LEWISBURG, Pa. - Graduate student
Mimi Watts of American University swimming & diving earned her third straight gold medal in the women's 50 freestyle, becoming the first in the event to three-peat at the Patriot League Championships since 2007-09. That gold, Watts' sixth career gold and 10th career medal, highlighted a strong second day at the PL Championships for the Eagles.
American had a second "A" finalist in
Colin Clough, who swam a school-record time of 20.12 in the prelims of the men's 50 free. Along with the "A" finals for Clough and Watts, AU has had 10 additional "B" and "C" finalists.
Notable Women's Results
- After placing second among 47 swimmers in the women's 50 free prelims with a time of 22.99, Watts turned it up a notch with a closing stretch in the finals that saw her out-touch Army's Meghan Cole by 0.02 seconds.
- The time was short of Watts' own school record in the event, but good enough for her third straight gold medal.
- For a second night in a row, the foursome of freshman Piper Crosby, freshman Marin Priddy, Watts, and sophomore Lian Jeong Engle, took fifth in a relay, this time in the 400 medley. Their time of 3:44.10 was short of their own school record, ranking second all-time.
- Jeong Engle and Priddy both advanced to the B final in the women's 50 free. Priddy's time of 23.74 was a new PR for her, which moves her up to sixth all-time in program history. Crosby advanced to the C final in the same event with a new PR of 23.78, moving her from 12th to eighth all-time.
- In the finals, Jeong Engle dropped to 23.41, short of her PR but good for 10th overall. Priddy placed 16th, and Crosby was 20th.
- Junior Isabel McGovern advanced to the C final in the women's 200 IM with a 19th-place finish in 2:06.55. She took 20th overall in the finals in 2:06.24.
- Freshman Demetra Bicos made it to the C final in the women's 500 free in 5:01.75, and later took 23rd overall in 5:02.47.
Notable Men's Results
- Clough swam the sixth-fastest time in a field of 57 swimmers in the men's 50 free, going a lifetime-best 20.12 to break the school record set by Nick Buckley (20.20) in 2022 and 2023. In the final, Clough took eighth place in 20.39.
- Senior Aidan Delehanty posted a lifetime-best 20.52 in the prelims of the men's 50 free to advance to the C final and move up to fourth all-time in program history. Delehanty posted a 20.64 in the finals for 21st place.
- Although he missed out on the finals, sophomore Connor Florence posted a 50 free PR of 20.96 to move from 14th to 12th all-time at AU.
- Freshman Zachary Rothman advanced to the B final of the men's 500 free in a lifetime-best 4:30.82 which ranks eighth all-time among PRs in program history. After placing 20th in the prelims with that PR, he went 4:31.51 for 21st overall.
- Freshman Gray Miller placed 17th in men's 1-meter diving with a PR of 243.95 that improves upon his own eighth-place standing all-time at AU. He narrowly missed the B final, but scored nine points for the Eagles.
- In the final event of the night, the 400 medley relay, the foursome of Delehanty, Clough, junior Daniel Coughlin, and sophomore Connor Florence posted a 3.19.60 to rank second all-time at AU and take ninth in the event.
Day Two Results
Next Up
- Competition resumes on Friday with contested events to include women's 1-meter diving, the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and the 200 free relay. Prelims start at 10 a.m. with diving prelims at 1 p.m. and finals at 6 p.m. Click HERE for the Patriot League Championship Central website.
Stay Connected
