Junior Anthony Davis of Upper Marlboro earned Atlantic East Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Week honors on Oct. 27, 2025, for standout performances in the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s swimming team’s season-opening meets.
The award, announced by the conference office, marks Davis’s second such recognition in his career, following a similar accolade last season. Davis, a 6-foot business major from Riverdale Baptist School, went undefeated in the 50-yard freestyle across three dual meets in Virginia, posting a personal-best 22.15 seconds to win at Randolph College on Oct. 25. He also anchored winning 200-yard medley and freestyle relays at Randolph, contributing to times of 1:42.47 and 1:29.98, respectively.
St. Mary’s men’s team, the Seahawks, started the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-1 record after a weekend tri-meet at Randolph College. On Oct. 24, the Seahawks fell 159.5-102.5 to host Randolph-Macon College, where Davis touched first in the 50 freestyle at 22.92 seconds. He added a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle at 50.37 seconds and the 100 butterfly at 56.98 seconds, while swimming the third leg on the runner-up 200 medley relay squad that clocked 1:40.83. The next day, St. Mary’s rebounded with decisive victories over Randolph College, 130-74, and Virginia Wesleyan University, 147-45, showcasing depth in sprints and relays.
These early results set a tone for a program aiming to build on recent momentum. St. Mary’s placed second at the 2025 Atlantic East Conference Championships in February, breaking multiple school records en route to a runner-up finish behind Catholic University. The team also saw sophomore Luke Schwenk claim the NCAA Division III national title in the 50 freestyle that March, posting a school-record 19.53 seconds and becoming the first St. Mary’s athlete to win an NCAA-sponsored individual championship. Such achievements highlight the program’s rise since joining the Atlantic East in 2019, with consistent top-three conference finishes in men’s swimming over the past four seasons.
Davis’s contributions underscore his role as a key sprinter in freestyle and butterfly events. The 50 freestyle, a sprint demanding explosive power and streamlined technique, often serves as a predictor for relay success, where anchors like Davis must maintain or accelerate team momentum. His relay anchors at Randolph exemplified this, helping secure dual-meet points crucial in close competitions. At Randolph-Macon, his individual placements added 22 points toward the team’s total, despite the loss.
The Atlantic East Conference, comprising 10 Division III institutions primarily along the East Coast, emphasizes balanced competition in swimming. The 2025-26 men’s standings remain unmarred early in the season, with St. Mary’s among seven teams yet to record conference duals. Championships return to St. Mary’s Aquatics Center from Feb. 13-16, 2026, where the Olympic-sized pool has hosted major events since its 2006 opening as part of the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center. The facility, with 300 spectator seats and advanced timing systems, supports both varsity training and community programs, including youth swim lessons that draw families from St. Mary’s County.
Looking ahead, the Seahawks host a nonconference triple dual meet on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m., welcoming Bridgewater College, Southern Virginia University and Stevenson University to the Aquatics Center. Stevenson, a perennial Atlantic East contender, brings a roster featuring last season’s conference champion in the 200 individual medley. Bridgewater and Southern Virginia add Mid-Atlantic flavor, with the latter advancing two relays to NCAA prelims in 2025. St. Mary’s coach Casey Brandt, in his 12th year directing the program, views these matchups as tune-ups for a schedule that includes 14 duals before conference play intensifies in January.
As the season unfolds, Davis and teammates target personal bests amid a 20-meet slate. Relay splits, like his 22.15 anchor, factor into NCAA qualifying cuts, with St. Mary’s eyeing a return to nationals after Schwenk’s 2025 appearance. In Division III, where no athletic scholarships exist, such performances stem from academic-athletic balance, with Davis maintaining a business curriculum alongside 20 weekly practices.
