ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s swim team made a splash at the 2024 Atlantic East Conference Men’s Swimming Championship, opening the event with standout performances, including setting new records. Hosting the competition for the third consecutive year, the Seahawks kicked off the championships on Thursday night, February 15, with an impressive haul of medals and records at their home venue, the Aquatics Center at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center.
The championship welcomed teams from Cabrini University, Gallaudet University, Immaculata University, Marymount (Va.) University, and Marywood University, setting the stage for intense competition. By the end of the first night, St. Mary’s and Marymount (Va.) University were tied for the lead in the team standings, each amassing 74 points, while Marywood University followed closely with 62 points.
The highlight of the evening came in the 200-medley relay, where the Seahawks team, composed of junior captain Luke Schwenk from Annapolis, Md., first-year Kyle Smith from Crofton, Md., sophomore Robert Shively from Potomac, Md., and first-year Anthony Davis from Upper Marlboro, Md., clinched the gold medal. Their remarkable performance not only secured the victory but also set new records for the school, conference, and championship meet with a time of 1:33.87. This achievement surpassed the previous school and conference record of 1:35.59 set in December at the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jacket Invitational and the championship meet record of 1:35.81 established last year by Marymount.
In the 800-freestyle relay, another group of Seahawks, including Shively and first-years Daniel Madigan from Waldorf, Md., CB Jurado from Odenton, Md., and Kai Ng from Silver Spring, Md., showcased their skills by finishing second with a time of 7:27.21.
The St. Mary’s College men’s swim team looks forward to building on their successful start as the championship continues. The competition is set to proceed with prelims and finals sessions on February 16, 17, and 18, featuring a senior recognition event on the evening of February 17, before concluding with the final events on February 18.
This year’s championship at the Aquatics Center highlights the Seahawks’ ongoing commitment to excellence in collegiate swimming, underlining the athletes’ hard work and the supportive community that rallies behind them. As the teams prepare for the upcoming sessions, all eyes will be on the Seahawks as they aim to continue their record-breaking performances and vie for the championship title.
