The Monmouth University men’s and women’s swimming teams have put their stamp on Monmouth athletics history after both teams placed fifth at the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Championships at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center at Erie Community College this past weekend.
As a result of the teams’ final finishes, which are their highest ever at the championships, both teams have improved their conference standings. This was the second time with 383 points, eight points better than 2020, that the men’s team placed fifth.
Head Coach Matt Nunnally noted about the past weekend, “It was an outstanding job by both the men and the women, a championship meet has a lot of ups and downs over the course of four days. I thought the team was resilient and stuck in there and had some outstanding results. It was great to see our team finish the season on a high note.”
After the meet, Senior Callan Smith was awarded as the Most Outstanding Swimmer, while Senior Camyrn McHugh and Freshman Georgia Watkins both were named co-Most Outstanding Swimmers of the meet. Watkins was also awarded as the MAAC Rookie of the Meet.
As for the women’s team, with 442.5 points, they took fifth place. Monmouth won a program record, individually, of eight individual gold medals. Watkins earned the gold in the 500 freestyle, the 1650 freestyle, and the 200 fly. McHugh achieved the medal in the 100 fly, 100 backstroke, and the 200 backstroke. Finally, Smith won in the 100 backstroke and the 200 backstroke. To top all of their success off, Monmouth had one relay champion which was in the women’s 200-yard medley relay.
On Wednesday, the 200-yard medley relay took place where the women won their first relay gold medal for Monmouth at the championships. Their school-record time was 1:42.87 thanks to Camryn McHugh, Tahlia Botha, Alexandra Ho, and Georgia Watkins.
The women’s 800-yard freestyle relay team broke another record. The team consisting of Alexandra Ho, Georgia Watkins, Sarah Brennan, and Katie Parker broke the school record after finishing with a time of 7:35.25. This very finish earned them bronze medals.
Not only did the women’s relay teams break records on Wednesday, but the men did as well. The men’s 800-yard freestyle relay team set a new team record earning a bronze medal with a time of 6:41.95 all credit to Callan Smith, Cole Dyson, Dylan Edge, and Thomas From.
Come Thursday, the wins never stopped. For the women, Watkins earned her first-career individual gold medal after winning the 500-yard freestyle in 4:59.68. Claiming a silver medal was Ho in the women’s 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.66. Jensen Ritter placed fifth after completing with a time of 5:07.61 in the 500-yard freestyle.
Over on the men’s team, the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay team consisting of Blake Reynolds, Thomas From, Kevin Del Giorno, and Dylan Barkhuizen, finished in 1:22.11 breaking the program record. Dyson also placed seventh with a time of 4:33.49 in the 500-yard freestyle and taking fourth place in the 50-yard freestyle was Blake Reynolds with a time of 20.78.
The next two days were nothing but excitement. For the women, McHugh won two individual gold medals and broke two of her own school records by winning the 100-fly in 55.33 and the 100 back in 55.26. McHugh, Botha, Watkins, and Ho set a new program record in the 400-yard medley with a time of 3:47.76.
Botha broke her program record and placed second earning a silver medal in her final event and Ritter came in fourth in the 100-yard butterfly. Adding to the women’s success was Maggie McMillan who came in sixth in the 100-yard backstroke in 57.68.
For the men, Smith won the 100-yard backstroke, breaking his own Monmouth record and earning his fourth-career gold. He also earned silver in the 200-yard freestyle. In the 400-medley relay with Smith, Sean Cook, Reynolds, and From earned fourth place in 3:19.57.
On Saturday, the Hawks seemed far from tired when Watkins set the program record in the 1650-yard freestyle. Monmouth also had top two finishers in the 200-yard butterfly with Watkins, who set a new program record, and Ritter.
McHugh won gold in the 200-yard backstroke, breaking her school record and Ho earned bronze in the 100 free. The women also set a new program record in the 400-yard free earning bronze.
Callan Smith broke his own MAAC record in the 200-backstroke and the men also set a Monmouth record in the 400 free relay winning silver.
It is very safe to say that Monmouth swim completely and utterly dominated and obliterated the 2022 MAAC Championships.
