Coming off a program-best runner-up finish at last year’s Landmark Conference Virtual Championships, the Drew University men’s swimming & diving team entered the 2021-22 campaign with high expectations. Under seventh-year Head Coach Rich Munson, the Rangers brought back five All-Landmark Conference performers, including Josh Roberts (’22), a gold medalist in three events (100-freestyle, 200-freestyle and 400-free relay) at last year’s conference meet. Roberts was also fourth in the 50-freestyle, fourth in the 100-backstroke and 200-backstroke and sixth in the 400-IM. He is the school record-holder in the 200-freestyle and all three free relays. Finn Armitt (’24) also returns as the reigning Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year after capturing conference titles in both the 100-butterfly and 400-free relay. In addition, he was the conference silver medalist in the 200-fly, and he also took sixth in the 50-freestyle.
Harrison Neal (’23), a 500-free and 400-free relay swimmer and Luke Stevens (‘24), a 400-free relay swimmer, are also back as first-team all-conference honorees for winning their respective events at last year’s championships. Neal, who was also third in the 400-IM, appears six times in the Drew record book (500-free, 400-IM, 400-free relay, 800-free relay, 200-medley relay and 400-medley relay). Stevens took sixth in the 100-breaststroke and seventh in the 200-breaststroke. Ben Garratt (’22) returns after capturing second-team all-conference honors for his runner-up showing in the 100-butterfly and 200-freestyle relay. He also placed fourth in the 200-butterfly.
The Drew University men’s swimming & diving team started their season with a big splash. The Rangers won 10 of 16 events to land a 154.5-127.5 victory over Catholic University in the season opener on Saturday, Oct. 16, in Kirby Pool. Armitt and Hayden Koh (’25) had a hand in four victories apiece for the Rangers, who defeated the five-time defending Landmark Conference Champion Cardinals for the second time in team history but for the second time in as many meetings. Drew also defeated Catholic in the 2019-2020 season.
Koh made a big splash in his collegiate debut, capturing a trio of individual events. He touched first in both the 100-backstroke (51.86) and 200-backstroke (1:57.19), coming within a second of the school record in both events, while adding an additional victory in the 200-IM (1:59.38). He also swam the leadoff leg of the winning 200-medley relay (1:37.38), which also consisted of Stevens, Armitt and Roberts. Armitt, the reigning Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year, captured the 100-butterfly (52.22) and 200-butterfly (2:02.66) while swimming on the victorious 200-medley relay and 400-freestyle relay (3:17.39), which also included Jeffrey Crouse (’24), Stevens and Roberts.
Koh then went on to break the school record in the 100-butterfly at the Drew University men’s swimming & diving team double-dual meet versus Montclair State University and Moravian University on Friday, Oct. 22 in Kirby Pool. The Rangers, who won seven events, defeated Moravian, which was competing in its inaugural meet, 227-30, but fell 151-137 to Montclair State. Drew is now 2-1 on the season.
The reigning Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week, Koh, continued his tremendous start by winning three individual events for the second meet in a row. In the 100-fly, he turned in a dominant showing, winning by nearly five seconds with a time of 50.07. His time edged the former Drew record of 51.06 set by Michael Ma (’20) in 2020. Koh also won the 100-backstroke in 52.69 as well as the 100-IM (53.95). Yan Zheng Lew (’25) also posted a double victory, winning the 500-freestyle (4:54.65) and the 1,000-freestyle (10:09.83) for the second straight meet. In addition, AJ Muir (’25) touched first in the 50-backstroke (25.14). Muir also finished second to complete a 1-2 Drew sweep in both the 100-back (54.61) and 100-IM (55.94). The Rangers closed out the meet with a victory in the 200-freestyle relay. Neal, Marco Niro (’24), Jeffrey Crouse (’23) and Roberts touched in 1:29.95.
For two weeks in a row, Koh was selected as the Landmark Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week for his outstanding and record-breaking performances against Catholic, Montclair State and Moravian. The Rangers (2-1) are back in action on Friday Nov. 5, when they visit Stevens in a dual meet starting at 6 p.m.
