Howard University took home two major wins at the Northeast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, which took place from Feb. 17-20 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
The women’s and men’s teams came in first place at the competition. The achievement marks a significant milestone as Howard is the only HBCU with a Division I swimming and diving team.
Howard University wins the NEC Championships
The women’s team at Howard took home their first NEC title in the program’s history, while the men’s team won their second consecutive championship and their third in four years, according to The Dig.
“This moment is about more than winning championships. It’s about showing young swimmers and divers — especially those who may not see themselves represented — that they belong in this sport and can excel at the highest level,” Nic Askew, Howard’s director of swimming and diving and tennis, told The Dig.
“I’ve seen these young men and women really push themselves this entire season and I have never doubted that we could win,” he added. “I am proud of what we did and know that this program continues to set the standard.”
Team members also won individual honors during the championships. Zion Wilson received an NEC title for Most Outstanding Diver, Zuilda “Zuzu” Nwaeze was decorated with an NEC title for Most Outstanding Swimmer (her third consecutive time doing so) and Courtenay Miller won NEC Diving Coach of the Year. Both the women’s and men’s teams also earned NEC Coaching Staff of the Year.
“Watching these teams come together and accomplish so much really has been history in the making,” Askew told The Dig. “Never before has a women’s team from an HBCU won a conference title and never before has an HBCU won back-to-back swimming and diving conference titles. These wins speak volumes about the talent and competitive nature of our program and what is possible for student athletes considering attending an HBCU.”
What was Howard University’s performance at the NEC Championships?
The women’s team secured a win with a total of 856 points, with Central Connecticut State University coming in second and Wagner College coming in third. On their end, the men’s team won first place with 859 points, while Wagner College came in second and Le Moyne College came in third, according to Swimming World Magazine.
On day one of the competition, Kaleb James, Artyton Moncur, Taj Benton and Mason Green from Howard won the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:29.12. The women’s team, composed of Chanice Posada, Rhanishka Gibbs, Alyssa Napier and Gabrielle Vickles, also came in first in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:41.34. They finished second in the 800 freestyle relay behind Central Connecticut.
On Wednesday, Howard took the lead over Central Connecticut. In the 50 freestyle race, Nwaeze recorded a time of 22.82, while Gibbs came in at 23.01. The women’s team also broke a record during the 200 freestyle relay as Nwaeze, Vickles, Zenya Posada and Jasmine Morgan came in at 1:31.53. On the men’s team, James took the first spot in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:48.75 on Wednesday, while Green won the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.17.
Wrapping up the competition, Howard’s women’s team also recorded one individual and one relay victory on the final day.