By Charlie Miller, Staff Writer
Gettysburg College played host to the Centennial Conference Swim Championships this past weekend from Feb. 16 to 19, and while they achieved good results, they could not overtake the defending champions in Swarthmore. The Garnet men and women secured their second consecutive swimming conference title, with the men defeating Gettysburg 810.5-735.5, and the women besting the orange and blue 984-743.
A few Bullets had outstanding performances, however, capping off another successful season in the pool.
Captain Nick Cox ’23 was one of three male swimmers to win gold in multiple events, finishing first in the backstroke in the 100- and 200-meter races. Max McAlister ’26 took the top spot in the 200 butterfly, a good sign for the future of the program.
The Bullet women also had a few standouts, including Olivia Pyott ’25, who won gold in the 200 breaststroke. Mia Yancey ’25 broke her own school record in the 200-meter IM and freestyle, and was also part of a few other records in the relay portion.
The conference championships started with an exciting 200-meter medley relay final, as Gettysburg and the Garnet duked it out, establishing the tone for the next few days. Gettysburg barely snatched the victory, beating Swarthmore by .73 seconds and setting both pool and conference championship records in the process.
The Bullets’ relay featured Yancey, along with Natalie Wisniewski ’24, Maya Lily Knoller ’26, and Bramley Hawkins ’26. The Bullets’ depth speaks volumes to their recent recruiting classes, some of the best in program history. They have much to look forward to in the future and hope to unseat Swarthmore next year.
Pyott is enthused about the team’s future. She noted that despite the second place finish, they “swam one of the best meets in Gettysburg history.” She was excited to see her hard work on the breaststroke rewarded with a win in the 200-meter race, as she focuses on that stroke “the most when training.”
As a sophomore, Pyott will be one of the leaders who will drive this Gettysburg squad to future success. She is optimistic and said that “the future of Gettysburg swimming is bright!”
The Gettysburg men and women were pleased with another great season, and they will look to continue their momentum into the offseason, after a bit of well-deserved rest.
