty-five graduates competing on college teams each year
Orinda Aquatics has had over sixty alumni become collegiate team captains
Lamorinda Weekly Article on Orinda Aquatics and Collegiate Swimming
In 2025, Orinda Aquatics has five swimmers at Cal, four at Pomona, and five at Georgetown
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Rec/Sumer League Swimming
Ron, Matt, & Don won twelve OMPA Championships while coaching at Sleepy Hollow and Meadow, respectively.
The Orinda Aquatics staff of Ron, Don, Matt, and Marc have coached over 1,000 County final swimmers.
Don helped design and has taught the ASCA Summer-League Certification course.
Coach Recognition
OA Coaches have spoken on character, culture, and healthy athlete development at numberous World Clinics, and LSC and Leadership workshops, and are regular constributors to Swimming World Magazine
Don & Ron are ASCA Level 5 for USA Swimming and High School
Don & Ron recieved The Positive Coaching Alliance, Double-Goal National Award (three given nationally)
Don asked to present First ASCA Life Skills Course (Jan 2011 - San Diego)
Created a Character First manual for the American Swimming Coaches Association
President of the The American Swimming Coaches Association (five years)
USA Swimming Board of Directors
World Swimming Coaches Association Board of Directors
Pacific Swimming Board of Directors
Don authors WSCA's coach education manual, The Professional Swim Coach
The Heidary Team Sportsmanship Award - Orinda Moraga Pool Association
North Coast Section Honor Coach (Ron & Don)
California CIF Coach of the Year (Ron - Campolindo)
Pacific Swimming Age-Group Coach of the Year (Ron & Don)
Miramonte Baccalaureate Speaker - Miramonte 2008
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