Grantham, Pa. – The Messiah men's and women's swimming teams are set to begin their 2021 slate of competition on Saturday, Mar. 6, when they compete in Fredericksen Natatorium in a MAC Virtual Meet at 1:00 p.m. Last season, the men's team finished fifth in the MAC Conference Championship, marking the sixth-straight season with a top-five finish, while the women's team turned in a sixth-place finish.
The Falcons swept the conference Rookie of the Year awards, with freshmen
Avery Barley and
Katelyn Boyce both receiving the honors. Barley swept all three of the individual events he competed in at the conference championship, winning the 100 Back (49.80), 100 Fly (49.61), and 200 Back (1:50.42). Barley set program records in all three individual wins. Boyce claimed a victory in the 400 IM (4:37.62), while earning top-five finishes in the 200 IM (fourth – 2:12.26) and 200 Fly (fifth – 2:12.98).
In the pandemic-adjusted 2021 season, the men's and women's teams have identical schedules. Following the Mar. 6 opener, the Falcons, in a home-friendly schedule, host Hood College (Mar. 13), Stevenson University (Mar. 20), and Albright College (Mar. 27). All meets are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m., as the MAC Championships (to be competed in a virtual format) will be held on Friday, Apr. 16 (6:00 p.m.) and Saturday, April 17 (10:00 a.m./6:00 p.m.).
See below for a brief recap on the Falcons' 2019-20 swimming seasons:
A Look Back
The men's team finished the 2019-20 campaign with an overall record of 7-4-1 (6-2-1 MAC), competing steadily throughout the entire season. The Falcons stringed together three-consecutive victories, defeating hosts King's College (Jan. 11), 146-107, before picking up two home decisions opposite Stevenson University (146-27) and Immaculata University (134-39) in a double-dual on Jan. 17.
Messiah picked up 839 team points in the four-day conference championship meet. In addition to Barley's program records, his finish in the 200 Back earned All-Conference honors. In the 1650 Free, the Falcons were represented with three top-25 finishes with
Mason Kennedy,
Coby Bracken, and
Eli McCabe. Kennedy notched a ninth-place finish (16:59.42), while Bracken (18:18.44) and McCabe (18:42.14) finished 19th and 23rd, respectively.
The women's team rounded off its 2019-20 season with an overall record of 7-5, swimming well against MAC opponents (6-3). Messiah began the season claiming three out of its four meets, winning three-straight home competitions against Hood College on Nov. 2 (155-98), Arcadia University on Nov. 9 (142-119), and Lycoming College on Nov. 16 (153-89).
The Falcons accumulated 792 team points to end the season at the conference championship meet. Messiah earned a pair of All-Conference honors at the meet behind strong performances from
Nancie Ziegler and
Alley Sell. Ziegler turned in a second-place finish in the 1650 Free with a time of 17:47.92, while Sell finished third in the 200 Breast in 2:27.08. Three Falcons were top-25 finishers in the 200 Back, with
Maelyn Elder finishing fourth (2:11.97),
Molly Elspas finishing 10th (2:15.17), and
Nicole Lee claiming a 22-place finish (2:19.75).
In The Pool
The men's team welcomes seven freshmen to the roster, retaining six players from last season's squad. Barley, the reigning MAC Rookie of the Year, returns to the Falcons for his sophomore season. Also returning for his sophomore season is
Isaac McCabe, who holds the team-best times in the 50 (28.68), 100 (1:01.27), and 200 Breast (2:14.73) Senior
Andrew Leeper is also a returner after red-shirting during his junior year. Leeper received Second Team All-MAC 200 Free Relay honors and placed eighth in the 100 Back at the MAC Championships last season.
The women's team also welcomes seven freshmen to the team, as well as returning five swimmers to the pool from last season's roster, including Boyce and junior
Rachel Bruns. The junior from Towson, Md. placed fourth in the 100 Breast (1:08.49) at last season's MAC Championship meet.
Messiah will also look for contributions and leadership from returners
Maelyn Elder (senior),
Molly Elspas (senior), and
Nicole Lee (sophomore).
On The Deck
Katie McComb returns for her fourth season in charge of Messiah's swimming programs. In addition to leading the women's team to consecutive MAC Championships during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, McComb has guided the men's team to three-straight top-five finishes in the MAC Championships the past two seasons.
Joining McComb on the deck as assistant coaches are
Katie Kurtz and
Mitchell Reynolds.
Be sure to follow along the men's and women's swimming teams 2021 seasons here at GoMessiah.com!
