The Bears enjoyed some particularly strong individual performances across the meet, setting five program records and earning 15 All-American finishes.

Both squads had a victorious weekend, winning both of their meets, which served as valuable minutes in preparation for the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships in February. 

First-year swimmer Parker Chan has already made a big impact in the team’s first two meets of the season, being named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week after both competitions.

Both Bears teams ended up losing in a tough matchup against the Maroons, the men falling 131-161 and the women 133-167. The men’s competition featured five first-place finishes across the swimming events.

The WashU men’s and women’s swim and dive teams competed at the NCAA Division III Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina from March 19–22. The men’s team finished in eighth place, headlined by fifth-year Kyle Wolford’s individual national championship in the 200-yard backstroke, and the women’s team finished in 20th.

“The secret to success in sports is 90% mentality and 10% skill.” This is a commonly touted mantra in the field of athletics, where the top level is characterized by minimal differences in physicality. And swimming, the epitome of aerobic demand, is no different.

As their two championships approach rapidly with roughly a month left in their seasons, the No. 11 men’s and No. 15 women’s WashU swim teams faced DePauw University on Feb. 1, with both teams coming out victorious. In their final tune-up before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, the men’s team won 196-85, and the women’s team won 189-100.

In sports that are defined by endurance, the toughest section of a race or competition is often the last turn into the home stretch, with the finish just in sight — the infamous “turn three” in track and field, where races are won and lost. For the WashU men’s and women’s swim teams, their seasons are approaching this strenuous, demanding third turn. 

The No. 10 men’s and No. 14 women’s WashU swimming and diving teams fell to Division II No. 6 men’s and No. 17 women’s McKendree University, 105 points to 187 points and 120 points to 167 points, respectively, on Jan. 11.

The WashU men’s and women’s swim and dive teams competed in the D3 Shootout tournament at the University of Chicago on Nov. 8-9. The No. 9 men’s team finished in second place, and the No. 16 women’s team finished in third against some of the best programs in Division III.