ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s swim team made a significant splash on the opening day of the 2024 Atlantic East Conference Women’s Swimming Championships, capturing both a gold and a silver medal. The event, hosted at the Aquatics Center in the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics & Recreation Center, saw the Seahawks setting new records and positioning themselves as strong contenders for the championship title.
The championships have returned to St. Mary’s College for the third consecutive year, with teams from Cabrini University, Cedar Crest College, Gallaudet University, Immaculata University, Marymount (Va.) University, and Marywood University vying for the top spot. After the first day of competition, St. Mary’s College and Marymount University are tied for first place, each with 74 points, while Marywood University trails closely in third with 64 points.
The competition kicked off with the 200 Medley Relay, where the Seahawks’ team of senior captains Marissa Fields and Anna Kidd, alongside first-year Kelsie Miller and sophomore Venus Kai Judge, clinched second place with a time of 1:50.55. This strong start set the tone for the evening’s highlight during the 800 Freestyle Relay.
In a remarkable display of skill and teamwork, the quartet of Miller, Judge, senior Lilianna Bowman, and Kidd shattered a conference and championship meet record with an 8:03.59 finish in the 800-freestyle relay. Their performance not only earned them the gold medal but also broke the previous record of 8:15.32 set by Marymount in 2019, by a significant margin of over 11 seconds.
The Seahawks’ achievement in the 800 Freestyle Relay was particularly notable as they outpaced the second-place team from Marymount by more than 12 seconds, establishing themselves as formidable competitors in this year’s championships.
Looking ahead, the Seahawks are poised for more competitive swims in the remaining days of the Atlantic East Conference Championships. The event continues with preliminaries and finals scheduled for February 16th and 17th, culminating on February 18th with the final rounds of competition. Senior athletes will be recognized in a special ceremony before the finals on the evening of the 17th, adding a layer of sentiment to the fierce competition.
As the championships proceed, all eyes will be on St. Mary’s College as they aim to build on their successful start and vie for the conference crown. With their record-setting performance on the first day, the Seahawks have already made a statement about their championship aspirations and their team’s depth and talent.
