Harrison Greenwald delivered two individual victories Friday night as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s swimming team launched its 2025-26 season with a 159.5-102.5 nonconference defeat to host Randolph-Macon College. The meet, held at the Tyler J. Parrish Memorial Natatorium, marked the Yellow Jackets’ home opener and left the Seahawks at 0-1 overall.
Greenwald, a sophomore from Eldersburg, Md., and Century High School, anchored the team’s efforts by claiming the 1000-yard freestyle in 10 minutes, 29.29 seconds and the 500-yard freestyle in 5:02.52. His performances highlighted the distance events, where St. Mary’s secured multiple podium finishes. Sophomore Stephen Lepine of Rockville, Md., followed in third place in the 1000 free at 10:47.06, while first-year Seth Geasey from Myersville, Md., and Middletown High School took third in the 500 free with a time of 5:15.43. Geasey, in his collegiate debut, also captured first place in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:51.73, showcasing the freshmen’s immediate impact.
The 50-yard freestyle went to junior Anthony Davis of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Riverdale Baptist School in 22.92 seconds. Davis added a third-place showing in the 100-yard freestyle at 50.37. In relays, the St. Mary’s quartet of senior captain William Kendrick from Laurel, Md., and DeMatha Catholic High School, junior Luca Fairbank of Phoenix, Md., and Dulaney High School, Davis, and junior Kyle Smith of Crofton, Md., and Crofton High School finished second in the 200-yard medley relay at 1:40.83. Randolph-Macon’s winning medley relay, featuring Ethan Munoz, Elliott Kassab, Evan Fannin, and Alex Richardson, clocked 1:39.22.
Kendrick placed second in the 100-yard backstroke at 57.70, edging out first-year JB Bonner of Waynesboro, Pa., and Waynesboro Area High School, who took third in 58.14. Bonner later earned third in the 200-yard backstroke at 2:08.82. Smith contributed two second-place individual finishes, touching the wall at 2:11.90 in the 200-yard butterfly and 56.86 in the 100-yard butterfly; Davis rounded out the podium there in third at 56.98. Greenwald extended his strong night with a runner-up effort in the 400-yard individual medley at 4:31.85.
The 200-yard freestyle relay team of first-year Brendan Mannion from West Chester, Pa., and Unionville High School, Fairbank, junior CB Jurado of Odenton, Md., and Arundel High School, and Kendrick placed second at 1:31.30. Randolph-Macon countered with a victory in that event at 1:30.30, led by Kassab, Andrew Fritz, Fannin, and Matthew Appleton. Junior Daniel Madigan of Waldorf, Md., and North Point High School secured second in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:17.30 and tied for third in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:03.23.
On the Randolph-Macon side, Richardson swept three events, winning the 200 fly in 2:00.44, the 100 free in 49.87, and the 400 IM in 4:25.44 — the latter ranking first in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this season. Kassab took the 100 breast in 59.36 and the 200 breast in 2:12.80, the latter second-fastest in the ODAC. Munoz claimed the 100 back in 56.70 and the 200 back in 2:03.66, while Fannin won the 100 fly in 55.84. The Yellow Jackets improved to 1-1 with 10 event triumphs.
Event breakdowns reveal tactical depth. The 1000 free, a grueling endurance test covering roughly 40 pool lengths, demands pacing strategy — Greenwald’s win there sets a tone for longer races. Shorter sprints like the 50 free emphasize explosive starts and underwater dolphin kicks, where Davis excelled. Relays, blending speed and synchronization, often decide dual meets; St. Mary’s near-miss in the medley underscored relay potential for the season.
Looking ahead, the Seahawks face a tri-meet Saturday at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va., at the Bateman Aquatic Center starting at 1 p.m. Opponents include Randolph (2-0) and Virginia Wesleyan (1-0), offering early tests against conference and regional foes. With a blend of veterans like Kendrick and emerging talents such as Geasey, St. Mary’s aims to build on Friday’s competitive showings as it navigates a schedule heavy on Virginia travel before home duals.
This opener reflects broader trends in Division III swimming, where small colleges like St. Mary’s emphasize development over recruitment firepower. In Southern Maryland, where waterways like the Potomac River inspire water sports, college athletics bridge high school programs — such as those at Northern, Leonardtown, and La Plata highs — to foster lifelong fitness. Brandt’s dual role as aquatics director extends this reach, coordinating open swims and clinics that engage families from Lexington Park to Indian Head.
As the season unfolds, metrics like ODAC comparisons for Randolph-Macon winners will track progress, but for St. Mary’s, podium consistency signals readiness for February’s Atlantic East meet at Catholic University. Dual meets like this one, though losses, calibrate training for peak performance, a staple in a sport where marginal seconds separate champions.
