The Howard swimming and diving teams competed at the Northeastern Conference (NEC) Championships in Geneva, Ohio, where several swimmers broke records, won medals and concluded the four-day event with a postseason victory.
From Feb. 19-22, the men’s swimming and diving team clinched the NEC Championship title for the second time in three years, earning 883 points. Meanwhile, the women’s team set a conference record in the 200-meter relay and secured a second-place finish to Central Connecticut State University with a score of 683.5 points.
After placing second overall in the NEC Championships for the 2023-2024 season, the Bison spent the following year preparing to redeem themselves.
According to Nicholas Askew, director of swimming and diving, the team evaluated their performance during the regular season to decide what needed to be improved upon leading up to the championship.
During the offseason, the coaching staff analyzed their new and returning athletes while also receiving feedback from the swimmers to create their season’s strategy for success.
Going into the championships, the men’s team had an overall record of 4-3 and the women’s team had a record of 4-4.
Throughout the meet, the men’s swimming and diving team held onto first place as they closed with the 400-meter free relay.
Captain Tristan Stevens secured a personal best of 1:47.19 in the 200-meter backstroke, capturing the first gold on the final day of the meet. He also won gold in the 100-meter backstroke.
“It was the first time I had won an individual event in my years here, so I was really excited,” Stevens, a graduate student studying sports medicine and chemistry from Chicago, Illinois said.
Senior Erald Thompson III earned 16 points for the team as he secured bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke with a program record of 1:59.02.
Another record was set by sophomore Mason Green in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:49.19, earning him his second individual medal of the meet.
The 200 butterfly was close as the Bison fell into a one point deficit behind Wagner College.
The Bison’s A relay team filled the room with energy as Stevens, Green, senior Tai Afrik and junior Taj Benton captured gold in the 400-meter relay by 0.18 seconds.
Zay Swilley, a senior health science major biology minor from Chicago, Illinois, was named NEC Most Outstanding Diver as the Bison won the 1-meter and 3-meter dives.
Due to being on concussion protocol, Swilley stepped away from diving for a year and a half before this year’s season and had not returned to the water for a month before competition. This pushed them to be creative in their training by visualizing dives daily in preparation.
The medals and honor that Swilley earned served as proof of their dedication and training, enabling them to compete and serve as an inspiration for other athletes who share their background.
“I’m very proud that I could represent the communities that I represent being queer, non-binary and Black,” Swilley said.
This season marks the second year the women’s swimming and diving team has secured the runner-up trophy.
Sophomore Chanice Posada started the fourth day of the meet by claiming first place in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:01.41, setting a new personal and program record. Posada also took home first place in the 100-meter backstroke earlier in the meet.
With a time of 49.71, captain Zuilda (Zuzu) Nwaeze secured first place in the 100-meter freestyle, beating her program record of 50.06 set at last season’s championships.
Nwaeze, a junior psychology major and political science minor from Columbia, Maryland,
was named NEC Most Outstanding Swimmer for the second year as she secured first place in three freestyle events. This is the third consecutive award won by the swimmer, dating back to being named Rookie of the Year for the 2022-2023 season.
“It was just really an honor, and it felt nice to be recognized for the hard work that I put in,” Nwaeze said.
Senior Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson secured the final individual medal of her collegiate career with a second place finish in the 200-meter breaststroke. She managed to shave two seconds off her former personal best while setting a program record with a time of 2:17.48.
The women’s A relay team clinched a close victory as Thompson, Posada, Nwaeze and sophomore Jasmine Morgan completed the meet with a first-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle relay, besting their closest opponent by 0.48 seconds.
The program’s coaching staff, including Nicholas Askew, Salim King, Miriam Lynch, Ph.D., Courtenay Miller and Jasmine Payne, was named NEC Coaching Staff of the Year. Miller also earned Diving Coach of the Year.
Select Bison will travel down south to Ocala, Florida for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational Championships on March 13-15.
Copy edited by Aniyah Genama
