Swim and Dive Wins UAA Championships for their 18th Consecutive Year

The Emory men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were awarded the University Athletic Association Team Champions for the eighteenth straight year on Saturday night at the 29^th Annual UAA Championships in Webster, New York. The Eagles finished the four day meet with an astonishing seven UAA records, 45 All-UAA certificates and 18 event championships.

The women’s swimming and diving team coasted to an easy victory, beating second-place Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) by 685.5 points over the course of the competition. The Eagles finished with 2,015 points, Washington University came in second place with 1,329.5 points and the University of Chicago (Ill.) came in third place with 1,319 points. The victory was the women’s team’s twenty-fourth UAA Championship of all time.

The men’s swimming and diving team also handedly won their series of races. The Eagles finished with 1,595.5 points, while their closest competitor, Washington University in St. Louis, finished 151.5 points behind Emory, good for second place. New York University finished in third place with 1,305.5 points. The victory was the men’s team’s eighteenth UAA Championship of all time.

A large number of Emory swimmers and divers were also given individual awards throughout the four days of competition.

Sophomore Cindy Cheng was named the Women’s Swimmer of the Year for her UAA record time of 1:49.59 in the 200-meter freestyle and for her 200-meter backstroke time (1:59.46). Cheng was also a member of two UAA record setting relay teams during the tournament, with UAA record times in the 800-meter freestyle (7:28.54) and the 400-meter freestyle (3:22.71). Cheng is the seventh straight Emory women’s swimmer to win the award at the Annual UAA Championships. Cheng is also the seventeenth Emory women’s swimmer to ever win the award.

Freshman Fiona Muir was awarded Women’s Rookie of the Year after winning championships in the 50-meter freestyle with a UAA record time of 23.29, in addition to swimming the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 50.14 and winning all-UAA honors in the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 55.25. Muir was also a member of four UAA Championship winning relay teams, two of which set UAA records. Muir was a member of the UAA record-setting teams in the 200-meter freestyle (1:33.19) and the 400-meter freestyle (3:22.71). In addition, two other teams that Muir was a part of won championships: the 400-meter medley (3:45.73) and the 200-meter medley (1:43,79).

Senior Elizabeth Aronoff set a UAA record by topping her own previous mark, with a time of 2:15.67 in the 200-meter breaststroke. Additionally, the team of Muir, junior Marcela Sanchez-Aizcorbe, Cheng, and freshman Meg Taylor obliterated the UAA record for the 400-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3:22.71.

The men’s team also earned all-UAA honors for the championship. Freshman Trey Kolleck earned the honor for the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 45.36, along with junior Christian Baker in the 1,650-meter freestyle with a time of 15:54.16. The relay team for the 400-meter freestyle comprised of sophomore Alexander Hardwick, Kolleck, junior Hayes Burdette-Sapp, and freshman Alex Kohlman also won all-UAA honors with a time of 3:02.35.

In addition to all-UAA honors, two men swimmers won first place individual championships on the last night of competition. Senior Jared Scheuer won the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:49.38, and freshman Thomas Gordon won the 1,650-meter freestyle with a time of 15:36.56.

The Eagles’ next meet will be for a select few chosen to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships from March 16-19 in Greensboro, North Carolina.