LAFAYETTE, CA
Every summer, the first weekend of August transforms the Soda Aquatic Center into the most electric swim venue in the state. Welcome to the Orinda Moraga Pool Association Championship…or OMPA…and what many proudly call California’s biggest and loudest summer swim meet.
More than 1,700 swimmers. 4,800 entries. Nine Rec Summer Swim teams. Over three days, a crowd of 5,000 fans, volunteers, alumni, and families celebrate summer league swimming.
OMPA isn’t just a swim meet. It’s a reunion. A rite of passage watching younger brothers and sisters compete in front of a highly amp’d crowd. A celebration of our favorite sport, of friendships, and a community that fills the Northern California with a sense of tradition nearly 68 years in the making.
From six-year-olds nervously adjusting goggles to seniors closing out their final relays before heading off to college, OMPA captures every stage of a swimmer’s journey. And for many, this is the meet they’ll never forget.
Ask any alum now racing at Stanford, Cal, Yale, or Iowa—and they’ll tell you: the biggest crowd they’ve ever raced in front of wasn’t at Nationals. It was right here at OMPA.
A Meet Built on Community
The meet begins early each day, with tents popping up, summer beats filling the air, and parents marking up heat sheets with highlighters and hopeful hearts. Alumni return to reconnect with teammates. Rec Clubs lead cheers between events. Younger siblings line up for a chance to win prizes at Lamorinda Water Polo’s spin the wheel game, while high schoolers prepare for championship finals.
This meet is equal parts speed and spirit. There’s energy in every lane and achievement in every swim. The atmosphere is unmatched. The positive vibes are all around.
For more on OMPA, download SW App to read past stories on this long-standing tradition in rec swimming:
Sea Serpents Relay: The Heart of OMPA
Midway through the weekend, the entire pool deck pauses for one of OMPA’s most powerful traditions: the East Bay Sea Serpents Relay.
Now in its 15th year, this event celebrates the athletes of the East Bay Sea Serpents—a swim team that serves over 160 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program offers everything from learn-to-swim instruction to competitive stroke development, and it is entirely volunteer-run.
Many of those volunteers are current or former OMPA swimmers.
“So many of our volunteers come from OMPA swim teams, and this event often sparks that first connection,” said Sea Serpents Coach Brian Wentzel. “It’s amazing to see young swimmers become leaders through their involvement with the Sea Serpents.”
When the Sea Serpents step up for their relay, the crowd stands. When they finish, the applause echoes long after the final swimmer touches the wall.
It’s the loudest moment of the meet—and by far the most meaningful.
SW Gives Back
To support the East Bay Sea Serpents and everything they represent, Swimming World donated 50 percent of all subscription proceeds from OMPA weekend to the program.
Our way of honoring the spirit of inclusion, joy, and leadership that defines the Sea Serpents and the entire OMPA community.
Subscribe to support Sea Serpents. Help spread joy among children with disabilities.
Simon Keenan Selected for 2026 Special Olympics USA Games
This year, the Sea Serpents made history. Fifteen-year-old Simon Keenan, a sophomore at Miramonte High School in Orinda, was selected to represent Special Olympics Northern California at the 2026 USA Games in Minneapolis.
Simon joined the Sea Serpents at age six. Known for his focus, leadership, and infectious enthusiasm, he’s a standout in the pool—and far beyond. He performs in Miramonte’s musical theater program, plays Special Olympics basketball, wrestles on the JV team, and runs a popular food review account on Instagram: @simon_food_reviews.
“Simon shows us what determination and community spirit look like,” said Wentzel. “He leads by example and lifts everyone around him.”
Simon’s selection marks the first time a Sea Serpent swimmer has earned a spot at the Special Olympics USA Games—an incredible milestone for both the athlete and the program.
There’s Nothing Like OMPA
In a sport that so often celebrates speed, OMPA celebrates people. It reminds us why we fall in love with swimming—and why we stay in love with the communities that surround it.
It’s where six-year-olds race with wide eyes. Where eighteen-year-olds close their chapter with pride. Where volunteers step up, athletes rise, and everyone—regardless of time or lane—belongs.
There’s nothing else like OMPA. If you’ve ever been there, you know.
You’ll remember it forever.
This year’s Champion Orinda Country Club marks their 24th consecutive win, making this squad coached by nationally recognized coaching legend Steve Haufler the winningest program of all time. Competition is heating up for next year, as the margin of victory keeps getting tighter and tighter!
Meadow Swim Club, Moraga Country Club, and Sleepy Hollow were in the hunt with loads of young talent returning to make a run at OCC. Here are race results and final team scores.
