For the second consecutive year, the Emory University men's swimming & diving team are the 2023 NCAA Division III national champions!!
With the strength of a loaded championship and consolation finals roster during the final night of competition, the Eagles were able to accumulate enough points to distance themselves from second place Kenyon College and win the team national championship with 532 points compared to the Owls' total of 495.5.
This represents the third-ever national championship for the men's swimming & diving team, having won previously in 2017 and 2022, and is now the 32nd national championship in the history of the Emory Athletics department.
The Eagles used the strong performances of their breaststrokers for the second straight night to capture the team crown, securing 58 points by placing four swimmers in the finals of the 200 Breaststroke and saw three finish inside the top-four in the championship final.
Graduate student Jason Hamilton won his third consecutive national championship in the event with a time of 1:53.77 and saw teammate Jake Meyer, last night's champion in the 100 Breaststroke, finish in silver at 1:56.65. Graduate student Justin Lum added a top finish, taking fourth at 1:58.03, while freshman Henri Bonnault was 11th at 1:59.07.
After using the breaststroke to build a sizeable lead, the Eagles were able to seal the title across the final two events. Senior Lucas Bumgarner closed out his impeccable diving career with a national runner-up performance in an outstanding finals session in the 3-meter, scoring 590.80, as he dueled Kenyon's Isreal Zavaleta across the six rounds. And in the 400 Freestyle Relay, the Eagles put a stamp on the win with a third place finish, with junior Nicholas Goudie, senior Pat Pema, freshman Caden Bjornstad and senior Colin LaFave totaling a time of 2:56.87.
The evening session began with Emory placing a trio of swimmers inside the top-six in the 100 Freestyle, with Goudie leading the way with a bronze medal effort at 43.58. Pema finished in a tie for fourth at 44.44 and LaFave took sixth at 44.70.
More points were scored in the 200 Backstroke with four swimmers representing the Eagles in the consolation final, with freshman Will Kohn, senior Lawrence Redmond, freshman Sven Becker and sophomore Alexander Pollack all finishing between the 10th and 13th positions.
Across the four days in Greensboro, the Emory men won national championships in five events, secured 24 All-America podium finishes and saw 13 All-America Honorable Mention honors. Furthermore, the Eagles established new Division III records in the 200 Medley and 800 Freestyle relays.