The Howard University women’s swimming and diving team routed crosstown rival American University, 194-92, on Oct. 31 at the Reeves Aquatic Center, while the Bison men won eight events but fell just short in the Halloween dual, 154-146.
Howard entered as the reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) champion on both sides, with the men winning their third title in four years and the women their first. The Bison remain the only historically Black university with a Division I swimming and diving program.
The women won 15 of 16 events, reversing last year’s 137-84 loss. Senior backstroke and butterfly swimmer Chanice Posada won the 50-yard backstroke in 26.53 and the 200 backstroke in 2:07.24. Sophomore freestyler Mia Patton took the 200 free in 1:56.87 and 500 free in 5:12.06. Freshman freestyle and backstroke swimmer Kaliyah Hinson won the 50 free in 24.16 and the 400 individual medley in 4:44.74.
Freshman freestyle and butterfly swimmer Victoria Williams, in her first crosstown meet, won the 200 butterfly in 2:05.33 and 100 freestyle in 52.97.
“I was going to leave it all in the pool, give it everything I had,” Williams said, a freshman human performance major from Philadelphia. “And I got the outcome that I wanted.”
Senior freestyle and breaststroke Rhanishka Gibbs took the 50 breast in 29.22, sophomore breastroke and individual medley swimmer Brooke Whitt won the 200 breast in 2:25.71 and freshman sprinter Amira Washington won the 50 butterfly in 25.77 also won, as did senior diver Jala Wilson with the 1-meter at 245.15 and freshman diver Jazmine Green with 3-meter at 238.90. Howard took both women’s relays.
The men won eight events, including both relays. Senior captain freestyler Mason Green (freestyle and butterfly) and sophomores Arvid Farro (freestyle), Kaleb James (breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley) and Ayrton Moncur (breaststroke and butterfly) won the 200 medley relay in 1:32.35 and the 200 free relay in 1:24.33, the latter by 0.06 seconds.
Green won the 100 free in 46.86, with Farro second in 47.14
Junior breaststroke and individual medley swimmer Mark Brown won the 50 breast in 26.49, 0.04 seconds ahead of Moncur in 26.53, and the 200 breast in 2:10.25, 0.12 seconds ahead of freshman breaststroker Anpherne Bernard in 2:10.37.
Sophomore freestyle, butterfly, individual medley and distance swimmer Solomon Goins won the 200 butterfly in 1:53.66, and junior freestyle and backstroke swimmer Jalen Stewart was third in the 1000 free in 10:28.99.
Howard swept the top three spots in both men’s diving events. Junior diver Zion Wilson, last season’s NEC Most Outstanding Diver, won the 1-meter in 259.00 and 3-meter in 275.00, ahead of sophomore divers Kai Lawson in 248.35 and 271.25, Dillon Craig in 242.70, and 248.80.
But American’s depth proved the difference. American junior freestyle, butterfly and IM swimmer Luke Martens won the 1000 free in 10:05.44, 500 free in 4:51.12, and 400 IM in 4:07.53, and American sophomore sprint freestyle, breaststroke and IM swimmer Paul Pokatragool won the 50 free in 20.74 and 50 butterfly in 22.55.
Brown said he was proud of his swims, but the loss “hurts more because at the end of the day, I’m a men’s team swimmer, I don’t swim for myself here.”
Farro said the mood afterward was disappointed.
“We were going so good, but at the end of the day, we did manage to lose by eight points,” said Farro, a sophomore business administration major from Aruba. “It was unfortunate that we lost, but everyone’s locked in for the next one.”
Combined, the Bison teams outscored American 340-246, and both will look to defend their NEC titles at the VMI Aquatic Center in Lexington, Virginia on Feb. 17-20.
“As a team, I obviously want to repeat for the second year winning conference again,”
Williams said.
Howard lost to Old Dominion on Saturday, Nov. 7, 140-65 (men) and 126.5-78.5 (women), and will compete at the Nov. 20-22 H2ounds Invitational in Baltimore, hosted by Loyola.
“They might have the better time on paper today,” Brown said, “but that doesn’t mean they’re going to beat us today.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
