Eager fans filled the stands to watch the annual showdown at the Battle at the Burr between Howard University and Georgetown University’s swim team. Howard’s fight ended in a loss as the Bison came up short against the Hoyas, with the men falling 139-78 and the women 118–106.
The weekend of events started Thursday, Oct. 2 with a water polo clinic led by John Abdou, the senior associate athletic director for health, wellness and sports performance at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).
Before his appointment at UCI, Abdou served as the Chief Sport Performance Officer for USA Water Polo since 2017. He brought this Olympic experience to Washington, D.C., where he shared his insights and techniques with the Howard University water polo club team.
On Friday, Oct. 3, a celebration was held for the Bison winning the 2025 Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship title, followed by an interactive panel hosted by Joy Reid, the executive producer of “When Everyone Swims.” The film was screened before the panel, sparking the conversation about the importance of water safety in underrepresented communities.
When Everyone Swims is a documentary with appearances from the Howard swim and dive team and Olympic swimmers. The film spotlighted how a healthy relationship with water can make a difference through the testimonies of individuals who have encountered both challenging and inspiring experiences with bodies of water.
Diversity in Aquatics, a non-profit organization dedicated to water safety and increasing aquatics accessibility in underserved communities, sponsored the film. Miriam Lynch, the executive director of the organization, was featured on the panel alongside olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones, Howard student Xavier Ntamere and the Director of Swimming and Diving and the Director of Tennis Nicholas Askew.
Following the night was the weekend’s most anticipated event, the Battle at the Burr.
The women’s swimming and diving team earned six first-place finishes, plus multiple runner-up and third-place finishes. Two-time NEC outstanding swimmer senior Zuilda Nwaeze clocked 1:53.50 to win the 200-yard freestyle and later helped the Bison claim first place in the final relay of the afternoon alongside team captain Chanice Posada.
Posada won more than a second ahead of her opponent in the 100-yard backstroke. However, Posada expressed that her performance wasn’t the highlight of the event, but rather its cultural significance.
“I hope fans walked away realizing that swimming at an HBCU is powerful and worth celebrating,” Posada, a junior psychology major, said. “It’s not just about the times or the races, it’s about culture, community, and breaking barriers. I hope people left inspired and proud to be part of something historic.”
On the men’s side, they were able to capture multiple podium finishes and two event wins. Team captain Mason Green won the first race for the men with a time of 1:43.19, setting the tone for the Bison. Competing in his third Battle at the Burr, Green embraced his responsibility as captain, guiding the men’s eight newcomers through the pressure of the meet.
“We have a brand new freshman class and as captain, they came to me with a lot of questions,” Green, a Spanish major, said. “[I] tried my best to keep them calm and keep them hype for this meet so that they don’t get in their heads.”
In total, the Bison won eight out of 24 races. Although the Bison were not able to secure the win against the Hoyas, Askew didn’t believe the final score outweighed the performance.
“Yeah, we came up short on the scoreboard, but I don’t consider it a loss. It’s a learning opportunity for us,” Askew said. “We got a lot of data points and a lot of information that we’re extracting from this particular meet, both for our swimmers and our divers.”
“We’re going to try to capitalize on the areas of improvement, we’re going to try to be better next week, that’s how we’re going to continue to take it all the way through the season,” Askew continued.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
