All eyes were on the pool deck as the male swimmers prepared for the audience and program favorite: the 200-meter freestyle relay. Each seat was filled with eager supporters, fanning themselves to remain cool during the meet.
The swimmers mounted the starting platforms, beginning to take position as they waited for the command. Murmurs quickly ceased as athletes and supporters sat at the edge of their seats. As soon as the whistle was blown, the swimmers took off into the water, with the audience loudly cheering in support.
This was the scene Saturday afternoon, where the Bison hosted their third Battle at the Burr swim meet against the Georgetown University Hoyas. The Bison fell to the Hoyas on the men’s side with a score of 117-107 and 133-90 on the women’s side.
During the 2022-23 season, Battle at the Burr made its first appearance at Howard. Fans have since packed Burr Gymnasium to witness this event every year. The meet offers a combination of a DJ who knows how to entertain the community of family members, Bison, Hoyas and swimming and diving fans.
Cullen Jones, Olympic gold medalist swimmer and world champion, said the representation of Black swimmers helped Battle at the Burr be what it is today.
“It makes people feel like they’re welcomed; that’s what we need. So representation is everything,” Jones said.
Reaching the wall less than a second ahead of the other swimmers, the 200-meter medley relay secured their first top finish of the meet with a time of 1:31.03, featuring graduate student Tristan Stevens, senior Darin Johnson, sophomore Kristopher Lawson and junior Taj Benton. Sophomore Mason Green helped the Bison by edging out the Hoyas with a 200-meter freestyle time of 1:42.53 — two seconds ahead of his opponents in the lanes to the right of him.
The first top finish on the women’s side was accomplished by junior Zuilda (Zuzu) Nwaeze with a time of 1:53.91 in the 200-meter freestyle.
Senior Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson captured a top finish for the Bison with a time of 2:07.79 in the 200-meter individual medley, the time being the fourth-best in the history of the program.
Benton secured an individual top finish in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 50.56.
Green once again came out on top with a 47.05 swim in the 100-meter freestyle, beating the competition by 0.73 seconds.
Sophomore Jasmine Morgan secured her own top finish in the 100-meter freestyle, recording a time of 54.37.
Stevens captured his own individual top finish in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 51.57.
Sophomore Chanice Posada won the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 58.44.
Thompson secured another win in the 100-meter breaststroke. Thompson recorded a swim time of 1:06.09, placing him sixth in the program record books.
In an event that garnered excitement from the audience, the men finished on top in the 200-meter freestyle relay. The Bison captured the win, beating the Hoyas by 0:00.11 with a time of 1:23.36.
The Bison collected 11 top finishes, with the men’s team having six and the women bringing in five.
“As a program, I think we performed really well,” said Nicholas Askew, the director of swimming and diving. “I’m excited about where we’re going and so happy we’re able to use Battle at the Burr year after year as our springboard.”
Despite the loss, the Bison enjoyed the swim meet and everything it stands for.
“The moment was so beautiful; we can’t dwell on the loss,” said Tristan Stevens, captain of the men’s team and a graduate student with a sports medicine major and chemistry minor from Chicago.
The Bison’s next swim meet takes place Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. in New Jersey for the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Invitational.
Copy edited by Jalyn Lovelady
