Emory men, women dominate to win Division III swim titles

The Emory men’s swim team on the winner’s podium on Saturday night in Shenandoa, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Emory)

The Emory men’s swim team on the winner’s podium on Saturday night in Shenandoa, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Emory)

The Emory men won the Division III national swimming and diving national title on the final day of the event on Saturday night in Shenandoa, Texas, breaking the stranglehold of Kenyon College and Denison University.

Those two schools had won the past 37 national swim titles in Division III. The last time a school other than those two had won was 1979.

Emory previously had finished in the top three 13 times, including runner-up finishes in 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2009.

The Emory men joined the women as title winners. The women won the DIII title for the 10th time.

The Eagles, having never won more than three men’s event titles in a single championship meet, recorded eight total over the four day meet en route to the national championship. Emory finished with 438 points, 54 more than second place Kenyon College. Denison rounded out the top three with 371 total points.

In addition to the eight event national titles (four individual, four relay), Emory set five Division III records and had 16 All-America finishes.

Senior Andrew Wilson was chosen the swimmer of the year for the second time in his career. Wilson won three individual titles in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke and assisted on a pair of relay wins: the 200 and 400 Medley Relay, all five wins setting Division III records. On Saturday, Wilson closed out his remarkable Emory swimming career, winning the 200 Breast in dominant fashion, touching at 1:50.80 and winning the event by almost eight seconds.

Jon Howell was named the Collegiate Swimmers Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) men’s swimming coach of the year after the meet for the first time in his career. Howell was also named the CSCAA women’s coach of the year.