On Saturday afternoon, the Bison of Howard Swimming hosted the UMBC Retrievers to open their spring dual meet season.  The competition was highlighted by the celebration of the Bison's two seniors, Lauren Anthony and Steven Lott.  UMBC's talent and depth were too much for the Bison squads as the men fell to UMBC 119.5 - 108.5 and the Lady Retrievers took down the Lady Bison 123-103.

 

The men's team swam very well against the high-powered Retrievers, earning 12 season-best swims.  Miles Hector (Omaha, NE) rewrote his own Howard University record in the 1000 freestyle.  His time of 10:01.58 narrowly missed first place by less than one second.  Later in the 500 freestyle, Hector fought his way into second place with a season-best posting of 4:51.07.  Hector sits second all-time in HU history in the 500 freestyle with yesterday's race.

 

Fellow freshman Ben Skelding (Palmdale, CA) had an outstanding afternoon, as well.  Not only did Skelding earn a season-best mark in his 50 backstroke split in the 200 medley relay, but his second place time of 4:22.20 in the 400 individual medley moved the rookie into second all-time in Bison history.

 

Junior Zadok Isaacs (Cantaro Village, Trinidad and Tobago) earned four season-best swims, capped-off by his leadoff 50 free split, 21.95, in the 200 freestyle relay.  He also took second place in the 100 freestyle with a dual-meet, career best mark of 47.62 as well as third place in the 100 backstroke with a season-best tally of 54.95.

 

Sophomore Darell Hungerford (Clinton, MD) took second place honors in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:01.07 and Lott swam a dual meet best time of 22.88 in the 50 freestyle, good for third place.  Lott (Los Angeles, CA) was terrific earning third place honors in the 50 freestyle - 22.88 - as well as a dual-meet best mark of 2:12.16 in the 200 backstroke.

 

The Bison men concluded the competition with their fastest 200 freestyle relay split of the season.  Isaacs, Hungerford and Lott joined freshman Dexter Brown (Pearland, TX) to capture third place with a 1:29.09.

 

On the women's side, freshman Briana Dillon (Katy, TX) and sophomores Ashley Douglas (Missouri City, TX) and Camille Dykes (Maplewood, MN) all earned third place individual honors.  Dillon's third place claim came in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.88.  Douglas took third in the 50 freestyle with a 25.80 and Dykes held third place in the 1000 freestyle with an 11:58.02.

 

Anthony (Oakland, CA) culminated her senior day with two season-best freestyle splits, one in the 50 freestyle and with her anchor leg in the women's 200 freestyle relay. 

 

Dillon and Douglas combined with sophomore Janai Ederaine (Corona, CA) and junior E'lan Brewer (Lansing, MI) to take third place in the 200 freestyle relay.  Their time of 1:42.43 was also their fastest relay split of the season.

 

The Bison will travel next to Philadelphia to swim the Drexel Dragons on Saturday, January 21st at 1PM.