Ivan Puskovitch (25, MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here, @swimimp) was ready for the 2026 USA Swimming Open Water National and Junior National Championships in Sarasota, Florida this week.

He won the 10 km race over Dylan Gravley on Thursday.

He won the 3 km Knockout Sprints over Colin Jacobs and Joey Tepper on Friday.

And he won the 5 km today, going three-for-three in a clean sweep of the national championships – a three-peat feat perhaps never been accomplished before.

As did his female colleague, Mariah Denigan of Ohio State University. It is clear those two swimmers are the crème de la crème of USA Swimming’s open water swimming community. While they did not perform as well as they hoped in the 2024 Paris Olympics (when they were not allowed to practice in the Seine unlike the other national team members), they are intent on making up for lost time.

They will both lead the USA Swimming national open water teams in a tour of Europe, competing on the World Cup stage and then culminate their summer plans on August 10th in Long Beach, California at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships 10 km race against the Australians, Japanese, and Canadians.

USA Swimming Open Water National Championships 5 km Men’s Results

1. Ivan Puskovitch, 25, TSM Aquatics 56:02
2. Dylan Gravley, 24, 56:10
3. Gabriel Manteufel, 19 Sandpipers of Nevada 56:14
4. Alexander Lyubavskiy, 22, Longhorn Aquatics, 56:19
5. Colin Jacobs, 18, 56:22
6. Joshua Brown, 23, Sandpipers of Nevada, 56:25
7. Jackson Irwin, 18, Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team 56:13
8. Gage Mealey, 16, Jersey Wahoos 56:58
9. Jacob Pishko, 23, Louisiana State University 57:00
10. Grant Sanders, 29, St Petersburg Aquatics 57:07
11. Max Spory, 19, American Energy Swim Club 57:08
12. Nicholas Diaconescu, 17, Sandpipers Of Nevada 58:12
13. Luke Ellis, 20, Indiana University 58:13
14. Trevor Donley, Rockville Montgomery Swim Club 58:36
15. Zach Tower, TSM Aquatics 58:38
16. Nicholas Liberty, Rockville Montgomery Swim Club 58:39
17. Oliver Shao, Badger Swim Club 58:40
18. Parker Sterlitz, West Virginia University 58:42
19. Paul Mullen, Nation’s Capital Swim Club 58:43
20. Jackson Cooper, Badger Swim Club 58:52
21. Caden Askren, 18, Fishers Area Swimming Team 58:53
22. Marshal Smith, TSM Aquatics 59:05
23. Henry Shoemaker, Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team 59:12
24. Jackson Debruin, Sarasota Sharks 59:24
25. Eli Nelson, TAC Titans 59:45
26. Charles Schreiner, 20, Egg Harbor Twp Seahawks 59:58
27. Evan Ream, Great Lakes Sailfish Swimming 1:00:04
28. Quinn Macphail, Blazing Barracudas 1:00:06
29. Jack Salcedo, West Virginia University 1:00:41
30. Cooper Zakorchemny, Rockville Montgomery Swim Club 1:00:42
31. Ian McKinney, West Virginia University 1:01:13
32. Ty Guenther, Corvallis Aquatic Team 1:02:02
33. Brenden Sharp, Jersey Wahoos 1:02:15
34. Cono Presti, Northern KY Clippers Swimming 1:02:55
35. Stuart Wineman, 1:03:16
36. Max Stewart, 18, Irvine Novaquatics 1:04:24
37. Luke Weber, 1:05:25
38. Patrick Dunn, Scottsdale Aquatic Club OTL

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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