WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard University swimming and diving teams once again swept the competition in Burr Gym Pool on Friday evening in a dual meet against Randolph-Macon.
The women's team finished with an impressive 131-73 victory and the men earned a 127-75 triumph. Both teams are now a perfect 2-0 in their home facility.
KaSandra Kaplan, Latroya Pina, Andreas Weech and Leanne McMaster started off the day on the right foot for the Bison with a first-place finish in the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:53.42. Danielle Brown opened the individual races with a win in the 1,000 freestyle (11:34.33). Kaplan followed that up by taking first in the 200 freestyle (2:01.32) and Skylar Smith was third (2:10.35).
Susanna Reese grabbed another victory for Howard in the 50 freestyle after touching the wall in 25.19, while McMaster was second in 25.47. In the 100 IM, Akesha Minnifee-Cox checked in at 1:04.33 for the win. Weech swam to first in 1:01.72 in the 100 butterfly, followed by Pina in second (1:02.40).
Reese picked her second individual win in the 100 freestyle by wrapping up the race in 56.22, which also featured Smith taking third in 59.75. On a roll, Kaplan earned first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:01.23. Danielle Brown added another victory to her accomplishment in the 500 freestyle (5:39.15).
The 100 breaststroke saw Pina swimming to first thanks to a time of 1:08.84, followed by Minnifee-Cox in 1:12.57. Howard ended the day with the 400 freestyle relay as Brown, Reese, Weech and McMaster took the top spot in 3:45.82.
For the men, the Bison took first and second in the 200 medley relay. The team of Don Brazelton, Xavier Philips, Alexander Barnes and TJ Miller completed the race in 1:38.14, followed by Devin Guardino, Jonathan Hill, Noah Nicholas and Kegan Ford in 1:42.35.
Philips (10:26.94) and Nicholas (10:27.15) claimed the top two spots in the 1,000 freestyle. Nicholas Haughton placed second in the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:49.41, just ahead of Brazelton (1:49.79) and MenSa Eggleston (1:58.46) in third and fourth, respectively.
Howard notched the top-3 spots in the 50 freestyle, led by Barnes, who swam the race in 21.71. Mark McCluskey (22.10) and Ford (22.36) rounded out the trio. Farion Cooper and Guardino were second and third in the 100 IM in 56.02 and 58.27, respectively.
Miller recorded a time of 50.90 and Barnes finished in 53.15 to hand the Bison another first and second combination in the 100 butterfly. McCluskey (48.99), Nicholas (50.62) and Cooper (51.43) covered second, third and fourth place in the 100 freestyle. Brazelton swam to first in the 100 backstroke (54.58) and Guardino placed second (54.83).
Haughton didn't hold back in the 500 freestyle as he finished the race in 5:01.87 for the win, while Cooper picked up third in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.26). Ford, Philips, McCluskey and Miller joined together to wrap up the day with a first-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:19.62.
The Bison have a quick turnaround as they get ready to head to Newark, N.J. for a CCSA quad meet against NJIT, Drexel and St. Peter's on Sunday, Jan. 15. Competition is set to start at 1 p.m.
