In a ceremony on Wednesday, members of the Howard College Swimming and Diving groups have been awarded the Key to the Metropolis of Eatonville, Florida.
Although Howard is predicated in Washington, DC, the swim and dive groups journey to Florida for his or her annual coaching journey through the faculty’s winter break, coaching on the Rosen Aquatic & Health Heart in Orlando, solely about 15 miles south of Eatonville.
Howard is among the many solely Traditionally Black Faculty and Universities (HBCU) to have a swimming and diving program competing on the NCAA Division I degree. In recent times, below Head Coach Nicholas Askew, this system has seen unprecedented ranges of success. In 2023, the Bison males took house this system’s first convention championship title, ending the season because the Northeast Convention (NEC) Males’s Champions, narrowly ending because the runners-up on the 2024 Championships. The ladies’s group additionally posted their program’s highest end on the 2024 NEC Championships, coming in because the runners-up.
Askew commented on the glory of receiving the Key to the Metropolis, “[I’m] Nearly speechless, and that’s onerous to do for me. After they [the City of Eatonville] reached out to us and mentioned that, it simply solidifies the work we do. The work we do is tough; being D1 is a tough job.”
An alumni of Howard himself, Askew additionally confirmed appreciation to the alternatives supplied to his athletes, “As an alum, it couldn’t make me prouder as a result of after I was part of this system, we didn’t have alternatives like this. Both we couldn’t afford it or the sources weren’t obtainable. Now, with my teaching workers and superb assist from our household and alumni, we’re capable of present these alternatives to be on this stunning facility.”
Askew has notably made important efforts to popularize the game of swimming, particularly NCAA swimming, to most people. In 2022, he launched a swimming showcase often called the “Battle on the Burr”, which was met with record-breaking attendance and featured a DJ. In years since, the group has hosted a number of different twin meets following the identical idea, yielding constant attendance and nationwide recognition.
A number of Howard swimmers additionally confirmed appreciation to the Metropolis of Eatonville for the glory, with one swimmer stating, “I’m so excited. I’m honored to be receiving the important thing to town in the present day. I simply need to thank God for all of the blessings and all he’s achieved for me.” One other member commented on the legacy of this system as the one HBCU to swim on the Division I degree, “We’re historic and paving the way in which for future Black People to additionally learn to swim.”
