Howard University Men's Swim Team Makes History with First Championship in More Than 30 Years

Northeast Conference

It's history in the swimming pool!

The men's swimming and diving team at Howard University took home its first conference title in 34 years over the weekend.

The only HBCU swim team in the country, the Washington, D.C. school's team bested Long Island University, St. Francis College in Brooklyn and Wagner College to win the title with a 169-point margin, according to a news release from the Northeast Conference.

At the five-day competition in Geneva, Ohio, Howard's Miles Simon and Jordan Walker were also named outstanding swimmer and outstanding diver.

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According to the school's athletic department, Simon set seven-plus records over the course of the championship meet.

For Nicholas Askew, the director of swimming and diving at Howard who was also on the team as a student, the title is the culmination of hard work and dedication, he told ABC News.

"Don't count the laps, make the laps count," he said, regarding his coaching motto.

The team, who finished as runners-up last year, was motivated to improve upon last year's success — and they hope to inspire other Black athletes in the process.

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"Howard can't be the only place, the only option because we only have so many roster spots," Askew told CNN. "There are so many people we unfortunately can't have at Howard to be able to swim."

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He added, "We are so glad to be able to see the success and so prayerful that it will be taken note of by the other HBCU's to restart their program so we can no longer be the only HBCU."