By Max Ferguson, Staff Writer
The Men’s and Women’s Bullets Swim Teams travelled to Franklin and Marshall College’s Aquatic Center to compete in the Centennial Conference Swim Championships from Thursday, February 19, through Sunday, February 22. There, the teams brought home 27 conference championship medals, 13 of which were from the men’s team, and 14 from the women’s team. The men’s team finished as the Centennial Conference runner-ups and the women’s team took third.
14 Bullets received all-conference honors over the weekend, of which 8 posted qualifying times to swim at the NCAA Division III National Championships held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Conor Mangan ’28 took an individual silver medal in the 200-yard Individual Medley. His time was a personal best in the event, which also qualified him to swim at the events in Indy.
Men’s Team swimmers in the pool for the Centennial Conference championship. (Photo David Sinclair/Bullets Athletics)
Ethan Keiner ’28 took individual silvers in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Graham ’28 and Mangan ’28 were joined by Toby Winston ’29 and Connor Booth ’27 to break the 800-yard freestyle relay record, which had previously stood for thirteen years. The four earned silver in the event.
Graham ’28, Booth ’27, Keiner ’28 and Max McAlister ’26 collected another silver for the men in the 400-yard medley relay. The 400-yard freestyle relay rounded out the men’s medals as Winston ’29, Graham ’28, Lorenzo Zullo ’26 and Keiner ’28 claimed silver.
The women also produced strong finishes across multiple events. Valerie Lawton ’26 earned bronze medals in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle, while Lanie McKenzie ’27 took bronze in the 200-yard Individual Medley. Bramley Hawkins ’26 added another bronze in the 100-yard butterfly after setting a program record in the prelims.
In the distance events, Ava Berry ’27 earned silver in the 1650-yard freestyle while Paige McKim ’27 followed with a bronze in the same race. Gettysburg also found success in several women’s relays throughout the championship. Lanie McKenzie ’27, Maya Knoller ’26, Hawkins ’26, and Lawton ’26 opened the meet with a bronze medal in the 200-yard medley relay, while Mia Morreale ’26, Lawton ’26, McKenzie ’27, and Caitlyn Evans ’28 added another bronze in the 800-yard freestyle relay.
Women’s Team swimmer on the diving block, preparing to swim. (Photo David Sinclair/Bullets Athletics)
Among the awards won, Evan Graham ’28 was awarded Centennial Conference Swimmer of the Year. During the weekend, Graham ’28 took the gold medal in the 400-yard Individual Medley. In posting a time of 3 minutes and 53.45 seconds, he set a program, conference, and championship record. His time qualified him for the national championship.
Mia Morreale ’26 took home two individual gold medals while contributing to the success of the women’s conference performance. She took first place in the individual 200-yard backstroke and 400 yard Individual Medley. She also helped the Bullets bring home another two silver medals in relay events. Morreale, alongside McKenzie, Hawkins, and Knoller took second place in the 400-yard medley relay.
Morreale then swam with Delaney Reck ’27, Valerie Lawton ’26, and Morgan Puckett ’29 to take silver in the 200-yard freestyle relay and closed the meet with a bronze in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Their times qualified the quartet to swim both events in the national championship. In the 200-yard backstroke, Morreale became the first Gettysburg Women’s swimmer to clock a sub-2-minute time in the event. Her time also set a conference record.
Graham ’28 and Morreale ’26 represent the ends of the winning culture that the Bullets swim team has fostered. Where Graham ’28 is set to debut at his first national championship, the event will mark Morreale’s last ever time in the pool in her collegiate career.
Morreale will leave behind several records after she graduates that she has set over her four years as a Bullet, and has mixed emotions going into NCAAs.
“It is a little nerve-racking because it is on a national stage and will be my final swim meet after almost a decade of competitive swimming,” said Morreale.
Graham, too, expressed some nerves. However, both athletes underpinned the excitement that came with this moment.
“Luckily, my coaches and I have been planning for this meet, so I feel prepared and ready to compete,” said Graham. “More than anything, I am excited to be in the NCAA environment and am excited to see how I can perform”.
Both athletes were quick to give credit to their teammates and staff who brought them to this moment.
When asked if she had any moment that she was most proud of, Morreale deferred to her teammates, saying, “I think what I am most proud of is not personal goals I have been able to achieve, but rather that I have been pushed and guided by my teammates to strive for those things. Everything I have accomplished would not have been possible without the support of the people I have had the pleasure of training side by side with every day. If I had to pinpoint one thing, I would say that I am most proud to have been part of a team like this one”.
Graham echoed the sentiment in stating, “I think our group of guys has really helped elevate everyone as a whole. I’m especially proud of the freshmen on the team and of how our captains have been able to shape a positive team mentality over the past few years. As for [Swimmer of the Year] itself, I owe a lot to my training partners and coaches; their support and guidance have been huge factors in my success”.
The eight qualifying swimmers for Gettysburg will look to make good on the supportive winning culture this team has when they take to the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis from March 18-21. There, they will not only be swimming in hopes of earning individual accolades, but also for their teammates who so clearly have supported one another all season.
This article originally appeared on pages 18-19 of the March 2026 edition of The Gettysburgian magazine.
