NEC Championships: Howard Men Claim Title on Final Relay, Earn Redemption; CCSU Wins Women’s Meet
Trailing by one point with the 400 free relay, everything was on the line for the Howard University quartet.
One year ago, the Bison were disqualified in the final relay and it cost them the NEC Championship.
This year, it was redemption as Tai Afrik, Taj Benton, Tristan Stevens and Mason Green combined to win the race by 18 hundredths of a second and claim the NEC Championship for Howard.
Howard finished with 883 points to hold off Wagner (876). Long Island University was third at 566, followed by Le Moyne (552).
In the men’s meet, Stevens won the 200 backstroke in 1:47.19, the 200 back (1:47.19) and the 100 back (48.38). Green broke the school record to win the 200 butterfly in 1:49.19. He also won the 100 fly in 47.29.
Stevens, Erald Thompson III, Benton and Darin Johnson won the 200 medley relay in a meet-record 1:28.40.
Stevens, Johnson, Benton and Green won the 400 medley relay (3:14.72).
Wagner’s Nikko Carrillo won the 200 butterfly (1:48.23) in a meet record and the 200 IM (1:50.36). Adrian Andres Moreno won the 100 breast in a meet-record 53.63 and 200 breast in 1:59.02.
After winning the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, senior Zay Swilley was named NEC Most Outstanding Diver.
After coaching them to their second program title, coaches Nicholas Askew, Salim King, Miriam Lynch, Courtenay Miller and Jasmine Payne were named NEC Coaching Staff of the Year. Miller also earned the distinction of Diving Coach of the Year.
LIU won the 800 free relay in 6:39.41 and 200 free relay in 1:21.63. Finn Drysdale won the 500 free (4:25.75), a meet record, the 1650 in a meet record (15:37.88) and the 200 free (1:38.15). Alejandro Pascual Del Cid won the 50 free (20.23) and 100 free (44.90). Dani Cocano Fernandez won the 400 IM (3:57.89).
In the women’s meet, Central Connecticut State won with 726.5 points. Howard was second 683.5), followed by St. Francis (579.5), Wagner (540), Long Island (454), Stonehill (191.5) and Le Moyne (179).
Howard’s Chanice Posada, Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson, Zuilda Nwaeze and Jasmine Morgan won the 200 medley relay in a meet-record 1:40.41. Nwaeze won the 50 free (22.65), 100 free (49.71) and 200 free (1:48.83). Posada won the 100 fly (54.02), 200 back (2:01.41) and 100 back (54.15).
Nwaeze, Morgan, Summer McKoy and Kelsey Robertson won the 200 free relay in a meet-record 1:32.43. Posada, Thompson, Nwaeze and Robertson won the 400 medley relay (3:43.30). Thompson, Morgan, Posada and Nwaeze won the 400 free relay (3:23.12).
Wagner won the 800 free relay with Mia Goodale, Brooke Woolfe, Gaya Savran and Rebekka Luoto finishing in 7:25.59. Luoto won the 100 breaststroke (1:00.31) in an NCAA B cut and 200 IM (2:00.83). and the 200 breast in 2:16.27. Savran won the 200 fly in 2:01.30.
Central Connecticut’s Kaitlyn Carroll swept the diving events. Abbey Keane won the 500 free (4:56.99).
LIU’s Laura Martin won the 400 IM (4:21.47).
St. Francis’ Aurem Pifarre Planes won the 1650 free (17:08.09).