Junior Kelsie Miller of Potomac earned the Atlantic East Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Week honor on Oct. 27, marking her seventh such recognition in three seasons at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The award followed standout performances in the team’s season-opening meets in Virginia, where Miller claimed four individual and relay victories across two days.
The St. Mary’s women’s swimming team, competing in the Atlantic East Conference, posted a 2-1 record Oct. 24-25. The Seahawks lost 193-69 to host Randolph-Macon College at the Tyler J. Parrish Memorial Natatorium in Ashland before rallying for 136-65 and 123-60 triumphs over Randolph College and Virginia Wesleyan University at the Bateman Aquatic Center in Lynchburg. These results set a 2-1 mark to open the 2025-26 campaign under head coach Casey Brandt.
Miller, a fly and individual medley specialist from Winston Churchill High School, swept the 200-yard butterfly with wins of 2:17.96 at Randolph-Macon and 2:18.27 at Randolph. She also took the 100-yard butterfly at Randolph-Macon in 1:00.19, a time that ranks among her top career efforts in the event. In relays, she led off the winning 200-yard freestyle squad at Randolph in 1:48.56 with teammates Emerson Young, Addison Willey and Venus Kai Judge. At the same site, she anchored the second-place 200-yard medley relay in 1:40.52 alongside Young, Jesse Slingluff and Willey. Against Randolph-Macon, Miller swam the third leg on the runner-up 200-yard freestyle relay (1:44.04) and led off the fourth-place 200-yard medley relay (2:00.13).
These efforts underscored Miller’s role as a core contributor for the Seahawks, who train daily at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center’s Aquatics Center in St. Mary’s City. The facility, a 110,000-square-foot hub completed in 2006, features an eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool with a movable bulkhead for flexible training configurations. Since opening, it has hosted the conference championships annually in February, drawing teams from across the mid-Atlantic and bolstering St. Mary’s competitive edge. The center’s design supports distance-focused workouts, a hallmark of Brandt’s program, which emphasizes endurance alongside sprint technique in events like the butterfly.
Beyond her weekend results, Miller’s selection highlights her progression since arriving as a first-year in 2023. At Churchill, she posted personal bests including a 57.10 in the 100-yard butterfly (short course yards), drawing attention from Division III recruiters. In her debut season, she captured both the AEC Swimmer and Rookie of the Year awards while helping St. Mary’s to the conference title. Last year, as a sophomore, Miller repeated as Swimmer of the Year, winning gold in the 100 and 200 butterfly at the AEC Championships in February 2025 and qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championships. There, she placed 27th in the 100 butterfly, 31st in the 200 butterfly and 56th in the 100 freestyle, becoming one of just two Seahawks to compete at nationals.
The 2025-26 roster reflects strong local ties, with 17 of 20 swimmers hailing from Maryland communities. Southern Maryland representation includes sophomore Mandy Cartwright of Waldorf, who notched a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (59.64) against Randolph-Macon, and first-year Carolina Saravia of Great Mills in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Addison Willey from Lexington Park contributed to both winning relays at Randolph, while junior Kaarli Lutz of Fort Washington swam in the 200-yard medley relay.
St. Mary’s enters the season as a preseason favorite in the AEC, building on back-to-back conference titles. The league, comprising nine institutions including Catholic University and Marymount, emphasizes balanced competition in NCAA Division III, where no athletic scholarships are offered. Swimmers like Miller exemplify the conference’s depth, with weekly awards recognizing top times in events governed by USA Swimming rules: the butterfly stroke involves alternating arm pulls above water and a dolphin kick, demanding explosive power over distances from 50 to 200 yards.
The weekend meets tested early-season conditioning. Against Randolph-Macon, an Old Dominion Athletic Conference power, St. Mary’s secured just three individual podiums, including Emerson Young’s win in the 50-yard freestyle (25.47). Senior captain Venus Kai Judge, from Gaithersburg, grabbed three third places in distance events: the 1000-yard freestyle (11:45.31), 500-yard freestyle (5:47.30) and 400-yard individual medley (5:15.05). First-year Lily Quill of Severna Park debuted with fourths in the 100-yard backstroke (1:10.77) and 200-yard backstroke (2:33.96). At Randolph, the Seahawks swept nine events, with Young adding a victory in the 200-yard freestyle (2:05.05) and sophomore Ella Malzahn taking the 100-yard breaststroke.
Looking ahead, St. Mary’s hosts a triple dual meet Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. against Bridgewater College, Southern Virginia University and Stevenson University. The event at the Aquatics Center will feature 16 events per dual, scored by placing in the top eight. Bridgewater, last year’s AEC runner-up, brings a balanced attack, while Southern Virginia and Stevenson add relay depth. For Southern Maryland fans, the meet offers a chance to see local standouts like Cartwright and Willey in action, with free admission and concessions supporting the program’s community outreach.
Miller’s early dominance signals another strong year, as the Seahawks aim to defend their title at the 2026 AEC Championships, set for Feb. 12-15 back at home. With a blend of veterans and locals, the team positions itself for nationals bids in Greensboro, N.C., in March.
