WASHINGTON - Howard University swimming and diving closed out their home slate with a pair of victories over Catholic University on Senior Day Saturday afternoon.

Howard men defeated the Cardinals 221-60 kicking off the day's events with the 1M Dive. Reigning NEC Diver of the Week Jordan Walker opened the afternoon strong earning a first place finish with a score of 246.20. The Bison started the swimming portion just as strong, overtaking the nearest competition by five seconds in the 200-Yard Medley relay. With a time of 1:32.24 Howards A relay consisting of  Miles Simon (Atlanta, GA), Luke-Kennedy Thompson (Nassau, Bahamas), Mark Anthony Beckles (Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago), and Arion Solomon (Fairburn, GA) earned the swimmer's first win.

Freshman Ty Triche (Humble, TX) swam to his first individual finish in the men's 1000-Free (10:12.09). The Bison would pick up another consecutive victory in the 200-Free. Marking Tai Afrik's (Holland, MI) first individual win of the day, the Michigan native beat his opponents by over three seconds with a time of 1:45.07. Afrik would later join the 200-IM where he won with another three second advantage (2:00.11).
Senior Kevin Claiborne (Queens, NY) kept the momentum going swimming to a first place finish in the 50-Back (24.57). Claiborne would go on to take the 50-Fly (23.22) outswimming runner-up and fellow Bison Brent Cooper (Baton Rouge, LA) by .11 seconds.

Luke-Kennedy Thompson followed up taking the top spot in the 50-Breasts with a time of 25.87. Teammates Miguel Davis (Washington, DC) and Mark-Anthony Thompson (Nassau, Bahamas) rounded out the top three with times of  26.14 and 26.56.

Taj Benton (Baltimore, MD) earned the top placement in the 200-Fly swimming it in 1:56.35.

Reigning NEC Swimmer of the Week Miles Simon swam to solo wins in the 50-Free (20.08) and 200 Breasts (2:06.13).

In another exciting showdown, brothers Luke-Kennedy and Mark-Anthony Thompson went stroke for stroke in the 500-Free. Older Brother Luke-Kennedy (4:59.53) came out victorious in the final second beating Mark-Athony (5:00.30) by a hair.

Howard's A relay team composed of Beckles, Solomon, Joel Wilkinson, and Simon closed out the meet victorious in the 200-Free relay

In honor of senior day, the teams recognized 14 supreme seniors.

MEN SENIORS
Mark-Anthony Beckles
Kevin Claiborne
Jordane Payne
Reese Samuel
Miles Simon
Arion Solomon
Luke-Kennedy Thompson
Joel Wilkinson


WOMEN
On the women's side, the team bounced back to the winner's circle defeating the Cardinals 177-101.
 
The Bison picked up their first win of the day in the 200-Medley Relay consisting of Kali Garcia (Altamonte, FL), Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson (Nassau, Bahamas), Courtney Connolly (White Lake, MI), and Kelsey Roberson (Tallahassee, FL). Freshman standout Zuzu Nwaeze (Columbia, MD) earned her first individual placement in the 1000-Free (10:52.04) before later overtaking the 50-Fly.

Following up in an exciting 200-Free, grad student Madison Freeland (Glenside, PA) narrowly outswam (2:00.02) her competition for a first place finish.

In another exciting showdown, it was Bison versus Bison down to the end between Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson and Belle Fountain (White Plains, NY) in the 50-Breasts. Staying stroke for stroke throughout both laps, Thompson came out on top with a time of 30.19 slipping pass Fountain by .21 seconds. Thompson would later earn another first-place finish in the 100- Free with a time of 53.37.

Junior Alana Josey (York, PA) also picked up two individual placements swimming by the competition in the 200-Fly (2:12.20) and 200-IM (2:16.27).

Michaela Spears (Chicago, IL) scooped another win for the Bison in the 200-Breasts (2:28.45). Returning to the pool for her final swim of the day, Garcia swam to a 5:17.17 top solo finish in the 500-Free.

Howard's A relay team composed of Skylar Debnam (Chandler, AZ), Nwaeze, Spears, and Tiffanee Moore (Tallahassee, FL) closed out the meet on a high winning the 200-Free relay in 1:38.77. Howard's B relay was not far behind, skimming their heels by just over a second.
 
In honor of senior day, the teams recognized 14 supreme seniors.

WOMEN SENIORS
Illeana Bocage
Courtney Connolly
Raychel Fauntroy
Teyana Johnson
Tiffanee Moore
Breyahna Tyme

The Bison return to the competition February 21st-25th when they travel to Geneva, Ohio  to compete in the NEC Championships.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.