PURCHASE, N.Y. (Jan. 28, 2024) – Another year, another conference championship for the USMMA men's swimming & diving team, as the Mariners captured their 25th-straight overall (22nd-straight under head coach Commander Sean M. Tedesco) this weekend with a first place finish in the Skyline Championship Meet hosted by Purchase College. Merchant Marine scored 1074 team points, well ahead of second place SUNY Maritime's 182 points.
 
The Mariners hit six NCAA cuts, all in the two diving events, and broke five Skyline Championship Meet records over the two-day meet. They also won all 19 events and swept all the major awards when all was said and done, with Tedesco and diving coach LT Johan C. Lopez earning Coach of the Year, freshman Ryan Lester (Heath, Texas) winning Rookie of the Year honors, junior Brendan Griffiths (Easton, Pa.) and sophomore Thomas Cable (Litchfield Park, Ariz.) being named Co-Divers of the Year and senior Daniel Scherrer (Wellesley, Mass.) and sophomore Teague Mayer (Boulder, Colo.) earning Co-Swimmers of the Year honors.
 
Meet Links

• Results (PDF)
• Awards Ceremony Photo Gallery
• Complete List Of Skyline Championship Meet Records
• Complete List Of All-Skyline First And Second Teams 

On Saturday, all three diving entries earned NCAA qualifying marks in the one-meter dive, as Cable won the event with a score of 460.25, Griffiths was second (444.10) and senior Devin Dyer (Brandon, Fla.) came in third (430.20). The trio once again all hit NCAA cuts on Sunday in the three-meter discipline. Griffiths won (535.00), Cable placed second (528.75) and Dyer was third (488.40).
 
Cable finished first in the three-meter and his score broke the previous Skyline Championship record, but then Griffiths finished up shortly after and broke (and now holds) the new Skyline meet record.
 
The other records to fall over the weekend were in the 400 medley relay by the team of Mayer, juniors Dylan White (Burke, Va.) and Joseph DeCarlo (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Scherrer in 3:32.23; the 400 individual medley by Mayer in 4:15.18; and the 200 butterfly by DeCarlo in 1:58.97.
 
The 19 first-place finishers also earned All-Skyline First Team honors. They are listed below. 

• 200 free relay – freshman Barrie Snyder (Jacksonville, Fla.), Scherrer, sophomore Matthew Wachendorfer (Greensboro, N.C.) and senior Heath Lewis (Chesapeake, Va.) in 1:27.36
• 200 Medley Relay – Mayer, White, Scherrer and Snyder in 1:35.09
• 400 Medley Relay – Mayer, White, DeCarlo and Scherrer in 3:32.23
• 400 Free Relay – Lewis, Scherrer, Snyder and Mayer in 3:12.12
• 500 Free – Lester in 4:55.40
• 200 IM –  Mayer in 1:56.10
• 50 Free – Scherrer in 21.68
• 400 IM – Teague Mayer in 4:15.18
• 100 Fly – Scherrer in 51.94
• 200 Free – Scherrer in 1:46.61
• 100 Breast – freshman Luke Dankert (Grand Island, Neb.) in 59.49
• 100 Back – Mayer in 51.66
• 1M Diving – Cable (460.25)
• 3M Diving – Griffiths (535.00)
• 1000 Free – Lester in 9:59.20
• 200 Back – Mayer in 1:53.55
• 100 Free – Scherrer in 47.74
• 200 Breast – Dankert in 2:10.34
• 200 Fly – DeCarlo in 1:58.97 

Additionally, the Mariners had 15 second-place finishers who earned All-Skyline Second Team honors. They are listed below. 

• 500 Free – junior Cal Frame (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) in 4:59.47
• 200 IM – senior Oliver Austin (Essex, Vt.) in 2:00.11
• 50 Free – Snyder in 22.06
• 400 IM – Lester in 4:19.88
• 100 Fly – DeCarlo in 52.86
• 200 Free – Lester in 1:47.41
• 100 Breast – freshman Caden Latchaw (Queenstown, Md.) in 1:00.71
• 100 Back – Abraham Shim (Rockwall, Texas) in 53.96
• 1M Diving – Griffiths (444.10)
• 1000 Free – Shim in 10:17.66
• 200 Back – sophomore Ryan Chmielenski (Bristow, Va.) in2:02.85
• 100 Free – Lewis in 48.43
• 200 Breast – Austin in 2:14.55
• 200 Fly – freshman Daniel Gibbs (Stafford, Va.) in 2:00.12
• 3M Diving – Cable (528.75) 

Scherrer was named the "Mariner of the Meet," awarded based on a team vote to an individual for their performance and contribution to the team. Griffiths earned the honor for the divers.

Up next, the Mariners will travel down to Division I Villanova next Saturday, Feb. 3, to take part in the Wildcats' annual SprintFest meet along with La Salle University. Action gets underway at 11 a.m. at the Villanova Swim Complex. If any live links for the event are available, they will be posted on the USMMA Men's Swimming & Diving Schedule Page by Saturday morning.

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