It was a record-breaking weekend for the New York University's men's swimming & diving teams, as they achieved an all-time best placement at the NCAA Division III Championships, which were held March 20-23 in Greensboro, NC.
The Violets posted a best-ever fourth-place finish of 43 teams with 282 points.
Graduate student
Derek Maas captured three individual National Championships and swam away with seven all-America honors. He won the 100 breaststroke (51.83), the 200 breaststroke (1:54.26) and the 200 IM (1:42.97). His performance in the 200 IM smashed the previous NCAA Division III record of 1:44.18, while all three set new NYU program standards.
"He's an amazing competitor and I'm honored to have had the pleasure of coaching him this past year," said Head Coach
Trevor Miele. "He's made so many amazing contributions to the program in and out of the pool."
The Violets also had success in the relays, with national runner-up performances from the 200 medley relay (1:26.72), and the 200 freestyle relay (1:19.48), each swam by the same foursome: Maas, junior
Ajay Watanakun, and freshmen
Emmett Ralston and
Greg Wehbe. The 400 freestyle relay team of Maas, Wehbe, Watanakun, and sophomore
Leo Han, placed third in an NYU-record time of 2:56.55.
The 400 medley relay team of Maas, Ralston, Wehbe, and Han placed seventh to earn All-America honors with a time of 3:14.62. A new NYU school record was set in the 800 freestyle relay, with Han, juniors
Connor Vincent and
Jaeden-Hans Yburan, and freshman
Kevin Wu clocking 6:37.04.
Vincent also earned All-America honors as national runner-up in the 1650 freestyle (15:17.55) and with his third-place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:24.58). Yburan also grabbed All-America honors for his eighth-place finish in the 200 IM (1:48.97).
All-America honors also went to freshman
Victor Derani in the 400 IM (6th place, 3:55.05) and Han in the 200 butterfly (7
th place, 1:48.36).
Overall, the men earned 24 All-America honors, seven Honorable Mention All-America honors, and set eight NYU program records.
"An absolutely incredible meet," Miele concluded. "I am so impressed with our team. From day one they worked their butts off, swam well in Chicago in November, were even better at the UAA's, and killed it at NCAA's. Just a truly incredible and historic season."
